The Entirely Predictable Mess in Syria
A barrage of criticism greeted President Trump's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from northern Syria near the border with Turkey. However, the many problems with U.S. involvement in Syria began with an extraordinarily ambitious, and ultimately irreconcilable, set of goals. Cato scholars have long cautioned against intervening in the region: "Policymakers should commit U.S. forces to wage war only when vital interests are stake, the mission is clear, and the objectives are attainable. The Syrian escapade never met any of these criteria."
- "America’s Ill‐Fated Syria Intervention: The Lessons Washington Must Learn," by Christopher A. Preble and Doug Bandow
- "Turks, Kurds, and the U.S. Role in Reconciliation," Podcast featuring Mustafa Akyol and Caleb O. Brown
- "The Kurds and the Sticky Wicket of Foreign Entanglements," by Ted Galen Carpenter
Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover)
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump broke not only from the Republican Party but also from the bipartisan consensus on U.S. foreign policy. Trump’s “America First” vision called for a reassertion of American nationalism on the economic front as well as in foreign affairs. Since Trump took office, it has become clear that “America First” was more of a campaign slogan than a coherent vision of American grand strategy. Fuel to the Fire, a new book from Cato scholars Christopher A. Preble, John Glaser, and A. Trevor Thrall, characterizes and explains Trump’s foreign policy doctrine and the effect that he likely will have on U.S. foreign policy during his tenure.
- "Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover)," Book Feature from Christopher A. Preble, John Glaser, and A. Trevor Thrall
- Attend the Book Event at Cato, October 21, 2019
- Purchase the book: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Apple Books
President Trump, Impeachment, and Executive Power
The White House’s decision to stonewall Congress on its impeachment inquiry is a risky strategy, says Cato scholar Gene Healy. It is important to remember that impeachment is not a criminal process, and regardless of where one stands on the merits or politics of impeachment, the administration’s action continues the erosion of separation of powers and expansion of executive power that Cato experts have long derided as a substantial threat to our constitutional order.
- "Impeach Me — I Dare You!," by Gene Healy
- "Going Ballistic: What the Democrats’ ‘Subpoena Cannon’ Means for Trump," by Ilya Shapiro
- "House Launches Impeachment Inquiry," Podcast with Gene Healy and Caleb O. Brown
- "How the Supreme Court Promotes Independent Presidential Power," by Louis Fisher
2020 Milton Friedman Prize Award & Dinner
In 2001, the late Nobel laureate Milton Friedman agreed to lend his name to an international award for the promotion of individual liberty: The Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty. In a statement at the time he said: “Those of us who were fortunate enough to live and be raised in a reasonably free society tend to underestimate the importance of freedom. We tend to take it for granted. It has made us in the West more complacent, so having a prize emphasizing liberty is extremely important.” Presented every other year to an individual who has made a significant contribution to advance human freedom, it will be awarded at the 2020 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty Biennial Dinner on May 20, 2020 at Cipriani 42nd Street, New York. The deadline for submitting nominations is November 29, 2019. Save both dates and submit your nomination here.