Cato Event Podcast

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

This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Los Angeles) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beginning in the 19th century with Anthony Comstock, America’s “censor in chief,” The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder explores how censors operate and why they wore out their welcome in society at large. This book explains how the same tactics were tried and eventually failed in the 20th century, with efforts to censor music, comic books, television, and other forms of popular entertainment. The historic examples illustrate not only the mindset and tactics of censors but also why they are the ultimate counterculture warriors and why, in free societies, censors never occupy the moral high ground. This forum and book will interest anyone who wants to know more about why freedom of speech is important and how protections for free expression became part of the American identity.Please join us for a lively discussion of a major new work by one of America’s leading advocates for freedom of speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some prominent interpretations of Islam, the second‐​largest religion in the world, defy human freedom by calling for the punishment of apostates and blasphemers, the imposition of religious practices, or discrimination against women and minorities. In his new book published by lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org, Why, as a Muslim, I Defend Liberty, Cato Institute senior fellow Mustafa Akyol offers a nuanced critique of these problems by acknowledging their roots in the religious tradition. Yet he also shows that there are strong grounds in the same religious tradition to defend freedom of speech and religion and to harmonize Islam with liberal democracy, the market economy, and a peaceful world order. He also reminds us that liberty isn’t merely a Western idea but a universal value also long cherished by Islamic liberals.Akyol will have a conversation with Prof. Vali Nasr about the main themes in his book, which Nasr defined as “a must‐​read for Muslims and non‐​Muslims.” We hope you will join us for this important discussion and look forward to your engaging questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1905, the Supreme Court rendered two landmark decisions on the scope of individual liberty: Jacobson v. Massachusetts and Lochner v. New York. Jacobson’s broad deference to public health authority lived side by side with Lochner’s broader conception of economic liberty. While the restrictive precedent, Jacobson, now governs all pandemic response, Lochner is no longer available as a check, having been thrown in the dustbin of legal history. Judges follow a variant of Jacobson that’s far removed from the actual decision to resolve disputes over religious freedom, abortion, gun rights, voting, and more. Over the course of a century, four prominent justices established the irrepressible myth of Jacobson v. Massachusetts.At a time when state police power has imposed unprecedented limits on individuals’ ability to provide for themselves, Lochner should be brought out of lockdown. The rationales for Lochner’s subsequent disavowal by the Court are largely inapplicable to the COVID-19 situation. Shutdown orders and the like have an economic effect but are not economic policy. They may be one of the broadest assertions of sovereign authority in peacetime, but we lack the constitutional language to deal with the potential danger to liberty implicated by such measures. Please join Josh Blackman and Eugene Kontorovich to discuss their recent work in this area, with commentary by Wendy Mariner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.