Cato Institute Looking to Hire an Executive Power Scholar

An opportunity to work at the nation's leading libertarian think tank.

Cato Institute

The Cato Institute - where I am the Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies (in addition to my primary position at George Mason University) - is looking to hire a full-time executive power scholar. Here is a description of the position:

The Cato Institute seeks a full-time Executive Power Scholar to: 1) conduct original research on the rise, uses, and abuses of executive authority in the United States; and 2) develop reform ideas and proposals in order to reduce presidential and executive branch power back to its proper constitutional limits, in order to restore the separation of powers envisioned by the founders. This position will advance Cato's mission by producing rigorous scholarship that analyzes constitutional structure, unilateral presidential action, administrative growth, and the separation of powers from a libertarian perspective, emphasizing limited government, individual liberty, and the rule of law.

The projected salary range for this role is $110,000 – $150,000 per year. Compensation is based on the successful candidate's experience and skills.

More information - including instructions on how to apply - at the link above. Please do not send your applications to me; use the link.

Comments

[Kleppe]

Libertarianism is fake and gay. People who can organize effectively to acquire power will always triumph over people who "just want to be left alone."

[Longtobefree]

Yep.
The real problem is those who prefer individual freedom cannot force people to be free; those who prefer state control over our lives can and do use force.

[Brett Bellmore]

A libertarian society is like a yardstick balancing on it's end; At best it's only metastable. Authoritarian societies are more like yardsticks lying on their side, stable.

But there actually was a time when the US was close enough to libertarian you might have hoped to get that yardstick balanced. The problem is that moment passed decades ago, and the libertarian project is now impossible in the US.

Really, serious libertarians should be into things like seasteading, or soon, space colonies. Start out a society with people who already want to be free, don't try to transform a society of willing slaves and aggressive masters into a free society.

[SRG2]

Professors from the South Texas College of Law BBQ and Grill need not apply.

[Martinned2]

Why not? Seems like a perfect job for Josh, now that he just finished writing the Heritage version of the constitution.

[Longtobefree]

This answers all my questions about CATO.

[non-native speaker]

"envisioned by the founders"

Why not developing reform ideas and proposals that _improve_ the founders' vision?

[Glaucomatose]

It's very important that conservative legal scholars spend the next three years very quietly doing background research into executive power, so they can suddenly and loudly start talking about how the Constitution demands a weak executive and all real power should be at the congressional and local levels starting in 2029.

[Martinned2]

What do you think is going to happen in 2029?

[Roger S]

The Cato Institute has too much money.

[David Nieporent]

It's very important that conservative legal scholars spend the next three years very quietly doing background research into executive power, so they can suddenly and loudly start talking about how the Constitution demands a weak executive and all real power should be at the congressional and local levels starting in 2029.

You know that Cato isn't conservative, right? Your comment is valid when discussing, say, Prof. Blackman, but not Cato.