Cato Upcoming Events

The Failure of Social Policy in Venezuela (Policy Forum)

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has used the trappings of democracy to consolidate authoritarian rule and obscure violations of due process, civil liberties, and other human rights. Defenders of the regime overlook those abuses, citing the government's extensive programs to help the poor. Yet, María Corina Machado will explain that after having received more than $800 billion in oil and non-oil revenue during his 10 years in power, Chávez's social policies have little to show for themselves. Most indicators show that poor peoples' standard of living has worsened or has fallen far short of improvements that would be consistent with the economic boom that has accompanied Chávez's rule. Other indicators—including those related to corruption, crime, and governance—show a clear deterioration. Join us to hear the president of one of Venezuela's leading pro-democracy NGOs describe the real effects of populism on the poor.

Too Big To Save? How to Fix The U.S. Financial System (Book Forum)

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0500

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Mortgage defaults, together with excessive debt and ineffective regulation, ultimately led to a major financial crisis in the United States. But how exactly did a steep drop in U.S. housing prices result in a severe financial crisis throughout the world? How did actions of the U.S. government impact the crisis? And what actions should be taken to resolve this financial crisis and help prevent others from happening? In Too Big To Save? Robert Pozen, former vice chairman of Fidelity Investments and current lecturer at the Harvard Business School, takes on these questions and others.

The Role of the Community Reinvestment Act in the Financial Crisis (Policy Forum)

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Few topics related to the recent financial crisis have generated so much heat, yet so little light, than the debate surrounding the role of the Community Reinvestment Act and its impact on mortgage lending standards. While regulators and the community groups strongly defend the act, many economists have pointed to CRA as an important driver behind the lowering of underwriting standards. The panelists will present original data and research on the impact of CRA and its role in the financial crisis.

The 27th Annual Monetary Conference: Restoring Global Financial Stability (Conference)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Bending the Productivity Curve: How Would Health Care "Reform" Affect Medical Innovation? (Policy Forum)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

New research by the Cato Institute shows that America generates more medical innovations than any other country, and in some cases, more than all other countries combined. Medical innovation may be more important than covering the uninsured or controlling health care spending, inasmuch as a treatment must first be invented before its costs can be reduced and its use extended to everyone. The Democrats' health care legislation focuses on expanding health insurance coverage, which should encourage innovation—yet it does so by expanding price controls, government purchasing, and health insurance regulation, which reduce innovation. What would be the net effect? What are the alternatives?

Realizing Freedom: Libertarian Theory, History, and Practice (Book Forum)

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0500

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For more than 25 years, Tom Palmer has studied the history and theory of liberty and has worked tirelessly to bring liberty to countries around the world. This book ranges from the theory of justice to foreign policy, from the economics of public goods to gay rights in Russia. Palmer addresses the nature of freedom, law, rights, and justice; the morality of markets; and the institutional frameworks of free societies. He considers and criticizes the arguments of political theorists such as John Rawls and Cass Sunstein, as well as popular "myths of individualism," which he concisely refutes. But theory doesn't stand alone. Palmer studies and explains ordered liberty and connects abstract liberal rights to their historical roots. Drawing on his activism in countries ranging from eastern Europe in the late 1980s to Russia, China, and the Arab world today, he also takes on current events and concerns, from multiculturalism to struggles for free speech to the war in Iraq. It is hard to find a contemporary scholar with more knowledge of the theory and history of liberty, and at last his major writings are collected in one place. Author, blogger, and New York Times columnist Tyler Cowen will comment.

22nd Annual Benefactor Summit (Conference)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0500

Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach

Biennial Dinner: The Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty (Special Event)

Thu, 13 May 2010 18:00:00 -0400

Hilton Washington, 1919 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC