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Charlie Parker

Anonymous — Fri, 13 May 2016 13:28:34 +0000

Charlie Parker Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/13/2016 - 07:28

It is time for me, as the Visiting Scholar of Conservative Policy at CU, to say farewell to one and all. The academic year has run its course, students have graduated or “risen” (as they used to say) up to another status of upperclassmen, and my appointment comes to its end. It has been a wonderful year, I am sure it is clear to everyone who has been involved, enjoyable and profitable. We have done very good things thanks to this position and the supporters all around on the faculty and administration and the wide network of donors—not to mention our energetic, talented, and winsome students.

At an outreach event this week in Carbondale, I had the great fortune to find Charles and Alice Parker in the audience. I had met Charlie before in the course of my duties as a historian of supply-side economics, because Charlie is one of the pivotal individuals in that history. Those who have read my book Econoclasts will recall the chapter on “Michael 1,” the restaurant in lower Manhattan where the first “supply-side” economists—those who recommended tax-rate cuts and a restoration of the soundness of the dollar against gold to cure the “stagflation” of the day—namely Robert Mundell and Arthur Laffer, met for drinks and dinner with the editor of the Wall Street Journal, Robert Bartley.

Bartley, like all Journal editors before him, was skeptical of tax-rate cuts until the deficit was more than wiped out, even if those tax rates went to 70%. Mundell and Laffer and another economist named Alan Reynolds worked Bartley over, he converted, and supply-side economics experienced a transformation in its status. It was no longer an intellectual parlor game played among University of Chicago economists, but on its way to being conveyed to the center of power. After Michael 1, the editorial page at the Journal (the largest circulation newspaper in the land) made the case for the “policy mix” of tax-rate cuts and a sound dollar relentlessly for the next five years. The fruit came in political practice in the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s.

Charlie Parker put together those dinners at Michael 1. He was with the investment firm H.C. Wainwright and had gotten to know Laffer circa 1970. He had had some experience with bringing academic economists into the Wainwright circle, to keep the firm clued in to good cutting-edge trends in economics. When he did this in the case of Laffer and Mundell, and corralling Bartley as well care of a connection with one of Bartley’s editorial writers, Jude Wanniski, it was not merely a stroke of genius. It was one of those events that must have seemed a little innocuous at the time but proved to be a juncture of history.

Personally, it was a great cap to my year to end it at an outreach event in the shadow of that prominent mountain Sopris in happy recollection with Charlie Parker. We weren’t taking any victory laps, unfortunately, in that our economy remains so substandard today, in large part, I do feel, and as I have striven to make plain all year, because the supply-side tradition has been forsaken. So we commit to more work in all good channels. Let me leave you with one more column I wrote about the logic of the supply-side policy mix of tax-rate cuts and a good dollar, namely that it should result in a negative income tax—that’s right, the government paying us. And after that, a link of the book I did so much at Colorado to complete, my and Larry Kudlow’s JFK and the Reagan Revolution: A Secret History of American Prosperity, which will come out this September 1. Farewell to all, and I look forward to keeping in touch and good friends.

For an article on negative tax rates, click here.

For the book on the JFK and Reagan tax cuts, click here.

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Francis Beckwith

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 18:45:03 +0000

Francis Beckwith Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/17/2016 - 11:45

Francis Beckwith served as the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy for the 2016-17 academic year. He is the fourth person to hold the position.

Beckwith earned a PhD in philosophy from Fordham University and a master of juridical studies from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Beckwith, professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University in Texas, will succeed Brian Domitrovic, whose appointment ends this academic year.

When he learned that CU-Boulder sought a visiting scholar in conservative thought and policy, he was immediately drawn to the position, he said.

“I was impressed by the effort made by the university leadership to create an environment in which true intellectual diversity can flourish,” Beckwith said, adding that he looks forward to getting to know CU’s students and faculty, in addition to many of the university’s Colorado constituencies.

He is scheduled to teach two courses per semester in fall 2016 and spring 2017. In fall, he will teach two courses in philosophy. One is an upper-level class on Thomas Aquinas and the other is an introductory course on “Philosophy and Society.” Additionally, he will be encouraged to foster discussion by hosting public events in the campus community and perhaps around the state.

Beckwith said he plans to continue the tradition of bringing first-rate speakers to campus “who can help advance our public conversations” on important issues of the day.

“With a presidential election upon us, an unexpected Supreme Court vacancy changing the year’s political trajectory, and so many public questions with which to wrestle, I cannot imagine a more exciting time to be the Visiting Scholar of Conservative Thought and Policy at the University of Colorado.”

Beckwith is the author of numerous publications and books, including “Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith” and “Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice,” both published by Cambridge University Press.

Among other academic appointments, he has served as the Mary Anne Remick senior visiting fellow at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Culture and as visiting research fellow at Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions.

Robert Pasnau, professor of philosophy and director of the Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy, which houses the Conservative Thought and Policy Program, said Beckwith is a “distinguished philosopher and legal scholar who will broaden the intellectual conversation on the Boulder campus.”

“We’re delighted to have recruited such a worthy successor to the previous three visiting scholars,” Pasnau said.

In recent months, an advisory committee has been working to identify finalists for the next visiting scholar, who holds a one-year appointment. The committee has sought a “highly visible” scholar who is “deeply engaged in either the analytical scholarship or practice of conservative thinking and policymaking or both.”

The advisory committee includes five faculty members and four community members. Pasnau chairs the committee.

Non-university committee members include: David Pyle, founder and CEO of American Career College; Mike Rosen, long-time radio host on AM 850 KOA and Denver Post columnist and political commentator; Bob Greenlee, former Boulder City Council member and mayor and current president of Centennial Investment and Management Company Inc.; and Earl Wright, CEO of AMG National Trust Bank.

CU faculty members on the committee include: David S. Brown, professor and chair of political science; Daniel Kaffine, associate professor of economics; Benjamin Hale, associate professor of philosophy and environmental studies; and Patricia Limerick, professor of history and director of the Center of the American West.

The Conservative Thought and Policy Program is supported by private funds.

Clint Talbott is director of communications and external relations for the College of Arts and Sciences and editor of the College of Arts and Sciences Magazine.

Feb. 17, 2016

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CU-Boulder announces finalists for Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 16:27:31 +0000

CU-Boulder announces finalists for Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/11/2016 - 09:27

CU-Boulder announces finalists for Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy

The ��񱦵� today announced two finalists for the fourth Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy. This month, the finalists will make one-day campus visits, during which they will hold public forums.

The finalists are Francis Beckwith, professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University in Texas; and Richard Bishirjian, president of EDUcourses Inc. and president of Yorktown University, a for-profit, online liberal-arts university.

Each finalist will visit campus for a day, during which the finalist will meet privately with the search committee, the chancellor, the provost and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Each will also teach a class but that activity will not be open to the media.

Each public forum will consist of a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Both lectures will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Hellems room 199.

Finalist lecture details:

Tuesday, Jan. 19: Richard Bishirjian will give a public talk titled “Conservativism: Another Ideology?"
Thursday, Jan. 21: Francis Beckwith will give a talk titled “Taking Rites Seriously: Faith, Reason and the Courts.”

Beckwith earned a PhD in philosophy from Fordham University and a master of juridical studies from the Washington University School of Law. Among other academic appointments, Beckwith has served as the Mary Anne Remick senior visiting fellow at the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture and as visiting research fellow at Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions.

Beckwith is the author of numerous publications and books, including “Politics for Christians: Statecraft as Soulcraft” and “Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice.”

Bishirjian holds a PhD in government at the University of Notre Dame, and he did dissertation work at the London School of Economics. He has served as associate director of Boston University’s College of Communication and served on the political science faculty of the College of New Rochelle.

Bishirjian has also held government positions in the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Senate and the Social Security Administration.

He is the author of numerous essays and books, including “The Conservative Rebellion” and “The Development of Political Theory: A Critical Analysis.”

The advisory committee includes five faculty members and four community members. The committee is chaired by Robert Pasnau, professor of philosophy and director of the Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy.

The Conservative Thought and Policy Program is supported by private funds.

-CU-

PRESS CONTACTS:
Robert Pasnau
Director of Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy
pasnau@colorado.edu
303-492-4837

Clint Talbott
Director of Communications, College of Arts & Sciences
clint.talbott@colorado.edu
303-492-6111

Francis J. Beckwith

Richard J. Bishirjian

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CU-Boulder alum makes $500K bequest for conservative scholarship fund

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 22:57:12 +0000

CU-Boulder alum makes $500K bequest for conservative scholarship fund Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 12/28/2015 - 15:57

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The Endurance of Supply-Side Economics

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 20:27:02 +0000

The Endurance of Supply-Side Economics Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/17/2015 - 13:27

For the spring term, the Conservative Thought and Policy Program is assembling a speaker series on the history, legacy and contemporary relevance of supply-side economics: the policy mix of tax and regulatory restraint, coupled with sound money, that formed the basis of the Ronald Reagan economic policy in the 1980s.

Meantime, Visiting Scholar Brian Domitrovic has recently written on the reception of the stunning new biography of Jack Kemp, the greatest Congressman in the supply-side tradition, the book Jack Kemp: The Bleeding-Heart Conservative Who Changed America, written by Washington columnists Morton Kondracke and Fred Barnes.

Brian’s column is here:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/briandomitrovic/2015/11/09/jack-kemp-keeps-sailing-through-the-criticism/

And the biography of Kemp here:
http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Kemp-Bleeding-Heart-Conservative-Changed/dp/1591847435/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447784927&sr=1-1&keywords=kemp+kondracke

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Russell Kirk: American Conservative is out

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 18:27:14 +0000

Russell Kirk: American Conservative is out Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/03/2015 - 11:27

The much anticipated biography of Russell Kirk, the founder of modern American conservatism, has been released. Russell Kirk: American Conservative, authored by Bradley J. Birzer, the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy at CU-Boulder in 2014-15, is available from the University Press of Kentucky.

The post-World War II conservative movement lost its most conspicuous organizing principle with the collapse of the Soviet Union: its anti-Communism. And arguably with the general success of the Reagan Revolution, a complacency set in that made American conservatism “lose” its élan to bring about a free-market economics.

If the two pillars of postwar conservatism were anti-Communism and the free market, Russell Kirk strove to communicate that even more “permanent things” (his preferred term) should be at the heart of American conservatism: above all the social life of the family and the small scale community; a good and healthy culture, popular, high, and civic; and a robust humanistic tradition of letters, preferably grounded in religion. Anti-Communism and the market, to Kirk, were prefaces, essential ones surely, but prefaces all the same, to the positive activities of a healthy “conservative” American society.

This towering figure required a biographer who would be true to his completeness. We owe Brad thanks for writing this book, and Kirk’s imperative legacy our attentions once again.

Find the book here: http://www.kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=3617#.Vji94GSrQzU

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Reflections Bernanke's Memoir

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 18:09:45 +0000

Reflections Bernanke's Memoir Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/07/2015 - 12:09

Brian Domitrovic calls into question Bernanke's memories of the financial crisis, this week on Forbes.com:

Bernanke Has His Facts Wrong -- And Is Short On Courage

Ben Bernanke’s memoir of the Great Recession, a book called The Courage to Act, is out. In summarizing the book’s argument in an article the other day, Bernanke made several claims of fact that purport to justify his actions as chairman of the Federal Reserve during the crisis years. The claims are not close to being fact.

Click here to read entire article.

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Jackson Hole and the Fed

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 18:30:21 +0000

Jackson Hole and the Fed Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 08/31/2015 - 12:30

Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy Brian Domitrovic took part in the Jackson Hole Summit, the "shadow" summit to the Federal Reserve's own retreat at Jackson Hole, Wyoming over the weekend. He wrote up his reflection of the event on Forbes.com here.

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Center for Western Civilization expands to include the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 22:17:54 +0000

Center for Western Civilization expands to include the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/27/2015 - 16:17

The ��񱦵� announced on August 27, 2015 that the Center for Western Civilization in the College of Arts and Sciences is now the Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy (CWCTP) and incorporates CU-Boulder’s successful Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy program.

The expansion will bolster the Center by inviting more visiting scholars who can help create a more extensive set of community programs and classes with the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy – formerly an at-large position within the College of Arts & Sciences.

“This transformation will elevate the profile of both the center and the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy,” said Robert Pasnau, chair of the CWCTP and a professor of philosophy at CU-Boulder.

“By sponsoring symposia and special events and also by attracting a larger roster of visiting scholars, we want to elevate research, discussion and debate about the role of Western civilization in the development of American ideas and institutions,” Pasnau said.

Pasnau said the center’s academic mission is to “promote analysis of the historic, social, political and economic modes of thought rooted in the Western tradition, and to encourage faculty and student scholarship around these modes of thought.”

The center’s mission, said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano, serves the campus’s larger mission of cultivating diversity in all its forms.

“I applaud the work of Professor Pasnau and his colleagues to bring their vision of the center to fruition. Their innovative approach for the center and commitment to the CTP Visiting Scholar program will make scholarship and robust debate even more accessible to more members of our campus community. I am excited to see how this partnership will expand our tradition of promoting intellectual diversity on the campus.”

Among other initiatives, the CWCTP plans to develop a course modeled on a successful and popular class at Princeton University that was co-taught by liberal professor Cornel West and conservative professor Robert George. Developed in 2007, the team-taught course tackles the development of Western intellectual thought through contrasting perspectives.

“We are expecting to see some lively and engaging classes and public lectures come from the expansion of the Center for Western Civilization into the CWCTP,” said Steven Leigh, dean of the CU-Boulder College of Arts and Sciences.

The CWCTP also plans to:

Award four visiting fellowships – one of which is the VSCTP – two CU fellowships, four postdoctoral appointments and two PhD student fellowships each year to support scholars of diverse political, intellectual and philosophical thought from various academic fields. The fellows will conduct research, teach, present papers and provide outreach to the larger community;
Promote civic education by sponsoring conferences, lectures, seminars and colloquia;
Offer a certificate program for undergraduate students consisting of eight classes, including two within their own major and six other classes, including some taught by visiting fellows;
Provide opportunities for undergraduates to informally interact with faculty, visiting fellows and speakers , and participate in other center-sponsored activities;
Offer educational opportunities under the auspices of the center to alumni, friends and potential donors to the

The CWCTP will be governed through a two-fold structure: a Board of Advisors and an Executive Committee. The Board of Advisors will be composed of 10 to12 members from areas such as law, business, politics, philanthropy and the academy – including one or more former Visiting Scholars in Conservative Thought and Policy. It will work to maintain the center’s role and mission and provide programming guidance.

The Executive Committee is composed of the center’s director, as well as the current Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy and CU-Boulder faculty representatives. The Executive Committee determines the academic merits of program offerings.

Both the Board of Advisors and the Executive Committee will be appointed by the CU-Boulder chancellor initially, in consultation with the provost, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the president of the university.

The Board of Advisors for the CWCTP is initially chaired by current University of Colorado President Bruce Benson, who will spearhead fundraising for the program. Subsequent appointments of the board chair will be made by the Board of Advisors in consultation with the chancellor. The center is supported by gifts from individuals and foundations and by university operating funds.

“Among my goals as chair are to find the financial resources to support that process and this unique program and to foster an intellectually diverse environment,” Benson said. “My career has been built and strengthened by working with people from across the political spectrum – people with whom I both agree and disagree, sometimes strongly. The CWCTP exposes students directly to that same range of diverse ideas and challenges their critical thinking and understanding in the process.”

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Center for Western Civilization expands to include the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 18:01:38 +0000

Center for Western Civilization expands to include the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/27/2015 - 12:01

The ��񱦵� announced today that the Center for Western Civilization in the College of Arts and Sciences is now the Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy (CWCTP) and incorporates CU-Boulder’s successful Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy program.

Robert Pasnau

The center’s mission, said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano, serves the campus’s larger mission of cultivating diversity in all its forms.

The CWCTP also plans to:

Award four visiting fellowships – one of which is the VSCTP – two CU fellowships, four postdoctoral appointments and two PhD student fellowships each year to support scholars of diverse political, intellectual and philosophical thought from various academic fields. The fellows will conduct research, teach, present papers and provide outreach to the larger community;
Promote civic education by sponsoring conferences, lectures, seminars and colloquia;
Offer a certificate program for undergraduate students consisting of eight classes, including two within their own major and six other classes, including some taught by visiting fellows;
Provide opportunities for undergraduates to informally interact with faculty, visiting fellows and speakers , and participate in other center-sponsored activities;
Offer educational opportunities under the auspices of the center to alumni, friends and potential donors to the

August 27, 2015

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