Was George W. Bush the worst president ever? Ivan Eland, author of the provocative new book, Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty, examines Bush’s presidency and those of his predecessors to determine if their policies promoted peace, prosperity, and liberty while upholding the Constitution they swore to protect.

When assessing presidential success, many historians and other analysts excessively reward charisma, executive activism, and, regardless of a president’s role in initiating or abetting such an event, the use of power during a war or crisis. At this upcoming Independent Policy Forum, Dr. Eland, Congressman Ron Paul, and historian Richard Shenkman will avoid taking a biased approach as they evaluate the United States presidents based on their efforts to uphold the Constitution and encourage the country’s well being. The speakers will also share their predictions on how Barack Obama will fare in the White House by comparing his campaign promises to Eland’s criteria for presidential success.
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Half the people in the world live on two dollars or less per day and roughly 600 million live on no more than one dollar per day. With thousands of international relief organizations, and billions of dollars in foreign aid, why do so many impoverished countries remain unable to grow their economies beyond mere survival? At this upcoming Policy Forum, Independent Institute Senior Fellow Alvaro Vargas Llosa, former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga, renowned economist William R. Easterly, and a distinguished group of policy experts will examine the case studies from around the world in the new book, Lessons from the Poor: Triumph of the Entrepreneurial Spirit. The speakers will examine real-world examples of entrepreneurship and discuss why instead of redistributing existing wealth, governments should free the people of developing countries in order to create it.

The Independent Institute awards the Alexis de Tocqueville Award to outstanding individuals in recognition of their dedication and contributions which advance our knowledge and practice of the principles of individual liberty as the foundation of free, prosperous and humane societies. Desmond M. Tutu is being honored for his work throughout the world in championing democracy, freedom, human rights, and peace. Andy Garcia is being honored for championing civil and economic liberties in Latin America through his work. William K. Bowes, Jr. is being honored for his work in business entrepreneurship and science and utilizing market-based innovations to greatly enhance the welfare of people in the U.S. and worldwide.

The Second Amendment’s right “to keep and bear arms” has been among the most controversial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Did the Founders intend to safeguard an individual right or a collective right? What kinds of gun restrictions, if any, are consistent with the Founders’ aims? How exactly has gun control in the United States affected violent crime rates? The Supreme Court’s review of the Washington, D.C., handgun ban, along with recent shootings on school campuses and elsewhere, make these questions more timely than ever. Stephen P. Halbrook provides the fullest account yet of the Founders’ views in his new book, The Founders’ Second Amendment. Criminologist and attorney Don B. Kates, Jr., author of Armed: New Perspectives on Gun Control, will discuss what effects gun control has on violent crime. Please join us as Halbrook and Kates examine the Second Amendment, then and now.