Cato Podcast

Even our best efforts at being rational are beset by biases that skew our thinking. Steven Pinker's new book is Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters. He spoke at the Cato Club retreat in 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chile has elected a radical leftist as president, part of a long trend. There are lessons for the United States. Ian Vasquez describes what he believes enabled the shift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we approach the end of the first year of the Biden administration, his anemic immigration policy hasn't undone many of the restrictions left by the Trump administration. David Bier and Alex Nowrasteh discussed immigration for this month’s CatoAudio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When disasters hit, law enforcement leaps into action to punish some of the people bringing in desperately needed supplies. Ryan Bourne describes the overblown threat of price gouging. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prominent Democrats have either denied the reality of inflation or prescribed the wrong solution. Norbert Michel describes what might come next on the inflation front. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's easy to imagine trade is entire countries making big decisions. As Scott Lincicome and Alex Nowrasteh explain, it's individuals making millions of small decisions to benefit themselves through voluntary exchange. Curtailing trade violates that liberty. They spoke at the 2021 Cato Club event. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Startups need capital to compete with bigger companies, and taxes on capital gains can stem the flow of angel investment. Chris Edwards makes his case for angel investors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie Katebi of Americans for Prosperity argues that some of the policy innovations driven by the pandemic have shown significant benefits and ought to continue even after the threat abates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few principles ought to guide efforts to push branches of government back into their proper roles. Daniel Dew of the Pacific Legal Foundation offers his recommendations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Human Freedom Index tracks freedom across a variety of metrics for most of the world's countries. The trend over the past decade has not been good. Ian Vasquez, the report's coauthor, describes the data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does the availability of school choice affect housing decisions? William Mattox of the James Madison Institute offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite some bumps in the road, advocates for ranked-choice voting see a bring future. Scot Turner, a former state lawmaker in Georgia, advocates for the instant runoff style of elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The coalition that wants to keep you from using your property in accordance with your needs and values is extremely bipartisan. Jarrett Skorup of the Mackinac Center discusses the busybody coalition that wants to ban short-term rentals and how states ought to fight back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rise of political polarization and hatred should be of genuine concern, and Joe Biden's pledge to deliver a sense of normalcy and boredom seems to have been just another broken campaign promise. Gene Healy made his case at the most recent Cato Club event. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new spending approved under the Biden administration may soon top the new spending approved by two of his predecessors. Jonathan Bydlak walks through the implications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tuttle Twins series of books teaching economics and liberty-friendly values to young people is now an animated series. Book series author Connor Boyack describes the new venue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker has some ideas for restraining the spending and debt currently being accrued at a faster clip than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether the proposed school choice program is big or small, the breathless warnings from public school defenders are predictably dire. Jason Bedrick of EdChoice says the lesson for lawmakers is clear: Choose the more robust choice program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Among the many states that created or expanded school choice programs, West Virginia stands out for its innovative, big new program. Jessi Troyan with the Cardinal Institute explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How the Department of Labor regulates pension funds and other retirement plans holds big implications for retirees, so how do so-called ESG (environmental, social, and governance) preferences change things? Jennifer Schulp comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What powers does Congress have to access information from former executive branch officials? It's not totally clear, according to Julian Sanchez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Turkey's president enjoys his control over various aspects of his country, and yet the value of Turkey's currency is demonstrably out of his control. Cato's Mustafa Akyol provides the context. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The metaverse offers an opportunity to replicate real-world human interaction, but it also presents some new and unique problems. Given the strength of current players in this market and the ever-present threat of regulation, how might the growth of this new simulated reality play out? Will Duffield comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To what extent can Congress delegate away the authority to make laws? Will Yeatman details a case before the Supreme Court that holds big implications for the future of delegated legislative power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are Americans really suited to self-government? If so, why do so many who study politics seem to think otherwise? Tony Woodlief is author of I, Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By placing conditions on government benefits, gifts, or licenses, governments can often achieve compliance in ways that would otherwise be blatantly unconstitutional. Philip Hamburger details how it works in his new book, Purchasing Submission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where does the evidence stand on the so-called "lab leak" theory regarding the beginnings of Covid-19? Matt Ridley is coauthor of Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Optimism about achieving the American Dream is on the wane, or so we are told. Gonzalo Schwarz of the Archbridge Institute says that's not quite right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The heavy lifts to getting government out of the way of innovation in many cases simply aren't happening. Will Rinehart of the Center for Growth and Opportunity believes the people who need to do that hard work are distracted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Hampshire takes top honors in the Cato Institute's new Freedom in the 50 States report. Authors Will Ruger and Jason Sorens discuss the report and its criteria. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should success be measured in state-led efforts to provide rural broadband? Will Rinehart of the Center for Growth and Opportunity comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many states, when teacher or police unions bargain over wages, benefits, and accountability, the public is left entirely outside the process. Jason Mercier of the Washington Policy Center details how that complicates holding the public sector accountable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should states assert that police power to use new technology must exist within by basic constitutional limits? Kendall Cotton of Montana’s Frontier Institute comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Among the topics to avoid at the Thanksgiving table, the nature and causes of inflation and mask mandates rank high on the list. Economist Michael Munger discusses why those topics can and probably will inspire spirited disagreement this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The push to give presidents of both parties the power to make unrestrained war (on a number of occasions) was bipartisan. Will the effort to reclaim those powers for Congress draw a diverse majority coalition? Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) hope so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Rochelle, a community in New York, seems to have found a way to streamline the production of new housing. Patrick Tuohey of the Better Cities Project explains how they did it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clark Neily details how qualified immunity came to be and why Americans must end it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Utah is ahead of more than a dozen states in approving medical cannabis. How did a conservative state like Utah get it done? How well does its program serve patients? Molly Davis with the Libertas Institute and the Utah Cannabis Association comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting policy right means engaging in the right steps in the right order. Eli Dourado of the Center for Growth and Opportunity details a lesson for policymakers from a manufacturing titan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Missouri threatened journalists with lawsuits after the journalists told them about their own errors in collecting and storing data online. Mike Masnick of Techdirt says, months later, the Show Me State hasn't learned all that much. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are many reasons for our supply chain disruptions. Colin Grabow details how the feds have made it worse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The President wants to isolate banks from the competition provided by the unregulated issuance of stablecoins. Norbert Michel and Jennifer Schulp comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Congress's focus on this year's attack on the Capitol preventing or giving lawmakers a pass on basic oversight? Pat Eddington comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Native American tribes have to teach the rest of us about land management and environmental conservation? Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How the feds cajole or compel corporate behavior should be of great concern to customers and shareholders. The first step to nudging corporations toward "social responsibility" appears to be with corporate disclosures. Adam Millsap with Stand Together comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Managing forests is more than putting out fires, and people suing the feds over forest management plans can make the risk and consequences of fires worse. Jonathan Wood of the Property and Environment Research Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Americans now live in states where cannabis is legal for either medical or recreational use, and that has brought with it industry insiders trying to drive regulation going forward. Shanita Penny is a cannabis educator and consultant who's seen it unfold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FDA has a massive impact on our food supply. Can the agency actually execute on its mandate? Should it? How might consumers gain more control over their choices? Richard A. Williams is author of Fixing Food: An FDA Insider Unravels the Myths and the Solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pandemic may have accelerated the trend of schools using digital tools to watch kids well beyond their activities during the school day. Neal McCluskey and Julian Sanchez detail why a reckoning with this kind of surveillance is overdue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republican Glenn Youngkin capitalized on parental anger over schools to become Virginia's next governor, but his own plans to expand choice for parents are, to put it mildly, weak. Neal McCluskey comments on the surprise upset in Virginia and what it means for state politics elsewhere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.