Cato Event Podcast

Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

December 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of 15 independent post-Soviet states, including Russia. The political elite of the new Russia was to play a key role in a peaceful end of the communist empire that threatened nuclear Armageddon for almost half of a century. The world greeted the entry of an independent democratic Russia onto the international stage with genuine enthusiasm and great hope. Some even believed that the world was entering a promising new era. Twenty-five years later, Russia’s autocratic regime has effectively destroyed the domestic political opposition, media freedom, and independent courts. In foreign affairs, Russia has engaged in military aggressions in neighboring Georgia and Ukraine, and is actively involved in the civil war in Syria. It is meddling in the internal affairs of European countries and, some suspect, even the United States. Join us to hear our panelists discuss what went wrong and where Russia is likely headed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have persisted through the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. Indeed, the North is expected to possess as many as 100 nuclear warheads by 2020. Pyongyang is also developing the missile capability to strike U.S. bases in the Pacific and someday even the American homeland. Virtually no one believes that the Kim regime will voluntarily relinquish its growing arsenal.Many American policymakers see China as the best means to pressure North Korea to change course. Yet Beijing so far has continued to underwrite the Kim regime. What must the United States and its allies do to convince Beijing to cut commerce with the North? Would such a course most likely result in reform in Pyongyang or a North Korean collapse? Could the latter be worse than the status quo?Join our panel for an open discussion of these and related questions, as they consider China’s role in confronting the “North Korea problem.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the years since the financial crisis, lawmakers and regulators have turned their attention to the financial sector, passing new laws and imposing new restrictions throughout the sector. Many of these provisions are now being challenged in the courts. In MetLife v. FSOC, for example, the insurance giant has taken on the government’s controversial Systemically Important Financial Institution (SIFI) designation process, winning in the lower court and now pursuing an appeal. And in Timbervest v. SEC, the Court will consider whether the SEC’s administrative proceedings have started to erode due process. In the fervor to “rein in Wall Street” that followed, did these new rules go too far, stretching the Constitution to its limit?Join us as we discuss the importance of several key cases poised to impact the financial sector, and Cato’s role in serving as amici in these and other cases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The freedom of speech and the freedom of the press are at the core of a free society, yet we’re increasingly discovering that, while in theory, almost everyone believes in freedom of speech, in practice, few are committed to the policies that truly safeguard it.On the campaign trail, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump called for “closing down” parts of the Internet as an anti-ISIS measure. Trump further claimed that freedom of the press was detrimental to the fight against terrorism, and demanded that libel laws be expanded to allow individuals to sue media organizations that publish unflattering stories about them. Following the 2016 election results, pundits blamed social media for creating an increasingly polarized voting public; Facebook and Google announced an initiative to go after so-called “fake news sites,” despite controversy over which sites, exactly, should qualify as fake; and more and more platforms have adopted increasingly restrictive policies regarding acceptable speech.Nick Gillespie and Flemming Rose are among the many classical liberals who worry about the trajectory freedom of speech and freedom of the press seems to be taking. As editor in chief of Reason Magazine and Reason TV, Gillespie has faced Department of Justice subpoenas and a gag order from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. When Rose, then-culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, became the target of death threats and more after commissioning 12 cartoons of the prophet Muhammad to be published around an op-ed on Islam, free speech, and multiculturalism in 2006, he refused to retract his opinions, instead becoming a global activist for free speech—detailed in his book The Tyranny of Silence: How One Cartoon Ignited a Global Debate on the Future of Free Speech, published by the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each year unelected federal administrators write thousands of regulations possessing the force of law. What do these civil servants know about the American people whom they ostensibly serve? Not much, according to this enlightening and disturbing study. The authors surveyed federal agency officials, congressional and White House staffers, and employees of various policy-making organizations about their attitudes toward and knowledge of the public. They found a great difference between what official Washington assumes they know about average Americans and the actual opinions and attitudes of American citizens. When it comes to policy issues—on such crucial issues as defense, crime, social security, welfare, public education, and the environment—officials' perceptions of the public's knowledge and positions are often wide of the mark. Compounding this ignorance is a pervasive attitude of smug dismissiveness toward the citizenry and little sense of accountability. As a result, bureaucrats tend to follow their own preferences without much reference to the opinions of the public. The authors recommend changes to improve governance.Please join us for interesting look at the Washington elite in a time of populist anger. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will balance the federal budget and cut spending. During the election campaign, he complained about “waste, fraud, and abuse all over the place” and promised to “cut so much, your head will spin.” And he said, “We are going to ask every department head in government to provide a list of wasteful spending projects that we can eliminate in my first 100 days.”Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) has created such a list of wasteful spending programs in his new report Federal Fumbles: 100 Ways the Government Dropped the Ball. Join the senator and leading budget experts to discuss the report and describe ways that the incoming Trump administration can cut unneeded spending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Housing prices are rapidly climbing in many American urban areas, pushing low-income and sometimes even middle-income people out of rental and home buying markets. American homeownership rates have fallen to the lowest levels since 1965, increasing wealth inequality and reducing productivity.Should urban areas respond to this affordability crisis by “growing up,” that is, building higher densities in the existing urban footprint as recommended by a recent White House policy paper? Or should they “grow out,” that is, build more developments at market densities at the urban fringe? Join three housing policy experts in a discussion of this question that is critical to the future of American cities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The optimism that followed the end of the Cold War has been replaced by fear and pessimism. Russia is reasserting itself on the world stage, China continues to increase tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, and North Korea is inching toward a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the U.S. homeland. All of this has led many to believe that the world is more dangerous than ever before.Meanwhile, the growth of U.S. defense spending has slowed, leading some to conclude that America’s military has been “gutted” and is unprepared to meet today’s challenges, including its role as protector of the global order.Is the world more dangerous than ever? Have funding constraints degraded the strength of the U.S. military? Should we revisit U.S. grand strategy, including the missions that we assign to the American military? Join us for a conversation on the myths and misperceptions that cloud a clear discussion of U.S. foreign policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For-profit colleges have been accused of deceiving students, fueling debt, and producing atrocious outcomes. Many big chains—most notably Corinthian Colleges and ITT—have gone out of business under heavy scrutiny from public officials. Are for-profit schools truly miserable, or are they being targeted for political reasons? And what do the election results bode for them? Join us for a free-flowing exchange about for-profit higher education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the Franklin Roosevelt administration, the vision of U.S. trade policy has been to expand global commerce by reducing government-imposed barriers. Ambassadors Kantor and Schwab played significant roles in that effort. Ambassador Kantor finalized the NAFTA, and also the Uruguay Round negotiations that established the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ambassador Schwab concluded trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.Unfortunately, positions espoused in 2016 by major party presidential candidates indicate little or no support for trade liberalization. Have decades of U.S. leadership toward a more open global economy come to an end? What could be done to improve public understanding of trade’s benefits? Will the political focus remain largely on protecting existing jobs, or will broader societal gains from trade be recognized? What might supporters of trade reform do to advance their cause? Please join us for this timely discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2008 collapse of Iceland’s grossly overextended banks added fuel to the conflagration in global financial markets and wreaked havoc with the country’s economy, which at one point saw its stock market lose 95 percent of its value and its unemployment rate rise above 25 percent.Since then the economy has recovered, the country’s unemployment rate today stands at just 2.5 percent, and the government recently paid back a $2.5 billion IMF loan.However, last spring the government announced it would impose a haircut on its foreign bondholders, threatening its access to financial markets and endangering its strong economic performance of the last few years.The island’s October 29 election solidified the Pirate Party’s presence in government and may result in a new ruling coalition that is ambivalent — or hostile — towards market economics as well as any commitments made by its predecessors to investors or trading partners. Our panelists hope to shed some light on what Iceland’s future will hold and what that means for U.S. policy and global finance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bleak prospect of living in a country governed by one of the major-party presidential candidates seems to bolster arguments against voting. Declining to participate in this year’s deeply unsatisfactory election may signal a preference for “none of the above” while denying personal sanction to the many wrongs and injustices governments mete out in our names. Not voting is a time-saver, too. But non-participation in the vote may be an unwise option. Voting doesn’t just elect a candidate: it may signal to a variety of important audiences what direction the electorate would like the country to take. Perhaps voting is the best option available, even if other candidates and other systems of government would provide more liberty and prosperity. Failing to vote may waste personal power.Is the best choice to vote one’s conscience, vote strategically, or not vote at all?Join us for a debate on the merits of voting, followed by a convivial reception to pre-mourn the outcomes of the forthcoming election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scapegoating trade for problems real and imagined is nothing new. Blaming foreigners for domestic woes ingratiates politicians to excitable elements of the electorate and helps them direct voter anger away from their own records. But this year the rhetoric has been especially disparaging, with candidates from across the spectrum perpetuating noxious fallacies about trade, its purpose, and its beneficiaries.Among the prominent myths in circulation this year are that trade is a national competition between Team USA and the foreign team; trade destroyed U.S. manufacturing; the trade deficit means the United States is losing at trade; outsourcing hurts the U.S. economy; and, trade agreements only benefit big corporations and the rich.Join us for a special presentation where we will set the record straight and take a clarifying look at the many misconceptions swirling around in conversations about U.S. trade policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recent events in Oklahoma and North Carolina continue to draw the nation's attention to the combustible relationship between police and the communities they serve. Yet despite the national focus, important facts are getting blurred as partisans on both sides square off in an increasingly divisive national debate.Join our panel of Cato scholars to sort out and clarify a broad range of issues, including pretextual stops, police militarization, the use of body cameras and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every day we’re bludgeoned by news of how bad everything is—financial collapse, unemployment, poverty, environmental disasters, disease, hunger, war. Indeed, our world now seems to be on the brink of collapse, and yet: We’ve made more progress over the last 100 years than in the first 100,000. Some 285,000 more people have gained access to safe water every day for the last 25 years. In the last 50 years world poverty has fallen more than it did in the preceding 500. By almost any index you care to identify, things are markedly better now than they have ever been for almost everyone alive. Examining official data from the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Health Organization, Johan Norberg traces just how far we have come in tackling the issues facing our species. While it’s true that not every problem has been solved, we do now have a good idea of the solutions and we know what it will take to see this progress continue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throughout history, kings and emperors have promised “freedoms” to their people. Yet these freedoms were really only permissions handed down from on high. The American Revolution inaugurated a new vision: People have basic rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and government must ask permission from them. Sadly, our modern bureaucratic society has turned back the clock, transforming America into a nation where our freedoms — the right to speak freely, to earn a living, to own a gun, to use private property, even to take medicine to save one’s own life — are again treated as privileges the government may grant or withhold at will. In this new book,Timothy Sandefur examines the history of the distinction between rights and privileges that played such a crucial role in the American experiment, and the fight ahead to regain our freedoms. Illustrated with dozens of real-life examples — including many cases he himself litigated — Sandefur shows how treating freedoms as government-created privileges undermines our Constitution and betrays the basic principles of human dignity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rising premiums, insurer exits, and a shifting mix of plan types has observers questioning the future of Obamacare’s health-insurance exchanges. In many parts of the United States, only one insurer remains in the exchange. In some cases, premiums are rising by an average of 50 percent. Are these just growing pains, or are the exchanges in the throes of a death spiral? A panel of scholars will offer differing perspectives on the performance and prospects for the centerpiece of Obamacare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China’s turn to the free market in goods and services has enabled it to achieve high growth and remarkable material progress for decades, but growth in recent years has slowed markedly. Weiying Zhang, one of China’s most influential economists, will explain why the country needs a free market for ideas if it is to become prosperous. Competing viewpoints, scholarship, and faiths are necessary to test out new ideas and for a society to progress. After 2003, however, the Chinese government has stalled reforms and is increasingly restricting the market for ideas. Zhang will draw from ancient through contemporary Chinese history to show how this restriction is jeopardizing China’s future. Ning Wang will explain how the government’s monopoly on ideas is responsible for China’s lack of innovation in science and technology, and is holding back its economy in a world that is becoming increasingly knowledge intensive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China’s eight-fold expansion in steel production over the past 20 years has resulted in a worldwide oversupply. China now accounts for half of global steel output and is the largest exporter. Steel producers in the United States and other countries have faced a rising tide of imported steel. The U.S. reaction has been to impose antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) measures to restrict imports. AD/CVD orders have not succeeded in restoring full profitability to U.S. steel mills, but have raised costs for manufacturers that use steel as an input.How did China become the dominant player in the global steel marketplace? Will its production continue to rise, or be curtailed? What are the implications of global oversupply for the American steel industry? And what policy responses might best serve U.S. interests? Please join us for a discussion of these important issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

   Across the political spectrum there is a growing recognition that our current welfare state is unable to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Among the alternatives being explored by scholars on both the right and left is the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI), a simple cash payment from the government to every citizen, without other requirements or restrictions. Two new books look at this idea from very different, but overlapping directions. Charles Murray, envisions a UBI as an alternative to the current bloated and bureaucratic welfare state. Andy Stern worries about inequality and a future in which automation has reduced low-skilled employment. Along with Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner, they will discuss whether a UBI is a practical and affordable approach to poverty in a new economy and whether or not there really is an opportunity to build a cross-partisan consensus for a new approach to social welfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are immigrants and refugees critical threats to American security? The Syrian refugee crisis and terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe have prompted fierce debate over how to strike the proper balance between national security, the benefits of immigration, and a humanitarian refugee policy. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has taken the extreme position that the United States should not welcome any immigrants or refugees from Muslim-majority nations because of the threat of terrorism. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has called for significant increases in the number of Syrian refugees that the United States accepts. Join us for a wide-ranging discussion as our expert panel examines the risk posed by foreign-born terrorists and how the public views the connection between immigrants and refugees on the one hand and national security and terrorism on the other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Law professor James Duane became a viral sensation in 2008 for a lively lecture that explained why people shouldn’t agree to answer questions from the police. In his new book, You Have the Right to Remain Innocent, Duane expands on that presentation, offering a vigorous defense of every citizen’s constitutionally protected right to avoid self-incrimination. By using case histories of innocent persons who were wrongfully imprisoned because of information they gave to police, Duane debunks the claim that “if you haven’t done anything wrong, then you don’t have anything to worry about.” Join us for an informative lecture about the Constitution and how to protect yourself and stay out of trouble with the police. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Six years after its enactment, Obamacare remains one of the most controversial, divisive, and enduring political issues in America. In Unraveled: Obamacare, Religious Liberty, and Executive Power, Professor Josh Blackman argues that, to implement the law, President Obama has broken promises about cancelled insurance policies, exceeded the traditional bounds of executive power, and infringed on religious liberty. At the same time, conservative opponents have stopped at nothing to unravel Obamacare, including a three-week government shutdown, four Supreme Court cases, and 50 repeal votes. This legal thriller provides the definitive account of the battle to stop Obamacare from being “woven into the fabric of America.” Unraveled is the much-anticipated follow-up to the critically acclaimed Unprecedented: The Constitutional Challenge to Obamacare (2013), which told the story of the individual-mandate litigation. Together, these two books showcase unparalleled access — Blackman has interviewed all the principals save the Supreme Court justices themselves — and a compelling narrative that reads like a legal thriller. Join us for a book forum that will discuss the past, present, and the future of Obamacare in our gridlocked government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As of 2016 over a million drones have been sold in America—to individual consumers, private companies, nonprofits, universities, and law enforcement organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. New regulatory schemes—some mandatory, others voluntary—have been implemented to help these stakeholders manage the safety, privacy, and operational concerns expressed about the use of drones domestically. But recent developments raise critical questions about whether the full range of the possibilities—and the perils—of domestic drone use have been explored.The recent mass shooting incident in Dallas involved the first use of an armed unmanned system on U.S. soil. Will the precedent lead police to seek to use aerial armed drones in the future? Technology is allowing drones to stay aloft for hours, even days at a time. Will such capabilities lead to persistent, pervasive aerial surveillance? And what about the economic promise of drones? How are they being used now in the commercial sector? Have aviation safety concerns been adequately addressed? Our panelists will explore these issues in depth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As of 2016 over a million drones have been sold in America—to individual consumers, private companies, nonprofits, universities, and law enforcement organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. New regulatory schemes—some mandatory, others voluntary—have been implemented to help these stakeholders manage the safety, privacy, and operational concerns expressed about the use of drones domestically. But recent developments raise critical questions about whether the full range of the possibilities—and the perils—of domestic drone use have been explored.The recent mass shooting incident in Dallas involved the first use of an armed unmanned system on U.S. soil. Will the precedent lead police to seek to use aerial armed drones in the future? Technology is allowing drones to stay aloft for hours, even days at a time. Will such capabilities lead to persistent, pervasive aerial surveillance? And what about the economic promise of drones? How are they being used now in the commercial sector? Have aviation safety concerns been adequately addressed? Our panelists will explore these issues in depth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So far missing from the presidential campaigns has been a serious discussion of long-run structural issues facing the U.S. economy, especially the large projected budget deficits. Continuing to delay action on fiscal imbalances is not an option for the next administration. Economic and fiscal realities will constrain future policy options, as noted in recent studies by the International Monetary Fund and the Cato Institute. Please join our panel of distinguished economists as they examine and analyze the most pressing economic, financial, and fiscal issues facing the next president. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2016 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2016 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2016 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each year, thousands of young professionals descend on D.C. hoping to land their dream jobs. With so much competition among young job seekers, how can you stand out from the rest of the pack? Make the most of your internship, network with peers, and learn from a panel of D.C. insiders. Speakers will offer advice and discuss their paths to professional success. They will highlight how to leverage your talent, gain influence, and start your career. Reception to follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 7, 2016, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives teamed up to host a distinguished group of scholars to explore pressing questions about monetary policy rules.This video features the keynote address from John B.Taylor, Mary and Robert Raymond Professor of Economics at Stanford University and George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution.More information on the "Monetary Rules for a Post-Crisis World" event: http://mercatus.org/events/monetary-rules-post-crisis-world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the 15th Annual Constitution DayCato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the 15th Annual Constitution DayCato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the 15th Annual Constitution DayCato’s Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court’s just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the 15th Annual Constitution DayCato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the 15th Annual Constitution DayCato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.