Center for Representative Government

Taking its inspiration from James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government is dedicated to promoting limited, representative government. Today, government offers many new threats to individual freedom and the virtues needed for its preservation. Unfortunately, career politicians, an ever‐expanding government and massive regulatory constraints dominate American political life. The Center and its scholars are working through books, conferences, forums, op‐eds, speeches, congressional testimony, and TV and radio appearances to bring the ideals of individual liberty, civil society, limited government and citizen legislators back to the forefront of American political life.

Emily Ekins

John Samples

Our Work

Project on Public Opinion

Media Inquiry

Cato Media Relations Department
(202) 789‑5200, pr@cato.org

Featured

Blog

Speech in a Time of War

By John Samples.

Our current crisis will not be good for free speech. Classical liberals may regret anyone suppressing speech even when justified. However, private moderators can legitimately suppress speech on social media.

Blog

The End of an Era

By John Samples.

It may be that the proposition “money buys elections” was never really an empirical hypothesis. If so, it cannot be refuted by facts. This belief may just be part and parcel of populism, a pathological aspect of popular government.

Blog

Illiberalism Ascendant

By John Samples.

In a liberal government, government officials must carry a burden of proof to limit the liberties or rights of individuals.

Return of the Gatekeepers: Section 230 and the Future of Online Speech — Panel 3: Content Moderation without Government

Featuring Emma Llanso, Jacob Mchangama, Alex Feerst, & John Samples. March 10, 2020.

Return of the Gatekeepers: Section 230 and the Future of Online Speech — Opening Remarks and Panel 1: The Future (and Past) of Content Moderation

Featuring Matthew Feeney, Jessica Ashooh, Flemming Rose, Evelyn Aswad, & John Samples. March 10, 2020.

Commentary

Socialism Is Legitimately Popular.

By Emily Ekins. Politico.

A big driver seems to be young people’s resentment of the rich.

Cato University: College of History and Philosophy

History is indispensable to understanding and defending liberty under our constitutionally limited, representative government. And at the core of that history are the philosophical beliefs and values on which the American republic was founded. Cato University’s College of History and Philosophy, August 2–4 in San Diego, brings these two powerful subjects together to explore the foundations of liberty and justice, of wealth and poverty, of individual rights and the rule of law.

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Special! 10 Copies for $10

Cato Pocket Constitution

To encourage people everywhere to better understand and appreciate the principles of government that are set forth in America’s founding documents, the Cato Institute published this pocket‐size edition.

Now Available

Home Study Resources

The Cato Institute offers a wealth of online educational audio and video resources, from self‐paced guides on the ideas of liberty and the principles of economics, to exclusive, archived lectures by thinkers such as Milton Friedman and F. A. Hayek. Browse through some highlights of our collections, for personal study or for use in the classroom.

The Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty

May 17, 2018 • Cipriani 42nd Street • New York, NY

The Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty, named in honor of perhaps the greatest champion of liberty in the 20th century, is presented every other year to an individual who has made a significant contribution to advance human freedom. The 2018 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty Biennial Dinner will be held on May 17, 2018 at Cipriani 42nd Street, New York.