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Skip to main content Research Events Publications Commentary Store Donate About Cato Blog Our Experts Our Centers Facebook Twitter In the interest of maintaining the health and safety of our community, the Cato Institute will be closed to staff and visitors as of 5pm Friday, March 13 . We will be working remotely as we monitor developments, and will update our status as the situation allows. For information on specific events, please visit our events page . Deregulating Legal Immigration: A Blueprint for Agency Action President Trump restricted legal immigration through a series of unprecedented regulations and presidential orders during his one term. Once President‐​elect Joe Biden takes office, he will have the opportunity to reverse these actions and deregulate what is—and was even before Trump—an overly burdensome and expensive legal immigration system. This compendium of 30 concise proposals by 15 authors —including several of America’s leading immigration law experts—can help the Biden administration operate the immigration system as openly and efficiently as the laws allow. “ Deregulating Legal Immigration: A Blueprint for Agency Action ,” by David J. Bier United States Ranks 17th in Sixth Annual Human Freedom Index The United States ranks 17th in the sixth annual Human Freedom Index (HFI), the most comprehensive measure of freedom ever created for a large number of countries around the globe. The U.S.‘s overall freedom score decreased from the previous year of 2017, from 8.55 to 8.44 on a ten point scale. “After recent years in which the United States started to regain higher levels of overall freedom, it, unfortunately, began falling again in 2018, with the drop in economic freedom exceeding the decline in personal freedom,” says co‐​author Ian Vasquez. “ Human Freedom Index ,” by Ian Vásquez and Fred McMahon An Unnecessary Proposal: A WTO Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights for COVID-19 Vaccines In a sign of their increasing frustration with global efforts to ensure that all people everywhere will have access to COVID-19 vaccines, several developing countries have asked other members of the WTO to join them in a sweeping waiver of the intellectual property rights relating to those vaccines. Their waiver request raises anew the recurring debate within the WTO over the right balance between the protection of IP rights and access in poorer countries to urgently needed medicines. But in a new paper , Cato scholar James Bacchus says that the last thing the WTO needs is another debate over perceived trade obstacles to public health. “ An Unnecessary Proposal: A WTO Waiver of Intellectual Property Rights for COVID-19 Vaccines ,” by James Bacchus New Regulation Suggests Lessons for COVID-19 Response, Examines Trump’s Regulatory Legacy The United States in 2020 has been scarred by an extreme wildfire season and a viral pandemic. Fires have ravaged the Southwest, the Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, and California since April. Meantime, COVID-19 has been spreading across the country since March, infecting millions and killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, along with many others around the world. In the new issue of Regulation , Dean Lueck and Jonathan Yoder discuss what can we learn about virus management from wildfire management history . Also in this issue, Sam Batkins and Ike Brannon argue that, despite the headlines, the Trump administration will likely have little lasting effect on federal regulation . Winter 2020–2021 issue of Regulation Featured Blog The Libertarian Alternative By Robert A. Levy . In essence, libertarianism is the political philosophy of personal and economic freedom. Blog Trump Cannot Stay In Power By Declaring Martial Law By Walter Olson . The president of the United States has no lawful authority to reverse or suspend the outcome of an election by sending in the military or invoking martial law or the Insurrection Act. Commentary Pushing Vapers Back to Cigarettes? a Dangerous New Provision in Federal Law By Trevor Burrus . New York Daily News. We continue to impose ineffective and harmful restrictions on vaping. Commentary Why a Racial Priority for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Poses Problems By Walter Olson . The Detroit News. It’s time to close the door on this bad idea. Blog My 2021 Trade Policy Wish List By Inu Manak . Five practical ideas for trade policy in 2021 that can help ease the economic burden on Americans, repair our fraught relationship with our closest trading partners, and revitalize the rules‐​based trading system. Commentary Canceling Student Debt by Presidential Decree Is Wrong on Many Levels By Neal McCluskey . South Florida Sun Sentinel. The large majority of student debt — 63% as of 2016— is held by people in the top half of the income distribution. Blog Why Are People So Mad at Police? By Clark Neily . It is morally condemnable to enforce morally indefensible laws. Multimedia Podcasts Cato Audio Videos More Download Episode | Listen on: Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Google Podcasts Biden’s Pick for Secretary of Education Featuring Neal McCluskey and Caleb O. Brown . January 4, 2021. Inu Manak discusses U.S.-Canada trade relations on CBC Radio Featuring Inu Manak . January 2, 2021. Robert A. Levy discusses presidential election procedures and controversies on WJRB’s Dr. Dan’s Freedom Forum Featuring Robert A. Levy . January 2, 2021. William Yeatman discusses the COVID stimulus bill on The Bob Harden Show Featuring William Yeatman . January 1, 2021. More Multimedia Research Areas Constitution, the Law, and the Courts COVID-19 Criminal Law and Civil Liberties Education and Child Policy Energy and Environment Finance, Banking & Monetary Policy Foreign Policy and National Security Government and Politics Health Care International Economics, Development & Immigration Political Philosophy Poverty & Social Welfare Regulatory Studies Social Security Tax and Budget Policy Telecom, Internet & Information Policy Trade Policy Upcoming Events Past Events Live Online Book Forum Campaign Finance and American Democracy: What the Public Really Thinks and Why It Matters January 12, 2021 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST Live Online Featuring David M. Primo , Ani and Mark Gabrellian Professor, Professor of Political Science and Business Administration, University of Rochester; Jeffrey D. Milyo , Professor and Chair, Department of Economics, University of Missouri; moderated by John Samples , Vice President, Cato Institute. City Seminar Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2021 January 26, 2021 Live Online For more information on the seminar, please contact Sophia Coyne‐​Kosnak at (202) 216‑1490 / sck@​cato.​org . Live Online Policy Forum Defending Our Right to Test: How the FDA Restricts Direct‐​to‐​Consumer At‐​Home Testing January 28, 2021 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM EST Live Online Featuring Nita A. Farahany, JD, PhD ( @NitaFarahany ), Robinson O. Everett Professor of Law, Professor of Philosophy, Duke Law School; Jessica Flanigan, PhD ( @missjessica ), Associate Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law, Richard L. Morrill Chair in Ethics and Democratic Values, University of Richmond; moderated by Jeffrey A. Singer, MD ( @dr4liberty ), Senior Fellow, Cato Institute. Special Event The Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty and the 32nd Annual Benefactor Summit Save the New Date: May 26, 2021 6:00 PM EDT to May 27, 2021 6:00 PM EDT For more information, please contact Sophia Coyne‐​Kosnak at (202) 216‑1490 / sck@​cato.​org . More Upcoming Events Sign Up Receive periodic updates on Cato research, events, and publications. See our full list of email newsletters Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram RSS Also From Cato Internships and Student Programs Project Sphere Sphere Education Initiative Libertarianism.org HumanProgress.org DownsizingGovernment.org Cato Unbound Unlawful Shield Freedom in the 50 States ElCato.org Alt-M Cato Institute 1000 Massachusetts Ave....