Ask Americans what they think the First Amendment protects, and they will tell you “freedom of speech.”  But few will think of the amendment’s third protection: “freedom of assembly.” In his provocative new book, “Liberty’s Refuge, The Forgotten Freedom of Assembly,” Washington University School of Law professor John Inazu implores Americans to keep in mind the importance of this protection.

Philip G. Pardey of the University of Minnesota will explain why investment in R&D is so important for increasing agricultural productivity and keeping food prices low.

The president took an extra week to develop his budget, but the extra time was apparently not enough to yield Medicare policies that could produce real savings. Competitive bidding offers a better solution, but only if we are willing to give it a chance.

At this AEI event, Richard Foster, Medicare's chief actuary, will discuss the findings of this year's Medicare trustees report.

Online registration for this event is now closed. Walk-in registrations will be accepted.

Video of this event will be livestreamed online at http://www.american.com/watch/aei-livestream

This event is the first in the Beyond Repeal and Replace series--an AEI project that aims to provide a deeper, more fundamental foundation for policymakers...

In January of this year, the number of manufacturing jobs increased by 50,000. Yet this vibrant sector is being held back—and not by imports.

How do we define competitiveness, and is it worth pursuing as a policy goal? In what ways do countries compete in various areas, including education, intellectual property, health care and taxes? This AEI conference will be the first of a two-part series in which scholars will present new research on competitiveness. Each paper will be presented by its author(s), followed by comments from an expert and questions from the audience.

Policymakers should not wait any longer to address the growing fiscal crisis in this country. Responsible reform of Medicare is a major component of any plan to place the country back on a sustainable fiscal path.