Cato Media Updates

Cato Scholar Comments on Latest Farm Bill Agreement (Sallie James, trade policy analyst)

Thu, 08 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The agreement reached by the farm bill conference committee contains very little in the way of serious reform. It makes minimal cuts to farm subsidies and in fact adds a...

Cato Scholar Comments on Bolivian Autonomy Vote (Juan Carlos Hidalgo, project coordinator for Latin America, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Mon, 05 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The people from Santa Cruz -- the largest and richest region in Bolivia -- voted overwhelmingly yesterday for autonomy, which would allow them to establish their own policies regarding land,...

Cato Scholar Comments on Florida Scholarship Program (Andrew J. Coulson, director, Center for Educational Freedom)

Mon, 05 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Florida lawmakers struck a deal to raise the cap on the state's scholarship donation tax credit program by $30 million dollars last Friday, the last day of the legislative session....

Cato Scholar Comments on College Tuition Report (Neal McCluskey, associate director, Center for Educational Freedom)

Thu, 01 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

This report isn't saying anything you need a college degree to understand. Even a cursory look at colleges and universities reveals that they focus their ever-increasing revenues not mainly on...

Cato Scholar Comments on McCain's Health Plan (Michael D. Tanner, senior fellow)

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

While it's possible to pick at the details and flaws in Sen. McCain's proposal, he get's the big picture right. By moving away from employer-based health care and encouraging...

Cato Scholar Comments on Economy's First Quarter Growth (Jagadeesh Gokhale, senior fellow)

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

National output grew during the first quarter of the year by 0.6 percent at an annual rate--much faster than expected based on earlier comments by some analysts that the economy...

Cato Scholar Comments on Farm Bill Agreement (Sallie James, trade policy analyst)

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The tentative agreement reached last week is very disappointing. It makes minimal cuts to farm subsidies and in fact adds a new 'permanent disaster' program on top of the existing...

Cato Scholar Comments on the Effect of Rising Nationalism on Globalization (Daniel T. Griswold, director, Center for Trade Policy Studies)

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Rising nationalism poses the same threat to the global economy as it did in the 1920s and 1930s. Erecting new barriers to global trade and investment will diminish the freedom...

News Release: Venezuelan Student Movement Leader Awarded $500,000 Milton Friedman Liberty Prize

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Washington, D.C. - The Cato Institute has announced that Yon Goicoechea, leader of the pro-democracy student movement in Venezuela that successfully prevented President Hugo Chávez's regime from seizing broad dictatorial...

Cato Scholar Comments on Pennsylvania Democratic Primary (Michael D. Tanner, senior fellow)

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

While Senators Clinton and Obama throw the 'kitchen sink' at each other, little attention is being paid to how far to the left the primary has dragged both candidates. ...

Cato Scholar Comments on Proposed Changes to NCLB (Neal McCluskey, associate director, Center for Educational Freedom)

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Department of Education can demand, reprove, and regulate all it wants, but in the end it can't and won't change a system in which parents have no power. As...

Cato Scholar Comments on the Supreme Court Hearing Another Challenge to McCain-Feingold (Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow, Center for Constitutional Studies and editor-in-chief, Cato Supreme Court Review)

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Tomorrow, just as Pennsylvania Democrats go the polls in the last large primary before their nominating convention, the Supreme Court will hear yet another challenge to the McCain-Feingold campaign finance...

Cato Scholar Comments on Paraguayan Presidential Election (Juan Carlos Hidalgo, project coordinator for Latin America, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Sixty-one years of corrupt and often authoritarian party rule ended yesterday in Paraguay with the defeat of the Colorado party and the victory of Fernando Lugo. However, it remains to...

Cato Scholar Comments on Bush's Call for Halting Growth in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Patrick J. Michaels, senior fellow in environmental studies and author of Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media)

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

President Bush announced today a national goal of stabilizing emissions of greenhouse gases by 2025, and proposed that 'all the major economies' of the world should do the same. ...

Cato Scholar Comments on The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (Neal McCluskey, associate director, Center for Educational Freedom)

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

In classic Washington fashion, Congress is tackling a 'crisis' that doesn't exist, and taxpayers are the victims. Though no eligible student has reported an inability to secure federal student loans,...

News Release: U.S. Has Not Yet Seen True Market-Based Reform in Education

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

WASHINGTON--Most U.S. school choice studies to date have made mistaken and insupportable claims about market reform in education, finds a Policy Analysis released by the Cato Institute today. "The most intensely...

News Release: McCain's Trade Policies Would Be Most Beneficial to U.S. Economy

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Of the presidential candidates, John McCain's policies on free trade would be most beneficial to the U.S. economy, finds "Race to the Bottom? The Presidential Candidates' Position on Trade," a...

News Release: Rail transit won't reduce greenhouse gases

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

WASHINGTON - In the last 15 years, American cities have spent $100 billion on new rail transit projects. Proponents now justify the expense with claims that rail will reduce greenhouse gas...

Cato Scholar Comments on Senate Housing Bill (William A. Niskanen, chairman)

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Senate has again demonstrated that its guiding principle is "Don't just sit there. Do something really dumb in response to the current perceived crisis." This week's example is...

Cato Scholar Comments on the Zimbabwe Crisis and SADC (Marian L. Tupy, policy analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The SADC leaders will tomorrow have an opportunity to break their silence with regard to the Zimbabwean crisis. Since it was announced that ZANU-PF lost control of parliament, Mugabe's government...

Cato Scholar Comments on Rising Food Prices (Sallie James, trade policy analyst)

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Government interventions in agricultural markets are spawning a host of unintended consequences, including increased political instability abroad. The ethanol policy is partly to blame for higher food prices, which are...

Cato Scholar Comments on Petraeus Testimony (Christopher A. Preble, director of foreign policy studies)

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Gen. Petraeus's recommendation that approximately 140,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq after July, a higher number than when President Bush announced the surge in January 2007, demonstrates the bankruptcy of...

Cato Scholar Comments on Bernanke's Testimony (William A. Niskanen, chairman)

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The press has made too much about Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's musings about whether the U.S. economy is now in a recession or is headed for a recession. We won't...

Cato Scholar Comments on Opposition Party's Declaration of Victory in Zimbabwe (Marian L. Tupy, policy analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The declaration of victory by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change this morning was precipitated by the slow and bizarre way in which the Mugabe-appointed Zimbabwean Electoral Commission has been...

Cato Scholar Comments on Ukraine Possibly Joining NATO (Stanley Kober, research fellow in foreign policy studies and author of "Cracks in the Foundation: NATO's New Troubles")

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

While President Bush has indicated he supports Ukraine's membership in NATO, the governments of France and Germany have announced their opposition. That governments would differ is not so unusual. What...

Cato Scholar Comments on High School Dropout Rates (Andrew Coulson, director, Center for Educational Freedom)

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The idea that we can reduce the public school dropout rate simply by measuring it better is misguided. It's like believing that the North Koreans could improve their economy by...

News Release: Trade and globalization not to blame for economic slowdown

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

WASHINGTON -- Contrary to political rhetoric, free trade does not cause economic downturns, but in fact it has helped ensure that recessions are "mercifully shorter, shallower, and less frequent" than...

Cato Scholar Comments on Zimbabwe's Elections (Marian L. Tupy, policy analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

In the presidential and parliamentary elections last Saturday, the people of Zimbabwe appear to have given a resounding victory to Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change. In a...

Cato Scholar Comments on New Regulatory Proposals (Daniel Mitchell, senior fellow)

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The regulatory news out of Washington is like a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western ...

Cato Scholar Comments on March 29 Elections in Zimbabwe (Marian L. Tupy, policy analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Saturday's elections in Zimbabwe will be rigged in favor of the incumbent. Robert Mugabe, who is chiefly responsibly for destroying Zimbabwe's democracy and economy, cannot afford to lose presidential immunity...

Cato Scholars Comment on Premium Cap in Hillary Clinton's Health Plan (Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies)

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Sen. Clinton wants to force everyone to pay health insurance premiums and to set premiums as a certain percentage of household income, which is just a clever way of converting...

News Release: Despite Having Destroyed Zimbabwe, Mugabe Likely to be "Reelected"

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

WASHINGTON -- Robert Mugabe will likely remain in power after this weekend's elections despite being largely responsible for Zimbabwe's implosion, finds a study released today by the Cato Institute. "Few people...

Cato Scholar Comments on Taiwan Elections (James A. Dorn, vice president for academic affairs, editor of Cato Journal)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The election of Ma Ying-jeou to the Taiwanese presidency is a vote of confidence in cross-Straits economic relations. Mr. Ma's promise to promote closer economic relations with the Mainland is...

News Release: New libertarian project launched in crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The worldwide spread of libertarian ideas continues to advance with the launch of a new project based in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. AzadliqCiragi.org ("Lamp of Liberty" in Azerbaijani),...

News Release: Cato study finds Iran a surprising model for kidney markets

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

WASHINGTON -- The United States suffers from an acute shortage of kidneys for transplant, with 73,000 people waiting for deceased donors to make organs available. Allowing compensation for donors, an...

Cato Scholar Comments on Fifth Anniversary of Iraq War (Justin Logan, associate director of foreign policy studies)

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Five years ago, few predicted that the Iraq war would turn out this way. (My Cato colleagues were notable exceptions.) The war's supporters, like Senator John McCain, the...

Cato Scholar Comments on DC v. Heller Oral Arguments (Robert A. Levy, senior fellow in constitutional studies)

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

On or before June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in, for the first time in seven decades, on the meaning of the Second Amendment. That was the...

Cato Scholar Comments on Current Economic Problems (Daniel J. Mitchell, senior fellow)

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Politicians are panicking and their policies are making things worse rather than better. Whether they're pushing bailouts for Wall Street or easy money from the Fed, they are creating...

Cato Scholar Comments on Bear Stearns Sale and Current U.S. Financial Situation (William Niskanen, chairman)

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Fed-assisted fire sale of Bear Stearns over the weekend is probably not the last effort to stop a cascade of financial losses due to the collapse of the market...

News Release: "Sovereign Wealth Funds" Are Beneficial and Safe for U.S. Economy

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

"Sovereign Wealth Fund" investment, like all foreign investment, benefits the U.S. economy in myriad ways. Accordingly, it should be treated like all foreign investment: welcomed, but also subject to laws...

Cato Scholar Comments on Iran's Parliamentary Elections (Malou Innocent, foreign policy analyst)

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Many foot soldiers from Iran's reform movement have simply given up on politics and see little interest in today's vote. One problem is that hundreds of reformists have been disqualified...

Cato Scholar Comments on Apprehension of Muhammad Rahim (Malou Innocent, foreign policy analyst)

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The capture of Al Qaeda operative Muhammad Rahim is a time to celebrate, but it also a time to seriously examine our efforts in the global 'war on terror.' Despite...

Cato Scholar Comments on US-EU Conflict over Online Gambling (Sallie James, trade policy analyst)

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

This latest development shows that this long-running dispute is far from over. Even though the US and EU cobbled together a secret deal over the Americans' wish to close its...

Cato Scholar Comments on Zimbabwe's Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act (Marian L. Tupy, policy analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act, which requires all businesses in Zimbabwe to sell majority stakes to black owners is yet another step on Zimbabwe's road to economic suicide. The...

News Release: "EEV" of Destruction

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EST

E-Verify, the program promoted by the Bush administration to reduce illegal immigration, would be ineffective, invasive and costly, finds a study by the Cato Institute. "A full-fledged Electronic Employment Verification (EEV)...

Cato Scholars Comment on Developing Situation along Colombia-Venezuela Border (Ian Vásquez, director, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EST

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is becoming increasingly reckless as he faces growing economic problems and political opposition at home, and his mobilization of troops to the Colombian border is the...

News Release: US has to be more realistic about Russia

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

At a time when the United States and Russia are increasingly at odds on major world issues such as Kosovo, Iran and energy security, Washington must shed old illusions about...

News Release: Former Putin advisor slams Russian election as farce

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON -- "The Russian presidential election is a sad farce and another manipulative operation undertaken by the siloviki regime of secret police officers to hold on to power," says Andrei Illarionov,...

Cato Scholar Comments on the Interest Rate Cuts of Bernanke's Federal Reserve (William A. Niskanen, chairman)

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

I regret that he [Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke] has created expectations of continued reductions of interest rates. The government often makes two mistakes in a financial crisis. One, the...

Cato Scholar Comments on Bush's Call for FISA Update (Tim Lee, adjunct scholar)

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Pres. Bush's comments neglected a few key facts. First, he didn't mention that any surveillance programs begun under the Protect America Act can continue for a year, meaning none of...

Cato Scholar Comments on NAFTA and the Democratic Presidential Candidates (Daniel Griswold, director, Center for Trade Policy Studies)

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Both Democratic candidates are peddling a cruel illusion on trade. They raise the false hope that tinkering with a 14-year-old trade agreement will somehow bring an industrial renaissance to Youngstown,...

News Release: World Health Report Rankings Driven by Ideology, Skewed Data

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON – The two remaining Democratic presidential candidates take the stage tonight in what could be the final debate before the nominee is decided, and health care is all but...

Cato Scholar Comments on Kosovo's Declaration of Independence (Ted Galen Carpenter, vice president for foreign policy and defense studies)

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17 creates dangerous problems on multiple fronts. The decision by Washington and the major European Union countries to encourage Kosovo's secession will...

Cato Scholar Comments on Post-Election Pakistan (Malou Innocent, foreign policy analyst)

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Rather than focusing on the configuration of Pakistan's parliament, which tells us very little about that country's security and political future, the more pressing issue is the condition of Pakistan's...

Cato Scholar Comments on Fidel Castro's Resignation (Ian Vásquez, director, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity)

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Fidel Castro's announcement that he will step down as president of Cuba is somewhat anti-climactic as it merely formalizes the country's political reality in which Raul Castro has run Cuba...

News Release: New Cato web feature offers access and analysis of key trade votes

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON -- The Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies launched a powerful new interactive web feature this week that allows users to access and analyze the trade voting record...

Cato Scholar Comments on FISA Showdown in Congress (Timothy B. Lee, adjunct scholar)

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Kudos to Speaker Pelosi for refusing to be stampeded into approving the Senate's deeply flawed surveillance legislation. The last time Congress overhauled FISA, after the September 11 attacks, Pres. Bush...

Cato Scholar Comments on Congressional Hearings on Steriods, Roger Clemens, and Baseball (Tom Firey, managing editor, Regulation magazine)

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Roger Clemens' appearance before the House Committee certainly makes for good political theater, but from a legal and political standpoint it's wholly superfluous. Steroid use and human growth hormone use...