“The Threat of the Administrative State” with Richard Samp
2022-03-25 12:00 - 13:30 UTC | Navy League Building – Conference Center (Lobby Level), 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Washington, DC will host an in-person event with attorney Richard Samp, Senior Litigation Counsel of the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA).
The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded in 2018 to protect Americans’ constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. Richard Samp will discuss how the Administrative State threatens the constitutional rights of American citizens and businesses. His discussion will include NCLA’s litigation efforts to challenge the unlawful power of federal and state agencies that comprise the Administrative State, and the outlook for a new civil liberties movement to restore Americans’ fundamental rights under the US Constitution.
Eventbrite registration is required to attend. The admission fee is $15 (only $5 for full-time students). Lunch will be provided. Cash payments at the door are not accepted. Register Here.
Schedule:
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM: Lunch & Networking
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM: Speaker Presentations
1:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Q&A Discussion
More about the speaker:
Richard Samp Senior Litigation Counsel of the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) Profile PhotoRichard Samp is Senior Litigation Counsel of the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) in Washington, DC. Throughout his 40-year career in private law practice in Washington, DC, Richard Samp has specialized in appellate litigation with a focus on constitutional law. He served as Chief Counsel of the Washington Legal Foundation for more than 30 years and has participated directly in more than 200 cases before the US Supreme Court. Mr. Samp is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School and clerked for a federal judge in Detroit.

Tenth Annual Executive Branch Review Conference — EBRX
2022-05-03 09:00 - 16:30 | The Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20036
Topics: Administrative Law & Regulation • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers
Sponsors: Administrative Law & Regulation Practice Group • Civil Rights Practice Group • Corporations, Securities & Antitrust Practice Group • Criminal Law & Procedure Practice Group • Environmental Law & Property Rights Practice Group • Federalism & Separation of Powers Practice Group • Financial Services & E-Commerce Practice Group • Free Speech & Election Law Practice Group • Intellectual Property Practice Group • International & National Security Law Practice Group • Labor & Employment Law Practice Group • Litigation Practice Group • Professional Responsibility & Legal Education Practice Group • Religious Liberties Practice Group • Telecommunications & Electronic Media Practice Group
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Schedule:
Welcome & Plenary Session
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Breakout Panels
10:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch
12:00 p.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Luncheon Panel
12:20 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Breakout Panels
2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Closing Address
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Closing Reception
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Freedom of Thought Project Dinner & Panel
6:30 p. m. – 9:00 p.m.

“The Brilliance of Friedrich Hayek” with Donald Boudreaux
2022-06-23 17:30 - 19:30 | Navy League Building – Conference Center (Lobby Level), 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Washington, DC will host an in-person event with Donald Boudreaux, a senior fellow with the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), a senior fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a professor of economics and former economics-department chair at George Mason University.
Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992) was one of the world’s most influential thinkers on economics and political science in the 20th century. After decades of being scorned for his refusal to accept the popular economic theories of John Maynard Keynes, Hayek was finally awarded with a Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 1974 and thereafter received increasing acclaim as a powerful intellectual proponent of limited government, free markets and a free society. Professor Donald Boudreaux is perhaps the leading academic expert on the writings of Hayek and authored the book The Essential Hayek in 2015 to provide the public with a clear and concise compilation of Hayek’s most important ideas on economics and politics. Professor Boudreaux will draw upon his book to discuss Hayek’s philosophical ideas and how they should be applied in addressing today’s economic problems.
Schedule:
5:30 PM – 6:15 PM: Networking Reception
6:15 PM – 7:00 PM: Speaker Presentation
7:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Q&A Discussion

"A Personal Journey from Marxism to Freedom” with Ismael Hernandez
2022-07-14 17:30 - 19:30 | Navy League Building – Conference Center (Lobby Level), 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Washington, DC will host an in-person event with Ismael Hernandez, founder and executive director of the Freedom & Virtue Institute.
Ismael Hernandez, a black Hispanic American and founder & executive director of the Freedom & Virtue Institute, tells his personal story of transformation from an anti-American Marxist to a pro-American, freedom-loving, capitalist. He will discuss the reasons behind his ideological conversion as well as his ideas for a freedom revolution in disadvantaged and minority communities through a rejection of government dependency and an embrace of personal liberty, financial literacy, work ethic, self-reliance, and human dignity.
Eventbrite registration is required to attend, register here. Admission fee is $15 (only $5 for full-time students). Light food and beverages will be provided. Cash payments at the door are not accepted.
Schedule:
5:30 PM – 6:15 PM: Networking Reception
6:15 PM – 7:00 PM: Speaker Presentation
7:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Q&A Discussion

Is It Time to Rethink the Federal Reserve?
2022-07-26 10:00 - 12:00 | AEI, Auditorium, 1789 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20036
Event Summary
On July 26, AEI’s Paul H. Kupiec led a panel discussion on the state of the Federal Reserve. As inflation in the country approaches double digits, trust in the nation’s central bank appears to be wavering. The panel discussed what reforms could be instituted to improve the Fed’s operations.
Clemson University’s Gerald Dwyer proposed three changes he believed would make the Fed’s current position less likely, including allowing Congress to set a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) target instead of the Fed setting an inflation target.
The Cato Institute’s George Selgin focused on how the Fed has damaged its credibility by going against forward guidance it issued at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Selgin also supported the idea of moving from an inflation target to a nominal GDP target, which he noted would be more resilient to global supply shocks that the Fed has little control over.
The Mises Institute’s Alex Pollock focused on the importance of holding the Fed accountable for its shortcomings, including its soon-to-be-realized operating losses. He echoed Dr. Kupiec’s earlier sentiment that the Fed should not take on additional mandates on climate and racial justice, especially when it cannot meet the mandates it currently has.
—Beatrice Lee
Event Description
The Federal Reserve is having a bad year. As the Fed struggles to control inflation, it is also being asked to expand its policy remit to include climate change. Moreover, the House of Representatives just passed a bill requiring the Fed to adopt new policy goals of equal employment and wealth outcomes for targeted interest groups beyond its existing goals of price stability and full employment. How will these efforts to “rethink the Fed” affect monetary policy, credit availability, and economic growth?
Join AEI as a panel of experts discusses monetary policy, the Fed’s dual role as central banker and regulator, its independence, and recent congressional and executive branch efforts to further expand its legislative mandates.
Agenda
10:00 a.m. – Introduction: Paul H. Kupiec, Senior Fellow, AEI
10:15 a.m. – Panel Discussion
Panelists:
Gerald P. Dwyer, BB&T Scholar, Clemson University
Alex J. Pollock, Senior Fellow, Mises Institute
George Selgin, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
Moderator:
Paul Kupiec, Senior Fellow, AEI
11:40 a.m. – Q&A
12:00 p.m. – Adjournment

“How the Fed Failed to Achieve its Mandate of Stable Prices” with Thomas Hogan
2022-07-29 17:30 - 19:30 | Navy League Building – Conference Center (Lobby Level), 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Washington, DC and Students for Liberty will co-sponsor a special in-person event with Thomas Hogan, Senior Research Faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).
Price inflation is now at a 40-year high in the United States and has become the main economic concern for the average American. Thomas Hogan will examine the root causes of inflation and how political considerations, such as climate change and income inequality, have distracted the Federal Reserve in carrying out its legally mandated goals of maximum employment and stable prices.
Eventbrite registration is required to attend, register here. Admission fee is $16 (only $10 for full-time students). Light food and beverages will be provided. Cash payments at the door are not accepted.
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Schedule:
5:30 PM – 6:15 PM: Networking Reception
6:15 PM – 7:00 PM: Speaker Presentation
7:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Q&A Discussion

Natural Law and Original Meaning
2022-09-01 17:30 - 18:45 | AEI, Auditorium, 1789 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20036
Event Summary
On September 1, a group of prominent legal scholars joined AEI’s J. Joel Alicea to discuss one of the most timely—and divisive—debates in the conservative legal community: What is the relationship between natural law theory and American constitutionalism? Is the natural law tradition compatible with the doctrine of originalism?
Notre Dame Law School’s Sherif Girgis began his remarks by defining originalism and the natural law tradition. He then maintained that it is generally possible for a legal system to be originalist without violating the natural law as we understand it.
Next, Kevin Walsh of the Catholic University of America outlined concepts fundamental to the natural law tradition: justice, law, and jurisdiction. He concluded that an originalism anchored by the classical natural law tradition should presuppose that our constitutional law consists of the original law of the Constitution, along with any lawful changes since.
Finally, Lee Strang of the University of Toledo College of Law explained how the relationship between natural law and originalism became a topic of such lively scholarly interest. He concluded that natural law and originalism are more than just compatible; in his view, natural law provides an elegant account of the American constitutional tradition.
—Max Markon
Event Description
Natural law theory is the talk of the town right now among conservative constitutional scholars. But how should we understand this tradition’s relationship to American constitutionalism? And is it compatible with originalism?
Originalism’s detractors, like Harvard Law School’s Adrian Vermeule, argue that the theory is morally empty and insufficient to create a just society. Originalist natural law theorists counter that originalism is based on moral claims about legitimate authority, the nature of the common good, and the particularities of the American constitutional system.
Join AEI and the Catholic University of America’s Project on Constitutional Originalism and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition for a discussion on the relationship between originalism and the natural law tradition.
Agenda
5:30 p.m. – Introduction: J. Joel Alicea, Nonresident Fellow, AEI
5:35 p.m. – Discussion
Panelists:
Sherif Girgis, Associate Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School
Lee Strang, John W. Stoepler Professor of Law & Values, University of Toledo College of Law
Kevin Walsh, Professor of Law, Catholic University of America
Moderator:
J. Joel Alicea, Nonresident Fellow, AEI
6:30 p.m. – Q&A
6:45 p.m. – Adjournment

Cato Institute’s 40th Annual Monetary Conference
2022-09-08 09:00 - 15:40 | Live Online, United States
The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years
With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐​year high, and popular/​political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.”
Schedule:
9:00 – 9:10 AM – Welcoming Remarks
James A. Dorn, Vice President for Monetary Studies, Cato Institute
9:10 – 9:50 AM – A Conversation with Jerome Powell
Jerome Powell, Chair, Federal Reserve Board
Moderated by Peter H. Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute
9:50 – 10:00 AM – Break
10:00 – 11:15 AM – Panel 1: What Have We Learned?
Mervyn King, former Governor, Bank of England
Claudio Borio, Head of the Monetary and Economic Department, Bank for International Settlements
Lawrence H. Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor, Harvard University; former Secretary of the Treasury
Tyler Goodspeed, Kleinheinz Fellow, Hoover Institution
Moderated by Nick Timiraos, Chief Economics Correspondent, Wall Street Journal
11:15 – 11:30 AM – Break
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM – Panel 2: The Fed’s Operating System and New Monetary Framework: An Appraisal
Patricia Zobel, Manager pro tem, System Open Market Account, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Economics, Hoover Institution; former member, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System
Vincent Reinhart, Chief Economist and Macro Strategist, Dreyfus‐​Mellon
George Selgin, Senior Fellow and Director Emeritus, Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, Cato Institute
Moderated by Neil Irwin, Chief Economic Correspondent, Axios
12:45 – 1:15 PM – Break
1:15 – 2:00 PM – The (Temporary?) Conquest of American Inflations
Thomas J. Sargent, William R. Berkley Professor of Economics and Business, New York University; Nobel Laureate in Economics
Introduction by Norbert Michel, Director, Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, Cato Institute
2:00 – 2:15 PM – Break
2:15 – 3:30 PM – Panel 3: The Future of Money in a Fintech World
Eswar Prasad, Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy, Cornell University; author of The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Currencies and Finance
David Musto, Ronald O. Perelman Professor in Finance, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Megan Greene, Global Chief Economist, Kroll Institute; Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University
Lawrence H. White, Professor of Economics, George Mason University
Moderated by Christopher Mims, Technology Columnist, Wall Street Journal
3:30 – 3:40 PM – Closing Remarks
James A. Dorn, Vice President for Monetary Studies, Cato Institute

“America’s Cultural Void as a Tool of the Deep State” with Bob Barr
2022-09-14 17:30 - 19:30 | Navy League Building – Conference Center (Lobby Level), 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Washington, DC will host an in-person event with Bob Barr, former U.S. Congressman from Georgia and the 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States.
Bob Barr is a renowned expert on the U.S. Constitution and public policy issues pertaining to personal liberty and freedom. Mr. Barr will discuss the growth in the federal government’s administrative state, or “deep state,” its threat to our constitutional rights, and how it is contributing to the “Cancel Culture” movement and a cultural void in American society.
Eventbrite registration is required to attend, register here. Admission fee is $16 (only $8 for full-time students). Light food and beverages will be provided. Cash payments at the door are not accepted.
Schedule:
5:30 PM – 6:15 PM: Networking Reception
6:15 PM – 7:00 PM: Speaker Presentation
7:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Q&A Discussion
More about the speaker:
Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, and now practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, where he serves as chairman of the state’s Judicial Qualifications Commission. Bob also chairs Liberty Guard, Inc. a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting individual liberty. He also heads a consulting firm, Liberty Strategies, Inc., and is a registered Mediator and Arbitrator. Bob has taught constitutional law at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and government at Kennesaw State University.
Bob has appeared on virtually every major cable and network television program dealing with public policy matters. He writes regularly for Townhall.com, The Daily Caller, and The Marietta Daily Journal, and has been a columnist and blogger for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He writes occasional pieces for other publications and hosts a regular podcast, “Bob Barr’s Laws of the Universe.” He is the author of three books: “The Meaning of Is: The Squandered Impeachment and Wasted Legacy of William Jefferson Clinton,” “Patriot Nation: Bob Barr’s Laws of the Universe Volume One,” and “Lessons in Liberty.”
Bob was appointed by President Reagan as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia (1986-90), served as President of Southeastern Legal Foundation from 1990-91, and was an official with the CIA from 1971-78. Additionally, he has served as a member of U.S. delegations at several United Nations conferences on firearms.
Bob Barr earned his law degree from Georgetown University, his master’s degree from The George Washington University, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. He and his wife Jeri live in Smyrna, Georgia just outside Atlanta.

“The Progressive Left’s Push to Reset the Fed’s Legal Mandates” with Paul Kupiec
2022-10-06 12:00 - 13:30 | Navy League Building – Conference Center (Lobby Level), 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Washington, DC will host an in-person event with Paul Kupiec, a senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC.
The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are only a few Senate votes away from reimagining the Federal Reserve as an institution that would enforce the progressive Left’s climate-change and income redistribution agendas. Instead of promoting stable prices, maximum employment, economic growth and equal opportunity for all, the Fed would be transformed into an institution that actively diverts bank credit toward politically-favored industries and racial and ethnic groups. Paul Kupiec will examine the prospect of the Federal Reserve mandating new socialist policies and why former Federal Reserve officials have not vocally denounced these developments for what they are: a direct attack on capitalism, free market driven investment, and Federal Reserve independence.
Eventbrite registration is required to attend, register here. Admission fee is $16 (only $8 for full-time students). Light food and beverages will be provided. Cash payments at the door are not accepted.
Schedule:
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM: Lunch & Networking
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM: Speaker Presentation
1:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Q&A Discussion

“Central Bank Digital Currencies: A Potential Threat to Freedom” with Norbert Michel
2022-11-11 12:00 - 13:30 | Navy League Building – Conference Center (Lobby Level), 2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Washington DC will host an in-person luncheon event with Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives in Washington, DC.
The IMF and governments around the world are advocating the transformation of their national currencies into central bank digital currencies or “CBDCs.” Governments favor CBDCs, because it enhances their power over economic policy and their control over people’s money. Norbert Michel will discuss why CBDCs are incompatible with personal liberty and the prospect of CBCDs becoming a reality. Dr. Michel will also examine the advent of stable coins and the governmental rush to regulate them to the detriment of market freedom.
Eventbrite registration is required to attend, register here. Admission fee is $16 (only $8 for full-time students). Light food and beverages will be provided. Cash payments at the door are not accepted.
Schedule:
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM: Lunch & Networking
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM: Speaker Presentation
1:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Q&A Discussion

"The Failure of Silicon Valley Bank: Its Causes and Repercussions" with Paul Kupiec
2023-06-15 19:00 - 20:00 | VA

“Supreme Court Decisions Affecting the Administrative State & Economic Freedom" with Peter Wallison
2023-10-04 19:00 - 20:00 | VA

Improving the Fed: Less Regulation and Politics, More Market Focus with Thomas Hoenig & Thomas Hogan
2024-05-24 19:00 - 20:00 | VA

SCOTUS Decisions on the Chevron Doctrine and the Administrative State with Adam White & Todd Zywicki
2024-08-22 19:00 - 20:00 | VA

How America's Intel Agencies are Threatening Our Liberty with Michael Waller
2024-09-06 19:00 - 20:00 | VA

The Fight Against DEI and a Pathway to American Renewal with Robert Woodson
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:00 | VA
