Cato Headlines

The Rise of Disaster Polemics

Wed, 14 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Since its publication last fall, Canadian author Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism has become a bible for young anti-capitalist activists. Klein argues that capitalism goes hand in hand with dictatorship and brutality and that dictators and other unscrupulous political figures take advantage of "shocks" — catastrophes real or manufactured — to consolidate their power and implement unpopular market reforms. In "The Klein Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Polemics," Cato scholar Johan Norberg argues that Klein's analysis is hopelessly flawed at virtually every level.

Clinton Wins West Virginia

Tue, 13 May 2008 08:53:00 EDT

As expected, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in West Virginia on Tuesday, beating Barack Obama decisively. After the win, Clinton said that she is "more determined than ever to carry on this campaign until everyone has had a chance to make their voices heard." The question remains, however, whether her big victory in West Virginia (or any/all of the other remaining states) will be enough to convince superdelegates that she should be the nominee.

"McCain-Clinton 2008," Jerry Taylor and Jagadeesh Gokhale
"The Cult of the Presidency," by Gene Healy
"McCain's Health Care Plan: Radical and Right," by Michael D. Tanner

High Gas Price Hysteria

Fri, 09 May 2008 09:52:00 EDT

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline rose to a new all-time high on Monday. Drivers now pay 21% more for a gallon of gas than they did a year ago, according to AAA. As the summer driving season approaches, Cato is pleased to offer some realistic assessments of gas prices and recent political overreaction.

Jerry Taylor debates gas taxes on CNN
"Evil Exxon," by Jerry Taylor
"America's Drive for Energy Independence: Fueling the Oil Price Boom?," Policy Forum
"Don't Increase Federal Gasoline Taxes—Abolish Them," by Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren

How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom

Tue, 06 May 2008 13:43:00 EDT

The Founding Fathers wanted the judicial branch to serve as a check on the power of the legislative and executive, and gave the Supreme Court the responsibility of interpreting the Constitution in a way that would safeguard individual freedoms. But sadly, the Supreme Court has also handed down many destructive decisions. In The Dirty Dozen, authors Robert A. Levy and William Mellor shed light on the twelve worst decisions of the modern era.

The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom, by Robert A. Levy and William Mellor

The Problem Is Politics

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:49:00 EDT

In the most recent Cato's Letter, satirist and Cato H. L. Mencken fellow P. J. O'Rourke is at the top of his form. "We are besieged by pagans," O'Rourke contends, "savage, brutish worshippers of big government." O'Rourke then serves up politicians from across the ideological spectrum sliced and diced as only he can. Also in this edition, Cato scholar Andrew Coulson is profiled, and offers his thoughts on Cato policy initiatives in the area of educational freedom.

"The Problem Is Politics," by P.J. O'Rourke
Subscribe to Cato's Letter

New Regulation Looks at Wal-Mart, Global Warming, and Airport Delays

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:38:00 EDT

In the current issue of Regulation, Andrea M. Dean and Russell S. Sobel show that Wal-Mart has no statistically significant impact on the overall size of the small business sector in the United States. In the same issue, Eric A. Posner and Cass R. Sunstein argue that standard ideas about distributive or corrective justice poorly fit the climate change problem. Also, W. Tom Whalen, Dennis W. Carlton, Ken Heyer, and Oliver Richard contend that the problem of airport delays could be solved by a market-based approach to the allocation of scarce takeoff and landing rights.

Spring 2008 Issue of Regulation
Wal-Mart vs. Mom and Pop, featuring Russell Sobel, 04/21/2008 (MP3 )

The Shortcomings of U.S. School Choice Research and How to Address Them

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Pressing questions about the merits of market accountability in K-12 education have spawned a large scholarly literature. Unfortunately, much of that literature is of limited relevance, and some of it is misleading. In "Dismal Science: The Shortcomings of U.S. School Choice Research and How to Address Them", author John Merrifield argues, "To address the need for credible evidence on the effects of genuine education markets, economists should look to simulation models, indirect evidence such as outcomes in similar industries, and school systems abroad that enjoy varying degrees of market accountability."

The Presidential Candidates' Positions on Trade

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EDT

As voters consider the mix of policy offerings by the candidates, a look at their records on trade during their time in Congress and their statements during the campaign can give some early guidance as to the direction of the next administration's trade policy. In "Race to the Bottom?," Cato scholar Sallie James concludes that voters could expect a President McCain to promote freer trade and cuts in market-distorting subsidies, and a President Clinton or a President Obama to view free trade between voluntary actors as something to be restrained, loaded with conditions, or counterbalanced by an expansion of the welfare state.

"Race to the Bottom? The Presidential Candidates' Positions on Trade," by Sallie James

Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Far from protecting the environment, most rail transit lines use more energy per passenger mile, and many generate more greenhouse gases, than the average passenger automobile. Rail transit provides no guarantee that a city will save energy or meet greenhouse gas targets. In "Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?," Cato scholar Randal O'Toole argues that states and locales that want to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions will find other alternatives far superior to rail transit.

"Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?," by Randal O'Toole

New Cato Journal Looks at Milton Friedman and Russia, and the Economic Miracle in India

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EDT

In the current edition of the Cato Journal, Cato scholar Andrei Illarionov considers the legacy of Milton Friedman and wonders "Could Friedman have achieved the same status he did in America if he had lived in Russia?" Also in this issue, Deepak Lal explains the acceleration in Indian growth, and judges if an Indian economic miracle is on its way.

Winter 2008 Issue of Cato Journal
"Friedman and Russia," by Andrei Illarionov
"An Indian Economic Miracle?," by Deepak Lal

Bernanke Says U.S. Economy May Shrink

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday that the U.S. economy could shrink in the first half of the year. "It now appears likely that real gross domestic product will not grow much, if at all, over the first half of 2008 and could even contract slightly," Bernanke said. In a new study, Cato scholar Daniel Griswold shows that international trade and investment are not to blame for downturns in the economy and may in fact be moderating the business cycle.

"Worried about a Recession? Don't Blame Free Trade," by Daniel Griswold

New Cato Policy Report Tackles the Gold Standard, Limited Government, and Taxes

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:01:00 EDT

Full Issue in PDF
"As Good as Gold?", by Lawrence H. White [PDF] [HTML]
"Some Major Threats to Limited Government", by William A. Niskanen [PDF] [HTML]
"Repealing AMT, Reforming the Tax Code," [PDF] [HTML]
"Saying 'No' to the Venezuelan Model" [PDF] [HTML]

Organ Sales and Moral Travails

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EDT

The number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States has grown, but the supply of kidneys has not kept pace with the demand. Unfortunately, the issue is not simply one of supply and demand: in the United States the supply of kidneys for transplantation is kept artificially low by a prohibition on the sale of human organs. In "Organ Sales and Moral Travails: Lessons from the Living Kidney Vendor Program in Iran," Dr. Benjamin E. Hippen contends that, although Iran clearly does not serve as a model for solving most of the world's problems, its method for solving its organ shortage is well worth examining.

Organ Sales in Iran, featuring Benjamin Hippen, 03/20/2008 (MP3 )

A Look at National Health Care Systems Around the World

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EDT

A close look at health care systems worldwide shows that nearly all are wrestling with problems of rising costs and lack of access to care. In "The Grass Is Not Always Greener: A Look at National Health Care Systems Around the World," Cato scholar Michael D. Tanner argues "The answer then to America’s health care problems lies not in heading down the road to national health care but in learning from the experiences of other countries, which demonstrate the failure of centralized command and control and the benefits of increasing consumer incentives and choice."

A Look at the Sovereign Wealth Fund Debate

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:34:00 EDT

Skepticism about the motives and consequences of increased Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) investment is growing. Perhaps most disconcerting for some U.S. policymakers is that the governments that have been most active in recent SWF investment do not necessarily share America's worldview. In "Nothing to Fear but Fearmongers Themselves: A Look at the Sovereign Wealth Fund Debate," Cato scholar Daniel J. Ikenson argues that "Despite legitimate concerns about governments accumulating wealth and making investment decisions in the first place...changes in foreign investment policy are unnecessary."

Sovereign Wealth Mania, featuring James A. Dorn, 03/14/2008 (MP3 )

Supreme Hears Arguments in Landmark Gun Case

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:29:00 EDT

The Supreme Court on March 18 heard oral arguments in DC v. Heller, a landmark lawsuit concerning the constitutionality of the District of Columbia's ban on guns. Cato scholar (and co-counsel to the plaintiffs) Robert A. Levy comments: "At root, the Heller case is simple. It's about self-defense: individuals living in a dangerous community who want to protect themselves in their own homes when necessary. The Second Amendment to the Constitution was intended to safeguard that right. Banning handguns outright is unconstitutional." A decision in the case is expected in June.

Three Women Who Resurrected Classical Liberalism

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:32:00 EDT

This Women's History Month, the Cato Institute pays homage to three women, who in the early 1940s unabashedly defended individualism and free-market capitalism in an age that widely considered American capitalism dead and socialism the future. In 1943, Isabel Paterson, Rose Wilder Lane and Ayn Rand published three groundbreaking books (The God of the Machine, The Discovery of Freedom and The Fountainhead), which laid the foundations of the modern libertarian movement.

Franz Kafka's Solution to Illegal Immigration

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

In "Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification: Franz Kafka's Solution to Illegal Immigration," Cato scholar Jim Harper argues that a national electronic employment eligibility verification (EEV) system would be ineffective, invasive and costly. "With nationwide electronic employment verification," Harper concludes, "the United States would move to a regime where the last word on employment decisions would not be with the worker and employer but with bureaucrats in the federal government."

Kafka's Solution to Illegal Immigration, featuring Jim Harper, 03/06/2008 (MP3 )

Developing a Realistic Approach to Relations with Russia

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:00:00 EST

A review of America's post-Soviet strategy toward Russia is long overdue. In "Parting with Illusions: Developing a Realistic Approach to Relations with Russia," author Nikolas Gvosdev contends that the United States has two options: It can forgo the possibility of Russian assistance in achieving its key foreign policy priorities in an effort to retain complete freedom of action vis-à-vis Moscow. Or it can prioritize its objectives and negotiate a series of quid pro quos with Russia.

The World Health Organization's Problematic Ranking of Health Care Systems

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:25:00 EST

The World Health Report 2000, prepared by the World Health Organization, presented performance rankings of 191 nations' health care systems. These rankings have been widely cited in public debates about health care, particularly by those interested in reforming the U.S. health care system to resemble more closely those of other countries. However, a new study by Glen Whitman argues that the rankings are based on faulty assumptions, and are not an objective measure of the relative performance of national health care systems.

"WHO's Fooling Who? The World Health Organization's Problematic Ranking of Health Care Systems," by Glen Whitman