Cato Event Podcast

Cato Institute

Podcast of policy and book forums, Capitol Hill briefings and other events from the Cato Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. JAN 23

    Liberty, Literature, and Civil Discourse in the Classroom

    As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we recall the key principles that form America’s foundation. Of these, the “certain unalienable rights” the Founders declared are “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Yet, the Founders saw “liberty” not as the freedom to do whatever one wants—but rather the freedom to act and live in ways that promote virtue.  How does this understanding of liberty apply to our classrooms? How does civil discourse and viewpoint diversity create space for students to be free to act in ways that promote virtue?  In this webinar, we’ll explore how the Founding concept of liberty, combined with principles of civil discourse, can guide discussions of challenging topics. Topics that will be covered include the problem of self‐​censorship and the challenges of teaching content that some might find controversial, such as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. We’ll examine ways that educators can create spaces for students to courageously discuss the challenging ideas they encounter in a variety of texts (both historical and literary) while embodying the true spirit of liberty that the Founders envisioned.  This webinar will consist of three parts. The first part will be a 30‐​minute discussion between Kobi Nelson and three exemplary Sphere alumni: Nancy Wickham, Shannon Edwards, and Megan Thompson. The second part will include a Q&A with participants, and the third part will dive into resources that teachers can use to facilitate healthy conversation habits that honor the principles of liberty, civil discourse, and viewpoint diversity. All who attend will leave with practical, tangible tools that can be applied in classrooms, and educators will be empowered to create democratic spaces that honor free speech in their classrooms and schools. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
  2. 12/05/2025

    The Risks of Expanding FDIC Deposit Insurance

    Since the 1930s, the federal government has used the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) deposit insurance to justify its increased involvement in banking. Now, in the name of supporting community banks, some policymakers have proposed raising the FDIC insurance cap from $250,000 to $10 million. They claim that in the wake of the bank failures of 2023, depositors fled from small banks and moved their money to “too big to fail” institutions that enjoy implicit government backing. Increasing the FDIC insurance cap, these policymakers argue, will encourage depositors to stay with community banks. Yet for nearly a century, Congress and the FDIC have continued to expand and increase federal involvement in banking, creating a complex web of regulation, increasing costs for consumers, and burdening American taxpayers. Despite these changes being implemented in the name of safety, a select few institutions still clamor for special protection. The proposed expansion will magnify all these problems, making the system more fragile and less resilient, and forcing millions of Americans to bear its cost. Sadly, this latest expansion would come at a time when an incredibly small share of depositors even need additional coverage. Join leading policy experts for a discussion on why expanding FDIC insurance is not only unnecessary but could also ultimately harm both the economy and the community banks it was designed to protect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
4.5
out of 5
115 Ratings

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Podcast of policy and book forums, Capitol Hill briefings and other events from the Cato Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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