For decades, libertarians have expressed pointed and principled opposition to U.S. interventionism, offering alternatives that have been largely ignored by policymakers in Washington. The promises of stability and peace from both Democratic and Republican administrations have yet to be fulfilled, and the costs of foreign wars in blood, treasure, and prestige have taken their toll. The American public is both tired and wary of intervention. Has the time finally come for a libertarian foreign poli...
May 07, 2015•1 hr 3 min
“South Africa is sliding downhill while much of the rest of the continent is clawing its way up,” so wrote The Economist in 2013. For over two decades, South Africa has basked in the glow of a peaceful transition from apartheid to majority rule, but the country’s endemic corruption, high crime rate, and failing public services can no longer be ignored. Some even wonder if the misrule by the African National Congress could turn South Africa into a Zimbabwe-like failed state. Frans Cronje and Vuka...
May 04, 2015•1 hr 21 min
In a 2013 address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would continue to safeguard the “free flow of energy... to the world,” even as the shale revolution ushers in an unprecedented increase in oil and natural gas production here at home. New oil and gas production technologies, such as hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and deepwater drilling, have already begun to redraw the map of energy production. Because oil is traded in a ...
May 01, 2015•1 hr 34 min
Disclaimer: Please note that Erica Borghard’s comments are her own personal views, and do not represent the official positions of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. The rise of ISIS and the spread of the Syrian civil war to Iraq have led to renewed discussions of U.S. intervention. Though Washington is regularly bombing ISIS targets, there is little in the way of viable on-the-ground support, and a much-vaunted U.S. training campaign for moderates has had dif...
Apr 30, 2015•1 hr 27 min
Although cannabis (otherwise known as marijuana) is still classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States—meaning that it is illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate under federal law—state laws in 23 states (plus the District of Columbia) allow for its medical use, and four states (plus the District of Columbia) allow for its recreational use. The trend towards legalization is likely to continue with polls routinely showing majority support for legalization from the American public...
Apr 27, 2015•1 hr 9 min
Members of Congress in both houses have again introduced measures to repeal long-standing constraints on the ability of the Government Accountability Office to perform a program audit of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy actions. Auditing the Fed has become the topic of bitter debate, not along party lines, but instead pitting government transparency advocates against proponents of Federal Reserve political independence. Please join our panel as we try to answer these questions: What is “Aud...
Apr 17, 2015•1 hr 18 min
Since 2001 the Federal Bureau of Investigation has led a vigorous hunt for domestic terrorists. The results have been mixed. Several attacks have occurred, though not with the apocalyptic results officials predicted. Authorities have stopped other domestic terrorists and, arguably, manufactured more. Through informants and undercover agents, the FBI has essentially organized fake terrorist plots, some ensnaring individuals so inept that they seemed incapable of succeeding in terrorism without go...
Apr 13, 2015•1 hr 36 min
10:30 – 10:55 a.m. Registration 10:55 – 11:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks John Allison , Former President and CEO, Cato Institute11:00 – 11:30 a.m. The Libertarian Mind in America David Boaz , Executive Vice President, Cato Institute11:30 a.m.– 12:10 p.m. Power to the People Johan Norberg , Senior Fellow, Cato Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 10, 2015•1 hr 28 min
Some tax reform plans would replace the "progressive" rate structure in the internal revenue code with a single, low rate. That's a big issue that warrants serious debate. But there's another important aspect of tax reform, which is whether some forms of income should be taxed more than one time. An expert panel will explain why this "tax base" issue has major implications for the ability of tax reform to generate faster growth and higher living standards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy ...
Apr 10, 2015•1 hr 3 min
What if, instead of heading down to your local liquor store, the next time you found yourself craving an alcoholic beverage, you could simply pull out your smart phone, place an order, and a short while later, get your drinks, all without leaving your home? That’s the concept behind Klink, an alcohol delivery app that brings the user-friendly connectivity of the sharing economy to one of the most heavily regulated industries in the nation. Join the Cato Institute for a lunchtime discussion of th...
Apr 02, 2015•1 hr 8 min
The law authorizing federal highway and transit programs expires on May 31, and Congress is currently debating where the money will come from for a new transportation bill and where it should be spent. But a third question is even more important: what are the incentives created by federal transportation spending and how can they be improved to provide Americans with faster, cleaner, and safer transportation? Randal O'Toole will describe the perverse incentives that currently govern federal trans...
Mar 27, 2015•1 hr
On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a State of the Union address to Congress in which he declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." Johnson’s goal was not only to "relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." Since then, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding?This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of expe...
Mar 26, 2015•1 hr 18 min
On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a State of the Union address to Congress in which he declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." Johnson’s goal was not only to "relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." Since then, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding?This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of expe...
Mar 26, 2015•1 hr 16 min
On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a State of the Union address to Congress in which he declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." Johnson’s goal was not only to "relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." Since then, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding?This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of expe...
Mar 26, 2015•58 min
On March 15, the statutory debt ceiling kicks in again — after a year of unlimited federal borrowing that has brought our national debt to the edge of $20 trillion. Of course, nobody is betting on the debt ceiling being maintained, which creates a huge problem for advocates of limited government. What in practical politics can hold back the growth of the federal government when unlimited borrowing capacity creates the illusion of limitless, cost-free resources? The participants on this panel wil...
Mar 17, 2015•1 hr 10 min
Can you imagine being denied a bank account just because some bureaucrat disapproves of your job? It could happen to you! Launched in early 2013, "Operation Choke Point" is a joint effort by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the bank regulators to limit access to the bank payments system by various businesses. Initially targeted at small-dollar nonbank lenders, Choke Point has grown to cover a variety of legitimate businesses that just happen to be unpopular with DOJ. Since, in today’s economy...
Mar 16, 2015•58 min
During the Cold War, annual Pentagon spending averaged about $458 billion in today’s prices; over the next decade, its projected budget will average over half a trillion dollars per year. Yet, while our spending is consistent with Cold War levels, that money pays for fewer troops; supports less base capacity; and buys fewer ships, aircraft, and tanks. In short, we are getting less bang for our buck. And the situation is only getting worse as personnel costs continue to demand an ever-increasing ...
Mar 16, 2015•1 hr 29 min
Please join us for an informative and entertaining policy luncheon and discussion with Alex Nowrasteh, Brink Lindsey, and Richard Rahn. This luncheon will feature presentations by Cato scholars Alex Nowrasteh, author of many studies on immigration policy, and Brink Lindsey, author of Human Capitalism: How Economic Growth Has Made Us Smarter — and More Unequal and The Age of Abundance: How Prosperity Transformed America's Politics and Culture . The economic benefits of immigration reform are larg...
Mar 16, 2015•1 hr 16 min
Recent Russian aggression in Ukraine has raised the profile of NATO, giving the organization a sense of purpose not seen since the end of the Cold War. Yet NATO has changed substantially since 1991, growing to include member states in Eastern Europe. NATO’s mission has also evolved, from collective defense to broader military cooperation, and from European security to a more global approach, including recent involvement in Afghanistan and the Libyan civil war. NATO itself has become a political ...
Mar 04, 2015•1 hr 26 min
Join Russ Roberts as he interviews George Mason University economics professor Lawrence H. White about Renewing the Search for a Monetary Constitution — a new Cato book White has coedited with Victor J. Vanberg and Ekkehard Köhler. Despite their substantial independence and discretionary powers, central banks have generally failed to achieve their goals of maintaining either low and stable inflation or tolerably low unemployment. Many blame monetary discretion for this failure, noting that such ...
Feb 25, 2015•1 hr 35 min
Contrary to myth, Obamacare’s opponents have many alternatives to the health care law that is once again before the Supreme Court. The Washington Examiner ’s Philip Klein, a leading conservative health care writer, takes us inside the debate on the right over how to overhaul the health care system along free-market lines in the wake of a ruling in King v. Burwell, and possibly in the wake of Obamacare. Drawing on eight years of experience reporting on the issue, and dozens of interviews with pro...
Feb 24, 2015•1 hr 25 min
The American Founders planned for a republic and feared its corruption. Jay Cost thinks their fears are coming true. His new book reveals that big government has promoted corruption that favors the privileged over the many, corruption that is both legal and too often accepted. Cost argues that politicians today have professionalized the pathways of corruption so thoroughly that they can more easily defy detection, and, barring that, retain plausible deniability. From the 18th century to today, C...
Feb 12, 2015•1 hr 27 min
The rise of ridesharing in the U.S. and abroad has been accompanied by complaints and concerns related to the regulation of rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft. Reports of rideshare drivers assaulting passengers as well as worries about insurance coverage and vehicle inspections have all prompted discussion about the safety of ridesharing. In addition, market incumbents have complained that rideshare companies are unfairly flouting existing regulation. Please join us for a discussion on ri...
Feb 10, 2015•1 hr 18 min
Colleges often seem hostile to, or at least uninterested in, Western civilization, free markets, and other “conservative” or “libertarian” subjects. This has left a void that is increasingly being filled by privately funded academic centers founded in or near colleges and universities. But how objective are such centers? Do their donors call all the shots? Can they significantly widen inquiry in academia? Please join Cato and the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy for an in-depth di...
Feb 05, 2015•1 hr 25 min
President Barack Obama’s announcement that the United States will seek to ease the embargo on, and normalize relations with, Cuba marks the beginning of the end of more than 50 years of failed efforts by Washington to improve human rights or achieve political or economic reform on the island through economic sanctions and diplomatic isolationism. Further moves to end the embargo depend on Congress, however. Senator Flake will explain why he supports normalizing relations and discuss what to expe...
Feb 05, 2015•1 hr 10 min
12:35 – 2:00 p.m. Luncheon Address His Highness: The Unconstitutional World of Barack Obama Tucker Carlson , Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Caller and Co-Host, Fox & Friends Weekend Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 04, 2015•53 min
10:50 – 11:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks John Allison , President and CEO, Cato Institute11:00 – 11:30 a.m. The Forever-War President: Obama’s Dangerous War-Powers Legacy Gene Healy , Vice President, Cato Institute11:30 a.m.– 12:10 p.m. Impact of the 2014 Elections on Policy Daniel Mitchell , Senior Fellow, Cato Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 04, 2015•1 hr 9 min
In 2012, the Live Free or Die state launched a bold initiative to advance educational freedom: scholarship tax credits. The New Hampshire Opportunity Scholarship Act grants tax credits to businesses worth 85 percent of their contributions to nonprofit scholarship organizations that fund low- and middle-income students to attend private or home schools. The scholarship law then faced both a repeal effort in the legislature and a bitter lawsuit that went to the state’s highest court. Join us as we...
Jan 26, 2015•58 min
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Luncheon Address The Dangers of the Imperial Presidency Tom Campbell , Dean, Chapman University School of Law; Former Member of Congress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 25, 2015•53 min
10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Registration 10:50 – 11:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks John Allison , President and CEO, Cato Institute11:00 – 11:20 a.m. Technology and Liberty Jim Harper , Senior Fellow, Cato Institute11:20 – 11:40 a.m. Are Millennials More Libertarian? Emily Ekins , Research Fellow, Cato Institute; Polling Director, Reason Foundation11:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Making Immigration Work Alex Nowrasteh , Immigration Policy Analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute Hosted on Acas...
Jan 23, 2015•1 hr 9 min
