1 ideas defning a ree societyThat was the theme of Hoover’s April Retreat (www.hoover.org/news/1 15481) celebrating the centennial of the birth of Hoover’s distinguished, Nobel Prize- winning free-market economi st. 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: inside From the director’s desk Page 2Advancing the national debate Page 3The world acco rding to Harvey Mansfeld Page 4 Hail, the ree market! Page 5John Taylor awarded prestigious Hayek Prize Page 7Leadership Forum launched Page 10In memoriam Page 11 Research ellow Kiron Skinner appointed to Pennsylvania state commission Page 11 talk of thE tower a quarterly publication of the hoover institution, stanford university smm2012 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?
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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.
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.
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.