Live Now
Cato University

The Use and Abuse of State Power

Date and Time
August 8, 2024 – August 11, 2024
Location
George Mason University, 4400 University Dr, Fairfax, VA
Share This Event
Apply to Attend Cato University

The law perverted! And the police powers of the state perverted along with it! The law, I say, not only turned from its proper purpose but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose! The law become the weapon of every kind of greed! Instead of checking crime, the law itself guilty of the evils it is supposed to punish! If this is true, it is a serious fact, and moral duty requires me to call the attention of my fellow citizens to it.

—Bastiat, The Law

Cato University is the Cato Institute’s premier educational event for college students. Each program will explore classical liberal philosophy as a foundation for considering current policy issues. While the topics for each Cato University program will vary, the goal remains to bring together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country who share a commitment to liberty and learning and to provide participants an opportunity to form an enduring community through a one‐​of‐​a‐​kind experience.

Cato University is for United States based applicants; we are currently not accepting applications from internationally based attendees.

Benefits include room and board, 20+ hours of academic programming, networking opportunities, resources for further study, and a $500 travel stipend upon completion of the program.

Applicants will be notified of their status on a rolling basis. The deadline for applications is Monday, July 1, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. If you have any questions or need assistance applying, please email our staff at events@​cato.​org.


Apply to Attend Cato University


Schedule

August 8

4:00 — 6:30 PM Registration
6:30 — 7:30 PM Opening Reception
7:30 — 9:30 PM Dinner and Keynote Address: The First Amendment on Campus

Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law Emerita at New York Law School and past President of the American Civil Liberties Union (1991–2008)

8:00 - 9:00 AM Breakfast

9:00 - 10:15 AM Keynote Address

The American Theory of Government: First Come Rights, Then Comes Government

Randy E. Barnett, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory, Georgetown University Law Center
10:15 - 10:45 AM Break
10:45 - 11:30 AM The Problem of Over‐Criminalization

Clark Neily, Senior Vice President for Legal Studies
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Know Your Rights: A Practical Guide for Interacting with Law Enforcement
12:00 - 1:30 PM Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 PM Panel Discussion on Criminal Justice
2:30 - 3:00 PM Break
3:00 - 4:00 PM Breakout Sessions

A. Communication Across Differences on Campus

Erec Smith, Research Fellow, Cato Institute

B. The Moral Principles of Libertarianism

Paul Meany, Intellectual History Editor, Libertarianism.org
5:00 PM Bus Transfer to the Cato Institute
6:00 - 7:00 PM Networking Reception with Cato Scholars
7:00 - 9:00 PM Dinner and Keynote Address

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces Radley Balko, The Washington Post
9:00 PM Bus Transfer to Hotel

8:00 - 9:00 AM Breakfast

9:00 - 9:45 AM A History of the Executive Power

Gene Healy, Senior Vice President for Policy, Cato Institute
9:45 - 10:30 AM Panel Discussion: A Libertarian Vision of the Presidency
10:30 - 11:00 AM Break
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Professional Development Panel Q&A Session
12:00 - 1:30 PM Lunch
1:30 - 2:45 PM Small Group Conversations
2:45 - 3:15 PM Break
3:15 - 4:30 PM Closing Keynote Address

Liberty Was and Always Will Be Vital to Human Progress

Marian Tupy, Founder and Editor, Humanprogress.org
6:30 - 9:00 PM Closing Reception & Dinner

8:00 — 10:00 AM Continental Breakfast and Departures

Resources for At‐​Home Learning
L.org Placeholder Logo


Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org is the Cato Institute’s treasury of resources about the theory and history of liberty.

It offers a wealth of original essays and classic reprints by great classical liberals and libertarians as well as articles from modern‐​day thinkers, book reviews, four podcasts, a libertarian encyclopedia, videos, online introductory courses, and books on a variety of topics within the libertarian tradition.

Young man working at a laptop.


Are you interested in another type of learning experience — on your own, at your own pace? We are delighted to now have the Cato University Home Study Course available. The 12 modules of this program are available as downloads or listened to online.