Cato Events Podcast

By Cato InstituteNews Government News Commentary Politics

Cato Events Podcast episodes

May 01, 2015 National Security Implications of New Oil and Gas Production Technologies
In a 2013 address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would continue to safeguard the “free flow of energy... to the world,” even as the shale revolution ushers in an unprecedented increase in oil and natural gas production here at home. New oil and gas production technologies, such as hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and deepwater drilling, have already begun to redraw the map of energy production. Because oil is traded in a global market, increased domestic production does not insulate the U.S. from supply shocks and price volatility. But even if the move toward “energy independence” makes little difference to U.S. national security, changes in the geography of energy production could still have an important impact.
A major new study investigates how changing trade flows and energy revenues affect U.S. national security via two potential mechanisms: shifts in U.S. bilateral relationships with oil-exporting countries and disruptions in regional security. Join us as the lead researcher, Eugene Gholz, presents the findings, followed by comments and discussion among experts in the field.
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1 hr 34 min
April 30, 2015 In Search of a Syria Strategy
Disclaimer: Please note that Erica Borghard’s comments are her own personal views, and do not represent the official positions of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense.
The rise of ISIS and the spread of the Syrian civil war to Iraq have led to renewed discussions of U.S. intervention. Though Washington is regularly bombing ISIS targets, there is little in the way of viable on-the-ground support, and a much-vaunted U.S. training campaign for moderates has had difficulty finding acceptable trainees. Many of America’s allies are complicit in funding extremist groups within Syria, even if they oppose ISIS itself, while the White House continues to equivocate on whether it will negotiate with the Assad regime. America’s goals in Syria are unclear, and there is a broad consensus that the current U.S. approach — loosely defined as ‘degrading and destroying’ ISIS — is murky at best.
What is the United States trying to accomplish in Syria? Are its goals achievable with current strategies? Join our panelists as they discuss how we reached this point, and the extent to which the U.S. should or should not be involved in the ongoing conflict.
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1 hr 27 min
April 27, 2015 High Tech: How the Burgeoning Legal Cannabis Industry Is Harnessing Technology
Although cannabis (otherwise known as marijuana) is still classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States—meaning that it is illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate under federal law—state laws in 23 states (plus the District of Columbia) allow for its medical use, and four states (plus the District of Columbia) allow for its recreational use. The trend towards legalization is likely to continue with polls routinely showing majority support for legalization from the American public.
Despite a fair amount of legal confusion created by the conflicting patchwork of laws across the country (and even within the same municipalities), entrepreneurs are pouring into the industry, starting new stores, cafes, testing labs, consulting firms, and a myriad of other businesses spurred by the booming cannabis economy.
Join the Cato Institute for panel discussion of the ways in which the newly (and increasingly) legal cannabis industry is harnessing the power of technology, as well as the legal barriers that still stand in their way.
After the panel, mingle with speakers and guests—and enjoy drinks and appetizers—in Cato’s gorgeous roof garden overlooking downtown Washington, D.C.
#CatoDigital is a regular event series at the Cato Institute highlighting the intersection of tech, social media, and the ideas of liberty.
This event will be live-streamed at www.cato.org/live and questions may be submitted via Twitter using #CatoDigital.
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1 hr 9 min
April 17, 2015 Should GAO Audit the Federal Reserve?
Members of Congress in both houses have again introduced measures to repeal long-standing constraints on the ability of the Government Accountability Office to perform a program audit of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy actions. Auditing the Fed has become the topic of bitter debate, not along party lines, but instead pitting government transparency advocates against proponents of Federal Reserve political independence. Please join our panel as we try to answer these questions: What is “Audit the Fed” really about? What would it entail? And, most importantly, is it good public policy?
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1 hr 18 min
April 13, 2015 The Newburgh Sting and the FBI’s Production of the Domestic Terrorism Threat
Since 2001 the Federal Bureau of Investigation has led a vigorous hunt for domestic terrorists. The results have been mixed. Several attacks have occurred, though not with the apocalyptic results officials predicted. Authorities have stopped other domestic terrorists and, arguably, manufactured more. Through informants and undercover agents, the FBI has essentially organized fake terrorist plots, some ensnaring individuals so inept that they seemed incapable of succeeding in terrorism without government assistance.
One such case is featured in The Newburgh Sting, a 2014 documentary that aired on HBO. The film uses the FBI’s own secret recordings to show how an undercover informant induced four men to join a plot to blow up a Bronx synagogue and attack a nearby U.S. military base. The presiding judge said the government “came up with the crime, provided the means, and removed all relevant obstacles,” thus making a terrorist out of a man “whose buffoonery is positively Shakespearean in scope.”
Please join us for a discussion with The Newburgh Sting’s creator, featuring segments of the film, along with experts from Cato and Amnesty. They will discuss why these sorts of investigations occur and what harm they might cause.
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1 hr 36 min
April 10, 2015 Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2015
10:30 – 10:55 a.m.Registration10:55 – 11:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks
John Allison, Former President and CEO, Cato Institute11:00 – 11:30 a.m. The Libertarian Mind in America
David Boaz, Executive Vice President, Cato Institute11:30 a.m.– 12:10 p.m. Power to the People
Johan Norberg, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
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1 hr 29 min
April 10, 2015 Defining the Tax Base: The Real Challenge for Tax Reform
Some tax reform plans would replace the "progressive" rate structure in the internal revenue code with a single, low rate. That's a big issue that warrants serious debate. But there's another important aspect of tax reform, which is whether some forms of income should be taxed more than one time. An expert panel will explain why this "tax base" issue has major implications for the ability of tax reform to generate faster growth and higher living standards.
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1 hr 3 min
April 02, 2015 Drinks at your Fingertips: Klink & Regulatory Hurdles to Alcohol Delivery
What if, instead of heading down to your local liquor store, the next time you found yourself craving an alcoholic beverage, you could simply pull out your smart phone, place an order, and a short while later, get your drinks, all without leaving your home? That’s the concept behind Klink, an alcohol delivery app that brings the user-friendly connectivity of the sharing economy to one of the most heavily regulated industries in the nation.
Join the Cato Institute for a lunchtime discussion of the role Klink is playing in the sharing economy, the tough regulatory landscape it must navigate, and what the app means for the future of alcohol delivery.

#CatoDigital (formerly #NewMediaLunch) is a regular event series at the Cato Institute highlighting the intersection of tech, social media, and the ideas of liberty.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 8 min
March 27, 2015 New Incentives from Federal Transportation Funding
The law authorizing federal highway and transit programs expires on May 31, and Congress is currently debating where the money will come from for a new transportation bill and where it should be spent. But a third question is even more important: what are the incentives created by federal transportation spending and how can they be improved to provide Americans with faster, cleaner, and safer transportation? Randal O'Toole will describe the perverse incentives that currently govern federal transit programs; Baruch Feigenbaum will discuss federal policies that make infrastructure unnecessarily expensive; and Marc Scribner will explore other incentives created by federal regulation and ask, "Is there a future for federal transportation policy?"
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1 hr
March 26, 2015 Can We End Poverty? - Panel 2: Private Alternatives to Government Welfare
On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a State of the Union address to Congress in which he declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." Johnson’s goal was not only to "relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." Since then, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding?This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of experts from across the political spectrum to discuss whether the War on Poverty succeeded in reducing poverty in the United States, what remains to be done, and whether private charitable efforts would be a better alternative to government welfare programs.
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1 hr 19 min

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The Cato Events Podcast brings you live recordings from the Cato Institute's events, where leading scholars, policymakers, journalists, and experts come together each week to discuss the ideas and…