Events
Upcoming Events
The American Conservative’s Annual Gala, May 9, 2019. The Mayflower Hotel. Washington D.C.
Keynote Speaker J.D. Vance, author of The New York Times Bestseller: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
To purchase tickets Click here
To become a sponsor of the gala, please contact Emile Doak at [email protected] or by phone at 703-855-3112.
Past Events
A Podius Debate featuring The American Conservative and The Nation moderated by Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour Anchor and Managing Editor
took place on November 29, 2018, George Washington University, Jack Morton Auditorium. The resolution for the debate was: “Resolved: America Needs More Immigrants”. The American Conservative debated against the resolution and The Nation debated for the resolution. Watch the Podius Debate Here
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American Allies & Interests: Assessing Trump’s Foreign Policy Midterm, November 15, 2018. The Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C.
Watch: TAC’s 5th Annual Foreign Policy Conference in D.C. here.
Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) speaks at The American Conservative’s 5th Annual Foreign Policy Conference on Nov. 15, 2018.
Danny Delgado/Delgado Photos
The American Conservative held its fifth annual foreign-policy conference at The Hart Senate Building on November 15. This year’s conference facilitated a thoughtful provocative conversation about the president’s foreign-affairs strategy—and the effectiveness of its deployment to date. The conference featured a keynote speech from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). The full day event also included a congressional war powers panel with Representative Ken Buck (R-Colorado) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-California).
The conference which convened an impressive array of policy strategists, and journalists included six panel discussions:
Taking Back Congressional War Powers: Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the AUMF
Veterans and the Forever War: Recent Vets on Military Reform and US. Foreign Policy
Trump Politics and Foreign Policy Realism: A Media View
Middle East (IN) Stability: Telling the Difference Between Friends and Enemies
The Future of Asian Power Politics: Is Trump Gaining or Losing Ground for the U.S.?
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Our Urban Civilization: Why Conservatives Should Care about the Built Environment featuring Sir Roger Scruton
October 10, 2018. The Decatur House, Washington, DC.
The event featured Sir Roger Scruton,The American Conservative’s New Urbanism fellow who has long been a defender of traditional urbanism and authentic sustainability and is the author of dozens of books including The Aesthetics of Architecture and News From Somewhere: On Settling.
Mr. Scruton led a panel discussion with the following panelists:
Catesby Leigh: Research Fellow at the National Civic Art Society and frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal, National Review, City Journal, and the Claremont Review of Books.
Colette Arredondo: A New York based architect who has worked for Allan Greenberg Architect and written about architecture for City Journal and the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.
Gracy Olmstead: Contributing editor at The American Conservative who has also written for The Week, National Review, The Federalist, and The Washington Times, among others.
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A Conversation on Cronyism in Anaheim
August 30, 2018. The Colony House, Anaheim, CA.
Many Americans across the political spectrum believe the American tradition of free enterprise has been corrupted by bad public policy giving special emoluments to a favored few. This cronyism is too often manifested at the local level, to the economic detriment of our towns and communities. The event addressed the following questions: Is cronyism a new phenomena, or is it embedded in American history? How does cronyism shape the way we build our cities? What is cronyism’s effect on Anaheim, and what can we do about it?
The conversation featured Robert W. Merry, author and former editor of The American Conservative; Charles Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns; and Tom Tait, mayor of Anaheim.
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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,
Lewis McCrary, Stacy Mitchell, Robert Atkinson, Tim Carney, and Matt Stoller.
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 featured two panels: “How Cronyism Fuels the Military Industrial Congressional Complex” and “Cronyism in Big Tech: Amazon and Beyond.” Watch full video of the discussions here.
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What is Conservatism? May 2, 2018. The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC.
Lee Edwards, Rod Dreher, Brad Birzer, and Robert Merry at the Heritage Foundation.
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.
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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.
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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
Phil Langdon at the National Press Club
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.
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Delay, Deny, Hope You Die: How America Poisoned Its Soldiers
March 8, 2018. Landmark Theaters E Street Cinema, Washington, DC.
Kelley Vlahos, Greg Lovett, Jessey Baca, Lauren Price, and Paul Sullivan.
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.
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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.
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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
Paul Kennedy, Christopher Preble, John Mearsheimer, Michael C. Desch, and Daniel McCarthy.
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.
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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
Strong Towns president Charles Marohn.
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.
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Revitalizing Jackson’s Main Street: A Conversation with Patrice Frey & Bill Kaufmann
September 28, 2017. Grand River Brewery, Jackson, MI.
From left to right: Scott McIntosh, Dr. Patrick Burtch, Patrice Frey, and Bill Kauffman.
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.
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The Future of Traditional Urbanism: Conservativism 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
Benjamin Schwarz, Ross Douthat, and Aaron Renn
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.
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The Government Tilt:How Crony Capitalism Distorts Markets
June 15, 2017. The National Press Club, Washington, DC.
Robert W. Merry, C. Boyden Gray, David M. Smick, Tim Carney, and Veronique de Rugy.
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.
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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
Ross Douthat, Michael Wear, Rod Dreher, Jacqueline C. Rivers, Randall Gauger, and Peter Mommsen.
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.