Cato Event Podcast

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June marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the “Great Charter of Liberties” that King John of England agreed to and that aimed to limit the Crown’s power. The Magna Carta exerted a significant influence on the development of the common law in England and subsequently in the United States. Richard Helmholz will explain the emergence of the Magna Carta, describe its substance, and discuss its impact on the rule of law in England. Roger Pilon will speak about the charter’s importance to the United States. And Tom Palmer will discuss similar charters in other parts of medieval Europe. Other speakers will address the unsteady spread of the rule of law around the world: Richard Pipes will describe the case of Russia, Swami Aiyar will discuss India’s experience, and Juan Carlos Botero will give a global overview of progress and challenges based on the Rule of Law Index. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the “Great Charter of Liberties” that King John of England agreed to and that aimed to limit the Crown’s power. The Magna Carta exerted a significant influence on the development of the common law in England and subsequently in the United States. Richard Helmholz will explain the emergence of the Magna Carta, describe its substance, and discuss its impact on the rule of law in England. Roger Pilon will speak about the charter’s importance to the United States. And Tom Palmer will discuss similar charters in other parts of medieval Europe. Other speakers will address the unsteady spread of the rule of law around the world: Richard Pipes will describe the case of Russia, Swami Aiyar will discuss India’s experience, and Juan Carlos Botero will give a global overview of progress and challenges based on the Rule of Law Index. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Reserve’s “stress tests” were intended to make the financial system safer. Using risk modeling, the tests subject banks to various stress scenarios in the economy to see how well they would perform and determine the capital “buffer” banks need to remain solvent and safely weather poor economic conditions. But with the Fed relying on risk modeling to determine regulatory capital requirements for banks, what happens if the models are wrong? Risk models can suffer from major weaknesses, ranging from poor assumptions to inadequate data, and can be particularly blind to tail-end risks—for example, the subprime crisis. Rather than making us safer, could the reliance on risk modeling by regulators actually be paving the way for the next systemwide financial crisis? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

In the United States and around the world, medical treatment has traditionally been segregated along state lines. Recently, new technology has made the provision of medical care online (telemedicine) a possibility, and consumers could benefit greatly from this development. However, state and national regulations often interfere with online medical care when it crosses borders. Can these regulations be adjusted to allow interstate and international trade?What policy concerns might arise in relation to online medical services that might require continued government involvement? Are there constitutional issues at stake? For example, do government restrictions on doctors offering medical advice online constitute an abridgement of free speech? Join us for a discussion of these issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because of an aging population and poorly designed entitlement programs, the burden of federal spending is projected to increase dramatically over the next few decades. Some lawmakers have proposed versions of a balanced budget amendment to avert this future fiscal crisis, but evidence strongly suggests that spending caps are the most effective way to address the problem. The Cato Institute has brought together three experts to talk about the world’s most successful spending caps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to Washington elites, revolutions in information, transport, and weapons technologies have shrunk the world, leaving the United States and its allies more vulnerable than ever to violent threats like terrorism or cyberwar. As a result, they practice responses driven by fear: theories of falling dominoes, hysteria in place of sober debate, and an embrace of preemptive war to tame a chaotic world. Patrick Porter pushes back against the decades-old globalist fad, arguing that technology has not overcome distance, and that the world has changed less than threat inflators suggest. He concludes by noting the disastrous policies the globalists have produced and by pointing the way toward a more sensible and restrained strategy. Please join us for a discussion of this timely and iconoclastic book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The death of Freddie Gray while in police custody has started a wide-ranging debate about policing and poverty in American cities. Does Congress need to spend more money on jobs programs and police body cameras? Should the Department of Justice sue the City of Baltimore for a pattern and practice of civil rights violations? Are better policy options available? Please join us for a discussion of these questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.