Cato on Facebook
Cato on Twitter
Cato on YouTube
Cato RSS1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20001-5403
Phone (202) 842 0200
Fax (202) 842 3490
Contact Us
[ More Commentary ]
September 17, 2009
A full day analysis of the Supreme Court’s 2008 and 2009 terms.
Recommendations from Cato Institute experts on every major policy issue.
"Costa Rican President Calls for New Constitution"
by Juan Carlos Hidalgo
"Friday Links"
by Chris Moody
"Fresh OLC Memos"
by David Rittgers
Federal Pay Outpaces Private Sector Pay
Federal wages and benefits have been rising quickly, and by 2008 the average compensation of federal workers was twice the average in the private sector. Cato scholar Chris Edwards has examined the growing gap, and argues, "It's time to put a stop to this. Federal wages should be frozen for a period of years, at least until the private-sector economy has recovered and average workers start seeing some wage gains of their own."
- "Not Too Bad For Government Work," Investors Business Daily Editorial
- "Federal Pay Continues Rapid Ascent," by Chris Edwards
- "Federal Pay: Response to the Critics," by Chris Edwards
Massachusetts Shows "Individual Mandate" More Dangerous than "Government Option"
The most sweeping provision in the health care reform legislation before Congress is not the new government program Democrats wish to create, but the "individual mandate" that would make health insurance compulsory. According to Cato scholar Michael F. Cannon, the individual mandate that Massachusetts enacted in 2006 shows that ObamaCare would effectively outlaw low-cost health plans, making health insurance more expensive for millions, and "would expand federal power by enabling it to ration care to patients under age 65."
- "Massachusetts' Obama-like Reforms Increase Health Costs, Wait Times," by Michael F. Cannon
- "Mandatory Health Insurance: Lessons from Massachusetts," by Craig Richardson
- "What the Failure of the 'Massachusetts Model' Tells Us about Health Care Reform," by Michael D. Tanner
- Healthcare.Cato.org
Second Term for Bernanke
President Obama on Tuesday nominated Ben Bernanke to a second term as head of the Federal Reserve. Bernanke's nomination will have to be confirmed by the Senate. Cato scholar Mark A. Calabria has been critical of Bernanke's role in the recent financial crisis, and argues, "We cannot hope to avoid the next financial crisis without a Fed chairman who understands the current one. The time to start looking for that new chairman is now."
- "Embracing Bushonomics, Obama Re-appoints Bernanke," by Mark A. Calabria
- "Bernanke Must Go," by Mark A. Calabria
- "Did the Fed Cause the Housing Bubble?," by Gerald P. O'Driscoll Jr.
NEW BOOKS
Financial Fiasco
An easily accessible work on the economic crisis, the book guides readers through a world of irresponsible behavior, showing how many of the "solutions" being implemented are repeating the mistakes that caused the crisis.
The Beautiful Tree
An inspiring personal journey into the lives of families and teachers in the poorest communities of India, Africa, and China who have successfully created their own private schools in response to failed public education.
Climate of Extremes
An in-depth look at consistent, solid science on the other side of the gloom-and-doom global warming story that is rarely reported and pushed aside: that global warming is likely to be modest, and there is no apocalypse on the horizon.
MERCHANDISE
Government Power T-shirt
Show your opposition to stratospheric government spending and power grabs by wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with P.J. O'Rourke's famous quote about government power.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
From audio recordings of the best of Cato's events to articles by world-class experts, CatoAudio, Regulation and Cato Journal offer an amazing range of quality news and analysis.