Cato Event Podcast

The horrific events of September 11, 2001, dramatically demonstrated the threat posed by suicide terrorism. With the precipitous rise of suicide attacks against democracies, particularly in the five years since 9/11, the time is right to reflect on the rationale and effectiveness of the tactic. Robert Pape, author of the seminal book Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism, will present the findings of his most recent research, "Suicide Terrorism and Democracy: What We've Learned Since 9/11." Pape's conclusions, that suicide terrorism continues to follow a strategic logic, and that suicide attackers are primarily motivated by resistance to occupation by a foreign power, suggest that important changes should be made in U.S. strategy in the War on Terrorism. Pape's talk will be followed by a panel discussion including some of America's leading experts on terrorism, counter terrorism, and U.S. foreign policy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The European Union appears to be in trouble. The rise of economic nationalism among member states has thrown the Lisbon Agenda's goal of European economic revival into disarray, and Europe's trade protectionism has contributed to the collapse of the Doha round of trade negotiations. Europe's decision makers have been paralyzed by the rejection of the European Constitution, and many wonder if the European integration, process can recover its former vitality. John Gillingham, one of the world's leading experts on the EU, argues that current attempts to revive the EU through initiatives centrally planned in Brussels are doomed to fail. He calls on Europe to instead embrace the wave of liberal reforms that swept through the former communist countries. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If the Republican Party is no longer the party of Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, limited government, or fiscal restraint, then what is it? And what's a self-respecting, small-government, fiscally conservative, socially liberal voter supposed to do? In his new book, Ryan Sager argues that George W. Bush's brand of big-government, big-religion conservatism risks causing a serious split in the GOP — in particular, between the traditional South and the "leave me alone" states of the interior West, such as Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Montana. Please join us for a spirited discussion of the Republican Party's present and future. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the next six to nine months, a new farm bill will be written in the United States. The World Trade Organization's Doha Development Agenda negotiations were an oft-cited reason for reforming U.S. agricultural policy. Now that those negotiations have been suspended, what are the prospects for liberalizing the farm sector and reducing the significant costs imposed on American consumers, taxpayers, and trade partners as a result of government farm policies? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why do so many pundits say that America's health care system is in crisis? Economist Arnold Kling says that the fundamental challenge in American health care today is that we have many highly trained specialists and advanced technologies but do not know when their use is appropriate or how we should pay for them. He calls this a Crisis of Abundance. Kling argues that markets could do a better job of allocating these resources, and he advocates cutting government health care budgets by two-thirds and reducing third-party payment as a way to encourage better medical decisions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the most extensive reform of the nation's welfare laws since the Great Society. Ten years later, welfare rolls have declined dramatically, but poverty and long-term dependence on government programs persist. A panel of leading experts will look back at welfare reform successes and failures and forward to ask what the future of welfare reform holds. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Washington today, it seems the biggest impediment to reducing the size and scope of the federal government is not the Democratic Party. It’s the Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House. Instead of building a party that stands against Big Government, national GOP leaders have built a party of Big Government. In the book Buck Wild, Stephen Slivinski tells the surprising story of the GOP’s unfortunate transformation and reveals how Republicans have abandoned the limited-government principles that catapulted them to power in the first place and planted the seeds of their own undoing in the coming elections. At the forum, columnist Bob Novak will add his own pointed comments. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In January 2004, President Bush called upon Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform that would secure our borders, meet our economic needs, and uphold our best traditions as an immigrant nation. In response, the House and Senate will soon begin the difficult task of reconciling two starkly different immigration bills. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, a prominent member of the president’s economic team and an immigrant himself, has called on Congress to pass an immigration bill that not only protects our borders but also “recognizes the needs of a growing economy.” In a major address, the secretary will explain why reform must include a temporary worker program and a "hard-earned path to legalization" for undocumented workers already in the United States. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, the nuclear crisis with Iran, and the deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian peace process, there is a growing sense that U.S. policy in the Middle East has failed to advance American national interests. In his book, Sandstorm: Policy Failure in the Middle East, Cato Research Fellow Leon Hadar surveys the historical evolution of what he calls the U.S. "Middle East Paradigm" and concludes that its costs have outweighed its benefits. Hadar argues instead for a policy of "constructive disengagement" from the Middle East, whereby the United States would transfer greater responsibility for security in the area to other global players while encouraging the formation of regional security institutions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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One year after China's modest currency reforms, the issue remains a sticking point in U.S.-China trade relations. Critics argue that China's yuan remains grossly undervalued, bestowing an unfair advantage on imports from China at the expense of U.S. producers. Other observers contend that benefits from trade with China far outweigh any concerns about its currency. Policy options range from doing nothing to aggressive diplomacy to imposing steep tariffs on Chinese imports. Three experts on U.S.-China trade will discuss the status of reform in China, the impact of U.S.-China trade and exchange rates on our economy, and what change, if any, should be made in U.S. economic policy toward China. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today's largest corporations have mastered the art of working with government officials at every level to stifle market competition. They reap billions through a complex web of higher taxes, stricter regulations, and shameless government handouts. The Big Ripoff pulls back the curtain to show who is strangling America's tradition of free enterprise and how and why they are doing it. Author Timothy Carney will discuss how the incestuous relationship between big business and even bigger government works to the detriment of consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. Columnist and Fox News contributor Jim Pinkerton will provide comments on the book. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

More than any other Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson made his reputation on the brilliance of his writing, not least the stirring defense of limited government and individual rights in the Declaration of Independence. Few writers have said so much on so many subjects—and said it so well—as Jefferson. The Quotable Jefferson—the most comprehensive and authoritative book of Jefferson quotations ever published—demonstrates that. John Kaminski of the University of Wisconsin has collected and arranged Jefferson's pronouncements on almost 500 subjects, ranging from the profound and public—the Constitution—to the personal and peculiar—cold water bathing. Please join us to discuss the life and writings of our foremost defender of liberty. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The U.S.-Japan strategic relationship is evolving. With the United States struggling to meet military commitments abroad, and with Japan increasingly asserting military autonomy, more can be done to equitably distribute security burdens between the two countries. Christopher Preble will discuss his recent Policy Analysis, "Two Normal Countries: Rethinking the U.S.-Japan Strategic Relationship," which explains that a more equitable alliance will provide a durable foundation for addressing the most pressing security challenges in the region and beyond. Preble is joined by two experts on U.S.-Japan strategic relations to discuss the paper and frame the debate over the proper roles and missions for the United States and Japan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The current era of globalization is only a partial return to a liberal economic order. Renowned development economist Deepak Lal will explain why minimal government intervention, free trade, free capital flows, and the abolition of international organizations such as the World Bank offer the best path for growth and healthy international relations. In his view, attempts to ameliorate the impact of the market threaten global economic progress and stability. Ethan Kapstein believes that countries will shape their own destinies only in an international system that emphasizes the central role of states and the diverse social contracts they represent. Can these two views be reconciled? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the Senate prepares to debate the Federal Marriage Amendment many scholars are looking at evidence from Scandinavia, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Some observers have argued that experience in those countries shows that legal recognition of same-sex unions leads to a decline in traditional marriage and marital child rearing. A new book challenges that analysis. William N. Eskridge Jr. and Darren R. Spedale find that the argument often advanced is inconsistent with the Scandinavian evidence. In no way, they write, has marriage in the Nordic countries suffered from legalization of same-sex unions. A close look at the data suggests that the sanctioning of gay marriage in the United States would neither undermine marriage as an institution nor harm the well-being of children. Maggie Gallagher argues that the move toward gay marriage in Europe is part of a larger marriage crisis, including a powerful trend away from marriage as a social norm for childbearing and child rearing. See acast.com/privacy for privac

Tuesday, May 30The Basic Economics of Health Care and Insurance MarketsFeaturingPeter Van Doren, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute, Former professor of public policy at Princeton, Yale, and UNC–Chapel HillPublic debate about health care is often very ill informed about what insurance markets can and cannot do and what effects health care expenditures actually have on morbidity and mortality. This session will explain to Hill staff basic facts and concepts essential to the understanding of insurance and health care markets as well as the political struggles that accompany them. Wednesday, May 31How Not to Reform Health CareFeaturing Michael Tanner, Director, Health and Welfare Studies, Cato InstituteIn reforming health care, policymakers should follow the principle "First, Do No Harm." There are many proposals for health care reform that will do more harm than good. This session will look at some of them: a single-payer system, employer and individual mandates, insurance regulation, and managed competition.Th

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In April Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law one of the most ambitious health care reform proposals in recent history. The legislation mandates that all Massachusetts residents purchase health insurance, provides subsidies for low- and middle-income families, and sets up a new purchasing mechanism to reform the health insurance marketplace. Some observers hail this law as a major step toward achieving universal coverage. Others worry that it is a first step on the slippery slope to national health care. Four experts will examine the benefits and flaws of the Massachusetts plan and whether other states or the nation should follow its example. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Deluged by indecency complaints since Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction," Congress continues to look for ways to respond that may or may not be constitutional, even as the FCC imposes multi-million-dollar fines on TV networks. But those measures may soon be eclipsed by a new campaign underwritten by TV stations, cable systems, DBS, movie studios, TV programmers, and the Consumer Electronics Association to inform parents about a recently developed, simplified program that will enable parents to control all TV programming coming into their homes. Please join us for a discussion of this nongovernmental effort to address the issue, with comments from the FCC. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.