Cato Event Podcast

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 entity, with NATO enlargement an ongoing point of contention between Russia and the West.Is NATO best positioned to address transatlantic security concerns? Should the organization be reformed? Or is it time to create a new framework for European security concerns? What should be the U.S. role in this process? Join our panel for an open discussion of these and other questions, as they debate the future of the transatlantic security framework from various points of view. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 discretion tempts central bankers to engage in monetary "fine tuning" that ends up fueling booms and busts, leaving declared objectives to fall by the wayside. Should monetary authorities be reined in by a constitution? If so, how might this be done successfully? The essays in Renewing the Search for a Monetary Constitution, by Lawrence White and others, address these and other crucial questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 prominent health policy experts, Klein lays out a free-market vision for health care and presents three competing approaches to getting there: reform, replace, and restart. Join us to hear from Klein, as well as from leading proponents of each school of thought. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, Cost traces the history of how America ceased being a republic and became a special-interest democracy.Will the 2016 elections bring change? Cost’s sweeping history of American political corruption does not spare the age of Obama. He demonstrates that a president who promised to change the system became a willing participant, as did both parties in the U.S. Congress — at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to taxpayers.Please join us for a disturbing portrait of a nation fostering and fighting political decline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ridesharing and what regulatory framework should govern this new and controversial industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 discussion of this growing phenomenon.Download “Renewal in the University: How Academic Centers Restore the Spirit of Inquiry,” by the Pope Center’s Jay Schalin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 expect from a new Congress on policy toward Cuba. Carl Meacham will present national security arguments in favor of engaging Cuba. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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.

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 present Live Free and Learn: Scholarship Tax Credits in New Hampshire, a short film detailing the struggle over New Hampshire’s scholarship law and some of the families it has touched. After the film, please join us live online and on Twitter at #CatoConnects for a discussion on the politics, policy, and constitutionality of scholarship tax credit laws.Live Free and Learn: Scholarship Tax Credits in New Hampshire on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

10:30 – 10:50 a.m.Registration10:50 – 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 Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The economic reforms and subsequent growth in China must count as among the most astonishing and hopeful events of our age. Weiying Zhang was among the leaders who set China on its path of change. His new collection of essays recounts the successes and failures of reform and looks to the future for continued progress. He emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurs in continuing and deepening economic liberalization along with reducing state ownership and control. Please join us to hear a real hero of liberty talk about the past, present, and future of China and free market economics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We hear a lot about moral decline these days. Michael Shermer, the author of Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, and eight other books on the evolution of human beliefs and behavior, argues that the scientific way of thinking has made people — and society as a whole — more moral. The Age of Reason and the Enlightenment led theorists to apply scientific reasoning to the nonscientific disciplines of politics, economics, and moral philosophy. Instead of relying on the woodcuts of dissected bodies in old medical texts, physicians opened bodies themselves to see what was there; instead of divining truth through the authority of an ancient book, people began to explore the book of nature for themselves through travel and exploration; instead of the supernatural belief in the divine right of kings, people employed a natural belief in the right of democracy. Abstract reasoning, rationality, empiricism, and skepticism, Shermer says, have profoundly changed the way we perceive morality and, indeed, move us ever closer to a more just world. With advance endorsements from Steven Pinker, Jared Diamond, and Michio Kaku, this book is likely to provoke lots of debate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an engaging new book, David Gans and Ilya Shapiro provide a comprehensive analysis of the issues in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the blockbuster legal challenge to the Obamacare regulation that required employer-sponsored health plans to provide “free” contraceptive coverage. In a series of debates, these opposing advocates examine whether for-profit corporations can assert religious-exercise claims under federal law, whether businesses (or their owners/directors/officers) with religious objections should be exempt from coverage requirements, and what the consequences would be if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby. The Court’s decision will be discussed for years and this spirited debate will provide fascinating and informative food for thought for scholars, students, and the public as they grapple with fundamental questions of corporate personhood, religious liberty, and health care policy. Please join us for a reprise of these debates, with commentary by the architect of the constitutional challenge to Obamacare’s individual mandate, Professor Randy Barnett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2009 Brian Aitken, a media consultant and web entrepreneur, ran afoul of New Jersey's draconian gun laws when he was arrested while transporting two handguns unloaded and locked in the trunk of his car. Despite the fact that Aitken owned the guns legally and had called the New Jersey State Police for advice on how to legally transport his firearms, he found himself sentenced to seven years in prison.In 2010 New Jersey governor Chris Christie commuted Aitken's sentence. But Aitken's experience, like that of other law-abiding gun owners who've faced long prison sentences for honest mistakes, raises troubling questions about gun-law overreach, prosecutorial discretion, and judicial abdication. Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion of these issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, supposedly ending our nation’s failed experiment with prohibitionism. Yet, 81 years later, modern-day prohibitionists continue to deny the laws of supply and demand, attempting to control what individuals can choose to put into their own bodies.Please join the Cato Institute for a celebration of the 81st anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition. Panelists will discuss modern prohibitions—from the Drug War to blue laws; tobacco regulation to transfats—drawing connections with their earlier antecedent.Alcoholic beverages and other commonly restricted refreshments (bring on the trans fats!) will be served following the discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people believe that science and research are public goods and thus need financial support from the government. Most economists believe that economic growth depends on innovation which in turn arises from science and research. The conventional wisdom concludes that economic growth depends on government largesse, perhaps as much as it does on markets.Economic growth and innovation are closely linked, but we might doubt that science and research are public goods. Consider the history of public support for science. The United States was effectively laissez faire in science and research until 1940, yet the inauguration of vast federal funding for science and innovation since that date has not altered the nation’s underlying rates of economic growth. The Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla transformed their industries without government grants. Indeed, in 2003 the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD found in surveying its members that only privately funded R&D led to economic growth—publicly funded R&D had no beneficial effects at all.Everybody supports the public funding of scientific research: industry loves corporate welfare, the universities love the grants, the politicians love the reflected glory, and the general public believes the conventional wisdom previously noted. Terence Kealey argues that science and research are most certainly not public goods and that we could—if we wished—leave R&D solely to the market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the biggest businesses in the world are accused of committing crimes? What should happen? Too Big to Jail peers into the hidden world of corporate prosecutions, revealing how Justice Department lawyers have used settlements, non-prosecution agreements, deferred prosecution agreements, and plea bargains to exact billions of dollars from corporate defendants—without ever going to court. This lack of judicial oversight creates a very real danger that justice is not being served: the guilty can literally buy their way out of prosecution, while others are forced to pay fines grossly disproportionate to any offense. Please join us for an in-depth discussion with two scholars whose work is on the cutting edge of an emerging national debate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luncheon Address — Restoring the Lost Constitution Randy Barnett, Author, Senior Fellow, Cato InstituteDirector, Georgetown Center for the Constitution Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James L. Buckley’s new book, Saving Congress from Itself, describes the damage caused by federal aid-to-state programs and proposes a full repeal. Buckley’s analysis is grounded in his distinguished career as a U.S. senator from New York, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and a high-level Reagan administration official. He argues that repealing aid-to-state programs would free the federal government to focus on truly national matters, put the government on sounder financial footing, and improve the ability of states to manage their programs for education, welfare, transportation, and other activities. Cato’s Roger Pilon and Chris Edwards will comment on Buckley’s proposal and describe the legal and practical aspects of reviving federalism and ending aid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sixty years ago the U.S. Supreme Court's first case on gay rights was set in motion. It has been neglected through many of the intervening years but is now recognized as a landmark in the law of free speech. In One, Inc., v. Olesen, a fledgling Los Angeles–based magazine seeking to advance the interests of homosexuals sued after the Post Office declared it obscene and banned its distribution through the mail. Against long odds, facing the full force of the federal government, and with little support from the civil libertarians of the day, the small publication persevered to the Supreme Court—and its unexpected victory there opened up legal space for other dissenting and unpopular opinions to thrive. Join us as three experts discuss the One, Inc. case as a turning point in First Amendment law and an example of how freedom of expression works to vindicate the interests of those on society's margins. We'll also learn about ongoing efforts to get the U.S. government to open its archives to shed light on its handling of the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels energy expert Alex Epstein argues that we are only hearing one side of a critical story. We are taught to think only of the negatives of fossil fuels, not their positives — their ability to provide cheap, reliable energy for a world of seven billion people. The moral significance of cheap, reliable energy, Epstein illustrates, is woefully underrated. Energy enables us to improve nearly every single aspect of life, whether economic or environmental, and if we look at the big picture of fossil fuels compared with the alternatives, the impact of fossil fuels is to make the world a far better place.Epstein confronts the most common myths about fossil fuels: they are dirty, unsustainable, and harm the developing world. Drawing on original insights and cutting-edge research, Epstein offers facts to the contrary. Fossil fuels take a naturally dirty environment and make it clean; they take a naturally dangerous climate and make it safer; the sun and wind are intermittent, unreliable fuels that always need backup from a reliable source of energy — usually fossil fuels; and, fossil fuels are the key to improving the quality of life for billions of people in the developing world. Calls to "get off fossil fuels" are calls to degrade the lives of innocent people who merely want the same opportunities we enjoy in the West.Will The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels become the Silent Spring of its time? Decide for yourself after hearing Alex Epstein discuss this powerful, highly innovative book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Obama will soon announce that he plans to use executive power to delay the deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants, among other reforms. Join us and submit your questions via Twitter as we discuss the policy and politics of the President's plan.Follow @CatoEvents and use #CatoConnects to ask questions and join the conversation on Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In National Security and Double Government, Michael Glennon examines the continuity in U.S. national security policy from the Bush administration to the Obama administration. Glennon explains the lack of change by pointing to the enervation of America's "Madisonian institutions," namely, the Congress, the presidency, and the courts. In Glennon's view, these institutions have been supplanted by a "Trumanite network" of bureaucrats who make up the permanent national security state. National security policymaking has been removed from public view and largely insulated from law and politics. Glennon warns that leaving security policy in the hands of the Trumanite network threatens Americans' liberties and the republican form of government. Please join us for a discussion of this timely book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American cities, once economic and social launching pads for residents, are all too often plagued by poverty and decay. One need only look at the ruins of Detroit to see how far some once-great cities have fallen, or at Boston and San Francisco for evidence that such decline is reversible. In Boom Towns, Stephen J. K. Walters argues that commonplace explanations for urban decay are seriously incomplete. He reconceives of cities as dense accumulations of capital in all of its forms—which makes our labor more productive and our leisure more pleasurable. Policymakers, therefore, must properly define and enforce property rights in order to prevent the flight of capital that weakens urban centers. With its fresh interpretation of one of the quandaries of our day, Boom Towns offers a novel contribution to the debate about American cities and a program for their restoration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evidence from academic institutions and international organizations shows dramatic improvements in human well-being. These improvements are especially striking in the developing world. Unfortunately, there is often a wide gap between reality and public perceptions, including that of many policymakers, scholars in unrelated fields, and intelligent lay persons. To make matters worse, the media emphasizes bad news, while ignoring many positive long-term trends. Please join us for a discussion of psychological, physiological, cultural, and other social reasons for the persistence of pessimism in the age of growing abundance.Follow HumanProgress.org on Twitter at @HumanProgress and use #HPpinker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens if you throw a depression and nobody from the government shows up? No Quantitative Easers or fiscal stimulators or financial-firm rescuers? And what would happen if, instead of lowering interest rates and spending more to spur recovery, the government did nothing? The answer, in 1921 at least, is that the economy not only recovers but is "roaring" in less than two years. Was "The Crash that Cured Itself," as the subtitle of James Grant's fascinating new book refers to it, a fluke, or does it offer useful lessons for today's erstwhile depression fighters?Join us to hear James Grant, Jim Powell, and Lawrence H. White discuss this and other important questions raised by Grant's stimulating new book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalists face constant intimidation. Whether it takes the extreme form of beheadings, death threats, government censorship or simply political correctness—it casts a shadow over their ability to tell a story.No one knows this better than Flemming Rose, the editor at the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten who, in 2006, published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, inciting a worldwide firestorm. In his new book, The Tyranny of Silence: How One Cartoon Ignited a Global Debate on the Future of Free Speech he not only recounts that story, but takes a hard look at the slippery slope of attempts to limit free speech.Rose writes about the people and experiences that have influenced the way he views the world and his understanding of the crisis, including meetings with dissidents from the former Soviet Union and ex-Muslims living in Europe. Rose offers more than a personal account of a riveting event. He defends freedom of speech as essential to a world that is increasingly multicultural, multireligious, and multiethnic. Please join us to hear this important voice favoring freedom of speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currenciesHow technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a realityThe role of gold in a decentralized monetary regimeThe steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free bankingWhen the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currenciesHow technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a realityThe role of gold in a decentralized monetary regimeThe steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free bankingWhen the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currenciesHow technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a realityThe role of gold in a decentralized monetary regimeThe steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free bankingWhen the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currenciesHow technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a realityThe role of gold in a decentralized monetary regimeThe steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free bankingWhen the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currenciesHow technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a realityThe role of gold in a decentralized monetary regimeThe steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free bankingWhen the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currenciesHow technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a realityThe role of gold in a decentralized monetary regimeThe steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free bankingWhen the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ivory Tower is changing. People want to acquire new skills more often, get degrees later in life, and do so on schedules convenient to their packed lives. In response, new options are popping up all over, including online classes, for-profit institutions, and competency-based programs. How should federal policy deal with this fast-changing landscape? And what do the midterm election results, due the night before the forum, bode for federal policy? Please join us to discuss these big questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2014 midterm elections are being held at a time when libertarian ideas are ascending. But will more influence and media attention translate into electoral victories? Will the makeup of the next Congress be conducive or detrimental to the advancement of free markets and individual liberty? Join us for an election recap and discussion of the state of libertarian ideas in various races and prospects for the next Congress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the proper role of the Supreme Court under the Constitution? Should the Court be "active" or "restrained"? Or is that even the proper way to look at the question, however much we've heard it put that way for several decades now? In his new book, Damon Root traces this debate from the Constitution's conception to the present. His central focus, however, is on the emergence of the modern libertarian approach, which cuts through the often sterile debate between liberals and conservatives and points to the Constitution itself by way of determining the proper role of the Court under it. Please join us for a refreshing account of this recent history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Pruitt v. Burwell and Halbig v. Burwell, federal courts have ruled that the Internal Revenue Service is misinterpreting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unlawfully paying billions of dollars to private health insurance companies, and unlawfully subjecting more than 50 million individuals and employers to the Act's individual and employer mandates. In King v. Burwell, another federal court found the IRS's interpretation is permissible. A fourth lawsuit, Indiana v. IRS, is due a ruling at any time.While these cases attempt to uphold the ACA by challenging the Obama administration's interpretation, supporters and critics agree they could have as large an impact on the law as any constitutional challenge. Is the IRS acting within the confines of the law? Is the ACA unworkable as written? Is it inevitable that the Supreme Court will hear one of these cases, or a similar challenge yet to be filed? What is the impact of the IRS's (mis)interpretation? What impact would a ruling for the plaintiffs have on the health care sector and the ACA? Leading experts, including the attorneys general behind Pruitt v. Burwell and Indiana v. IRS, will discuss these and other dimensions of this litigation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Pruitt v. Burwell and Halbig v. Burwell, federal courts have ruled that the Internal Revenue Service is misinterpreting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unlawfully paying billions of dollars to private health insurance companies, and unlawfully subjecting more than 50 million individuals and employers to the Act's individual and employer mandates. In King v. Burwell, another federal court found the IRS's interpretation is permissible. A fourth lawsuit, Indiana v. IRS, is due a ruling at any time.While these cases attempt to uphold the ACA by challenging the Obama administration's interpretation, supporters and critics agree they could have as large an impact on the law as any constitutional challenge. Is the IRS acting within the confines of the law? Is the ACA unworkable as written? Is it inevitable that the Supreme Court will hear one of these cases, or a similar challenge yet to be filed? What is the impact of the IRS's (mis)interpretation? What impact would a ruling for the plaintiffs have on the health care sector and the ACA? Leading experts, including the attorneys general behind Pruitt v. Burwell and Indiana v. IRS, will discuss these and other dimensions of this litigation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.