Featured Events
The Second Amendment in a Time of Civil Unrest
Please join us for a discussion with Antonin Scalia Law School professors David Bernstein, Nelson Lund, and Joyce Malcolm about their recent papers on the status of the right to keep and bear arms in light of the looting, rioting, and violence that broke out in cities across the country this summer. This event will be moderated by Trevor Burrus, research fellow in the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies and editor in chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review.
Digital Trade: Challenges and a Way Forward
The emergence of new actors, technologies, and avenues for commerce has greatly transformed the trade landscape. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the digital space has quickly become part of our daily lives, allowing us to safely communicate, work, and conduct business with minimal physical contact. However, the digital economy faces a number of challenges as governments grapple with different approaches to managing this fast‐growing area. While some countries are taking actions to restrict digital trade, others are pushing for international rules that facilitate digital trade and services, avoiding the possibility for too many divergent rules in different markets.
This panel will discuss the obstacles and opportunities for digital trade: How can governments balance the promotion of an open digital environment with their desire to protect privacy and counter cybersecurity threats? Is there a possibility for multilateral or plurilateral consensus on new rules? And what do we stand to lose if consensus on a baseline set of rules cannot be achieved? Join us for a deep dive into this timely issue.
Additional Resources
- “Will the New NAFTA Boost Digital Trade?,” by Simon Lester
- “WeChat or We Don’t Chat? A Total Ban on WeChat Goes Too Far,” by Huan Zhu
- “The Lesson of TikTok,” by Huan Zhu
Religious Liberty and Education: A Case Study of Yeshivas vs. New York
When, if ever, should government override parents’ educational decisions? That is the question at the heart of an ongoing battle over Orthodox Jewish schools in New York City. It pits the freedom of parents and communities against graduates who believe themselves disserved by the yeshivas they attended and against the state with which those graduates want to render private schools “substantially equivalent” to public. It is an especially timely discussion in the midst of Hanukkah and Advent, but the question applies to everyone: Where should the freedom of families and communities end and government authority begin? Join us with lots of questions and comments for our panel.
Additional Resources
- Yeshiva Battle Raises Fundamental Question, “What Do We Owe the Children?” by Neal McCluskey
- School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom by Neal McCluskey and Corey A. DeAngelis
- Public Schooling Battle Map
Religious Liberty and Education: A Case Study of Yeshivas vs. New York
Over the last few years, Orthodox Jewish private schools, also known as yeshivas, have been under fire by a group of activists known as Young Advocates for Fair Education, run by several yeshiva graduates, who have criticized them for providing an inadequate secular education.
At the heart of the yeshiva controversy lies two important interests in education: the right of the parent to choose an appropriate education, which may include values‐laden religious education, and the right of each child to receive an appropriate education, as guaranteed by the state.