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The latest research, analysis and commentary from the Cato Institute. 
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May 20, 2016
For the past two decades Democratic and Republican leaders have viewed U.S. military power as indispensable to global stability. Known as “primacy” or “liberal hegemony,” U.S. military alliances, they believed, would secure the peace between foreign powers, and armed interventions would be necessary to prevent terrorism and civil conflicts abroad.

This grand strategy perspective is now undergoing major revisions, with many foreign policy and military experts now calling for restraint. The United States is now viewed as greatly benefiting from a robust state of national security thanks to its geographic, economic, and military advantages. Further, decades of rigorous military interventions and long-term military alliances have caused more problems than they solved—and a grand strategy of restraint aligns with the fundamental values at the core of our nation’s founding.

At this conference, experts on international security will deeply examine the major shifts now taking place in global perspectives, and will both confront and critically examine the arguments and assumptions of the “primacy” consensus. Panelists will also discuss what form a more restrained U.S. foreign policy should take, and the prospects for restraint given American politics today.

Please join us Wednesday, June 15th, at 9:00AM for this important conference.

COMMENTARY

Venezuela the Victim of Decades of Losses in Economic Freedom
by Marian L. Tupy on Reason.com 

The news from Venezuela is not encouraging. Last Friday, CNN reports, President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of emergency in order “to tend to our country and more importantly to prepare to denounce, neutralize and overcome the external and foreign aggressions against our country.”

Donald Trump Wants to Talk to Kim Jong-Un. Is That Really So Bad?
by Doug Bandow in The Diplomat

Yet again Donald Trump has proved that he was not the most militaristic Republican running for President. Virtually alone he criticized the debacle in Iraq. Now, he declared, “I would speak to” North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, “I would have no problem.”

MULTIMEDIA 

NEW! Cato Daily Podcast: 

Trump’s Costly, Wasteful Plan for Domestic Drones (08:28)

Donald Trump needs drones to make his border security plans work. The problem is that it won’t work. Matthew Feeney and Alex Nowrasteh comment.

FROM CATO'S BLOGS

Airport Security Lines and Centralized Bureaucracy
by Chris Edwards

The long security lines at some of the nation’s major airports in recent weeks have been nuts. Over and over, we have seen that it was a big mistake for the Bush administration and Congress to nationalize airport screening back in 2001. 
Nevada Judge: Education Savings Accounts Are Constitutional
by Jason Bedrick

Dismissing a challenge from the ACLU, Las Vegas District Court Judge Eric Johnson ruled this week that Nevada’s education savings account (ESA) program is constitutional. However, the ESA program is still on hold due to a second lawsuit against the ESA program in which the judge issued an injunction against issuing the accounts. 

FEATURED POLICY SCHOLAR

Daniel R. Pearson
Senior Fellow, Trade Policy Studies

Daniel Pearson joined the Cato Institute after serving for 10 years on the U.S. International Trade Commission, the federal agency that, among other responsibilities, oversees the U.S. trade remedy laws. Pearson was nominated to the USITC by President George W. Bush and began his term as a commissioner on October 8, 2003. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Don’t Worry, Be Happy: The Cato Institute’s HumanProgress Project
June 1st, 12:00PM - 1:00PM, Capitol Hill Briefing

Futures Unbound: The Cato Summit on Financial Regulation 
June 6th, 10:00AM - 2:00PM, Conference
Note: This conference will be held at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, Illinois

Protecting Religious Liberty
June 14th, 9:00AM to 3:30PM, Conference 

The Case for Restraint in U.S. Foreign Policy
June 15th, 9:00AM - 5:00PM, Conference 

Many events at the Cato Institute are also streamed live online. Please check the schedule for availability. All events shown are in EST.
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