Cato Institute Policy Forum and Luncheon 2015
Please join us for an informative and entertaining policy luncheon and discussion with Alex Nowrasteh, Brink Lindsey, and Richard Rahn. This luncheon will feature presentations by Cato scholars Alex Nowrasteh, author of many studies on immigration policy, and Brink Lindsey, author of Human Capitalism: How Economic Growth Has Made Us Smarter — and More Unequal and The Age of Abundance: How Prosperity Transformed America's Politics and Culture.
The economic benefits of immigration reform are large, but increased enforcement mechanisms like E-Verify or a national identity card could erase most of those gains. Nowrasteh will explain how to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of immigration reform and how to wall off the welfare state, especially in light of President Obama's recent executive actions.
It's been almost six years since the official end of the Great Recession, but U.S. economic growth has remained stubbornly sluggish. Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical average may now be the "new normal." Cato scholar Brink Lindsey argues that those fears are well-founded: absent major policy change, U.S. economic performance will likely remain disappointing for some time to come. Throughout the 20th century, rising labor force participation for women and rising skill levels for all workers helped to propel growth, but now those demographic trends have shifted with negative implications for growth. To revive long-term growth prospects, sweeping policy reforms are needed to spur American innovation and dynamism. Lindsey will outline a pro-growth policy agenda and assess the political prospects for positive change.
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Registration and Reception
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Policy Forum and LuncheonWelcoming RemarksRodolfo MilaniCan We Ever Reform Immigration?Alex Nowrasteh, Immigration Policy Analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato InstituteReversing the Growth SlowdownBrink Lindsey, Vice President for Research, Cato Institutemoderated byRichard RahnSenior Fellow, Cato Institute