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Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, improves people’s lives through preeminent research, education and creative endeavor: innovation and discovery in scholarship that capitalizes on the power of collaboration; learning that is active, creative and continuous; and promotion of an inclusive culture of global citizenship.

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Executive Overreach: The President On His Own?

Wed, Sep 17, 2014

Professor James Pfiffner of George Mason University discusses the historical, political, and constitutional evolution of presidential power in America. From sweeping internal surveillance to aggressive drone strikes, the actions of the executive bear far-reaching domestic and international consequences. This forum traces the early foundations of the presidency and explores the controversy surrounding its expansion and recent constitutional challenges.

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Can Globalization Be Governed?

Thu, Feb 27, 2014

To advocates like Tom Friedman, “Globalization” is a wonderful and natural process to which people need to adjust. To some critics, it is a dangerous pattern that needs to be resisted through public authority. And to others it is a process that is not natural at all, but encouraged by public policy that serves some interests at the expense of others. If globalization were governed, how would that work, and in whose interest? Are there, in fact, efforts to govern aspects of globalization, such as international finance or global environmental threats, now? If so, how do or can they work, in the absence of world government? Tony Porter is one of the world’s leading scholars of business regulation and global governance, especially financial regulation and processes of hybrid public/private rule-making that cross international borders. Some of his recent research has studied creation of transnational rules produced by business associations and international standard-setting bodies; the Financial Stability Board created to coordinate central banks and national financial regulators in the wake of the financial crisis; and influences on international elites from processes such as OECD peer reviews of “best practices” in national governance. Professor Porter’s newest edited volume, Transnational Financial Regulation after the Crisis (Routledge), includes a chapter by our own Professor Lavelle and will be released shortly before his visit to CWRU.

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Freedom of Expression on College Campuses

Mon, Sep 18, 2017

Universities that foster reasoned and thoughtful debate are vital to a thriving society. Since the passage of the Bill of Rights, Americans have enjoyed the right to free expression. Many forms of offensive speech are protected by the First Amendment, while obscenity and certain types of violent expression are not. Pressure to snuff out free speech is increasing. From Middlebury College to UC Berkeley, protests have erupted into violence, turning the “marketplace of ideas” into a danger area for freedom of expression. How can universities strike a balance between free expression and the need for campus peace and safety? What, if any, restrictions should be placed on student expression at a private institution?

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Encryption: Privacy v. Public Safety

Mon, Sep 17, 2018

The social contract upon which the United States government is based obliges the government to protect its citizens,and this may restrict certain of their liberties. Thus, a balance must be struck between the government’s duty to provide protection and a person’s right to privacy. Pressure to eliminate the digital privacy of individuals is increasing. From the FBI’s efforts to decrypt the iPhone of the December 2015 San Bernardino mass shooter to Carpenter v. US (2017), the debate on privacy versus public safety needs to be addressed. How can the federal government strike a balance between privacy and public safety? What, if any, restrictions should be placed on the government when accessing private data during the course of a criminal investigation?

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How French Are France’s Problems?

Thu, Feb 28, 2019

The “yellow vest” demonstrations in France began in November as a response to a proposed gas tax increase. They quickly expanded to more violent protests against a wide range of perceived injustices perpetrated by non-responsive elites and the government of President Macron. The events fit a long French tradition of how to influence an unresponsive state. But many of the grievances, such as rising income inequality and worries about national identity, do not seem peculiarly French at all. So to what extent is the French conflict a harbinger for other countries, and to what extent is it peculiarly French? Patrick Chamorel earned both his university degree and Ph.D. from Sciences-Po in Paris and holds a Master in Public Law from the University of Paris. In the 1990s he served as a Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Industry and in the Policy Planning Office of the Prime Minister. But for more than two decades he has lived mainly in the United States, studying and teaching about U.S. politics, French politics, and transatlantic relations.

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Battle for the Ballot Box

Mon, Sep 16, 2019

The USA was founded in pursuit of a more perfect union. In the Elections Clause (Art I, Section 4) and several amendments (XIV, XV, XVII, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, and XXVI), the Constitution enshrines, explicitly or implicitly, the right to vote — a political and legal journey that continues to be challenging and complex. Though the American republic is certainly more democratic than it once was, issues such as voter ID laws, voter registration purges, and partisan gerrymandering have raised concerns about electoral fraud and discrimination against minorities. Recent Supreme Court decisions — Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) — have failed to address key questions. How do states balance the integrity of elections and the individual right to vote? What role does the federal government have in preserving democracy throughout the USA?

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Marijuana Legalization and Federalism

Mon, Sep 19, 2016

The possession and use of marijuana have been illegal at the federal level since the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. Many states initially followed suit with similar legislation. But over the past twenty years there has been an increasing number of challenges to marijuana prohibition. Since 1996, when California legalized medical use of marijuana through Proposition 215, 23 other states have done the same despite federal law. Four of those states have legalized its recreational use as well. Opinion polls suggest a growing majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational use. The Constitution Day Committee welcomes Brannon Denning and Jonathan Adler to discuss significant questions regarding marijuana legalization and pertinent federalism issues. In discussing the current controversy over marijuana legalization, the forum will address a long-standing debate in American history: states’ vs. federal rights.

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Israeli Politics from Soup to Nuts

Mon, Mar 6, 2017

American voters may worry that they have only two parties from which to choose. Israelis do not have that problem. Depending on how you count, the current Knesset (parliament) includes members of at least ten parties, representing a wide range of cleavages within the country. As the number of parties hints, Israeli politics can be rather confusing. So the Center for Policy Studies is pleased to host Professor Nadav Shelef for an overview of the diversity and dynamics of Israel’s politics. There are so many questions involving so many cleavages, such as Jews vs. non-Jews; ethnic cleavages within the Jewish population; how new and more recent immigrants have been incorporated into political competition; the relative weight of economic issues as opposed to identity and security issues; and the role of religion. This lecture will explain how Israeli politics work and explore the ways in which Israel’s political institutions , especially the election rules and the party system, interact with the two main axes of Israeli politics – territory and identity – to produce the vibrant and turbulent character of the Israeli political sphere.

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The French Elections

Mon, Apr 24, 2017

The first round of the 2017 French presidential election – the most unpredictable in decades — will take place on April 23. The unpopular incumbent, Francois Hollande, did not seek a second term, leaving five candidates chasing a place in the second-round runoff on May 7. With Hollande’s would-be Socialist successor Benoît Hamon on the margins, and main opposition Republican nominee Francois Fillon dogged by scandal, the race is wide open for the young maverick Emmanuel Macron – and for the National Front’s Marine Le Pen. Will France follow recent British and American election results down a populist, anti-immigrant path? This talk, to be held 48 hours after the first round returns, explores the issues and the stakes facing French voters in April, May and June, when parliamentary elections will decide who governs France for the next five years and whether the Fifth Republic is strong enough to withstand the combined challenges of populism and weakened parties.

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Are There Any Norms Left? What Clues 2016 Offers to America in a Trump Presidency

Tue, Feb 7, 2017

The election of 2016 was rancorous even by the normal rough-and-tumble standards of U.S. politics. But the hostility between the candidates may be less important than the attitude towards the political system itself which the election revealed and encouraged. The election revealed deep distrust of the political system and “the media” by many voters. Any sense of shared values and so trust between the parties seemed to erode further. The nomination process showed an upheaval against the “establishment” in each party. An “outsider” President now claims support of “the people” against “a small group in our nation’s capital.” “Alternative facts” are promoted against media that should “keep its mouth shut.” Trump’s election may be seen as the culmination of a lengthy process of growing anger, distrust, and de-legitimation of institutions. What then, does it suggest about our government and politics going forward? As one of the core analysts for fivethirtyeight.com, Clare Malone contributed towards its sophisticated analysis of the election while it happened. Now she’ll discuss what it might mean.

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