Cato Podcast

The Five Star Movement and Northern League have shaken the political establishment in Italy, and both groups make protection, cultural and economic, a key element of their platforms. Alberto Mingardi comments on the changes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum will punish American manufacturers and invite retaliation from trading partners. The national security rationale for the tariffs is also pretty flimsy. Dan Ikenson comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does the announcement of a new breed of Russian nuclear weapons alter the calculus for defending against the nuclear threat? Emma Ashford and Eric Gomez comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Courts are loathe to take cases that might alter or weaken qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that protects police from some of the consequences of serious misconduct. Why? William Baude of the University of Chicago Law School comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parents enmeshed in the child protective services system often are asked to prove a negative, that they've done nothing wrong, in order to get their children back. Dan Greenberg of Advance Arkansas Institute comments on recent legislative efforts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Qualified immunity" is a doctrine that protects police from misconduct that would send someone without a badge to jail. Clark Neily and Jay Schweikert discuss the controversy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When fans and detractors of cryptocurrencies talk, they need to understand the economic fundamentals behind what they're saying. Will Luther comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can the state ban you from wearing any political message at the polling place? Wen Fa is an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation. We discussed his case before the Supreme Court, Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trade plays a huge role in the wealth that Americans enjoy, so why has it been so controversial? Douglas A. Irwin is author of Clashing over Commerce: A History of U.S. Trade Policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The struggle over ideas needs people to tell stories to make real the costs and benefits of putting those ideas into practice. Bob Chitester of the Free to Choose Network has spent decades working on this broad project. We spoke this weekend in Chicago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court faces two cases of partisan gerrymandering this term. Why hasn't Congress dealt with this issue? Walter Olson comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You should be able to try any drug you want to save your own life. And doctors and drug companies should be allowed to converse honestly about potential drug benefits without the fear of jail. Christina Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do give our children the autonomy they deserve without fear? Lenore Skenazy has a few ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite some substantial plans to privatize some infrastructure and cut other needless federal spending, the infrastructure and other spending plans by Donald Trump and the GOP Congress are substantial budget busters. Chris Edwards comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intelligence experts have generally been skeptical of the conclusions of the "Nunes memo," but the fight over this document may do long-term damage to attempts to provide important oversight for the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Julian Sanchez comments.View full event Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's difficult to overestimate what Frederick Douglass overcame to become one of the greatest advocates for liberty in the 19th century. Timothy Sandefur is author of the new Cato book, Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can be done to counter public corruption? Frank Buckley is author of The Republic of Virtue: How We Tried to Ban Corruption, Failed, and What We Can Do about It. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it unconstitutional for defense counsel to concede the defendant's guilt over that defendant's express objection? In McCoy v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to affirm that a competent defendant may play an important role in his own defense strategy. Jay Schweikert comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politicians testing the credulity of Americans with outlandish statements is far from unprecedented. Anthony Comegna is editor of the new volume, Lives of the Necromancers by William Godwin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Obamacare lives. Sal Nuzzo of the James Madison Institute discusses what that means for states trying to make reforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The President's rhetoric and tone don't bode well for getting cooperation from Pakistan, even on shared goals. Sahar Khan comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Killing insurgents on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan seems to end up giving us more of them. Erik Goepner comments on how that math does and doesn't add up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would expanding low-yield nukes in our nuclear arsenal make us safer? Eric Gomez comments on the new nuclear posture review from the Pentagon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anti-immigration forces would like you to believe that immigrants pose an outsize risk with respect to terrorism. They don't. Alex Nowrasteh explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is imbued with vast powers, and evidence shows those powers are used without many of the checks that exist in other federal agencies. Alex Nowrasteh and Matthew Feeney comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The State of the Union is a tradition that probably ought to go, but this one had the big spending plans Americans have come to expect. Cato's John Glaser, Chris Edwards, and Neal McCluskey comment on the substantive policy proposals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Technology to intercept illegal immigrants can also be used to hassle American citizens. Much of the new technology doesn't work as well as advertised. Meanwhile, the logistical problems with building a massive border wall have barely begun. Matthew Feeney and David Bier comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A world where authorities no longer have to even ask for ID is a scary one, especially if you have no recourse in how that massive collection of data gets used. Jim Harper is author of "The New National ID Systems." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The draconian restrictions on legal immigrants proposed by the Trump White House would exclude nearly 22 million people from the opportunity to immigrate legally to the United States over the next five decades. David Bier comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're worried about crime, worry more about the criminality of your fellow Americans and less about the criminality of immigrants. Alex Nowrasteh discusses the data on immigrants and crime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why don't prosecutors and judges pay a price when the right to a speedy trial is violated? Clark Neily comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The Human Freedom Index” presents the state of human freedom in the world based on a broad measure that encompasses personal, civil, and economic freedom. It is co-published by the Cato Institute, the Fraser Institute, and the Liberales Institut at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Ian Vasquez is the report's co-author. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An as-yet-undisclosed memo circulating in the House of Representatives promises to challenge the credibility of some elements in the FBI, but if the claims it contains are substantial, it may pose challenges for the secretive FISA court. Julian Sanchez comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Without action by Congress, a whole class of copyrighted works will fall into the public domain next year. And yet, Big Content isn't fighting to stop it. Timothy B. Lee of Ars Technica discusses why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The renewable portfolio standard is meant to encourage the production of renewable energy in states. One side effect is higher energy costs for low-income people according to Dave Stevenson of the Cesar Rodney Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the impact of private schooling in countries' quality of public schooling? Corey DeAngelis is author of "The Public Benefit of Private Schooling." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With more discretion given to U.S. Attorneys to enforce federal marijuana laws, what effects will it have on states that have legalized? Trevor Burrus discussed various elements of cannabis prohibition on #CatoConnects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clearly understanding what’s driving the rise in drug overdoses is critical if we want to craft a credible policy response. Jeff Singer is author of the forthcoming Cato paper, "Abuse-Deterrent Opioids and the Law of Unintended Consequences." We spoke at the Cato Institute's State Health Policy Summit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do libertarians misunderstand the opponents of free speech on campus? Wolf von Laer is President of Students for Liberty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do state legislatures obfuscate, trick, and leave the public in the dark? Jack McHugh watches state legislatures for the Mackinac Center. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What role did governments play in the segregating of America? Richard Rothstein describes the explicit policies that separated black and white America in The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As cryptocurrencies hit new highs, is federal regulation far behind? And if it is, can regulators really do anything to crack down on these decentralized networks? Jerry Brito of Coin Center offers an analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republicans' desire to cut spending is sharp as a knife when they're in the minority. But facts don't do what they want them to now that the GOP runs Congress. Jonathan Bydlak of the Coalition to Reduce Spending discusses prime spending cuts their prospects in 2018. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States attempting to grapple with the costs of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act may welcome new changes to Medicaid. Rea Hederman of the Buckeye Institute offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the end of "temporary protected status" for Salvadoran refugees mean for those families? Are they of any particular risk to Americans? Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A notorious outlaw industrial-scale marijuana farmer is about to get a fairly light sentence for his activities as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions shows himself to be a somewhat toothless pot warrior. Jim Higdon is author of The Cornbread Mafia. He discusses the numerous signs pointing to the approaching end of marijuana prohibition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Reserve policymaking body will change considerably this year. Tate Lacey comments on what that means and what it should mean for the unwinding of the Fed balance sheet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can the public send a clear message to police that they, and not malicious tipsters, are ultimately responsible when cops kill innocent people? Clark Neily comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As world leaders debate the relative size of their red buttons, what role should the U.S. play in skirmishes around the globe? Christopher A. Preble comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tax reform is done. But without any Democratic support, bipartisan spending cuts may be a bridge too far. Chris Edwards says there are many spending cuts that could get bipartisan support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.