War has long been the subject of vigorous debate. The United States Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and appoints the president as commander-in-chief of the military. When it comes to war, who holds the power to ultimately decide the actions of the United States? Gene Healy, vice president at the Cato Institute; David B. Rivkin Jr., partner at BakerHostetler; and Margaret L. Taylor, governance studies fellow at the Brookings Institution will discuss in this episode: does the president have the power to start a war?

Learn More:

• "The Long Road Ahead for the Congressional Resolutions on Iran," By Scott R. Anderson, Margaret Taylor
• "On "Imminence": Absence of Evidence is Evidence of Absence," By Gene Healy
• "Repeal Old AUMFs and Salt the Earth," By Gene Healy
• "Congress Declares War, but Only the President Can Make It," By David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey

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America’s drug war has been a part of our lives for more than 100 years. With legalization and decriminalization of marijuana in an increasing number of states, conflicts have emerged on drug policy and power. To what extent can and should the states act independently of the federal government on an issue with national ramifications? Cato’s Trevor Burrus, Heritage’s Paul Larkin, and Brookings’s Jonathan Rauch will discuss in this episode: should drug prohibition be ended nationwide?

Learn More:

• "How Drug Prohibition Created the Fentanyl Crisis," by Trevor Burrus
• "Washington Versus Washington (and Colorado): Why the States Should Lead on Marijuana Policy," by Jonathan Rauch
• "The Medical Marijuana Delusion," by Paul J. Larkin Jr.

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In general, are most laws and regulations constitutional? Should the courts do more to enforce constitutional limits, or should they defer to the political branches unless there are blatant violations? Cato's Ilya Shapiro and the Constitutional Accountability Center’s Elizabeth Wydra are joined by participating moderator Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution to explore the role of the Supreme Court when laws conflict with the U.S. Constitution.

Learn More:

• "Crisis at the Supreme Court," by Ilya Shapiro
• "How the Supreme Court Undermines Its Own Legitimacy," by Ilya Shapiro
• "The Supreme Court: Too Important," by Ilya Shapiro
• "Against Judicial Restraint," by Ilya Shapiro
• "Chief Justice John Roberts Is under Tremendous Pressure," by Elizabeth Wydra
• "Will Trump Ever Face Consequences?," by Elizabeth Wydra
• "The First Magistrate in Foreign Pay," by Brianne Gorod and Elizabeth Wydra
• "Those Who Deny Birthright Citizenship Get the Constitution Wrong," by Elizabeth Wydra
• "No, Justice Stevens, We Don’t Need to Repeal the Second Amendment," by Elizabeth Wydra

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What principles should guide the decisions to intervene militarily? What factors should weigh most heavily? Cato's Emma Ashford, CSIS’s Melanie Marlowe, and Brookings's Tamara Wittes discuss whether the U.S. is too quick to use force in other countries.

Learn More:

• "New Voices in Grand Strategy: Power and Pragmatism: Reforming American Foreign Policy for the 21st Century," by Emma Ashford
• "Unbalanced: Rethinking America's Commitment to the Middle East," by Emma Ashford
• "Trump’s Wisdom on Syria and Afghanistan vs. His Rashness on Venezuela," by Emma Ashford
• "Iran’s Revolution and the Problem of Autocratic Allies," by Tamara Cofman Wittes
• "Getting America out of Middle East Purgatory," by Mara Karlin and Tamara Cofman Wittes

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