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"Another Log for the Government Spending Multiplier Fire"
by Tad DeHaven
"Is the U.S. Trade Representative a Closet Free Trader?"
by Daniel Ikenson
"Gay Marriage Still Has an Uphill Climb"
by Robert A. Levy
Appeals Court Rules Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that California's ban on same-sex marriage — enacted in 2008 in a popular vote on Proposition 8 — violates the constitutional right to equal protection. Cato's chairman Robert A. Levy, also co-chair of the advisory board to the American Foundation for Equal Rights (which sponsored the suit) comments: "[It's] a narrow but important step in the right direction. But it does not settle the more significant question whether states may grant benefits to heterosexual couples while granting less or no benefits to homosexual couples."
- "Gay Marriage Still Has an Uphill Climb," by Robert A. Levy
- "Appeals Court Upholds Gay Marriage, Sort Of," by Ilya Shapiro
- "Marriage Equality for All Couples," by Robert A. Levy and John D. Podesta
- "The Constitutional Case for Marriage Equality," Cato Video
Fixing Mortgage Finance: What to Do with the Federal Housing Administration?
While Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and private subprime lenders have deservedly garnered the bulk of attention and blame for the mortgage crisis, other federal programs also distort our mortgage market and put taxpayers at risk of having to finance massive financial bailouts. In a new paper, Cato scholar Mark A. Calabria argues that one such agency, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), should be scaled back immediately, and an emphasis should be placed on improving its credit quality. "At the same time," says Calabra, "the agency should be placed on a path to ultimately be eliminated, with its risk-taking being transferred back to the private sector."
- "Fixing Mortgage Finance: What to Do with the Federal Housing Administration?," by Mark A. Calabria
Downsizing the Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior oversees more than 500 million acres of land through the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Much of this land is productive, rich in natural resources, and popular with recreational visitors. Yet rather than generate a net return for taxpayers, the department consumes billions of dollars a year in subsidies. On DownsizingGovernment.org, Cato scholars analyze the department's spending and recommend cuts to save taxpayers $8 billion annually.
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