Cato Event Podcast

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.

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

The collapse of WTO negotiations and the upcoming presidential election have deepened doubts about the future of free trade and the global economy. In an illuminating new book, Dr. Razeen Sally of the London School of Economics argues forcefully that trade policy has become disconnected from 21st-century business and consumer realities. As trade agreements yield diminishing returns, the world's fastest-growing economies in Asia have embraced freer trade and global integration unilaterally. The author renews the argument for free trade, warns of the imminent dangers of protectionism, and charts a new way forward for trade liberalization in the United States and globally. A top international economist at the World Bank will comment.New Frontiers in Free Trade: Globalization's Future and Asia's Rising Role is available at the Cato Bookstore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whenever gasoline prices are on the rise, so is the political interest in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the largest single stockpile of crude oil in the world. Some argue that part of its approximately 700 million barrels should be released into the market to help relieve high prices at the pump. Others argue that the Reserve should be carefully husbanded for use in a future crisis. Jerry Taylor, author of “The Case against the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” questions the very need for the SPR and calls not for release, but for total liquidation. Economist Steve Hanke argues that, if we’re going to have an SPR, it should be reformed so that it can play a constructive role in crude oil markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prince George’s County police department is under fire for a recent drug raid on the home of Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo. Unbeknownst to Calvo, a box containing marijuana was delivered to his home. Shortly thereafter, police officers kicked in the front door and shot both of Calvo’s pet Labrador retrievers. The police have subsequently cleared Calvo of any wrongdoing but are unapologetic about their raid tactics. Are no-knock, paramilitary raids an appropriate tactic for drug investigations? Or do sudden, unannounced entries bring unnecessary violence to police investigations? Join us for a discussion of the Prince George’s incident and, more broadly, the militarization of police work in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

Released to great acclaim in May 2008, The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom analyzes 12 U.S. Supreme Court decisions that, according to coauthors Robert Levy of the Cato Institute and William Mellor of the Institute for Justice, changed the course of American history away from constitutional government. In addition, The Dirty Dozen provides insights into the proper role of the Court and calls for judicial engagement to remedy these harmful decisions. The book has rapidly become the catalyst for an energetic, wide-reaching debate about the Supreme Court, generating an extensive range of opinions among legal professionals, concerned non-lawyers, and Court followers about the 12 cases, their impact, and the role of the Court. The Cato Institute and the American Constitution Society are pleased to provide a public platform for this important debate. Leading practitioners and academics from different perspectives will discuss the cases and the authors’ legal analyses. Please join us for what promises to be a dynamic event made even more significant by the historic Court decisions that have been handed down since the book’s publication only 2 months ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The southern African countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe are neighbors. Botswana is peaceful, stable, and increasingly prosperous. Zimbabwe, in contrast, is beset by political and economic crises. Their diverging fortunes are partly explained by their government’s attitudes to economic freedom: Botswana is one of Africa’s economically freest states, and Zimbabwe is among Africa’s least free countries. Please join Zimbabwean human rights activist Rejoice Ngwenya and Cato’s Africa analyst Marian Tupy to discuss Zimbabwe’s meltdown, Botswana’s ascent, and lessons for the rest of Africa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.