Cato Podcast

Governments have roles to play in a pandemic. But the roles that governments choose to play often turn out to fail or make matters worse. Tom Firey details his new Cato paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Supreme Court justices receive the new case against Obamacare? Ilya Shapiro and Michael Cannon discuss the oral argument. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Qualified immunity, the court invented doctrine that protects public officials from civil liability even in cases of egregious conduct, took a small hit at the Supreme Court recently. Jay Schweikert explains what it might mean long term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do we really know anything more about voters than we did before Election Day this year? Why were polls again so bad at clearly predicting results? Emily Ekins explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The housecleaning at the top ranks of the Pentagon could have concerning implications, but it’s perhaps good news that we still don’t seem to know exactly why it happened. John Glaser and Eric Gomez comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pfizer is among the leaders in the development of a vaccine or COVID-19, but it did so without subsidy from the U.S. government. Terence Kealey describes why that matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Partisan alignment over trade has become scrambled in the Trump years. Does a Biden Administration hold promise for enhancing free trade? Simon Lester and Dan Ikenson offer their assessments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The news of this election and who controls what levers of federal power is a mixed bag, but divided government might be one bright spot for libertarians. Political strategist Liz Mair makes her case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In close races, any Libertarian candidate attracting enough votes can get tagged as a "spoiler." It's not clear that's what happened in 2020's race for the White House. David Boaz explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should the Postal Service hold your bank accounts? Should the Postal Service extend credit to Americans? You’ll be hearing more about this ideas soon enough. Diego Zuluaga explains the flaws in postal banking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Voters in various states chose to legalize drugs, nullify labor regulations, and turn away tax hikes at the ballot box. Walter Olson details some of the initiatives on state ballots in 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The race for the White House is very close. What would this fight look like in courts? Ilya Shapiro comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some people claim the Electoral College, the method by which Americans choose a President, has racist origins, that it protects rural states at the expense of big cities, and that the institution should be replaced by a national popular vote. John Samples discusses the claims. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the substance of the antitrust case against Google? Geoffrey Manne of the International Center for Law & Economics evaluates the claims. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The answers Joe Biden and Kamala Harris gave to a longstanding survey on executive power are less than promising for separation of powers. Gene Healy explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you like it or not, Donald Trump has has broad success at limiting immigration flows into the United States. In doing so, economic costs are likely to follow. David Bier comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The killing of a schoolteacher in France over the display of images of Muhammad has inspired outrage, but France's official response to it may ultimately fail to achieve its goal. Mustafa Akyol comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has France reacted appropriately to attacks that included the beheading of a schoolteacher over a kind of blasphemy? What are the implications for free expression there? Flemming Rose comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Data from Texas shows that illegal immigrants tend to commit crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans. Alex Nowrasteh explains why puncturing the myth of immigrant crime is so important. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The assumptions underlying Biden campaign's tax and spending plans give us a false picture of what those policies would mean for the economy. Chris Edwards explains why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean for politicians to follow the science when scientists disagree and the policy outcomes might give us unintended consequences? Jeff Singer comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regular folks don't have access to a vast array of investments, and that's because of Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Why is that? Jennifer Schulp explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helicopter money – money dropped on various recipients by the Federal Reserve with no expectation of repayment – sounds like a great way to lever-up the economy. Is it? George Selgin details his new Pandemics and Policy essay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A podcast aims to detail the changes brought by gentrification to one school and leaves many critical questions unasked. Robert Pondiscio of the Fordham Foundation offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A looming Department of Homeland Security rule would require collection of biometric information on not just immigrants, but related Americans. Patrick Eddington and Matthew Feeney say the rule has massive civil liberties implications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conspiratorial thinking has a long history in American politics. And yet, it’s tempting to think about our current moment as a golden age of conspiratorial thinking. Jesse Walker of Reason magazine traces the history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Countries across the globe are working toward the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. How might the late protectionism of the United States affect that effort? Scott Lincicome comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can we infer from the new weaponry unveiled by North Korea? Eric Gomez and Doug Bandow describe how the U.S., South Korea, and China ought to respond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As she endures questions in the Senate, there isn't much we can say with confidence about Amy Coney Barrett's general view of the legitimacy of the administrative state. Will Yeatman comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States seems unprepared for a wide variety of ways in which elections might be disrupted. One saving grace, says Brandon Valeriano, is the distributed nature of American elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The judicial doctrine known as qualified immunity is being misrepresented by law enforcement advocates. The only remaining question is whether those advocates understand the doctrine at all. Jay Schweikert details the errors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When should you be able to play a decisive role in your own medical treatment? Pretty much all the time, according to Cato's Jeff Singer. He argues that the FDA should get out of the way of those who want to make decisions about their own treatments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some comments by Justice Clarence Thomas made in an opinion earlier this week appear to some to indicate a desire to overturn the Obergefell decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Walter Olson discusses the fear and its basis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Singer's Pandemics and Policy essay details the combination of officious health care regulation and viral pandemic that have worsened economic and health outcomes for those affected. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes it relatively easy for New Hampshire to maintain low taxes and spending? New Hampshire's Republican Governor Chris Sununu has a few ideas. Sununu received an "A" on Cato's new Fiscal Policy Report Card for Governors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Science is great, but scientific determinations do not and should not dictate all behavior. Peter VanDoren discusses some of the limits of science in his new Pandemics and Policy essay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fifty years ago, Milton Friedman used the pages of The New York Times Magazine to suggest that businesses should focus solely on profits. The magazine revisited his claims. Diego Zuluaga sticks up for Milton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do we need to know now about nuclear weapons policy? Cato's Eric Gomez wrote the lead essay for this month's edition of Cato Unbound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would a Justice Amy Coney Barrett hold government officials to high standards? With whom is she most aligned on the High Court? Andrew Grossman explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Amy Coney Barrett's writings and judicial opinions tell us about her judicial philosophy? Casey Mattox, Vice President for Legal & Judicial Strategy and Americans for Prosperity gives his take. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the fight over bringing Julian Assange to the U.S. to face espionage charges mean for press freedom? J.D. Tuccille of Reason Magazine comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many critical supply chains have suffered during the pandemic, which means everyone along those supply chains has also suffered. Dan Ikenson details how to make sure trade isn't a casualty of this pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pandemic has left millions of Americans poorer. How can the economic recovery best benefit those most harmed economically? Michael Tanner contributed an essay to Cato's new Pandemics and Policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of three Louisville police officers involved in the raid on Breonna Taylor's home has been charged with crimes. The charges are for behavior not strictly related to Taylor's death. Clark Neily discusses what it should mean for police reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, yet another bitter and contentious Supreme Court nomination battle has begun. Ilya Shapiro, author of Supreme Disorder, comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cato adjunct scholar David Post clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg twice. He offers some of his remembrances. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One way to prevent misconduct is to price misconduct-prone police out of that line of work. Alessandra Biaggi, a Democratic State Senator in New York. says requiring cops to carry liability coverage is a good idea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Orders governing individual behavior during this pandemic have been, to say the least, inconsistent and have often violated individual rights. Ilya Shapiro discusses his essay in Pandemics and Policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For students and parents hoping to return to a normal schooling environment, state lawmakers should be providing as much flexibility in the meantime as possible. Neal McCluskey discusses his recommendations from his Pandemics and Policy essay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Contact tracing was among the many solutions presented to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Many problems with the plans rolled out by states emerged almost immediately. Julian Sanchez and Matthew Feeney discuss their chapter in the new Pandemics and Policy report. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.