America's Future Foundation

AFF Chicago

America’s Future Foundation’s Chicago chapter gathers local young professionals monthly in River North to discuss current events, economics, and political ideas. We network think tank, business, cultural, and technology leaders in a laid back, intellectually stimulating environment. We’re organized by eight local young professionals who volunteer their time to create a community of engaged, informed people in the Windy City.

Please contact our chapter at chicago@americasfuture.org, join us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. See our previous events, including roundtables and public debates on AFF-Chicago’s YouTube channel.

Click here to become a member of AFF-Chicago. Membership is $50, and includes admission to all AFF-Chicago events for one year, a drink ticket at every event, and the book of your choice from a selection of free market and pro-liberty titles.

Chicago event: What does a libertarian foreign policy look like?

Should the US intervene in foreign countries’ affairs? Or are there other, better ways — like free trade — to have an influence on other people? What does a libertarian foreign policy look like? As Chicago hosts this year’s NATO summit, conflicts continue in the Middle East, and economic nationalization occurs in Latin America, many [...]

Chicago event: “End the Fed? A roundtable on the future of money”

What do we lose when the Federal Reserve controls the value of money? Join us for a roundtable on the future of money and what it means for your freedom. Steven Manns (Vice President, Oppenheimer Funds Distribution), former Federal Reserve employee Bill Bergman, Liberty Justice Center attorney Jacob Huebert, and liberty activist Forrest Jehlik will [...]

Chicago event- Beyond Efficiency: Economics, Culture, and the Values of Capitalism

How does statism impact culture? Does big government foster creativity in a society or stifle it? What myths must friends of liberty dispel to advance our cause? Defenders of free enterprise often tout its success in satisfying people’s material needs. But this defense leaves capitalism open to the charge that its only virtue is to [...]

Chicago chapter roundtable: “Is America still a meritocracy?”

Is success based on what you know or who you know? Join AFF on Wednesday, February 29th, 6-8 PM at Ontourage (157 W. Ontario, Chicago) for a roundtable discussion on meritocracy. Four panelists will discuss whether most Americans still earn their wealth or if public policies are concentrating it among those with the best government [...]

Chicago chapter event: “Below Canada: America’s Decline in Economic Freedom”

We have always been south of Canada, but for the first time in history we are below Canada in a new, important way—our economic freedom score is lower than theirs. What is economic freedom and how can we measure it? Why has America fallen from the 3rd most economically free country in the world to [...]

Chicago chapter presents: Debate-a-palooza Part Deux!

Join us on Wednesday, January 25th (6-8 PM) at Ontourage (157 West Ontario Street, Chicago) for Debate-a-palooza Part Deux! Following September’s very energetic debate party, we’re teeing up three new questions for your intellectual pleasure. Two debaters each will tackle the following questions in three, rapid-fire debates: “Is income inequality unjust?” “Does the presidential race actually matter?” “Is Ron [...]

Announcing AFF-Chicago’s 2012-2014 leadership committee

AFF- Chicago has grown by leaps and bounds over the past four years thanks to both our dedicated membership and our talented volunteer committee members. We are sincerely thankful to every person who has contributed to making AFF the place where Chicago’s young conservative and libertarian professionals go to socialize and discuss the ideas of [...]

TONIGHT: AFF-Chicago’s Christmas party

It’s hard to believe it’s already the month for Christmas parties. But it is, and AFF is helping you kick December off right. We hope to see you TONIGHT at AFF’s Christmas party. It’ll be a gathering of the Windy City’s finest young professional liberty-lovers in celebration of our best year yet. (Be sure to [...]

AFF-Chicago’s 2011 Annual Report

So many people have told me that Millennials are a lost cause. They say young adults are not receptive to the ideas of free markets, limited government, and individual liberty. But the main reason young people do not embrace liberty is because they have never been asked. AFF is asking Chicagoans to consider the moral [...]

Cato’s Mike Tanner visits Chicago chapter

On November 2nd, Cato Institute Senior Fellow Mike Tanner joined AFF-Chicago for a briefing on the recently-passed health care legislation known by many as “Obamacare.” Tanner explained details of the law, which spans 2,409 pages, 477,520 words, and over 10,000 pages of regulations. Tanner quipped that the legislation costs over $1 million per word. The discussion touched [...]