Heard at Heritage

In 2004, the first students began participating in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program – a private school choice program serving low-income families in Washington, D.C. This year marks 15 years of the scholarship program’s operation in the nation’s capital, with more than 1,650 children currently using D.C. OSP scholarships to pay tuition at participating private schools across the city. School choice programs have increased considerably across the country over the past decade, with more and more students having access to options such as vouchers and education savings accounts. What has been the impact of this consequential school choice measure, what does the future hold for the OSP, and what does it mean for families? Join us during National School Choice Week for a conversation with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, led by Heritage Foundation president Kay Coles James, followed by a discussion featuring program stakeholders and scholars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On December 4, 2018, after five years of failed attempts to get Russia to return to compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty obligations and verifiably destroy its 9M729 missile system, the U.S. officially announced its intentions to withdraw from the treaty. There is much debate regarding what actions the U.S. should take as it prepares to withdraw from the INF treaty. Most analysts agree the U.S. should continue to encourage the Russian government to renegotiate an updated INF Treaty. Some experts propose that in parallel with these efforts, the U.S. should develop and field new low-yield nuclear weapons as well as improved conventional ground-launched cruise missile systems and cruise missile defenses. They assert that these actions would better deter Russian use of low-yield nuclear weapons and better defend its NATO allies from Russian cruise missile threats. Opponents of these recommendations counter that the U.S. development of low-yield nuclear weapons, ground-launched cruise missiles and improved cruise missile defenses will only antagonize Russia and lead to a new arms race. Please join us for a discussion on the recommended way ahead for the U.S. in a post-INF world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year alone, 16.7 million individuals suffered some form of identity theft. This crime exposes victims to many difficulties in their daily lives, ranging from the inability to participate in our economy to the inability to prove to a potential employer (or even our government) that they are a US citizen. Our antiquated system of collecting trivial facts and government IDs to confirm the identity of individuals contributes to these problems because anyone with sufficient information about you can literally “BE” you. Join us at the Heritage Foundation as our panel explores how new blockchain technologies can help prevent identity theft and protect millions of Americans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conservatives, classical liberals and libertarians celebrate the fact that people have unequal (or diverse) talents, preferences, risk averseness, attachments and cultures because these are the central element to the rich tapestry of an enlightened, humane and prosperous society. These differences will inevitably lead to economic differences. And those differences are not objectionable. Any political system that mandated economic equality would be unjust. It is unjust to treat unequal situations equally. Instead, we should seek equal protection of the law or equal justice under law.Government should not enforce a pre-determined distribution of income or wealth. Individual effort, merit, preferences and values matter morally. An unplanned distribution is just if the distribution is the result of individuals acting freely in accordance with just rules. However, because poverty hinders the ability of the poor to flourish and to lead a fulfilling life, public policies, private charity, education and other initiatives to address poverty and improve opportunity are warranted. But the pursuit of economic equality is not. In fact, the pursuit of economic equality can be extremely damaging to social welfare and manifestly unjust.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been 25 years since Congress passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) with near unanimous support. Since then it has prevented the government from infringing on the freedom of a wide variety of religious individuals and groups to exercise their religious beliefs. But with the new Congress, there could be legislative efforts to limit the application of RFRA. Join us for a keynote address from Acting Attorney General Whitaker followed by a panel discussion featuring Jewish, Muslim, and Christian perspectives on protecting religious freedom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that contraception and abortion were not originally part of the women’s movement? How did the women’s movement, which fought for equal opportunity for women in education and the workplace, and the sexual revolution, which reduced women to ambitious sex objects, become so united?In the book Subverted, Sue Ellen Browder documents for the first time how it all happened, in her own life and in the life of an entire country. As a long-time freelance writer for Cosmopolitan magazine, she wrote pieces meant to soft-sell unmarried sex, contraception, and abortion as the single woman’s path to personal fulfillment. She did not realize until much later that people higher and more clever than herself were influencing her thinking and her personal choices as they subverted the women’s movement.Many pro-life women now reject the “feminist” label because of its association with radical pro-abortion groups and policies, while maintaining their belief in equality, dignity, and rights to opportunities afforded to men. They reject the notion that a movement or belief system that advocates on behalf of the disadvantaged can simultaneously advocate for the right to destroy vulnerable, innocent human life.In the age of the Women’s March and #MeToo, can we address the needs of both women and unborn children? Or is a movement that claims to support the interests of “all women” forever destined to not include the voices and interests of people who identify as pro-life?Confusion reigns thanks to the early promises of the feminist movement and its current manifestation. Join The Heritage Foundation and Live Action for an illuminating discussion with expert panelists as we explore how we got here and discuss what today’s women can do to counter the radical forces that hijacked a worthy cause. Copies of Sue Ellen Browder’s book will be available for purchase. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Constitution contains a number of provisions designed to protect economic liberty, including the contracts clause, the takings clause, the Privileges and Immunities Clause, the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clauses, and others. The structure of the constitution and the negative commerce clause also protect economic freedom. This reflects the founders support for limited government, private property and freedom of commerce. Please join us for a discussion of the constitutional protections for economic freedom and the original meaning of these constitutional provisions.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative turns five years old this fall, first unveiled by President Xi Jinping in a pair of speeches in late 2013. The infrastructure and connectivity initiative has proven far more ambitious, and far more controversial, than anyone could have predicted at that time. Under the BRI umbrella, China has already spent, pledged, or invested over one hundred billion dollars in infrastructure projects spanning the globe.However, since mid-2017, international concerns about the BRI—and the outgrowth of Chinese “sharp power”—have been mounting. The U.S., EU, India, Australia and others have criticized the BRI model—which they accuse of fueling corruption, failing to meet international standards, and leveraging “debt-trap diplomacy” for geopolitical ends--while beginning to promote their own infrastructure initiatives and visions for the region. Please join our expert panel as we examine the future prospects of the BRI, Chinese perspectives on the BRI at Five and changing international attitudes toward the initiative, and the evolving U.S. and allied policy responses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sri Lanka was plunged into a political crisis in late October when President Maithripala Sirisena suspended parliament and attempted to install his former ally and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister. Decried as illegal and unconstitutional by incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his supporters, the extra-constitutional maneuver has been opposed by a majority in parliament and several court rulings. Nevertheless, Sirisena and Rajapaksa have refused to disband their new shadow government and the country’s political crisis endures.The turmoil is unfolding at a time Sri Lanka is grappling with the consequences of a major expansion of Chinese influence and investments, portrayed as a warning to others about the risks of Chinese “debt traps” and the strategic ambitions underpinning the Belt and Road Initiative. As China and India compete for influence in Colombo and prepare for the potential return of the Rajapaksas, the Trump administration has suspended a major aid package and urged the country to resolve the crisis through democratic means. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ambassador John Bolton unveils the Trump administration’s new Africa Strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rapid changes in reproductive technologies combined with the redefinition of marriage have resulted in more and more children intentionally denied a relationship with one or both of their biological parents. Meanwhile, the media claims that “all kids need is love.”A new children’s rights organization is shedding light on the very real and lasting cost children pay when the desires of adults are prioritized over children's rights. Them Before Us is providing a platform to bring these children together and give them a voice.Join us as we explore the philosophical, legal and practical underpinnings of the rights of children in family structure, and how viewing matters of marriage and parenthood through the lens of children can persuade a skeptical culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over 70 years ago, U.S. Navy aircraft carriers supplanted battleships as preeminent warship with their ability to strike enemy warships or land targets hundreds of miles away. Since World War II, U.S. aircraft carriers and the carrier air wing have operated relatively unthreatened, providing unrivaled air support and power projection capability in every U.S. conflict. Recently, an increasing number of critics are predicting the end of the aircraft carrier era. They cite the growing threats from anti-ship missiles, such as China’s DF-21D “carrier killer”; the proliferation of increasingly quieter attack submarines; and advanced integrated air and missile defense capabilities. They also argue that current carrier strike fighter aircraft and their weapons lack sufficient range to engage targets in a denied/degraded environment. Aircraft carrier proponents argue that a modern U.S. supercarrier uniquely provides a globally deployable U.S. airfield that can rapidly respond to emergent crises and does not depend the approval of any host nation. While they acknowledge the increased threats to the carrier strike group and its air wing, they argue that introduction of the fifth generation F-35, long-range unmanned carrier-based tankers, advanced weapons and electronic warfare systems, and the employment of new operational tactics will enable the aircraft carrier to remain relevant for the foreseeable future. Can the new USS FORD-class aircraft carrier and a modernized carrier air wing provide effective sea-based power projection against near-peer competitors like Russia and China, should the U.S. Navy develop smaller aircraft carriers with new weapons systems and carrier aircraft to meet these 21st Century threats, or should the U.S. move on from the aircraft carrier? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our military faces a wide array of challenges across the globe today. China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and transnational terrorism all require U.S. military resources, but defense budget cuts have left the force underfunded and undersized for the tasks we are asking it to perform on a daily basis. The National Defense Strategy Commission, a bipartisan effort to assess the state of the military, alarmingly assesses that the U.S. military, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, is at risk of losing an armed conflict with Russia or China. Please join us for a unique opportunity to hear Senator Jon Kyl, a commissioner on the Commission, discuss these challenges into the future and Congress’s responsibilities in addressing them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rev. Robert Sirico will recount his own moral, intellectual and spiritual development. Animated by a strong sense of social justice, he began a well-intentioned but ill-conceived career in leftist activism. A serious grappling with the classics of economics lead him to reevaluate his ultimate commitments. In meditating on the nature of the human person, choice and action in society, he began to return to the Catholicism of his youth to discover the moral foundation of a flourishing society.Rev. Robert Sirico challenges the popular political presumption that increased government intervention and welfare programs are the most moral approach to helping the poor. In his lecture, “The Moral Case for a Free Economy,” he argues that a dynamic free market, based on voluntary association and freedom from unnecessary regulation, is the best way not only to help the poor but to meet society’s needs as a whole. The free market best supports the God-given creative nature of the human person.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States Government has prosecuted over 400 Islamist terrorists since 9/11. While several of those convicted will spend the rest of their lives in prison, the overwhelming majority will one day reenter society. Over the next five years, nearly a quarter of the U.S.’s terror convicts will complete their terms of imprisonment.This raises a critical and little examined question regarding U.S. counterterrorism strategy: what is being done in U.S. prisons to prepare this growing and unique segment of the prison population for re-entry into society? What capacity is being built outside prison to reduce the likelihood that they return to violence? How can the Trump administration most effectively respond to this looming problem?Two individuals – through their personal experiences as a former jihadi imprisoned for terrorism related charges and a former counter terrorism official who led the effort to thwart his terrorist aims – will offer policy solutions tailor towards ameliorating this pending and pressing national security threat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a philosophic battle being conducted at universities and in the media which will determine the future of our country. On one side are the defenders of the classical liberal position, best expressed in the Declaration of Independence, supporting the unalienable right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness “. On the other side are the statists of all political persuasions who believe highly educated elites working in government know what is best for all of us. Join us as John Allison examines the fundamental ideas underlying each of these positions and their implications for human flourishing.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the key criticisms of capitalism is that it creates more inequality than other systems. That may or may not be true. The effective inequalities among elites and citizens in the former Soviet bloc were gigantic. That, however, is beside the point. The fundamental worldwide economic problem is poverty. The history of the development of market economies in the past 50 years is unparalleled in human history, witnessing a decline in poverty, by any plausible measure, that no other system can achieve. There are no examples of socialist systems solving problems of poverty, though there are many examples of socialist systems causing or perpetuating poverty of the most abject sort.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every day 21 veterans are overcome by mental, psychological, and emotional stress and die by suicide. That number is far too high. We must take action to protect the brave men and women who protect our country through their service. Recent studies demonstrate that disciplined religious practice helps veterans build resilience against depression and suicidal thoughts. Join us for a discussion with experts on this important topic. The discussion will be followed by a screening of the award-winning short film, Surrender Only to One, which features the stories of veterans who have struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American republic is rife with conflicts, hostility, and incivility. Competing visions have led to a dangerous moment of cultural self-destruction.Yet the roots of the crisis are deeper than many realize. Os Guinness argues that we face a fundamental crisis of freedom, as America's genius for freedom has become her Achilles' heel. Our society's conflicts are rooted in two rival views of freedom, one embodied in "1776" and the ideals of the American Revolution, and the other in "1789" and the ideals of the French Revolution. Once again America has become a house divided, and Americans must make up their minds as to which freedom to follow.This grand treatment of history, civics, and ethics in the Jewish and Christian traditions represents Guinness's definitive exploration of the prospects for human freedom today. He calls for a national conversation on the nature of freedom and poses key questions for concerned citizens to consider.In the tradition of Alexis de Tocqueville, Guinness provides a visitor's careful observation of the American experiment. Discover here a stirring vision for faithful citizenship and renewed responsibility, not only for the nation but also the watching world.Os Guinness is the author of more than thirty books, including The Global Public Square, A Free People's Suicide, Renaissance, Fool's Talk, and Impossible People. He has been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a senior fellow at the EastWest Institute. He is a frequent speaker and prominent social critic and a passionate advocate of freedom of religion and conscience for people of all faiths and none. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2015, disturbing undercover videos of abortion industry representatives discussing the sale of aborted baby body parts shocked the nation, led to multiple Congressional investigations, and resulted in criminal referrals of procurement companies and abortion providers. But questions about the scientific value and ethical considerations to fetal tissue research remain. Is such research necessary? Should the government fund this research? Do ethical alternatives exist? How should policymakers respond? Join us for an illuminating discussion with expert panelists to learn more about how current practices can be reformed to prioritize good science alongside life-affirming conduct. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Identity politics directly threatens the achievements of the Enlightenment, the Founding and the Civil Rights Movement, from freedom of speech to freedom of association and conscience. By partitioning America into ethnic, racial and sexual groups with antagonistic demands and grievances, Identity Politics returns us to the Plessy decision legalizing separate but supposedly equal treatment and it recalls the Dred Scott era of some Americans being less than citizens. But it actually takes further back, to the pre-Renaissance medieval idea that we are mere cogs inside the collectives into which we are born. Enough liberals and conservatives have now come to see this. The only question that remains is: Is there anything that can be done at this point? An ideologically diverse panel of intellectuals from across the country will help us sort out solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The only program of its kind, the Conservative Women's Network is made up of nearly 1,000 women in the Washington, D.C. area. Often broadcast by C-SPAN to 90 million viewers, these monthly luncheons are co-hosted by the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute and The Heritage Foundation. CWN provides women with a forum for becoming informed on current issues, networking with area professionals, and the chance to listen to conservative leaders.Veronique de Rugy is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a nationally syndicated columnist. Her primary research interests include the US economy, the federal budget, homeland security, taxation, tax competition, and financial privacy. Her popular weekly charts, published by the Mercatus Center, address economic issues ranging from lessons on creating sustainable economic growth to the implications of government tax and fiscal policies. She has testified numerous times in front of Congress on the effects of fiscal stimulus, debt and deficits, and regulation on the economy. Her charts, articles, and commentary have been featured in a wide range of media outlets, including the Reality Check segment on Bloomberg Television's Street Smart, the New York Times' Room for Debate, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CNN International, Stossel, 20/20, C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and Fox News. In 2015, she was named in Politico Magazine's Guide to the Top 50 thinkers, doers and visionaries transforming American Politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Washington had Alexander Hamilton, and Jefferson had Albert Gallatin. In the first fight to set federal fiscal policy for the new American nation, Gallatin won. He cut taxes, reduced by the national debt by half, reformed government finances and funded both the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812. In his new book Jefferson’s Treasure, Gregory May explains why Gallatin, more than Hamilton, was America’s financial founder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many free market advocates view capitalism as a system as dominated by incentives, with economic agents treated as inhabitants of a Skinner box driven by rewards and punishments. But, in fact, capitalism is an information and learning system governed by information as entrepreneurial surprise. Wealth is knowledge; growth is learning; money is real and reflects the abiding scarcity of time. The source of all progress is human creativity, which always comes as a surprise to us, joining information and enterprise.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal government owns 640 million acres of land and hundreds of thousands more in mineral rights below it. These lands are full of potential – natural resources, recreation, and wildlife habitat among them – and routinely involve tough management decisions.How these lands are managed and maintained is controversial, reaching even basic, fundamental questions of ownership and goals. For many Americans west of the Mississippi, such questions have a direct impact on livelihoods and quality of life. For all Americans, they have implications for where and how to use tax dollars, whether in collecting revenues or dealing with maintenance backlogs. Please join The Heritage Foundation and the Property and Environment Research Center for a robust conversation on where federal land management policy is going and creative policy ideas for the future. Reception to follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finance and Philosophy provides a concise and witty account of how bankers and financial regulators think, of the alleged causes of the cycles of booms and busts, of the implicit and often un-thought-out assumptions shaping retirement finance, fiat money, corporate governance. Pollock deftly shows how poorly bankers have measured the risk their banks have been exposed to. With candor and clarity, he uncovers the persistent and unavoidable uncertainty inherent in the business of banking. We learn that a banker’s confidence in his ability to measure banking risk accurately is the lure which has repeatedly led to bank failures. Pollock has a modest and compelling suggestion: Acknowledge the unavoidability of ignorance with respect to financial risk, and, in the light of this ignorance of the future, act moderately."Pollock tells us all we need to know about money and banking, risk and uncertainty, debt and temptation, and science and economics. He delights as he instructs.” - James Grant, founder and editor, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every year, the Antipoverty Forum brings together the best policy experts and practitioners on conservative ideas in education, welfare, health care, and civil society to talk about the solutions can bring real change to the lives of the poor. Join us to hear updates from Members of Congress and the administration, celebrate stories of impact from real communities and families whose lives have been changed through conservative reforms, and participate in discussions with experts on how we can refocus policy for the good of people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On March 29, 2019, the United Kingdom will formally leave the European Union. There is strong and growing support for a US-UK free trade deal on both sides of the Atlantic. At the direction of the President, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has already notified Congress that the Trump Administration intends to negotiate a trade agreement with the United Kingdom. According to the USTR, US goods and services trade with the UK totaled an estimated $235.9 billion in 2017. Exports were $125.9 billion; imports were $110.0 billion, making it one of the largest bilateral trading relationships in the world. Join us as three leading British authorities on Brexit and international trade offer their views and expertise on the prospects for a US-UK free trade deal, and the future of Great Britain’s trading relationship with the United States in the Brexit era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Opening Remarks - Lee Edwards, Ph.D., The Heritage Foundation Introduction & Greetings - Michael Sawkiw, Jr., Chairman, U.S. Holodomor Committee - MCPrayer for the Victims of the Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USAHis Excellency John Bura, Auxiliary Bishop, Philadelphia Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic ChurchIntroduction - H.E. Valeriy Chaly, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States of AmericaKeynote RemarksH.E. Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of UkraineWelcome remarks - H.E. Wess Mitchell, Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian AffairsSpecial AddressesThe Honorable Rob Portman (R-OH), sponsor of Holodomor Resolution S.Res.435 The Honorable Sander Levin (D-MI), sponsor of Holodomor Resolution H.Res.931The Honorable Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), co-chair – Congressional Ukrainian Caucus The Honorable Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), co-chair – Congressional Ukrainian Caucus The Honorable Andy Harris, MD (R-MD), co-chair – Congressional Ukrainian Caucus (invited)*(All U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and Department of State representative confirming their attendance will deliver brief greetings)BREAK (5:15 – 5:30)Presentation of mini-documentary When We StarveLida Buniak, Ph.D., Documentary Co-producerAnne Applebaum, Author, The Red Famine (Video address)Presentation - Uncounted since 1932Ukrainian Leadership Academy Video address – Myroslav Marynovych, Ph.D., Rector, Ukrainian Catholic University (invited)Closing Remarks - Lee Edwards, Ph.D., The Heritage FoundationReception of bread and water in symbolic remembrance of those who perishedPrometheus Chorus – Philadelphia, PA (TBC) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Asia’s Quest for Balance: China’s Rise and Balancing in the Indo-Pacific, a new book from Heritage Foundation Research Fellow Jeff M. Smith, leading author-experts from Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam take a deep dive into China’s evolving relationships with its neighbors at a time the U.S.- China rivalry is intensifying. The book explores how they are responding to China’s more assertive foreign policies and what it means for U.S. national security and the shifting balance of power in the region. Opening remarks will be delivered by Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and a leading voice on U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific. In his remarks, Chairman Yoho will discuss strengthening U.S. regional partnerships, efforts to revamp development finance in the face of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and meeting security threats throughout the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2018 National Defense Strategy is predicated on the belief that “We are facing increased global disorder, characterized by decline in the long-standing rules-based international order – creating a security environment more complex and volatile than any we have experienced in recent memory.” Part of defending and enhancing that security environment is reducing the threat posed by WMD and their means of delivery, shaping the security environment, and working cooperatively with allies and partners, which are the mutually-reinforcing priorities of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heritage is pleased to host Mr. Cass for his first conversation in Washington about conservatism in an age of economic populism and the opportunities to build a constructive and coherent agenda for the post-Trump right. More so than the typical book event, this will be a dialogue with the audience about tensions and fault lines within the conservative movement and how to build from foundational principles up to a platform that addresses modern challenges.As we move beyond the mid-term elections, the time is right to step back and evaluate our translation of core convictions into a governing agenda. In Cass’s provocative argument, our conception of the economy as a “pie” to be grown and divided amongst consumers bears responsibility for decades of stagnant wages, a labor-force exodus, too many unstable families, and crumbling communities. It has reduced Americans to consumers and abandoned the interests of workers, who provide the foundation for a prosperous society. Conservativism, he says, demands much greater attention to the labor market’s operation and to fostering the conditions under which all people to become productive contributors.“A brilliant book. And among the most important I’ve ever read.” – J. D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy“Cass’s book . . . could either be the battle orders for a second Trump term or a to-do list for a successor stamped in the same mold.” – Time Magazine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taiwan finds itself in a challenging position vis-à-vis U.S. trade policy. It is the target of the global steel tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. At the same time, its extensive involvement in Chinese supply chains confronts it with potential fallout from a US-China trade war. On the other hand, Taiwan remains, as it has for many years, an ideal candidate for negotiation of a free trade agreement with the U.S. – a move that could encourage others of its trading partners to follow suit. So where is US trade policy heading with regard to Taiwan? Will the U.S. administration and Congress take up the economic and strategic opportunity it represents or with they allow it to become collateral damage in the prosecution of a newly, aggressive American trade policy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our universities are now overwhelmingly dominated by a radical identity-based grievance culture in which a growing number of victim groups, whose priorities and assertions are rarely challenged, are given free rein to disparage, drown out, and silence views they deem offensive. As a result, our universities no longer value fearless inquiry, but rather seek to impose a reigning orthodoxy that offers an unrigorous and tendentious view of our intellectual traditions and politics. Amy Wax will analyze how that orthodoxy is enforced and, more importantly, how it can potentially be countered.Amy L. Wax is the Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School where she teaches remedies, social welfare law and policy, the law and economics of work and family, and conservative political and legal thought. A graduate of Yale College, Harvard Medical School, and Columbia Law School, she served as an Assistant to the Solicitor General in the United States Department of Justice from 1988 to 1994, where she argued 15 cases before the United States Supreme Court. She has published widely in law reviews and journals of opinion, including the Wall Street Journal, Policy Review, Commentary, American Affairs, National Affairs, The New Criterion, and First Things. She is the author of Race, Wrongs, and Remedies (2009 Hoover Press). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After recent historic declines in student achievement following decades of increased federal involvement in K-12 education, it is time to re-think federal intervention in education. Ted Rebarber and Neal McCluskey, co-authors of the new Pioneer Institute White Paper, Common Core, School Choice & Re-thinking Standards-Based Reform, argue that government central-planning of education has blocked efforts to achieve international competitiveness, stifled innovation, and increasingly threaten the curricular autonomy of private schools. Instead, they propose eliminating key federal mandates and implementing school choice policies specially designed to prevent government control over private schools. Brad Thomas, House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Patrick Wolf, University of Arkansas, will provide commentary on the report and presentation, and participate in a discussion followed by questions from the audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a timely book, Peter J. Wallison challenges the legitimacy of the modern administrative state. Rather than take up the burden of legislating, Congress has delegated lawmaking responsibility to regulatory agencies in direct violation of the Framers’ intent that the only government officials who should make law are the ones directly accountable to the electorate. The Supreme Court has aided and abetted this knowing violation of the Constitution by upholding a broad range of rulemaking delegations to political appointees and bureaucrats. The Court has aggravated the problem with the Chevron doctrine, which allows agencies to define the meaning of acts of Congress even though the Framers intended the federal courts to have that authority. This book argues that there is time to re-establish the constitutional system that the Framers created, but that we must act now or risk losing this opportunity forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Socialists have since the mid-19th century claimed the ethical high ground against conservatives and (19th-century) liberals. Let us help the poor, the socialists say. And so we all should. But the claim to virtue is faulty, both as theory and as practice. In a free society a bourgeois ethic should rule, not top-down direction by the great and good.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK/US defence relationship is the broadest, deepest and most advanced of any two countries. The UK’s Minister for Defence Procurement will talk about what the UK and US are doing jointly to build on their long-standing relationship to develop a capable future force that deters our adversaries, whilst ensuring a secure and resilient industrial base. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement in May, the Trump Administration restored nuclear-related sanctions, which become fully effective after November 4th. What will be the impact of these sanctions? What additional U.S. policies are needed to respond to Iran’s nuclear and other challenges? Will the administration be able to achieve its goal of negotiating an improved nuclear agreement? A panel of experts will examine these and other issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexander Hamilton wrote that the judiciary would be the “weakest” and “least dangerous” branch. Thomas Jefferson warned that if the judiciary had the authority of “exclusively explaining the Constitution,” it would be a “mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, that they may twist and shape into any form they please.” The power properly exercised by unelected federal judges appointed for unlimited terms was debated at and since America’s founding. That debate has intensified as judicial power expanded in the 20th century and the broader question of the proper scope of federal government power is engaged today. This debate will address a specific question about the judiciary’s place in our system of separated power and its relationship to the other branches. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Puerto Rico, children struggle in an underperforming education system that has poorer educational outcomes than any of the 50 states on the U.S. mainland. Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosselló and Secretary of Education Julia Keleher have proposed considerable and long-overdue reforms to Puerto Rico’s education system. Their plans seek to make Puerto Rican schools more accountable to parents by providing greater education choice to the island’s residents. The proposed education reforms are not simply due to a failing education system but are modifications that account for migration trends and economic stagnation. These changes are imperative as the tragic effects of Hurricane Maria have only expedited a regional exodus after the storm devastated many homes and schools.Please join us for a discussion about the impact of school choice on children and the future of education in Puerto Rico. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a landmark book from national drug policy leader Robert L. DuPont, MD, Chemical Slavery covers two crucial topics: First, the national drug epidemic including an understanding of its evolution to become a national emergency, and the science of addiction and recovery. Second, Dr. DuPont presents his experience-based guide to the intimate, day-to-day struggle with the disease of addiction from prevention to lasting recovery.This book shows the ways in which these two domains of addiction, the national and the personal, are intertwined and can be both understood and managed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prior to the summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, the international community underscored the need to raise human rights concerns in negotiations with North Korea. Despite President Trump’s focus on North Korea’s human rights challenges at the State of the Union and notable meetings with North Korean refugees, human rights were seemingly left out of the conversation in Singapore. Since that time, the U.S. government has said little on human rights issues and reports from South Korea indicate that human rights are not a priority there either. The prospect of a second summit between Trump and Kim is an opportunity where the administration can and should express concerns over Kim Jong-un’s egregious human rights track record. Join us for a conversation on how and why raising human rights issues advances U.S. national security objectives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liberty and character are two sides of the same coin. Together, they make possible miraculous achievements in human progress. Subtract either one and disaster inevitably follows. Drawing from his book, Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character and Conviction and other writings, Mr. Reed will tell the stories of some remarkable people whose principles, integrity, and entrepreneurship left the world a better and freer place.For a complete list of speakers, topics, and dates of the Free Markets: The Ethical Economic Choice speaker series visit heritage.org/free-markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies is honored to announce that Senator Orrin G. Hatch will deliver our tenth Joseph Story Distinguished Lecture.The namesake of the lecture – the eminent jurist Joseph Story – became the youngest Associate Justice ever to serve on the United States Supreme Court when he was appointed by President Madison in 1812. Story made a significant mark on American law in his thirty-three years on the bench, but his greatest contribution to jurisprudence is his renowned Commentaries on the Constitution, in which he set forth a philosophy of judicial restraint. This lecture series celebrates his legacy.Previous Joseph Story Lectures have been delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Judge Robert H. Bork, Professor John Harrison, Judge A. Raymond Randolph, Judge Alice M. Batchelder, Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, Judge Janice Rogers Brown, Judge Carlos T. Bea, and Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

J.J. Hanson was a son, husband, father, and Marine Corps combat veteran. At 33, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and given only a few months to live. He went on to live for over three years and became the President of the Patients Rights Action Fund to fight against the legalization physician-assisted suicide. He and his wife had second son, Lucas. They became a living witness to the difference loving care and hope can make in the face of a terminal illness. His widow, Kristen, continues to tell their story to support people with hope who find themselves in similar circumstances and to challenge policymakers and medicine to reject such a dangerous public policy. Our panelists will provide true examples of compassionate care and inspiration for better answers to end-of-life questions than the current push for assisted-suicide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From large automakers to small town suppliers, free trade is crucial to the success of the American automotive industry. Imports of intermediate goods help these manufacturers produce more efficiently and free trade agreements facilitate their ability to sell cars around the world. Today, opposing forces are impacting the freedom of automakers and their suppliers to do business in America. Tax reform and deregulation have been a huge boon for the industry, but growing restrictions on trade risk counteracting those benefits. The American automotive industry is impacted by tariffs on steel and aluminum, a primary intermediate good in their production process, potential tariffs on automobiles and parts, as well as the proposed changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement.Join us for a discussion on the importance of trade for the American automotive industry and the impact current trade policies have on their ability to do business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the JOBS Act) was designed to reduce the regulatory burden on entrepreneurs seeking to raise capital to launch or grow their business. It improved the regulatory environment for private offerings and Regulation A offerings, reduced the burden on newly public “Emerging Growth Companies” and permitted crowdfunding. But the law contained serious flaws that seriously reduce its effectiveness.Please join us for a discussion of the impact of the JOBS Act, its flaws, and how to fix those flaws. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America today remains among the few Western nations, which does not outlaw so-called “hate speech.” The calls to do so, however, are mounting. What has so far been restricted to college campuses may yet become a part of mainstream politics. While many oppose efforts to restrict speech, the arguments in favor of outlawing it are not well understood by the American public, nor is there a clear understanding of what the new America could look like should this occur. Please join us as our panel discusses the future of the freedom of speech and thought in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nationalism is the issue of our age. From Donald Trump's "America First" politics to Brexit to the rise of the right in Europe, events have forced a crucial debate: Should we fight for international government? Or should the world's nations keep their independence and self-determination?In The Virtue of Nationalism, Yoram Hazony contends that a world of sovereign nations is the only option for those who care about personal and collective freedom. He recounts how, beginning in the sixteenth century, English, Dutch, and American Protestants revived the Old Testament's love of national independence, and shows how their vision eventually brought freedom to peoples from Poland to India, Israel to Ethiopia. It is this tradition we must restore, he argues, if we want to limit conflict and hate--and allow human difference and innovation to flourish. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.