Cato Podcast

The so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs use emergency powers from a statute that makes no mention of tariffs. Ilya Somin explains why that's one reason the tariffs are on shaky legal/constitutional ground and why a new lawsuit is challenging them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Federal withholding may among the most insidious of government policies. It hides the full scale of what government takes from us, and makes you feel like you're getting a bonus when you get your own money back. Cato’s Adam Michel makes the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cato's Adam Michel ran a bracket of the worst offenders among "tax expenditures," or special benefits for some taxpayers. Turns out people like their own tax benefits and dislike the ones that benefit someone else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The case for tariffs hinges critically on a misunderstanding of the relevant data. Contrary to the claims from the President and Vice President, free trade has substantially enriched most Americans. Cato's Norbert Michel counters the false rhetoric. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arguments for tariffs lack the kind of useful perspective provided by a basic economics course. Cato's Colin Grabow picks them apart. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The tariff policies dubiously adopted by President Trump have echoes of previous authoritarian governments. Ian Vasquez explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are several errors, misconceptions, and confusing assumptions that went into the creation of Donald Trump's new wealth-destroying tariff regime. Scott Lincicome explains a few of them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Reserve can blunt the impact of a good deal of politically driven economic mischief. What about the new punitive tariff regime from the President? Jai Kedia suggests that you not get your hopes up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With respect to the substantial federal power to repress and surveil Americans, how did we get here? Patrick Eddington provides the first part of the story in The Triumph of Fear: Domestic Surveillance and Political Repression from McKinley Through Eisenhower. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big energy facilities make the grid more stable, but rooftop solar reduces the need for those plants. Regulators have a hard time negotiating the tension. Economist Lynne Kiesling comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History can be a weapon. Obscuring inconvenient history can be a weapon. And Left and Right are both guilty of it. Phil Magness provides some helpful examples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's become easier to hate those with whom we disagree on matters of policy and politics, and our ideological tribes insulate us from thoughtful challenge. Andrew Heaton hopes to help you navigate a coarsening culture with his book, Tribalism is Dumb. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Government-administered aid to the poor is routinely wasted. Many well-intended charitable programs undermine self-determination and fail to restore dignity. James Whitford discusses a new way to think about poverty and its alleviation in The Crisis of Dependency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Several states have recently moved ahead with recognizing occupational licenses issued elsewhere. Ed Timmons explains what it means for employment, worker mobility, and consumer welfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ending the US Department of Education is an important policy goal that appears closer than ever, and it should occur both within the bounds of the US Constitution and as soon as possible. Tommy Berry and Neal McCluskey comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A late change by President Biden in how alcohol is treated in dietary guidance will mean more finger wagging from health officials. The change highlights the problem of government health advice. Eric Boehm of Reason and Cato's Jeff Singer comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Under the guise of targeting illegal immigration, the Trump administration is moving to curtail Americans' financial privacy even further. Nick Anthony explains how. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They’re not real courtrooms, of course, but administrative courts are being used in the context of immigration. What is their role in adjudicating immigration issues? David Bier and Will Yeatman comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pharmacists regularly help patients navigate both prescriptions and physicians’ advice, but they can do more. A few states have begun to recognize their capabilities that have otherwise largely gone untapped. Alicia Plemmons of the Knee Regulatory Research Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to whisk alleged gang members to an El Salvador prison should not be allowed to stand for a variety of reasons. Ilya Somin explains why it might put Americans at risk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The federal government’s security resources should be allocated to the most efficient means of reducing the costs of terrorism. Alex Nowrasteh details a new paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump has issued executive orders targeting law firms that have represented his opponents in court. It strikes at the heart of several constitutional protections. Walter Olson and Mike Fox comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump tariffs are bad enough, but the uncertainty surrounding trade policy is making everything much worse. Scott Lincicome explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legislative attempts to compel price transparency from health care providers ignores an important factor: Price transparency emerges naturally from well-functioning markets. Michael Cannon explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump created a "faith office" to protect religious liberty and a DOJ task force to combat anti-Christian discrimination, but his immigration policy leaves foreign Christians facing persecution without a way to escape to the US. David Bier explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a prisoner accuses a prison official of sexual abuse, what do courts owe him? In Perttu v. Richards, the Supreme Court will weigh in. Cato's Mike Fox comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Inflation Reduction Act didn't do much to stem inflation, but it did commit taxpayers to decades of special handouts for preferred technologies. Cato's Travis Fisher and Joshua Loucks discuss their new paper describing the budgetary impact. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Capping credit card interest would punish less creditworthy people and breed new life into the ranks of more unsavory lenders. Nick Anthony and Norbert Michel comment on the new proposal from Senators Sanders and Hawley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The tariff policies preferred by President Trump will be a "disaster" for the United States according to Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. We discussed trade, tariffs, and his hope to make spending cuts identified by DOGE permanent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The feds spend too much. It doesn't appear the Republican-controlled U.S. House is doing much about it. Romina Boccia explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Europe, Vice President J.D. Vance issued speech-threatening and trade-restricting demands for future American AI systems. Matt Mittlesteadt comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Corporate welfare” programs burden taxpayers and undermine economic growth. Chris Edwards has identified $181-billion in these useless subsidies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Trade Commission appears to be preparing multiple lines of attack against the autonomy of big tech firms in the name of cracking down on content moderation. Why? David Inserra and Jenniffer Huddleston comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The House Un-American Activities Committee marks a dark chapter for Congress. In targeting some advocacy groups for scrutiny, is HUAC making a comeback? Patrick Eddington comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Modern Libertarianism, the new book from Libertarianism.org, Brian Doherty details the people and groups that defined libertarian thinking and advocacy in the 20th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The popular narrative that American workers' job prospects improve when illegal immigrants are deported deserves more scrutiny. Scott Lincicome explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When police lean on medical professionals to violate their oaths, there is good news about how seriously those professionals take that pledge. Jeff Singer and Mike Fox comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are many examples of governments using racial categories in nefarious ways, and the upside for cataloging people by race seems vanishingly small. Cato's John Early explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Eddington details some of the missed opportunities and looming issues relating to President Trump's executive order on firearms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The feds want millions of businesses and other corporations to turn over sensitive information so they can snoop for evidence of crimes. It’s an affront to financial privacy, anonymous association, and other liberties. The requirement is laid out in the Corporate Transparency Act, now the subject of litgation at the Fifth Circuit. Caleb Kruckenberg represents the Texas Top Cop Shop and others in the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawmakers wouldn't truly change current federal fentanyl policy with the HALT Fentanyl Act; they'd simply continue a framework that has failed over the past seven years to stop sellers of illicit fentanyl from meeting market demand. Jeff Singer explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Immigrants consumed 21 percent less welfare and entitlement benefits than native-born Americans on a per capita basis in 2022. Alex Nowrasteh explains why in a new paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Department of Government Efficency, such as it is, can't really do much to cut government without Congressional approval. Gene Healy discusses what a more serious approach to spending and regulatory reform will have to entail.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some of what is implicated by President Trump's executive orders in the realm of education simply can't happen without Congress. Neal McCluskey breaks down what's in them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's hard to function without a bank account, which is why "debanking" disfavored people and groups works so well. Nicholas Anthony explains how the feds encourage it, and how it can be used to punish ideological opponents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The long and winding supply chains inherent in auto manufacturing face signifcant threats from presidentially imposed tariffs. Reporter Christopher Otts at The Wall Street Journal discusses the impact on car prices and manufacturers decisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American housing crunch demands some state-level legislative reform. Christian Britschgi of Reason identifies a few bright spots in state efforts to get government out of the way of housing creation.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even the credible threat of a tariff can make businesses rethink their currently profitable trading relationships. Brian Albrecht of the International Center for Law & Economics evaluates the current tariff threats and how it may impact business decisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The difference between prostitution and sex trafficking should be clear, but thinking among law enforcement and lawmakers seems to blur the distinction at every turn. Elizabeth Nolan Brown of Reason details the implications of Commonwealth v. Garafalo, a case in Massachusetts that may ultimately define all sex work as sex trafficking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The EPA routinely uses punitive regulation on local water systems, and the costs are sometimes crippling for local governments. The benefits are less than clear. The Manhattan Institute's Judge Glock makes a case for ending federal control over municipal water systems just as a new fight over water fluoridation is set to emerge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.