This conference explored how technology and innovation have transformed the way consumers pay for purchases. It also looked at which reforms to current legislative and regulatory structures may be necessary to support continued payment innovation.

The American Constitution uses competition to promote good government and private competition. The founders regarded competitive enterprise as a critical source of prosperity and national strength. The causes of the decline of competitiveness in our political institutions are many and complex. But certainly one of them is a decline in public appreciation for the virtues of competition.

An intriguing experiment is afoot in some of the nation’s struggling public schools. New “Parent Trigger” laws passed in California and on the agenda in New York, Ohio, Colorado, and Chicago, allow parents of chronically failing schools to unseat the schools’ leadership and staff. But the initiative has pitfalls.

Nancy Pelosi predicted that ObamaCare would gain popularity as people started understanding exactly how the law effects them but a recent study which previews the impact of the health-care overhaul shows that Democrats have launched America on the most reckless policy experiment in history.

Rating agencies should use numbers, not letter grades.

Given the newness, apparent cost, and controversies surrounding Section 404, this regulation would be a worthwhile project for data collection in order to undertake regulatory review.

The Treasury Department's call for financial services regulation reform will resound into the future as American competitiveness is challenged.