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1ideas defning a ree society

That was the theme of Hoover’s April

Retreat (www.hoover.org/news/115481)

celebrating the centennial of the birth

of Hoover’s distinguished, Nobel Prize-

winning free-market economist.

In a two-and-a-half day retreat attended

by some 320 Hoover supporters, a dozen

heirs to the Friedman legacy explored as

many shades of economic policy, with each

ultimately reaching the same broad-strokes

conclusion: that Milton would say that less

is more:

insideFrom the director’s desk

Page 2

Advancing the

national debate

Page 3

The world according

to Harvey Mansfeld

Page 4

Hail, the ree market

Page 5

John Taylor awarded

prestigious Hayek Prize

Page 7

Leadership Forum

launched

0

In memoriam

Page 11

Research ellow

Kiron Skinner appointedto Pennsylvania

state commission

Page 11

talko f t h E

towera q u a r t e r l y p u b l i c at i o n o f t h e h o o v e r i n s t i t u t i o n , s t a n f o r d u n i v e r s i t y

smm 2012

CELEBRATING A CENTENNIAL

continued on page 8

• Less government spending

• Less intervention

• Less uncertainty

Or, to say it another way, more is more:

• More freedom• More choice

• More rules-based policy

Reminiscing about the personal

inspiration, mentorship, and scholarship

they received at the knee of the renowned

proponent of private enterprise, senior

fellows’ talks were interspersed with video

Faced with the many policy issues arising in the often polarized, unruly, and chaotic

marketplace that characterizes current US economic policy, what would the late great

Milton Friedman say?

What would Milton (Friedman) say?



2 Hoover Institution

FROM THE

A caravan. It’s a group of travelers journeying together through

deserts or hostile territory.

Hoover recently launched its virtual Caravan (www.advancingafreesociety.org/category/the-caravan/), anticipated

as a periodic online symposium on the contemporary dilemmas of the greater Middle East. Its maiden migration

examines the ordeal of Syria, now a full year into a terrible struggle between a dictatorial regime and a rebellion

determined to overthrow it; a second Caravan “conference” ponders whether the Afghan war can be won.

On The Caravan you can read a range of opinions and preferences on what’s to become of this headline-grabbing,

often notorious region from scholars and statesmen alike: Fouad Ajami, Asli Aydintasbas, Russell Berman, Reuel

Gerecht, Charles Hill, Nibras Kazimi, Habib Malik, Abbas Milani, Camille Pacastaing, Itamar Rabinovich, Joel

Rayburn, and Josh Teitelbaum.

The Caravan draws on the membership of Hoover’s Herbert and Jane Dwight Working Group on Islamism and

the International Order and on colleagues elsewhere who work the same political and cultural landscape. Fouad

Ajami and Charles Hill cochair the project from which this effort originated, and I am pleased to add my own

active engagement.

The Caravan promises a free and candid exchange of opinions. With contention aplenty in the geographical area

under study, we anticipate a proliferation of topics of debate, one leading to the next, over time providing deep

insight into one of the world’s most troubled spots. Although the scholars who post here will not always agree,

they will aim to engage us with topics of urgency and importance. Caravans are full of life, passion, and animated

companionship. Hoover’s virtual Caravan will be no different.

What can be done about Syria? By all indications, President Assad’s demise does not seem imminent. Sadly

for the civilian population of Syria, the internal str ife there is most likely going to fester, with a rise over time in

innocent casualties.

Take a read. You’ll be glad you did.

John Raisian

Tad and Dianne Taube Director

director’s desk



continued on page 6

Advancingthe national

debate


When Mr. Smith went to Washington in the classic 1939 film, it was to

advance the ideals of American democracy. When the Hoover Institution

goes to Washington today, it’s to advance ideas defining a free society.

Hoover’s Public Affairs group capitalizes on the Washington infrastructure—the seat of

federal government, the news media, social media, and policy community—to advance our

fellows’ research and scholarship. We distribute books, arrange meetings with interested

policy makers, and collaborate with Washington-based think tanks to amplify Hoover views.

Hoover’s Washington staff personally delivers our scholars’ books to members of Congress

and their respective committees and staffs; we build relationships with East Coast mediaand policy makers; and we collaborate with other thought leaders and think tanks to bring

Hoover ideas to broader, informed publics.

The Washington-based group arranges for fellows to provide policy briefings on Capitol

Hill, including, for example, a briefing the Koret Task Force on K–12 Education recently

provided to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on the task force’s

recent publication, Choice and Federalism. In the past year our fellows have testified nearly

twice a month on Capitol Hill—some twenty times in all. The US Congress Joint Economic

HOOVER IN WASHINGTON

Eric Hanushek, Hanna Senior Fellow and a member of the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education,

offered expert testimony to the US Congress on public education reform measures.




Pc psper hrvey C. Msfed, e Cr G.

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receved e n humes Med. he k me

u dscuss cservsm, s resp e

Repubc Pry d Repubc pcs, d e

edurg vrues wc ur bery depeds.

on ConSERVatiSM

“It’s important to distinguish between Republicans and conservatives. The two are not the same. Republicans look or

the best terms on which they can win the next election; conservatives are willing to lose the next election and win

ater that. I call mysel a conservative Republican because I like to win sooner rather than later.”

“Conservatism is a reactive movement. It starts rom something it doesn’t like. It was born in response to the French

Revolution and today takes as its oil progressive liberalism.”

“Conservatism seeks what needs to be done to stop things or at least slow them down. The goal is a return to a previous

time when things were better. The goal is going back or, at least, going slow.”

on ValUES VERSUS ViRtUES

“Values are arbitrarily chosen, whereas virtues have defnition. Virtues are closer to reason than values are.”

”Liberals conuse rights with the exercise o rights. For example, the government protects a right o ree speech, but it

shouldn’t tell people how to exercise it, with certain exceptions such as inciting violence. But liberals want to defne hate

speech and oensive speech so as to prohibit certain exercises o speech, and they try to indoctrinate and intimidate

people to make them politically correct. It’s as i the only ree speech is speech they approve o.”

“In rejecting convention—because it’s traditional or based on authority—the liberals have let us claim virtue.”

The world according toHarvey Mansfeld

continued on page 7

p h o t o c o u r t s y a m r c n e n t r r s i n s t t u t



Top row (left to right) Bob Brink, overseers Vic Trione and Ambassador Barbara Barrett; Connie Mitchell; fellows Abraham D. Sofaer and Abbas Milani.

Center row (left to right) TV journalist John Stossel, Fred and Deborah Concklin; Chuck Thornton and Scott Brittingham; Peter Gerber and Miriam Goldberg, senior fellow Tom Moore,

TV journalist John Stossel. Bottom row (left to right) Jean Wren; research fellow Kori Schake, Gabrielle Davis and overseer Jamie Carroll; overseer Walter Hussman.

Hail,the free market!

5

The Hoover Institution remembered senior fellow Milton Friedman on the occasion

of his hundredth birthday this spring with a conference devoted to his life, learning, and legacy

TV journalist John Stossel delivered pre-dinner remarks.




advncing the ntionl debte

(continued rom page 3)

Committee invited some Hoover economists to analyzethe Sound Dollar Act and then invited them back to

testify formally. Additionally, the House Committee on

Foreign Affairs recently invited Hoover research fellow

Kori Schake to brief key staff on the findings from her

recent book, State o Disrepair : Fixing the Culture and

Practices o the State Department.

More and more Hoover fellows are called on and cited

by key policy makers and thought leaders. During the

past year, for example, House Speaker John Boehner,

House majority leader Eric Cantor, and House budgetcommittee chairman Paul Ryan have invoked Hoover

research and scholarship in their speeches, on their

websites, in their blogs, and in press releases. Senator

John McCain recently tweeted to his 1.7 million Twitter

followers that senior fellow Fouad Ajami’s Washington

Post piece on the Arab Spring was a “must read.”

Since the historic passage of the 2010 health care

legislation, Hoover fellows Scott Atlas, MD, David

Davenport, Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Ed

Meese have been on the frontlines discussing the issues,questioning the law’s constitutionality, and spurring the

debate forward with new ideas. When the US Supreme

Court decided to hear arguments on the landmark

case, Politico—an influential beltway publication—put

together a special section that featured Scott Atlas as

a contributor, along with Health and Human Services

secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Pam Bond, one of the

state attorneys general challenging the new law.

Also in Washington, Hoover partners with other think

tanks to extend its reach and amplify its voice. Inrecent months, for example, we partnered with the

Brookings Institution on a conference focusing on

energy and defense issues that drew officials from

the US Departments of Defense and Energy. We also

partnered with the Heritage Foundation to showcase

John Taylor’s book First Principles, which drew a

number of key media, Hill staffers, economic experts,

and scholars. Hoover Clubs highlight renowned Hoover

fellows and their most recently published books,drawing attendance by the press corps, congressional

staff members, and policy experts. Recent clubs have

featured Hoover Press books by senior fellows Amy

Zegart, Scott Atlas, and Peter Berkowitz. A new pilot

initiative will bring fellows to Washington on a monthly

basis for events ranging from briefings and receptions

to dinners.

Our fellows’ analytic and thoughtful research takes

a long-term, big-picture approach to public policy.

Although there is much work ahead, Hoover fellowscontinue to move policy discussions forward with

fresh ideas on today’s most pressing questions. With an

expanded presence on both coasts, Hoover delivers

ideas defning a ree society to interested policy makers,

publics, and media. Like Senator Smith in the classic

movie, Hoover aims to support our great nation by

providing a scholarly basis for sound public policy.

Hoover fellows David Davenport and Scott Atlas have been

on the front lines of the national health care debate as

President Obama’s proposed new law is challenged in the

US Supreme Court.



ideas defning a ree society 7

John Taylor awarded

prestigious Hayek Prize

te wrld ccrdg hrvey Msfeld

(continued from page 4)

on aMERiCa’S UtURE

“Democrats established entitlements

to provide social security against the

risk that people would not save enough

voluntarily to provide or their retirement.

This was security against our citizens’

lack o the virtue o thrit.”

“A big choice lies ahead or America, in

which the entitlements we have voted

or ourselves now threaten us as ithey were our unchosen ate. They are

called entitlements because they were

supposed to have been chosen or good,

past recall, and thus put beyond politics.

What you are entitled to will no longer

be subject to dispute. Now it appears

we cannot pay or them, and not just

arguably but indisputably. Democrats,

who rst proposed them, are beginning

to agree on this point with Republicans,

who at rst opposed them.”

“A controllable government needs to be

both limited and energetic: limited to

benets that do not make dependents o

our people and energetic when it must

act. With this goal we can reasonably

look to America’s uture with hope.”

New York’s Manhattan Institute has awarded its

prestigious Hayek Prize to Hoover’s John Taylor,

George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics, or his

book First Principles: Five Keys to Restoring America’s Prosperity.

The prize honors the book that best refects the vision o

economist and Nobel laureate Friedrich Hayek, who advocated

or economic and individual liberty.

“John Taylor has long advanced bold reorms that apply our

nation’s timeless principles to the challenges o today,” said

US House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan. “Taylor’s

latest contribution to the national debate could not come at a

more important moment. First Principles is an important guide

or policy makers and the citizens we serve, as Americans

work together to restore the promise and prosperity o this

exceptional nation.”

In this book, Taylor oers solutions to the current economic

crisis that involve returning to America’s ounding principles.

He argues that to restore prosperity America should return

to economic and political reedom—a predictable policy

ramework, rule o law, strong incentives, reliance on markets,

limited government. He demonstrates that when we embrace

these rst principles, the economy prospers. When we abandon

them, the economy alters. In a masterul sweep through history

he identies those key policy makers who stuck to, ignored,

or compromised on the principles, drawing lessons rom the

mistakes and the successes.




clips o Friedman, demonstrating his adage that “the basic principles we

believe in are going to stay the same or the next thousand years,” as research

ellow Russell Roberts quoted Hoover’s most-quoted scholar.

Illustrating the late scholar’s generous spirit, his scholarly contributions, his

role as a public intellectual, and his inuence on the Hoover Institution, senior

ellow Michael Boskin recalled his pleasant surprise at receiving a detailed,

seven-page, handwritten reection on the undergraduate honors thesis a

young Boskin sent to Friedman on a lark … while attending another university!

Boskin went on to credit Friedman with fve major policy contributions with

living legacies at Hoover:

• The fat tax—now pursued by senior ellows Robert Hall and Alvin Rabushka

• The negative income tax—now studied by Michael Boskin and Martin Anderson

• The all-volunteer army—now ederal policy

• School choice and school vouchers— advocated by Eric Hanushek , Caroline Hoxby, and the Koret Task

Force on K-12 Education

• Money supply growth rule—now most closely associated with John Taylor and known as the Taylor Rule

Distinguished ellow George Shultz, who met Friedman years ago when both

were proessors at the University o Chicago, called his colleague “very

generous, always available, supporting, arguing, giving me the courage o my

convictions.”

“It was always great to have Milton on your side,” he said. “He always had good

ideas, and he could articulate them in a way that was persuasive and helpul.”

Friedman ground his theories in act, Shultz said, so, on the occasion o

Friedman’s ninetieth birthday, Shultz wrote a little song or him, “A Fact

without a Theory,” which he perormed to the great delight o all the guests.

Other highlights o the retreat included a special presentation by television

journalist John Stossel entitled “No, They Can’t: Why Government Fails—but

Individuals Succeed”; a wide-ranging conversation between senior ellow

Condoleezza Rice and research ellow Peter Robinson; and a live taping o

The John Batchelor Show (www.acebook.com/pages/Hoover-Institution/30

0992409852?sk=photos) on the economy in crisis, eaturing Hoover ellows

Boskin, Roberts, and Taylor moderated by Batchelor and Mary Kissel, editorialdirector o The Wall Street Journal.

“Milton Friedman was a cheerul man, and when he criticized (economist John

Maynard) Keynes, he was cheerul,” radio host Batchelor recalled.

“He was always kind and generous,” Taylor said. “He answered every e-mail. He

was genuinely concerned about people.”

What would Milton (friedman) say?

(continued from page 1)

Radio host John Batchelor taped his show live from

Hoover; Distinguished fellow George Shultz reminisced

about his friend and colleague Milton Friedman;

Stephenson Senior Fellow Condoleezza Rice and

research fellow Peter Robinson held a wide-ranging

discussion of public policy.




Jo Sosse, fox news

No, They Can’t: Why Government Fails—

but Individuals Succeed

Mce Bosk, seor eow

Beyond Remarkable: Milton Friedman as Scholar

and Public Intellectual

Erc husek, Pu d Je h Seor feow

Has the Time Come for School Choice?

Jo Cog, leord d Srey Ey Seor feow

A Tale of Two Budgets: Obama versus Ryan

te hoorbe George P. Suz, toms W. d

Sus B. ford Dsgused feow

Reminiscences on Milton Friedman

A Conversation between Codoeezz Rce,

toms d Brbr Sepeso Seor feow,

and Peer Robso, reserc eow

foud ajm, seor eow

The Arabs and Freedom’s Ride: To Ride or to Walk?

Sepe hber, Peer d hee Bg Seor feow

Where Does Democracy Thrive? Climate, Technology,

and the Evolution of Political Institutions

Mce McCoe, seor eow

Health Care in the Courts

lve tpg o The John Batchelor Radio Show

An Economy in Crisis: Looking to Historic Figures

to Save the Present

Jo Bceor d Mry Ksse, cooss

Mce Bosk, seor eow

Russe Robers, reserc eow

Jo tyor, George P. Suz Seor feow

Ecoomcs

ncos Wpso, uor, Keynes/Hayek:

The Clash That Defned Modern Economics

Pe Dscusso w e 2011–12 no

Secury ars feows

The American Military: Today’s Circumstances and

Tomorrow’s Challenges

toms herkse, seor eow, moderor

Mrk Cssyre, US Deprme o Se

leue Cooe Mce Cder, US army

leue Commder Mue herdez,

US nvy

leue Cooe Jo howrd, US ar force

Cooe (seec) Meo Mremucc, US ar force

leue Cooe Josep Russo, US Mres

Vcor Dvs hso, Mr d ie aderso

Seor feow

The American Ways of War

Russe Robers, reserc eow

Milton Friedman on the Crisis

Edwrd lzer, Morrs arod d no Je Cox

Seor feow

Taxes and Economic Growth

Croe hoxby, seor eow

How Government Policy Is Creating Winner and

Loser Generations—or What Young People Ought to

Be Protesting

Jo tyor, George P. Suz Seor feow

Ecoomcs

Government Policy and the Delayed Recovery

April retreat program




Following on the heels o a successul pilot project, Hoover’s Leadership Forum has ormally launched,with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and House Speaker John Boehner

among the frst policy makers to stop by or a consult.

Leadership Forumlaunched

Following on the heels o a successul pilot project,

Hoover’s Leadership Forum has ormally launched,

with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Newark

Mayor Cory Booker, and House Speaker John Boehner

among the frst policy makers to stop by or a consult.

Seeded with pilot support rom overseer Dr. Gail

Jaquish and Steve Kenninger, the Leadership Forum

is designed to engage in more direct outreach to

current and aspiring political leaders, creating one-

or two-day visits to Hoover that oer pragmatic and

thoughtul ideas to beneft the course o public policy.

We target governors, members o Congress, members

o the administration, mayors and candidates or

elected ofce—both Republican and Democrat.

Visits oten culminate in a public address to which

key Hoover stakeholders and the press are invited.

The topical ocus on pragmatic and thoughtul

ideas to beneft the course o public policy dictates

which Hoover ellows will participate in the intimate

roundtable discussions, with policy makers calling on

Hoover expertise in such areas as economic recovery,

health care and entitlement reorm, and national

security, to name a ew. As an unanticipated side

beneft, ellows hear each other’s ideas, strengthening

relationships among them and beneftting the

Institution as a whole. Other recent visitors have

included House majority leader Eric Cantor,

US Army General HR McMaster, and Congressman

Dan Lipinski.

The Leadership Forum also encompasses topical

workshops involving high-ranking sta and municipal

government leaders. For example, a workshop on

state and municipal fscal deault brought together

experts rom the felds o public policy, economics,

fnance, law, and state and local politics to consult

about the nature o the problem, the current legal

structures, and the possibility o legislative or

other reorm to avert the need or ederal bailouts.

Participants rated it one o the highest quality

programs they had ever attended, or both quality o

content and quality o ellow participants.

Also being considered as part o the Leadership

Forum down the line are summer “boot camps” or

key legislative staers—chies o sta, deputy chies o

sta, and directors o communication, or example—

to learn rom Hoover scholars about public policy

options that could advance our national interests.

Let: New Jersey Governor

Chris Christie visited Hoover

as part o the Leadership

Forum.

Right: Director John Raisian

and Edward Lazear, the

Morris Arnold and Nona Jean

Cox Senior Fellow, fank US

Senator Rob Portman o Ohio,

who visited Hoover as part o

the Leadership Forum.




In memoriam:

Hoover overseer

Donald P. Kennedy

Hoover overseer Donald P. Kennedy, who grew his

amily business into one o the world’s largest title

insurance companies and helped transorm the

title insurance industry, has died. He was 93.

A Stanord graduate and member o the 1939 gol

team that won an NCAA Division I Championship,

Kennedy served in the US Navy during World War

II and then earned a law degree rom the University

o Southern Caliornia.

He joined the amily rm, Orange County Title,

now First American Financial, and held the

position o chairman emeritus until 2010, when

First American spun o into two separate publicly-

traded companies.

During his distinguished career, Kennedy received

numerous honors. Orange Coast Magazine named

him Man o the Century; he was inducted into the

Caliornia Building Industry Association Hall o

Fame; and he received the Real Estate Sumigarden

Award rom the University o Caliornia at Irvine.

A past president o the Caliornia Land Title

Association and the American Land Title

Association, Kennedy was deeply involved in

community aairs, serving as vice chairman o the

Board o Trustees o Chapman University and as a

member o Stanord University’s Athletics Board.

He had served on Hoover’s Board o Overseers

since 2006.

Research fellow Kiron Skinner

appointed to Pennsylvania state

commission

W. Glenn Campbell Hoover Research Fellow

Kiron Skinner has been named to the Governor’s

Advisory Commission on Arican American Aairs

or the State o Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett selected

Skinner as well as seventeen other distinguished

leaders to serve on the new commission,

representing Pennsylvania’s 1.4 million Arican

American citizens. The commission advises and

makes recommendations to the governor on

policies, procedures, legislation, and regulations

that aect Pennsylvania’s Arican American

community, articulating and addressing the

community’s unique needs and issues o concern.

“As a political scientist and historian o

the American experience, I am honored to

bring my academic perspective to Governor

Corbett’s commission on Arican Americans in

Pennsylvania,” Skinner said.

“The history o Arican Americans in Pennsylvania

refects a diverse and unique blend o cultural,

social and economic infuences which have had

and continue to have a benecial impact on lie in

the commonwealth,” Corbett said in making the

appointments.



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University

National Security Affairs

Fellow Lieutenant Commander

Manuel Hernandez, US Navy,

welcomed 23 students from

Mountain View High School to

Hoover, to encourage them to

work hard and go to college.

Stephenson Senior Fellow

Condoleezza Rice came by to

offer special inspiration to the

ninth graders, all learning Englishas a second language.

Inspiring the next generation

talk of the tower, summer 2012

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