Cato Podcast

Last year was a wild one for would-be tech regulators. State governments, Congress, and federal agencies are all still champing at the bit to impose some new restrictions on big and small tech firms alike. David Inserra and Jennifer Huddleston comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nitazenes are a relatively new category of opioids, and their high potency demands a rational policy response. Jeff Singer explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Argentina’s Javier Milei has an ambitious regulatory agenda, but lawmakers will still have their say on a large portion of it. Daniel Raisbeck discusses what Argentina's new president has announced so far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sociologist Herbert Spencer was "light years" ahead of his contemporaries in grappling with some very modern problems of political economy. Libertarianism.org's Paul Meany explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Herbert Spencer once loomed large in social science. Is he receiving his due in the modern era? Paul Meany discusses how a major thinker was celebrated, forgotten, and remembered again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many states in the southeast, certificate of need laws have needlessly complicated the delivery of health services. Cato's Jeff Singer describes some differences among CON and non-CON states. We spoke in November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Human Freedom Index tracks human freedom across multiple dimensions for the bulk of humanity. Ian Vasquez details the latest iteration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FDA's decisions to approve or delay drugs can have major impacts well beyond the health of Americans. Michael Cannon explains how FDA's delays approving contraception impacted women in the labor market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even critics of globalization admit that it's delivered the world's bounty to our doorsteps. Gabriella Beaumont-Smith details how globalization also gives us back our valuable time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trade is a positive-sum game, and when you keep a few fundamentals of trade front and center, it becomes harder for politicians to confuse the issue. Economist Andreas Freytag explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's getting more difficult to remember times when seasonal produce was only available for a brief window. Cato’s Scott Lincicome is old enough to remember those dark times of avocado deprivation. He explains how globalization has dramatically expanded the range of foods available all year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much blame should be given to institutional investors for our current housing woes? Vanessa Brown Calder comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year was yet another banner year for educational freedom in states, and while a few states faced substantial setbacks, the broad trend toward more and universal school choice continues. Jason Bedrick details his research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States are starting to understand how zoning and other housing restrictions have contributed to the housing crisis gripping so much of the United States. Nolan Gray of California YIMBY explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does "march in" authority have hope for bringing drug prices down? Should it? What are the secondary effects of changing who can produce what drugs? Cato's Michael Cannon and Peter Van Doren comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Biden keeps advancing the delusion that Ukraine can achieve total victory against Russia. Congress is under no obligation to join in that delusion. Justin Logan explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No matter how you slice the data, it tells a clear story: Certificate-of-need laws make health care services relatively less available or more costly. Jaimie Cavanaugh of the Institute for Justice explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Toma is the Republican Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives. We discussed his state's role as the trendsetter for advancing educational freedom for families. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley recently suggested that anonymity on the internet should be compromised on behalf of national security. Edward Longe of the James Madison Institute argues that it would trash an important element of free speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are many kinds of medical professionals who are legally prevented from delivering care for which they are trained. Jeff Singer describes how pharmacists could be allowed to step up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's hard to take seriously the federal agencies that undertake their own adjudications and often award damages to themselves. Adi Dynar of the Pacific Legal Foundation discusses how "due process" works in administrative law courts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The housing crunch affects so many parts of the country. In Arizona, it's harder to build than you might think. Leo Biasiucci is the Republican majority whip of the state's House of Representatives. We talked about how best to advance flexibility for new housing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court recently heard the case of Securities and Exchange Commission vs. Jarkesy. Cato's Tommy Berry and the Pacific Legal Foundation's Oliver Dunford evaluate what the court heard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Federal lawmakers are continuing to ponder the end of some warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens. Patrick Eddington provides a brief history lesson and an assessment of where things stand now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gestational surrogates provide a valuable service for many couples who want children, but the process has drawn significant criticism. Cato's Vanessa Brown Calder dispels the misconceptions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States are advancing policies that embrace universal recognition of various occupational licenses and others that end a broad range of certificate of need requirements. Ed Timmons runs the Knee Regulatory Research Center. He details the progress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The central bank digital currency is on the wish list for many central banks despite the lack of compelling use cases for the currency and troubling rollouts of CBDCs thus far. Nicholas Anthony details the Human Rights Foundation's new tracker for CBDCs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America's civil justice system has a variety of problems that must be addressed. Bridget Mary McCormack, a former chief justice on the Michigan Supreme Court and the current head of the American Arbitration Association, has a few ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Link taxes are supposed to help prop up ailing print media outlets by charging big tech firms for the privilege of linking to news content. The case of Canada’s link tax is challenging that hope. Cato's Paul Matzko comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, Illinois voters handed breathtaking new powers to collective bargaining agreements for government employees. Mailee Smith of the Illinois Policy Institute evaluates the status. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Contrary to conventional beliefs about how the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries operates, there are many reasons to believe OPEC has fewer degrees of freedom than most people believe. That misperception can serve the needs of politicians searching for a bogeyman. Peter Van Doren and David Kemp explain why in a new paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parents might embrace their children's independence, but how much support do those parents have in the form of local infrastructure? Andrea Keith of Let Grow explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It may not be shocking to learn that state-level regulators face many of the same incentives as federal regulators. State lawmakers should pay close attention to how those regulators do their work, says Joe Luppino-Esposito of the Pacific Legal Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Javier Milei, the next President of Argentina, says he's a supporter of free trade, dollarization, and big cuts to the public sector. Cato’s Daniel Raisbeck evaluates the Milei platform against Argentina’s economic and political realities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's an immense task to understand the criminal penalties that attach to a vast array of federally disfavored behavior. Patrick McLaughlin of the Mercatus Center details what he's learned in undertaking exactly that task. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Gomez is author of the new Cato Institute paper, "Taiwan's Urgent Need for Asymmetric Defense." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If public school libraries are supposed to represent a broad range of views, do they? Neal McCluskey details his new paper exploring the question. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bipartisan group in Congress wants reform to federal surveillance authorities before signing off on reauthorization. What would that reform do? Cato's Patrick Eddington and James Czerniawski of Americans for Prosperity comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political reality demands that we recognize that any power we might claim for ourselves will ultimately be wielded by our ideological opponents. Scott Lincicome explains how that lesson is being learned the hard way yet again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The freedom of speech is under constant threat, and broad public support for that freedom has eroded in recent years. Nadine Strossen, in Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know, details why that right is worth defending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the forced exodus of Afghans from Pakistan tell us about the domestic politics of Pakistan? Sahar Khan explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Methadone is a powerful drug that is often dosed out by the government for those in the criminal legal system who are able jump through the proper legal hoops. Helen Redmond of Filter says it serves as a mechanism for government control of people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Cannon details why the promises of Obamacare would be better delivered by giving consumers dramatically more power over health care dollars. Cannon's new book is Recovery: A Guide to Reforming the U.S. Health Sector. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the pandemic, governments placed significant public and private pressure on social media companies to remove speech protected by the First Amendment, blurring the line between acceptable government speech and unconstitutional censorship by proxy. Concerns about this “jawboning” only grew with the recent decisions in Missouri v. Biden finding that the pressure applied by various government actors likely violated the First Amendment. But this case also revealed the limitations of broadly prohibiting government communications with private companies or merely relying on the courts to police government abuse. Join us as the panel discusses the options available to policymakers and why greater transparency is essential to combating such censorship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden White House is out with a massive executive order on artificial intelligence. Why? Jennifer Huddleston and Jack Solowey comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It should be troubling that the bloodshed in Israel and Gaza is being fueled somewhat by US policy with respect to weapons transfers. Where is the appetite for revisiting those polices? Jordan Cohen comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which school choice programs respect families most? Andrew Clark, president of yes. every. kid., offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By any relevant measure, the U.S. manufacturing sector is a dynamo. Retreating from globalized supply chains can threaten that success. Colin Grabow details the evidence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From reining in debt and spending to freeing up American healthcare, incoming House Speaker Republican Mike Johnson has an opportunity to bring seriousness to critical pending policy issues. Cato's Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a word for self-styled conservatives who nonetheless want to the power of the state to compel certain social outcomes: illiberal. Kevin Vallier is author of All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.