Events

Upcoming Events

 

Cronyism in Action: Government’s Cozy Ties to Big Tech & Big War. June 21, 2018. The City View Room at George Washington University, Washington, DC.

In recent years, lists of the wealthiest counties in the U.S. have predominately featured two regions: Washington, DC and Silicon Valley. The relative prosperity of these regions reflects that of their predominant industries, technology and military contracting. Indeed, the relationship between Big Tech and the nation’s capital has come to the fore recently with Amazon’s HQ2 search, which includes all three DC-area bids on the list of twenty finalists.

So what’s driving the success of technology firms and defense contracting? Are these industries models of modern economic success–or have they benefitted from the government tilting the market in their favor? Join us as we debate the role cronyism has played in shaping Big Tech and Big War!

This year’s expanded conference will feature two panels: “How Cronyism Fuels the Military Industrial Congressional Complex” and “Cronyism in Big Tech: Amazon and Beyond.” Find more information and register here.

 

 

Past Events

 

What Is Conservatism? May 2, 2018. The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC.

For decades, American conservatism has thrived under Frank Meyer’s “fusionism,” uniting the three main strands of libertarianism, social conservatism, and anti-Communism. Yet as the communist challenge fades further into the past, the old conservative consensus is now tasked with responding to new challenges presented by the modern liberal order. How should conservatives respond to these new obstacles to ordered liberty, and what does the current moment tell us about the essence of conservatism?

On May 2, the Heritage Foundation’s Lee Edwards hosted a discussion on these questions, featuring TAC‘s writers and editors: Robert W. Merry, Rod Dreher, and Bradley J. Birzer.

The event was broadcast live on C-SPAN. Watch the full broadcast here.

 

The American Conservative‘s 15th Anniversary Gala. May 3, 2018. Washington, DC.

The American Conservative is turning 15! What began as a small but loud cry of opposition

to the Iraq War has flourished into a movement to recover an authentic conservatism that strengthens the republic at home and restrains empire abroad.

The evening featured a keynote address by Patrick J. Deneen, University of Notre Dame professor, TAC contributing editor, and author of Why Liberalism Failed. Watch the keynote address in its entirety here.

 

 

Lecture with Urbanist Author Phil Langdon. March 26, 2018, 6:00pm. The National Press Club, Washington, DC.

The American Conservative and the Congress for the New Urbanism-DC Chapter hosted an evening lecture and networking event with author Philip Langdon. Langdon has
been writing about urban issues for over 30 years on topics ranging from Kentlands to

McDonalds. Langdon’s latest book, Within Walking Distance, looks at how buildings connect to the public realm, bicycling, public transportation, and incorporation of nature and parks into city or town life. Langdon stresses that a strong local commitment is the vital ingredient to successful placemaking. Langdon’s presentation examined how places where the best of life is within walking distance ought to be at the core of our urban thinking.

For more information, click here.

 

Delay, Deny, Hope You Die: How America Poisoned Its Soldiers
March 8, 2018. Landmark Theaters E Street Cinema, Washington, DC.

The American Conservative presented an exclusive one-night-only screening of “Delay, Deny, Hope You Die”. This award-winning documentary chronicles the plight of American soldiers who were poisoned by burn pits on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can find some of TAC‘s coverage of the burn pits here, here, and here.

Following the film screening, there was a brief discussion with the filmmaker and those interviewed for the documentary.

 

 

Red State = Clean Energy: How Market-Driven Clean Energy Is Transforming the Texas Electrical Grid. March 8, 2018. Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2045, Washington, DC.

Thanks to past actions by state leaders, Texas is in the midst of a clean energy transition driven primarily by market forces. Over the last 20 years, the deregulation of the Texas electricity market and other initiatives, such as adopting one of the first Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and investing in the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) to bring renewable power to Texas cities, have laid the foundation for today’s market-driven transition away from coal and toward cleaner fuels like natural gas and renewable energy.

What can federal lawmakers learn from the Texas example? TAC co-hosted a discussion of how these trends are playing out in the Texas electric market, how conservative leaders are embracing the economic benefits of clean energy, and what the “Texas story” can teach us about current energy debates in Washington and around the country.

Watch the full discussion here. This event was co-sponsored by the R Street Institute, Texas Clean Energy Coalition (TCEC), and The American Conservative.

 

U.S. Foreign Policy in the Trump Era: Can Realism and Restraint Prevail? November 3, 2017. Jack Morton Auditorium, George Washington University, Washington, DC.

Since its founding in 2002, The American Conservative has advocated for a truly

conservative foreign policy: one that rejects neoconservatism not in favor of “isolationism,” but in the great American traditions of realism, prudence, and restraint.  This fall, TAC convened leading scholars, policy experts, and journalists to make the case for realism and restraint in the Trump era. Speakers included Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), John Mearsheimer, Paul Kennedy, former Ambassador Jack Matlock, Jr. and many more. Read our recap and watch full video of the conference here.

 

The Curbside Chat: Charles Marohn of Strong Towns on Building Better Places. October 25, 2017. Hillsdale College Kirby Center, Washington, DC.

How can our towns get stronger—not weaker—when our economy changes? How can we repopulate our empty streets and empty storefronts? What can we learn

from the earliest days of city building about building better places tomorrow? And how can active citizens, local officials, and ordinary people make it happen today, no matter how badly we’re starting off? The American Conservative was proud to co-host Charles Marohn’s answers to these questions with Strong Towns and the Congress for the New Urbanism.

 

 

Revitalizing Jackson’s Main Street: A Conversation with Patrice Frey & Bill Kaufmann. September 28, 2017.  Grand River Brewery, Jackson, MI.

Revitalizing a historic Main Street is part art, part science. On September 28, The American Conservative and the Jackson Anchor Initiative hosted a conversation with two national experts to cast a vision for urban renewal in downtown Jackson.  Click here for highlights of the event.

 

 

 

The Future of Traditional Urbanism: Conservatism in Cities & Towns.  July 31, 2017.  Hillsdale College Kirby Center, Washington, DC.

Why should conservatives care about cities?  While urbanist ranks are admittedly liberal, the ideas underlying New Urbanism are

decidedly conservative: traditional designs, close community, and the preservation of historical modes of living. The American Conservative and the R Street Institute hosted a series of discussions to explore the conservative case for traditional urbanism, and outline the way forward for responsible development of our cities and towns.  Watch the full discussion, which was broadcast live on C-SPAN, here.

 

 

The Government Tilt: How Crony Capitalism Distorts Markets.  June 15, 2017.  The National Press Club, Washington, DC.

Is “pro-business” the same as “pro-market”?  The American Conservative hosted a discussion to explore the cozy relationships between government and business that pervade much of the American economy, and make the case that the growth of crony capitalism–and the policies that feed it–runs counter to a truly conservative approach to economic policy.  Watch the full discussion here.

 

 

A Conversation on Community, Counterculture, and Christianity’s Future in the West. March 16, 2017. The Union League Club, New York, NY.

In the face of an increasingly hostile culture, how should Christians approach participation in public life? What kinds of communities can foster true discipleship? To mark the launch

of Rod Dreher’s new book The Benedict Option, The American Conservative co-hosted a wide-ranging discussion with Plough and First Things in midtown Manhattan. Watch the full discussion here.

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