Cato Event Podcast

Educational freedom is gaining ground throughout the country. In 32 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, many families can use school choice programs to select the learning environment that works best for their children. At least ten states are on the path to offering universal or nearly universal access to these programs. But challenges remain, such as having an adequate supply of educational options and spreading awareness of those options. Please join us for a robust discussion with five education entrepreneurs who have created diverse learning options for their communities. They’ll share the stories behind their unique entities and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. Three of them of are in universal choice states and can speak to how those programs are helping families. Attendees will come away with increased understanding of today’s education landscape and the wide variety of options that are available to meet students’ need. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati

Recent years have produced increasing attacks on the idea of free speech and significant doubts about the wisdom of its continued protection. From confusion about the nature of the First Amendment protection of speech, to misconceptions about the Supreme Court’s rulings on the issue, misinformation on free speech is rampant. World renowned legal scholar and free speech advocate Nadine Strossen’s new book, Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know, provides a timely and much needed response this confusion.The Cato Institute’s Sphere Education Initiatives is pleased to host Nadine Strossen in the Hayek Auditorium on November 6th from 1–2 pm EDT for a special book release event. Please join us in person or via online streaming video for this important conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part three of this year’s Summer with Sphere is coming to you live from Sphere Summit. Join us on Tuesday, July 25th from 2–3 pm EDT for a panel discussion on the most important issues in tech policy and regulation. Joining us will be Jennifer Huddleston, Technology Policy Research Fellow at the Cato Institute, Nicol Turner Lee, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies and Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings Institution, and Adam Thierer, Resident Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation at R Street. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The classroom can be a place of learning, wonder, and exploration of challenging ideas. Yet often the most engaging learning environments provide moments for difficult conversations. How can educators manage these tough topics in a way that promotes learning while navigating the challenges of the current education environment?Sphere Education Initiatives and Retro Report are pleased to invite you to this special, one‐​day professional development event on January 20 to tackle free speech issues and leave you empowered and equipped to engage in difficult conversations in your classroom. Held in person at the Cato Institute and streamed live online, this event will feature:Screenings of the latest Retro Report documentaries on free speech and artistic expressionConversation with the film’s producer and remarks from a leading free speech scholar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At its essence, shareholder capitalism is a means for mutually beneficial trade. It fosters specialization, fuels innovation, and propels economic growth. While shareholder capitalism is a central theme in Finance 101 courses, it is increasingly criticized, especially with the popularization of sustainability, ESG investing, and stakeholder capitalism.In this engaging new book, author David McLean, the William G. Droms Professor of Finance at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, explains how shareholder capitalism benefits all. Edward Rock, the Martin Lipton Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and the codirector of the university’s Institute for Corporate Governance & Finance, will join McLean for a lively discussion on the nature of shareholder capitalism and its role in society. Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, will moderate the discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.

For nearly 30 years, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been the bedrock of the global trading system, serving as a negotiating forum for its 164 members, providing a system for resolving trade disputes, and acting as an essential clearinghouse for trade‐​related information. Over three‐​quarters of cross‐​border trade is carried out based on members’ WTO commitments, fostering an environment that has seen global trade soar from $5 trillion in 1995, the year of the WTO’s founding, to almost $25 trillion in 2022.Paradoxically, despite decades of success and the overwhelming benefits of trade for developed and developing countries alike, the WTO faces growing challenges and growing skepticism—particularly among US policymakers—regarding the benefits of globalization.It is our pleasure to welcome Dr. Ngozi Okonjo‐​Iweala, director‐​general of the WTO, to the Cato Institute for a frank discussion on the threats facing both the WTO and globalization more broadly, as well as their implicatio

The Republican Party is engaged in a more vigorous debate over foreign policy than it has been for decades. On one side is an old guard that sees no need to prioritize among threats, viewing all dangers as linked, so that facing down anything constitutes facing down everything. On the other side are the prioritizers, who have argued that America’s interests and its resources both have limits. They hold that the most prominent challenge to US interests is China and that Washington should prioritize the Indo‐​Pacific in its spending and planning.What, if anything, does history tell us about where the right and the GOP are headed on foreign policy? How big is the generational divide on this issue? Where do the leading presidential candidates stand, and what effect will that have on where the party heads? Join us as our panel of experts analyzes and discusses this issue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many have expressed alarm over the rapid rise of cancel culture. The Canceling of the American Mind is the first book to codify it and survey its effects. Following the best‐​selling The Coddling of the American Mind, this new book looks at the topic with hard data and research on what cancel culture is and how it works, along with hundreds of new examples showing the left and the right both working to silence their enemies.Coauthor Greg Lukianoff will examine the often‐​undiscussed issues related to cancel culture and how its unprecedented scale will likely be studied years from now in the same way we study the Red Scare or the Alien and Sedition Acts. But rather than a moral panic, he argues that we should consider it a dysfunctional part of how Americans battle for power, status, and dominance. Cancel culture is just one symptom of a much larger problem: the use of cheap rhetorical tactics to “win” arguments without actually winning arguments. After all, why bother refuting yo

Hong Kong rose from poverty to prosperity by adhering to the rule of law and safeguarding freedom of speech, property rights, free trade, and the whole range of personal and economic liberties that made the territory one of the freest places on Earth. As Beijing brazenly violated Hong Kongers’ basic rights and autonomy, media entrepreneur and democracy activist Jimmy Lai became one of the territory’s leading dissidents and an eloquent champion of human freedom. While Lai defended Hong Kong’s traditional liberties, the authorities shut down his popular newspaper, Apple Daily, and threw him in jail, where he awaits trial on trumped up national security charges that could result in life imprisonment.Join us for a screening of an Acton Institute documentary about how Lai’s remarkable struggle embodies Hong Kong’s spirit and about the greater implications of this contest between liberty and power. A brief discussion will follow the film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How free is your state? In the seventh edition of Freedom in the 50 States, authors Jason Sorens and William P. Ruger answer that question with the most comprehensive measure of governmental respect for economic and personal freedom at the state level. The 2023 edition presents a revised and updated ranking of each state and introduces many new policy variables and changes in the broader policy environment, including a retrospective evaluation of each state’s COVID-19 response as well as a refreshed analysis of how the policies driving income growth and interstate migration have changed. Join us for a discussion with the authors moderated by Erec Smith, research fellow at the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an era marked by contentiousness, rancor, and bitter divide, what role does or should civility play in our society? Further, how ought proper civility be understood and meaningfully differ from mere politeness? In her new book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, Alexandra Hudson addresses these insights with a refreshing exploration that digs deeply into the history of civility, its relevance for today, and the impact it can have on ourselves, our relationships, and our society.The Cato Institute’s Sphere Education Initiatives is pleased to host Alexandra Hudson in the Hayek Auditorium on December 4th from 12–1 pm EST for a special book release event. Please join us in person or via online streaming video for this important conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In their new book, We’ve Got You Covered: Rebooting American Health Care, economists Liran Einav (Stanford University) and John Bates Clark Medal winner Amy Finkelstein (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) note, “No one is actually uninsured.” They nevertheless critique the US health sector as “a sprawling yet arbitrary and inadequate mess.” Where many advocate piecemeal reform, Einav and Finkelstein urge policymakers to “tear it all down and rebuild.” They recommend that the government provide “automatic, basic, and free universal coverage for everyone.” Finkelstein will join Michael F. Cannon, Cato’s director of health policy studies, for a conversation about We’ve Got You Covered, the merits of incremental versus comprehensive change, and whether reform should involve greater or less government intervention. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, the prospect for a larger regional conflict has loomed. The Biden administration has sent two carrier strike groups to the region to “serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region,” in the words of a senior defense official. At the same time, regional actors such as Iran have declared that they have “red lines” and that an Israeli ground campaign in Gaza would lead them and/​or their proxies to respond. Whether such actors targeted US troops in Iraq or Syria, or whether US troops entered the war in the event of an escalation, there is a real risk of the United States entering another war in the Middle East. Does the president have the authority to bring the United States into the war? What are the dangers of such a conflict for the United States? Please join our diverse panel of experts for an examination of these questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat

The arrival of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has captured the imagination of the public and policymakers. While often hailed as the newest new thing in many sectors, AI has been a core financial technology for decades. From market makers to consumer‐​facing fintechs, our financial markets both deploy and innovate cutting‐​edge AI.In 2023 alone, more than half a dozen US financial regulators have addressed AI through commentary or rulemaking, and the Biden administration’s October Executive Order on AI likely will have far‐​reaching implications for financial use cases. How regulators treat general‐​purpose AI will affect the future of finance, and how they treat financial AI will affect the future of technology broadly. Join us for an online panel exploring the policy implications of the financial AI developments on the horizon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pharmacists have sufficient training to autonomously prescribe medications to prevent or treat many medical conditions. But states generally require patients to obtain a doctor’s prescription before purchasing pharmaceuticals. This restriction drives up health care costs and unnecessarily inconveniences patients, often when they are in distress. Canadian provinces, by contrast, give pharmacists a wide scope for prescribing pharmaceuticals, as Ross Tsuyuki will discuss. Alex Adams will explain recent pharmacist scope of practice reform in Idaho, Colorado, and Montana; Marc Joffe will provide an overview of relevant federal and state policies; and Dr. Jeffrey Singer will offer policy recommendations that could improve the patient experience while reducing health care costs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When commentators and politicians discuss misinformation, they often repeat five words: “fire in a crowded theater.” This outdated analogy, originally deployed to justify the conviction of an anti‐​draft pamphleteer, has taken on a life of its own as a catch‐​all justification for the regulation of false speech. Along with the other half‐​truths, exaggerations, lies, and falsehoods that law professor Jeff Kosseff examines in Liar in a Crowded Theater, this persistent, pernicious phrase illustrates the enduring difficulty of mandating truth.Kosseff addresses the pervasiveness of lies, the legal protections they enjoy, the harm they cause, and how to combat them. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, he argues that even though lies can inflict huge damage, US law should continue to protect them. Liar in a Crowded Theater explores both the history of protected falsehoods and where to go

In France, students in public schools are prohibited from wearing religious clothing, which authorities fear would contaminate the secular oases public schools are supposed to be. It is a coercive interpretation of secularism, which imposes secular values on religious individuals, instead of protecting state neutrality, pluralism, and liberty.Is education in the United States heading in the same direction? Religious symbols are fortunately not banned in American schools, but there is concern that secular values are imposed in other ways: the Montgomery County, Maryland, school district recently prohibited students, starting in kindergarten, from opting out of LGBTQ+ readings, including for religious reasons. Indeed, for some renowned public schooling advocates, replacing religiously based morality with other values through the state has been an explicit goal.In this forum, we will look at education in other parts of the world and the United States to see if the secular has pushed out the religious, wheth

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

Please join us for a cocktail reception and thought‐​provoking conversation with Cato Senior Fellow Johan Norberg, author of the new book The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Free Market Will Save the World.Globalization has come under fire over the past two decades as the world has lived through an international financial crisis, terrorist attacks, a pandemic, and the return of war in Europe. Johan will discuss why, despite such turmoil, the free market has still made the past 20 years the best time in human history by almost any measure of well‐​being.Johan will examine why trade protectionism, industrial policy, and other proposals from the left and the right are mistakes that should not be repeated. The market, a system based on cooperation and exchange, still offers the best way to address and think about current issues, including the rise of China, the role of Big Tech, and inequality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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