William A. Niskanen: In Memoriam

William A. Niskanen, chairman emeritus and a distinguished senior economist at the Cato Institute, has died at the age of 78. Niskanen was the chairman of the Cato Institute for 23 years, following service as a member and acting chairman of President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers. Niskanen also served as director of economics at the Ford Motor Company, professor of economics at the University of California at Berkeley and Los Angeles, and assistant director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Cato founder and president Edward H. Crane reflects on a life spent in defense of liberty: "Bill Niskanen was a world-renowned economist and a passionate leader of the growing classical liberal movement around the globe. More importantly, he was a man of unshakeable integrity. His influence on and importance to the Cato Institute cannot be overstated. His passing is a terrible loss to the Institute and to the nation."

"William Niskanen, Former Reagan Economist and Cato Board Chair, Dead at 78," Cato Press Release

"William Niskanen, RIP," by Chris Edwards

"Remembering William A. Niskanen," Podcast featuring John Samples

In memory of his years of service and profound impact, CATO is providing a complimentary e-version of Niskanen's most recent book:
Reflections of a Political Economist: Selected Articles on Government Policies and Political Processes, by William A. Niskanen

Urgent Petition

Sign the petition to stop Social Security Cuts and send a fax to every Member of Congress demanding they cut other spending, NOT SOCIAL SECURITY.

Recent News

Those Dastardly Republicans

Friday, May 18, 2012

Source: Politico

Congressional Republicans are back up to their old shenanigans on ObamaCare. Politico reveals that Republicans would try to replicate popular parts of Obama’s health care law if the Supreme Court overturns the law this summer.
Read Full Story

FDA Warns Doctors On Fosamax Side Effects

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Source: ABC News

The Food and Drug Administration has warned doctors to watch for fractures of the upper thigh bone in patients taking several popular drugs designed to prevent hip fractures and fight osteoprothesis. The FDA warns that Fosamax and Boniva in particular, if taken unnecessarily or for too long, may actually be causing the bone fractures they are prescribed to prevent. Watch ABC News video.
Read Full Story

Senator Introduces Fugitive Taxpayer Act

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Source: ABC News

Exit Not An Option In Chuck Schumer's America. New York Senator Chuck Schumer has introduced the Fugitive Taxpayer Act of 2012 to re-impose taxes on expatriates after they flee the United States and take up residence in a foreign country. Proposal also would impose a mandatory 30 percent tax on the capital gains of anybody who renounces their U.S. citizenship and would bar such individuals from ever reentering the United States again.
Read Full Story

US War Machine Will Be Real Winner In Nov.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Source: Salon.com

Whether President Obama gets his second term or Romney enters the Oval Office, there’s a third candidate no one’s paying much attention to, and that candidate is guaranteed to be the one clear winner of election 2012: the U.S. military and our ever-surging national security state.
Read Full Story

Social Security Garnished for Student Loan Debts

Friday, May 11, 2012

Source: Truth-Out.org

According to the New York Federal Reserve, two million US seniors age 60 and over have student loan debt, on which they owe a collective $36.5 billion; and 11.2 percent of this debt is in default. 4.2 percent of all student loan debt is held by people over the age of 60, and that share grows with each passing year.
Read Full Story

Seniors vs. Military-Industrial Complex?

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Source: The Washington Post

Across the U.S. economy, anxiety is rising about the potential for widespread disruptions after the November election, when a lame-duck Congress will have barely two months to resolve a grinding standoff over taxes and spending.
Read Full Story

Americans Say Cut The War Machine, Now

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Source: Huffington Post

Two-thirds of Republicans and nine in 10 Democrats polled support making immediate cuts to the military across the board -- a position at odds with the leaderships of both political parties.
Read Full Story

Police Beat Mentally Ill Man To Death

Monday, May 7, 2012

Source: Raw Story

Video revealing the circumstances of how a mentally ill homeless man in Fullerton, Calif. died last July was finally published Monday, revealing a stunningly brutal police assault that left Kelly Thomas bleeding, broken and near death.
Read Full Story

President Obama Is Running Out of Jobs Excuses

Monday, May 7, 2012

Source: Real Clear Markets

The number of people with jobs declined for the second month in a row, falling by 169,000 in April after easing by 31,000 in March. This means that there were 200,000 fewer Americans with jobs in April than there were in February. Additionally, the percentage of working-age adults who either have jobs or are looking for work, fell to 63.6%, which is the lowest level since December 1981.
Read Full Story

Attack Of The Drones

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Source: Salon.com

In November 2010, a police lieutenant from Parma, Ohio, asked Vanguard Defense Industries if the Texas-based drone manufacturer could mount a “grenade launcher and/or 12-gauge shotgun” on its ShadowHawk drone for U.S. law enforcement agencies. The answer was yes.
Read Full Story

Read All Recent News

Get in the Know Now
Get SSI Email Alerts

Social Networks

Action Center