Cato Podcast

Increasing political polarization is real, according to political scientists. To what extent have the powers of the presidency helped drive it? Gene Healy comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could you prove that your landscaping was "compatible" with that of your neighbors? Is it excessive to fine homeowners $1000 a day for "incompatible" plants? Is there a true victim when disfavored landscaping arrives in your neighborhood? Maurice Thompson of the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law has just such a case in Ohio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bringing claims against state cops for violating your rights is hard enough, but it's even harder when the cop is a fed. Patrick Jaicomo is an attorney at the Institute for Justice. We discussed current cases where federal cops stepped on American rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Local public schooling fights over hot button political issues have attracted attention from the Department of Justice and the FBI. Neal McCluskey offers a way out of the escalating fights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does the U.S. continue to imprison Abu Zubaydah without trial? Julian Sanchez discusses how assertions of the "state secrets privilege" by the federal government has complicated this case for most of the last two decades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angel investors provide a unique source of support for America’s entrepreneurs, particularly in leading-edge industries. What does that mean for economic performance and taxing and spending? Chris Edwards explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, the Cato Institute gave the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty to The Innocence Project for its work exonerating the wrongly convicted and recommending policy change supporting a better criminal justice system. Cato’s Clark Neily sat down with Innocence Project cofounders Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld and executive director Christina Swarns at a dinner honoring their achievements advancing human liberty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Health Savings Accounts were a legislative stowaway that have since become one of the most promising avenues for reforming American health care. Michael Cannon explains how they work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of September 11th, 2001, it's important to note what changed with respect to federal power. The Patriot Act delivered a massive increase in federal police authority. Christopher J. Coyne comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are heavy handed tactics with respect to vaccines helpful to people not sure if they want to get a jab? Cato's Jeff Singer discusses the new polling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China's prohibition on crypto transactions shouldn't tell U.S. regulators to follow suit. George Selgin discusses U.S. regulators' concerns over stablecoins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden Administration wants to give indebted students a bailout, but aren't the bailouts already underway? Mike Riggs of Reason discusses the Bush-era law that holds big implications for student debt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the case for think tanks training candidates to challenge incumbents? Matt Paprocki of the Illinois Policy Institute makes the argument. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mustafa Akyol's new book is Why, As A Muslim, I Defend Liberty, available at Libertarianism.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mustafa Akyol's new book is Why, As A Muslim, I Defend Liberty, available at Libertarianism.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fights over housing in California and other states with high housing costs will spill over into other states with similar policies. The fights will continue for years to come. Timothy Lee of Full Stack Economics comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The problems faced by Illinois today will be faced by many other states down the road, and it threatens to bring states close to bankruptcy. Adam Schuster of the Illinois Policy Institute says pension reform needs to come sooner than later. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When members of a state-federal task force beat James King unconscious after mistaking him for someone else, he ultimately sued to hold them accountable. Even after the Supreme Court ruled on King’s case, the case continues. King and his attorney Patrick Jaicomo discuss the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States are moving forward with changes to how policing works with mixed results. Nick Freitas, a Republican delegate in the Virginia House, discusses the reform proposals his state is considering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New laws in California will start the process of allowing more housing development. Michael Tanner argues that it's probably not enough to relieve high housing costs for average Californians, but it's a great first step. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Biden wants to raise taxes on some, subsidize others, and snoop on everyone's bank accounts. What could go wrong? Chris Edwards explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden Administration plans to compel employers to compel employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get regular testing. How strong is the legal argument? Walter Olson explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rapid testing was supposed to be one of the key pillars of escaping this pandemic sooner than later. The FDA's processes didn't allow it. Scott Lincicome comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did states alter the landscape of policing and broader criminal justice issues in 2020? Robert Alt is president of the Buckeye Institute and author of a forthcoming report on state-level criminal justice trends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bradley Smith of the Institute for Free Speech details key takeaways from the Supreme Court's AFPF v. Bonta case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Muslims around the world soon felt targeted following September 11, 2001. Mustafa Akyol and Doug Bandow discuss the War on Terror's targets, and the impact on Muslims worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The attacks of September 11, 2001 provided cover for an unprecedented and largely ineffective surveillance apparatus that is broadly with us today. Patrick Eddington discusses how little we still know about how we're being watched. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maryland is experimenting with levying taxes on entities that engage in digital advertising in the state, and they will bring inevitable headaches and legal complications. Joe Bishop-Henchman with the National Taxpayers Union Foundation comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans can generally either cooperate or coerce to get what they want. Antony Davies is coauthor of Cooperation & Coercion: How Busybodies Became Busybullies and What that Means for Economics and Politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When states suspended regulations to better equip private actors for handling COVID-19, it raised an important question: Why did we have them to begin with? Sal Nuzzo of the James Madison Institute comments on some of the bright spots in healthcare during the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scandals in Kentucky police departments long precede the police killing of Breonna Taylor, the unarmed woman gunned down in her own apartment by police last year. So what policing reform did Kentucky do? Josh Crawford of Kentucky's Pegasus Institute says it was significant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People are regularly bombarded with ideas, and as they sort through these ideas, they pick and choose which to embrace and which to fear. John Muller is author of Public Opinion on War and Terror: Manipulated or Manipulating? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sahar Khan details the relationship between the Taliban and ISIS-K in Afghanistan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The regulatory environment and decades of less than adequate housing production has contributed to a dramatic rise in housing prices in California. Housing researcher Nolan Gray details how we got here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. departure from Afghanistan proceeds, but how much of the bloodshed and other bungling was avoidable? William Ruger was the Trump Administration nominee for Ambassador to Afghanistan and is a Cato Institute research fellow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We should admit to ourselves and each other that harm reduction will be a far less destructive strategy for dealing with COVID-19 than harsh lockdowns and other mandates. Jeff Singer is author of the new Cato paper on the subject. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sticking point over policing reform in Congress is qualified immunity, the court-invented doctrine that regularly lets cops off the hook when they violate Americans' rights. Cato’s Clark Neily and Jay Schweikert discuss the negotiations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the new book, Eyes to the Sky: Privacy and Commerce in the Age of the Drone, essayists detail both the promising and troubling potential uses of drone technology. Matthew Feeney is the book's editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The War on Terror was an ill-defined campaign that eroded the safeguards built into American institutions, enhanced execute power, and gave federal agencies license to engage in torture and other crimes. Spencer Ackerman is author of Reign of Terror. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social media companies have differing ideas about allowing the Taliban on their platforms. Will Duffield explains what social media means for the people and (new) government of Afghanistan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Taliban has taken over Afghanistan. Is there any reason to think their assurances to Afghans are worth anything? Mustafa Akyol comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The expanding influence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, a decade or more of American government lies about “progress” in the war, and a fast U.S. military exit contributed to the Taliban’s speedy takeover of the country. Justin Logan offers perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much of the election reform passed this year in states makes sense? Walter Olson disentangles some of the motivations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the immediate wake of U.S. departure from Afghanistan and the rapid collapse of the government there, the U.S. owes something to the people who helped sustain this ill-fated war. Alex Nowrasteh details some history and offers ideas for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture war battles, however seductive in the moment, are a distraction to the long-term fight for liberty, and broader perspective can help focus our attention. Wolf von Laer of Students for Liberty comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The attack on the Capitol in January was serious, but it's important not to overstate the size of the threat the groups involved pose. Abigail Hall comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creating new cities or countries on the ocean has long been just a dream. Is seasteading getting closer. Joe Quirk of the Seasteading Institute thinks so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next school year looks to be as uncertain or more uncertain than the last one. Kerry McDonald discusses what the pandemic has changed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louisiana regulators have sharply limited competition in special-needs childcare because, well, it would make their jobs more difficult if they allowed it. Anastasia Boden of the Pacific Legal Foundation says that's not a good enough reason. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Drug War marks its 50th year this year. That's five decades too long. Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey has a few ideas about how to jumpstart the process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.