Cato Podcast

Are there lessons for other states in North Carolina's plan to set guardrails on shifting energy sources? André Béliveau of the John Locke Center makes his case.Support this podcast and the broad mission of the Cato Institute and become a Podcast Sponsor today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conservation needs willing parties to participate, so aligning incentives voluntarily is generally preferable to federal mandates. That from Brian Yablonski of the Property and Environment Research Center.Support this podcast and the broad mission of the Cato Institute and become a Podcast Sponsor today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Mackinac Center's Jarrett Skorup believes the high-profile unionization of some businesses this year should be put in the broader context of the larger, steadier decline of union membership nationally.Support this podcast and the broad mission of the Cato Institute and become a Podcast Sponsor today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Meany of Libertarianism.org details the ideas and influence of Cato’s Letters on the American founding era.Support this podcast and the broad mission of the Cato Institute and become a Podcast Sponsor today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Meany of Libertarianism.org discusses the cultural environment in which Cato's Letters arrived and their impact on the American Revolution.Support this podcast and the broad mission of the Cato Institute and become a Podcast Sponsor today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year is looking more like a historic year for government handouts to well-heeled companies. John Mozena with the Center for Economic Accountability details how federal spending has fueled big state-level corporate giveaways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This mismeasurement of income inequality has given us costly and unjustified policy interventions to boost redistribution. That's the argument from the book coauthored by Cato's John F. Early, The Myth of American Inequality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wishing the United States were less of a global hegemon doesn't mean giving up on engagement with the globe, as Christopher Coyne argues in his new book, In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we knew little about COVID-19 and hand sanitizer was in short supply, distilleries stepped in to fill the gap. For their efforts, the federal government thanked them with ... a hefty bill. Daniel Dew of the Pacific Legal Foundation comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Outgoing Republican Representative Peter Meijer of Michigan would like to see Congress reassert powers over war from the executive branch and address its own dysfunction. We discussed what he’s learned in his term in Congress, if his party plans to engage in any form of introspection, and what’s next for him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Todd Myers is author of Time to Think Small: How Nimble Environmental Technologies Can Solve the Planet's Biggest Problems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Productive employment is associated with avoiding entanglement in the criminal justice system, but for those already entangled that fact may be of little comfort. Scott Lincicome explains why criminal justice reform may also be pro-worker policy reform in his chapter of Empowering the New American Worker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Employment and health care are inextricably linked, and often that means limiting the choices of workers across the economy. Michael Cannon authored the health care chapter in Cato's new book, Empowering the New American Worker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The President hasn't done much with respect to immigration, but there are a few bright spots. David Bier discusses the Biden record on immigration so far and a new paper on guest workers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a clear conflict of interest when industry insiders get to control who participates in that industry, but that's exactly how occupational licensing functions. And, as Steve Slivinski of the Pacific Legal Foundation notes, it's worse than you might think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Higher salaries are great, but the cost of living impacts quality of life every bit as much. In her chapter in Cato's new Empowering the New American Worker book, Gabriella Beaumont-Smith details the myriad ways basic goods cost more than they should. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Tanner's new paper on the path forward for housing affordability in North Carolina shows that some of the biggest impediments to new housing exist in more states than just New York and California. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress loves to avoid accountability. Our current and most recent former presidents have both presided over unprecedented spending. To make matters worse, the flashpoint of accountability elections provide is two years or more away. Jonathan Bydlak of the R Street Institute says this is the time when we should expect to see lawmakers at their least accountable as many (but not all) traditional opponents of profligate spending have shifted focus more immediate culture war fights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cost of housing is at historic highs and largely without good reason. Vanessa Brown Calder discusses what needs to change to make housing more affordable for average Americans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cristal Starling of Rochester, New York just wants her money back. The government took it without even charging her with a crime. Lee McGrath of the Institute for Justice is representing her in court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The temperance movement in the U.S. that culminated with Prohibition wasn't the only one, though the results were similar. Mark Lawrence Schrad is author of Smashing the Liquor Machine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the proper way for Christians to engage with the world around them? Many theologians believe Christians are called upon to be socialists. Deirdre McCloskey disagrees. Her forthcoming book is God in Commerce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The nonprofit world largely weathered the pandemic, but the longstanding threats remain to the ability of nonprofit donors to remain anonymous haven’t gone anywhere. Peter Lipsett of DonorsTrust comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American workers need to get to work, and the systems that support our transportation infrastructure need reform. Colin Grabow authored the transportation chapter in Cato's Empowering the New American Worker book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

North Korea’s missile tests are a regular source of anxiety, but it’s important not to let the country’s saber rattling turn into a high-stakes cycle of increasing belligerence. Cato’s Eric Gomez details the current state of play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Protests in Iran continue to highlight the struggle against mandated religious practices by Iran’s government. Cato’s Mustafa Akyol comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Items on ballots this month included the typical crop of candidates, but voters also weighed in on ballot issues on how people vote, abortion, the separation of powers, involuntary servitude, and ending some drug prohibition. Cato’s Walter Olson discusses some of the more notable ballot measures voters faced this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are several paths forward for the American economy, but one path readily advanced by a movement on the right looks a lot like a loser’s playbook: protect industries and workers with the heavy hand of government and otherwise move toward more state interventions into economic affairs. Samuel Gregg is author of the new book, The Next American Economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are ways to mitigate and prevent catastrophic wildfires if only the feds would allow them. Hannah Downey of the Property and Environment Research Center explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden White House continues to delay a return to normalcy in the Medicaid program, and that's putting states on the hook for more spending. Marc Joffe comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Independent contractors perform vital functions throughout the economy so why do many states and the federal government want to disempower that kind of work. Scott Lincicome is editor of the new Cato book, Empowering the New American Worker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do states rank when it comes to protecting the right to speak publicly about politics? Scott Blackburn is author of The Free Speech Index at the Institute for Free Speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Public institutions dominate the education landscape, but those institutions do not serve the needs of workers particularly well. Neal McCluskey is author of two chapters dealing with education in the new Cato book, Empowering the New American Worker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kendall Cotton of Montana’s Frontier Institute discusses how the state can make room for new Montanans and prevent long-term economic problems in the process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Businesses run out of homes represent a massive and unseen part of our economy. Governments should take steps to empower rather than punish these firms. Chris Edwards is author of a chapter in the new Cato book, Empowering the New American Worker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite what was described just months earlier as a great political environment for Republicans, the anticipated "red wave" didn't materialize. Cato's Emily Ekins provided some analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new Cato book, Empowering the New American Worker, digs deep into policy reforms that would give American workers far greater freedom to plot their own professional lives. Scott Lincicome is the book's editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the case for limiting the time or term of Supreme Court justices? Akhil Reed Amar of Yale Law School made his case at the Cato Institute's Constitution Day festivities in September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency portend for regulatory reform? Is there hope for other regulatory reform with a new Congress? Joe Luppino-Esposito of the Pacific Legal Foundation gives his take. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When social media companies decide what to show you, are the algorithms they use to automate the process a form of speech? It matters for civil liability. Paul Matzko comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is a massive, powerful state something to be feared and destroyed … or wielded like a weapon? Many self-styled conservatives have decided that The One Ring of big government is a gift to conservative policy goals. Tony Woodlief disagrees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thirty years ago, Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) was meant to strictly limit spending and taxes. That's not how it's worked out. Jon Caldara of the Independence Institute details for the benefit of other states how TABOR opponents wore it down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recent shifts by some leading Democratic candidates for governor may indicate that the partisan political divide over school choice is shrinking. Rebekah Bydlak of the American Federation for Children explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tragic circumstances have inspired federal lawmakers to try to protect basic biographical information about judges from distribution online, but the proposal runs headlong into the First Amendment. Tommy Berry explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We knew it was coming, but the magnitude of declines in student test scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress still shocked many parents. So what should parents do on behalf of their kids now? Colleen Hroncich comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's agenda appears to be lighter than the one advanced by his immediate predecessor. The difficult work of regulatory reform appears to be nowhere on the agenda. Ryan Bourne comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boosting the production of new housing keeps young people engaged in communities they might otherwise feel compelled to leave. Greg Brooks of the Better Cities Project discusses the housing redemption for policymakers in Auburn, Maine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colorado's governor Jared Polis gets good press for his libertarian sympathies. Jon Caldara of Colorado's Independence Institute humbly asks the media to please cut it out and look at the evidence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kentucky is among the worst performers in managing state pensions. Those pensions are promises to government workers that, if not managed properly, represent a massive new liability for taxpayers. Allison Ball is Kentucky's state treasurer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cato's Project on Poverty and Inequality in California is a year old, so how has the Golden State changed in that time? Cato's Michael Tanner comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.