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Cato Podcast

Cato Podcast

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Ep 68Rhetoric vs. Reality in the State of the Union

President Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday was a full-throated victory lap: America is supposedly “bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever.” Cato’s Ryan Bourne, Clark Neily, and Evan Sankey separate truth from exaggeration—testing the economic claims, unpacking the legal fight over tariff power, and decoding the foreign-policy moves behind the applause lines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 26, 202640 min

Ep 67Who Decides When America Goes to War?

Cato’s Katherine Thompson sits down with Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy to examine the persistent conflict between Congress and the presidency over war powers. From potential military action against Iran to past debates over Yemen and Venezuela, they explore how successive administrations have expanded executive authority and why Congress has struggled to reclaim its constitutional role. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 24, 202636 min

Ep 66No Tax on Tips, New Tax on Billionaires?

Ryan Bourne sits down with Cato’s Adam Michel to unpack what the 2026 tax year will bring, including new provisions commonly described as “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime." They also explore the economics of California's billionaire tax ballot initiative, and whether Trump Accounts are a good savings vehicle.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 20, 202641 min

Ep 65Ed Crane and the Ideas That Changed Washington — and the World

From organizing pioneering conferences in China and the Soviet Union to insisting on rigorous scholarship and principled advocacy, Ed Crane brought classical liberal ideas into mainstream policy debates. Ian Vásquez, Jim Dorn, and Aaron Steelman share firsthand stories about Cato’s growth, Crane’s strategic vision, and the long-term approach that shaped debates on markets, foreign policy, and individual liberty around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 17, 202635 min

Ep 64Raging Against Modernity

A new ideology is gaining influence on the American right: postliberalism. In this episode, Cato Institute economist Ryan Bourne speaks with Phil Magness of the Independent Institute about what postliberalism is, where it came from, and why it matters in today’s political debates.They explore the key thinkers and personalities behind the postliberal movement, its critique of classical liberalism, and its views on executive power, the American founding, constitutionalism, and contemporary public policy. The conversation examines how postliberal ideas are shaping modern conservatism and what they could mean for the future of American politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 12, 202640 min

Ep 63Why Globalization Wins on the Field

Cato’s Scott Lincicome sits down with Washington Post editorial writer Dominic Pino to explore what professional sports reveal about trade, immigration, and competition. From a talent-filled, globe-spanning World Series to the NHL’s influx of Soviet and Russian players, they show how “imports” raise quality, delight consumers, and expose the contradictions in protectionist thinking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 10, 202638 min

Ep 62Protest, Carry, Die: Rights in Conflict

As debates over gun rights intensify, recent shootings in Minnesota reveal how quickly constitutional protections can unravel in practice. Cato's Clark Neily and Matthew Cavedon discuss the dangers of treating firearms as intrinsic hazards, the hypocrisy of selective Second Amendment support, and why protecting unpopular speakers and armed protesters is essential to preserving civil liberties for everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 5, 202639 min

Ep 61Reforming the Federal Reserve, Brick by Brick

For more than a century, the Federal Reserve has accumulated responsibilities far beyond monetary policy, from bank regulation to payments and emergency lending. The Cato Institute's Nick Anthony, Norbert Michel, and Jai Kedia break down what the Fed actually controls, what it does not, and why inflation, debt, and financial instability cannot be fixed by interest-rate tweaks alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 3, 202627 min

Ep 60Why Propping Up Maduro’s Allies Won’t Save Venezuela

After more than two decades of socialist rule, Venezuela faces a rare opportunity for democratic transition following Maduro’s removal. Ian Vásquez and Marcos Falcone trace the regime’s record of repression and economic collapse, explain why regime insiders cannot credibly deliver reform, and make the case for immediate engagement with María Corina Machado and the opposition that overwhelmingly won the 2024 election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 29, 202629 min

Ep 59History Makes Clear: School Choice Is Necessary in a Diverse Society

Cato’s Neal McCluskey is joined by Cheryl Fields-Smith, Matthew Lee, and Ron Matus to discuss the new book Fighting for the Freedom to Learn and the centuries-long movement for school choice in America. They challenge the myth that school choice is a modern or partisan project, showing how diverse communities, religious groups, progressives, and parents have long sought pluralistic education options, which is the only way to deliver education consistent with a free and diverse society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 27, 202650 min

Ep 58Iran on the Brink: Another Middle East War in the Making?

With aircraft carriers moving into position and calls for “new leadership” in Tehran growing louder, the risk of U.S. military action remains high despite the absence of a coherent strategy. The Cato Institute's Brandan P. Buck and Jon Hoffman argue that vague objectives, inflated threat perceptions, and regime-change fantasies threaten to pull the United States into a costly war that Americans do not want. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 22, 202630 min

Ep 57What’s Missing from the White House’s Health Care Plan

From over-the-counter drugs to employer-controlled health benefits, Cato's Michael Cannon and Dr. Jeffrey Singer argue that real health reform means giving patients control over their own money rather than reshuffling subsidies. They explain how freeing short-term plans, deregulating prescriptions, and ending tax favoritism for employer insurance could deliver lower prices, broader choice, and more durable reform than another round of federal spending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 20, 202629 min

Ep 56Fallout From the Minnesota Fraud Scandal

Cato's David Bier and Chris Edwards discuss the welfare fraud scandals in Minnesota, including the $250 million Feeding Our Future scam, to explain how federal money flowing through state programs creates weak oversight and incentives for abuse. They argue that the structure of federal aid to states, not immigration or individual bad actors, is the core driver of fraud in welfare, housing, and health programs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 15, 202629 min

Ep 55Free Markets for Electricity

As data centers begin demanding power at the scale of entire cities, the electricity system is running headlong into regulatory barriers built for a different era. The Cato Institute's Travis Fisher sits down with Glen Lyons, the founder of Advocates for Consumer Regulated Electricity, to explore proposals for off-grid utilities, Senator Tom Cotton’s new legislation, and how market-based approaches could accelerate supply while protecting consumers from rising costs and reliability risks.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 13, 202644 min

Ep 54When Presidents Decide to Go to War Alone: Venezuela Edition

The arrest of Nicolás Maduro raises hard questions about presidential power, congressional authority, and the legal boundaries of military force. Cato's Brandan P. Buck and Clark Neily analyze the operation’s status under U.S. and international law, its implications for future conflicts, and why ambiguity has become the executive branch’s most dangerous tool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 8, 202628 min

Ep 53Debanked for Dissent: How Putin’s Reach Extends Abroad

A Russian dissident living in exile finds her US bank accounts closed after being labeled an extremist by the Kremlin. Nicholas Anthony interviews Anna Chekhovich of the Anti-Corruption Foundation about her experience being debanked. Together, they unpack how sanctions, anti-money laundering rules, and financial surveillance systems enable authoritarian governments to silence critics beyond their borders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 6, 202637 min

Ep 52Banking on Moral Hazard: The Push for $10 Million Deposit Insurance

A plan to massively expand FDIC insurance is gaining traction in Washington, despite little evidence that customers or community banks are asking for it. Cato's Nicholas Anthony, Norbert Michel, and Jill Castilla, CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond, show how the proposal would subsidize wealthy depositors, weaken market discipline, and entrench bailout expectations across the banking system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 1, 202634 min

Ep 51Australia’s Social Media Ban and the Illusion of Online Safety

From Australia’s social media ban to U.S. and UK age-verification laws, governments are increasingly treating online access as something to be licensed. Cato's Jennifer Huddleston and David Inserra explore how these policies collide with free expression, parental autonomy, and privacy, and why empowering families works better than sweeping government bans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 30, 202539 min

Ep 50How Fuel Economy Rules Made Cars Bigger, Pricier, and Less Safe

Intended to save fuel and protect consumers, CAFE standards have instead penalized efficient small cars, subsidized trucks and SUVs, and created a de facto electric-vehicle mandate. Cato's Chad Davis, Brent Skorup, and Peter Van Doren trace how decades of regulatory layering have increased vehicle manufacturing costs, reduced affordability for consumers, and locked automakers into an endless cycle of policy reversals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 23, 202540 min

Ep 49Social Security’s Popularity Problem

A new Cato survey reveals that Americans overwhelmingly support Social Security while fundamentally misunderstanding its structure, finances, and long-term viability. Romina Boccia and Emily Ekins explore how myths about personal accounts, proportional benefits, and trust-fund solvency shape public opinion — and why ignorance makes meaningful reform politically elusive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 18, 202533 min

Ep 48The Global Freedom Slump

Cato's Ian Vásquez and the Fraser Institute's Matt Mitchell walk through the 2025 edition of the Human Freedom Index, documenting a worldwide decline in economic, civil, and personal freedoms that began before the pandemic and sharply accelerated after it. They explain how populism, authoritarian emergency powers, trade restrictions, and speech controls have left nine in ten people living in less free societies, and why the recovery remains uneven and fragile. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 16, 202535 min

Ep 47Better Care for Billions Less: Fixing Medicaid’s Long-Term Care Incentives

Cato's Michael Cannon and the Center for Long-Term Care Reform's Stephen Moses examine how Medicaid’s long-term-care eligibility rules let middle- and upper-middle-class households shelter assets and shift costs onto taxpayers, driving up spending and lowering quality for the poor. Drawing on Moses’s new Cato paper Better Long-Term Care for Billions Less, they explain how perverse incentives, generous exemptions, and weak estate recovery undermine private planning and inflate a program already consuming one-third of Medicaid’s budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 11, 202545 min

Ep 46Strategy Without Strategy: Inside the New NSS

The Cato Institute's Katherine Thompson and Josh Shifrinson join Justin Logan to dissect the most contentious passages of the National Security Strategy, including its warnings about European “civilizational erasure,” its revived Monroe Doctrine instincts, and the absence of military escalation language on China. The discussion weighs whether this NSS truly reflects restraint and realism or simply refines old habits under a new rhetorical wrapping. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 9, 202539 min

Ep 45Repeal Day: Alcohol Prohibition and the Hypocrisy of the Drug War

The Cato Institute's Jeff Singer and Michael Fox mark Repeal Day by examining how alcohol prohibition and the modern drug war share the same destructive logic: criminalizing peaceful people, fueling black markets, corrupting law enforcement incentives, and empowering violent traffickers. Drawing on real-world examples of overdose deaths, civil forfeiture, and policing excesses, they argue for a consistent, liberty-based framework that treats drug users with the same legal respect afforded to alcohol consumers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 4, 202531 min

Ep 44NIH's Lost Mission

Cato adjunct scholars Terence Kealey and John Early join Ryan Bourne to discuss the pair's new Cato working paper Mission Lost: How NIH Leaders Stole Its Promise to America. Kealey and Early detail how the National Institutes of Health's shift from financing mission-led research to funding basic science has reduced its effectiveness in improving Americans' health, all the while crowding out cutting-edge commercial science, and funnelling taxpayer dollars to a range of questionable projects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 2, 202537 min

Ep 43Superabundance at Thanksgiving

Is your Thanksgiving dinner more or less affordable this year? Human Progress's Marian Tupy joins the Cato Institute's Ryan Bourne to discuss the political battle over affordability, the long-term costs of high inflation, and how time-prices show most goods becoming more abundant over time. Plus, the pair discuss human progress developments and why they are both thankful for the USA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 26, 202536 min

Ep 42Energy Realism: Climate Policy Meets Actual Economics

Cato's Chad Davis and Travis Fisher examine the gulf between symbolic climate pledges and the real-world complexities of energy use — from EV carbon costs to fossil-fueled resilience against natural disasters. They argue that the “climate homicide” narrative misreads the data, and that abundant, affordable energy remains humanity’s greatest defense against climate risk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 25, 202537 min

Ep 41The Disaster Aid System: How FEMA Rewards Risk

FEMA was meant to help only when disasters exceeded state capacity. Yet today it functions primarily as a national subsidy machine, encouraging development in floodplains, bailing out wealthy coastal states, and shifting costs onto taxpayers far from the danger zones. The Cato Institute's Dominik Lett and Chris Edwards discuss how well-intentioned federal aid has created perverse incentives, bureaucratic delays, and a long tail of spending that continues decades after storms like Katrina. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 20, 202529 min

Ep 40The Shutdown That Solved Nothing

Romina Boccia, Michael F. Cannon, and Adam Michel break down the 43-day government shutdown driven by demands to extend temporary Obamacare subsidies for upper-income households earning well into six figures. The trio examines how the stalemate exposed deeper structural problems: runaway entitlement growth, perverse state incentives, a fragile food stamp and air-traffic control system, and a federal budget process unable to handle partisan deadlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 18, 202532 min

Ep 39Don’t Do It, Mr. President: The Prospect of a US War in Venezuela

The Cato Institute's Justin Logan and Brandan P. Buck unpack the Trump administration’s shifting justifications for military action in Venezuela, from fentanyl and cocaine interdiction to Monroe Doctrine revivalism. They explore the legal and strategic risks of invoking war powers under dubious pretenses, warning that the push for regime change could repeat the mistakes of Libya and Iraq while doing little to solve the hemisphere’s drug or governance problems.Show Notes:https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dont-do-it-mr-president/https://www.theamericanconservative.com/when-peace-through-strength-means-war-is-peace/https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-military-cant-solve-fentanyl-crisis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 13, 202531 min

Ep 38The Supreme Court’s $300 Billion Tariff Showdown

Can a president tax Americans at will under the guise of a national emergency? The Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome and Brent Skorup dissect the high-stakes Supreme Court battle over Trump’s “fentanyl tariffs,” the broadest assertion of trade power in modern U.S. history. They explore how the case could reshape executive authority, revive dormant constitutional doctrines, and determine whether Congress or the White House truly controls U.S. trade policy.Show Notes:https://www.cato.org/blog/emergency-tariff-refunds-theres-easy-way-very-hard-wayhttps://www.cato.org/blog/why-three-cato-trade-scholars-filed-amicus-brief-us-supreme-courthttps://www.cato.org/commentary/striking-down-tariffs-wont-hurt-anybodyhttps://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/trump-v-vos-selections-learning-resources-v-trump Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 11, 202539 min

Ep 37What a Long Shutdown It's Been

Romina Boccia joins Nicholas Anthony to discuss how the shutdown centers on demands to extend subsidies for earners making well above median household income—all the way up to $500,000 annually. Federal workers and SNAP recipients have been offered up as political collateral for a deal that would cause an unprecedented $1.5 trillion in additional deficit spending—all while we continue trucking toward a fiscal cliff.Show Notes:Romina Boccia and Tyler Turman, "Food Stamp Shutdown Reveals the Fragility of Federal Welfare," Cato at Liberty Blog, October 30, 2025Romina Boccia and Tyler Turman, "End Obamacare’s Welfare for the Wealthy COVID Credits," Cato at Liberty Blog, October 23, 2025Romina Boccia and Tyler Turman, "Welfare Digest | End the ACA Subsidies for the Well-Off," Debt Dispatch, October 22, 2025Romina Boccia and Ritvik Thakur, "Debt Digest | Remove Obamacare Regulations Instead of Extending COVID-era Credits," Debt Dispatch, October 14, 2025Romina Boccia, "Shutdown Theatrics Just Distract Us from the Real Problem: Obscene National Debt," New York Post, October 2, 2025Romina Boccia and Ritvik Thakur, "Debt Digest | Let Obamacare COVID Credits Expire," Debt Dispatch, October 2, 2025Romina Boccia, "Thoughts About the Government Shutdown," Cato at Liberty Blog, October 1, 2025Romina Boccia, Ritvik Thakur, and Ivane Nachkebia, "Debt Digest | Government Shutdown Is Likely," Debt Dispatch, September 8, 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 5, 202534 min

Ep 36The $650,000 Question: How Steel Protectionism Fails

For 60 years, the U.S. government has protected the steel industry through tariffs, quotas, and Buy American mandates. Yet steel costs remain among the highest globally, and protectionism has extracted a staggering price: $650,000 in economic damage for every steel job saved, and 75,000 manufacturing jobs lost in 2019 alone. Cato's Clark Packard and Alfredo Carrillo Obregon investigate why protectionism failed and what market-based solutions would actually work.Show Notes:https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/steeled-protectionism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 4, 202538 min

Ep 35Five* Types of Innovative "Schools"

School choice isn’t just about choosing different schools—it’s about unbundling education itself and trying new things to get kids excited about learning. Cato scholars Neal McCluskey and Colleen Hroncich envision a future where adults educated through innovative institutions bring diverse perspectives to workplaces and communities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 30, 202540 min

Ep 34Political Pressure and Monetary Policy

Both Republicans and Democrats pressure the Fed toward different agendas, revealing deeper institutional problems. Norbert Michel and Jai Kedia argue that broad discretion and an inflated view of the Fed's influence enable mission creep and capture regardless of who holds power. The solution? Congressional legislation establishing clear rules. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 28, 202532 min

Ep 33Feeding AI's Energy Appetite

Travis Fisher and Jennifer Huddleston discuss how outdated energy policies created barriers to new generation just as AI data centers began demanding unprecedented amounts of power. They imagine a path forward using free market policies in both AI and electricity to create previously unimaginable levels of human flourishing and prosperity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 21, 202529 min

Ep 32Peace President?

President Trump is taking a victory lap for brokering peace in Gaza—while simultaneously escalating the U.S. proxy war in Ukraine and launching airstrikes against suspected cartel boats. Our panel assesses Trump’s Nobel ambitions, celebrates this year’s actual Peace Prize winner, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.Justin Logan, "The Case for Withdrawing from the Middle East," Defense Priorities, September 2020.Ian Vasquez, “Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelan Champion of Freedom, Wins the Nobel Peace Prize,” Cato at Liberty blog, October 10, 2025.Ian Vasquez and Marcos Falcone, “Liberty Versus Power in Milei’s Argentina,” Free Society, October, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 16, 202547 min

Ep 31Protecting Immigration Enforcement Officers and the Constitution

According to recent government data, immigration enforcement has become a much more dangerous job. David Bier and Patrick Eddington discuss the policy tradeoffs driving these numbers, previous administrations' efforts at mitigating mass immigration, and how to craft a more just, effective and safe immigration policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 14, 202532 min

Ep 30Trump Universities?

President Trump’s new “Compact with Academia” aims to reshape higher ed using the leverage of federal funds. Our panel unpacks the constitutional risks of Washington’s latest salvo in the campus culture wars. Plus, shutdown week two: will the administration deliver on federal job cuts or is it Grim Reaper cosplay? Neal McCluskey, "Higher Ed Compact Is More of the Same, Worse," Cato at Liberty blog, October 7, 2025.Adam Michel, "Six Reasons to Not Extend the Enhanced Obamacare Subsidies," Cato at Liberty blog, October 7, 2025.Neal McCluskey, "Court Rightly Finds for Harvard Against Trump Administration," Cato at Liberty blog, September 4, 2025.Dominik Lett, "Revoking IEEPA Tariffs Will Not “Lead to Financial Ruin,”" Cato at Liberty blog, October 3, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 9, 202545 min

Ep 29Protecting Expression in Crisis

Robby Soave, senior editor at Reason and co-host of The Hill's Rising, join's Cato's Thomas A. Berry and David Inserra to discuss the state of free speech following the Charlie Kirk assassination and Jimmy Kimmel suspension. They examine how recent administrations have engaged in government jawboning to suppress speech and conclude that consistent First Amendment principles must prevail regardless of which party controls government power.Show Notes:https://www.cato.org/blog/kimmel-cancellation-dangerous-sign-free-speechhttps://www.cato.org/blog/americans-must-remain-committed-free-expression-after-assassination-charlie-kirk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 7, 202531 min

Ep 28Shutdowns and Shadow Dockets

The federal government shuts down as the Supreme Court returns. Our panel looks at the Trump team’s plan to use the shutdown for mass layoffs —and previews a new Supreme Court term packed with big fights over tariffs, emergency powers, and the future of “independent” agencies.Romina Boccia, "Thoughts About The Impending Government Shutdown," The Debt Dispatch, September 30, 2025.Jeffrey Miron, "Some Libertarians Cheer When Government Shuts Down: Here's Why They Shouldn't," Vox, January 21, 2018.Ryan Bourne, "The Libertarian Experiment That Isn't," Cato at Liberty blog, January 11, 2019.Thomas A. Berry, Brent Skorup, and Charles Brandt, "Learning Resources v. Trump," Cato Amicus Brief, July 30, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 2, 202546 min

Ep 27How Government Shutdowns Actually Work

Will congressional inaction lead to a government shut down? Do shutdowns halt the government in its tracks, and if not, who decides what stays and what goes? What does it mean for President Trump -- or the rest of us? Cato's VP for Government Affairs, Chad Davis, in conversation with Patrick Eddington, senior fellow in homeland security and civil liberties at the Cato Institute.Correction: The 35-day shutdown in late 2018 into early 2019 was over Trump's demand for $5.7 billion in federal funds for a border wall. The shutdown over Dreamers was three days in January 2018. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 30, 202543 min

Ep 26Doing It the Hard Way

FCC chair Brendan Carr’s “easy way or hard way” threat to TV broadcasters lit a censorship firestorm this week. Our Cato panel digs into the government's jawboning, broadcast licensees' “junior-varsity” First Amendment rights, and whether it’s time to scrap the FCC altogether. Plus, the latest on AI regulation and the art of the TikTok deal.Brent Skorup, "Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC, and Why Broadcasters Still Have “Junior Varsity” First Amendment Rights," September 19, 2025.Ilya Somin, "Abolish the FCC," September 18, 2025.David Inserra and John Samples, "Kimmel Cancellation a Dangerous Sign for Free Speech," September 24, 202Jennifer Huddelston, "Trump’s TikTok Reprieve Won’t Fix the Law’s Free Speech Problems," February 3, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 25, 202545 min

Ep 25SEC Commissioner Challenges Financial Surveillance

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce joins Jennifer Schulp and Cato's Norbert Michel to discuss how government financial surveillance has eroded Americans' constitutional privacy rights through tools like the Consolidated Audit Trail. Peirce advocates for principles-based regulation that protects individual financial privacy while allowing innovation to flourish, arguing that current prescriptive rules create barriers to entry and stifle competition. The conversation explores how new technologies could restore individual sovereignty over personal financial data, enabling Americans to reclaim control over their private information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 23, 202535 min

Ep 24Free Speech and Domestic Tranquility

Are Americans becoming dangerously tolerant of political violence? After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, our Cato panel looks at trends in public opinion, past episodes of political terrorism, and new risks to free expression. Plus, Milei’s electoral setback in Buenos Aires province—what now for Argentina's libertarian experiment?Alex Nowrasteh, "Politically Motivated Violence Is Rare in the United States," September 11, 2025.Emily Ekins, "The State of Free Speech and Tolerance in America," October 2017 Survey Report.YouGov, "What Americans really think about political violence," September 12, 2025.Ian Vasquez, "Deregulation in Argentina." Spring 2025.Lorenzo Bernaldo de Quirós, "Argentine President Milei Should Let the Peso Float," September 17, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 18, 202545 min

Ep 23The Rise of University Administration

When Syracuse University forced its social work faculty to partner with a for-profit corporation that takes two-thirds of online tuition revenue, professor Kenneth Corvo began investigating where student money actually goes in higher education. His findings reveal a systemic problem across American universities: more administrators than faculty at the college level, expanding bureaucracies focused on "student experience" and compliance, and minimal transparency about how tuition dollars are spent. The discussion with Cato's Walter Olson traces how federal funding, regulatory requirements, and the erosion of scientific rigor have combined to create institutions that increasingly fail their core educational mission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 16, 202531 min

Ep 22The Purse and the Sword

This week, Congress returns to looming shutdowns and a “pocket-rescission” power grab. Abroad, President Trump pushes “America First” by rebranding the Pentagon as the Department of War—and launching an airstrike on a Venezuelan cartel boat. Our panel asks what all this says about America’s fiscal sanity and its foreign-policy compass.Adam N. Michel and Dominik Lett, “Reconciliation 2.0: Fix or Fiasco?,” Cato at Liberty (September 3, 2025)Romina Boccia and [co-author unspecified], “Coming Budget Debates and How Congress Should Navigate Them,” Cato at Liberty (September 2025)Brandan P. Buck, “The Lost Liberalism of America First,” Free Society (June 30, 2025)Brandan P. Buck, “The Cognitive Shift: How the Terrorist Label May Lead to Another Forever War,” Cato at Liberty (March 19, 2025) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 11, 202547 min

Ep 21Cato Cage Match: Monetary vs. Fiscal Policy

Norbert Michel and Dominic Lett square off over whether fiscal or monetary policy is the bigger mess. Lett highlights how entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare are driving unsustainable debt levels, while Michel explains how post-2008 Federal Reserve changes have created risks of “fiscal dominance,” where monetary policy is increasingly shaped by government borrowing needs. Both stress that without structural reforms and political restraint, the U.S. faces uncertain and potentially catastrophic economic consequences.Show Notes:https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/comprehensive-evaluation-policy-rate-feedback-rules#https://www.cato.org/books/crushing-capitalismhttps://www.cato.org/blog/medicaid-driving-deficits-republicans-are-scarcely-tapping-brakeshttps://www.cato.org/news-releases/senate-bill-could-increase-debt-6-trillion-cato-analysis# Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 9, 202530 min

Ep 20First, Do No Harm

What should “public health in a free society” look like, and what limits should courts impose on executive trade powers? This week’s panel covers the shakeup at the CDC, asks whether America really needs a Surgeon General, and unpacks a blockbuster ruling from the Federal Circuit declaring most of President Trump’s global tariffs illegal.Adam Thierer, “Breaking the Government’s Grip on the Medical Debate,” Cato at Liberty (August 28, 2025) J.A. Singer, “Unnecessary Relics,” Policy Analysis (July 2025)Thomas A. Berry, Brent Skorup, and Charles Brandt, “V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump,” Legal Briefs (July 8, 2025)Brent Skorup, Ilya Somin, and Walter Olson, “Tariffs, Emergencies, and Presidential Power: A Conversation with Ilya Somin and Walter Olson,” Multimedia Event (May 27, 2025) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 4, 202544 min

Ep 19Righting the Endangerment Finding

Join Cato's Alex Nowrasteh and Travis Fisher as they unpack a pivotal moment in climate policy reform. The duo explores Fisher's tenure at the Department of Energy and the groundbreaking report that could reshape the discourse on greenhouse gases.Travis Fisher, “Why I Helped Organize the Department of Energy’s Climate Report,” Cato at Liberty (August 6, 2025)Travis Fisher and Joshua Loucks, “The Budgetary Cost of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Energy Subsidies,” Policy Analysis (March 11, 2025)Patrick J. Michaels, “Cato Releases Report on EPA Endangerment Finding,” News Releases (October 31, 2012) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 2, 202523 min