[inaudible conversations] good afternoon. Welcome to the Cato Institute. Its likely to receive wide because it speaks to divisions about gun control, immigration, affirmative action and so much more. But about the far more fundamental division we see in our understanding of our basic law, the constitution and what it authorizes. If we want to better understand and appreciate those service divisions, thats where we have to turn because thats where theyre grounded. And just to be clear, in speaking about republican constitution and the democratic constitution, professor barnett is not making partisan points; rather, as the books subtitle suggests, hes alluding to two fundamentally different understandings of the constitutions first three words, we the people. Profoundly different conceptions that have deep roots in our constitutional history and farreaching implications for our political order. Once we understand those basic differences, well have a far better grasp of the more immediate
[inaudible conversations] welcome. My name is a gene healy. Im a Vice President here at the Cato Institute and ill be your moderator today. Thank you all for coming out to the first cato event of 2016. Today, we are going to spread the new years cheer and take the chill out of your bones with an in depth look at remotecontrolled executions, the creeping surveillance state, and the seeming permanence of the imperial presidency. So merry new year. Our focus today is the extraordinary new book by Charlie Savage, power wars inside obamas post9 11 presidency. Charlie has been with the New York Times since 2008, and he has been the indispensable reporter on executive power issues since well before that. In 2007 while with the boston globe he won the Pulitzer Prize for his work on the Bush Administrations signing statements. Is 2007 book, takeover, the return of the imperial presidency, was named one of the best books of the year by the washington post, slate and esquire. To describe power wa