Cato Podcast

Whatever turns up in a planned audit for the Pentagon won't address a larger problem: The U.S. military does too much in too many places. Still, it’s a good idea. Chris Preble discusses what an audit might reveal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A ban on so-called "bump stocks" earned a surprise endorsement from some Republicans. As Congress considers a bump stock ban and the creation of state reciprocity of gun permits, Dave Kopel offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arguments are varied in the case of the Masterpiece Cakeshop baker who refused a commission from a gay couple. What did the oral argument reveal? Ilya Shapiro comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One casualty of tax reform may be the mandate that hides the costs of Obamacare. Michael F. Cannon discusses the change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Collins v. Virginia, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to reaffirm that your home is truly your castle. Jay Schweikert discusses the Cato Institute’s brief in the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is North Korea ready to talk? Is the United States? Cato Senior Fellow Doug Bandow comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to be a "cooperating witness" in an FBI investigation, especially one looking into potential collusion between a campaign and the Russian government? Michael Flynn is finding that out. Clark Neily comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the best way to handle the continuing attempts by foreign governments to destabilize American institutions with social media and mere advertising? Flemming Rose discusses the importance of not taking the wrong lessons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A year later, what does the Donald Trump foreign policy look like? Cato's Sahar Khan and John Glaser comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is less accountable than most federal agencies by design. That's in part why outgoing director Richard Cordray felt perfectly comfortable naming his own replacement. Thaya Brook Knight discusses the fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the American west, if you don't use your water rights, you can lose them. That's not a great plan for conserving water. Reed Watson of the Property and Environment Research Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is a subsidy to developers, and it's a credit that creates many opportunities for mischief. Chris Edwards and Vanessa Brown Calder discuss their new report on the subject. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Complying with Obamacare while innovating in health coverage is a difficult task, according Rea Hederman of the Buckeye Institute. We spoke at the State Policy Network annual meeting in San Antonio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did selective grants of corporate power culminate in a war on rent in New York in the 1830s and 1840s? Cato's Anthony Comegna explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Economist Charles Calomiris examines the relative strength of the Chinese economy in light of the country's economic slowdown, capital controls, and continued broad central planning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Occupational licensing represents a potentially serious impediment to economic progress, and yet eliminating licenses is a long, laborious process. Lisa Knepper and Jennifer McDonald of the Institute for Justice discuss their License to Work report. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bitcoin's turbulent times have been driven in part by technical considerations and government attempts to crack down on the cryptocurrency. Will Luther, a professor of economics at Kenyon College, comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do demographic trends interact with monetary policy? Would a change in the Fed's mandate change how the agency looks at demographics? Loretta J. Mester, President of the Cleveland Fed, comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Cordray will leave his post as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Does this mean the agency can finally be scrapped? Thaya Brook Knight comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are governments institutionally incapable of giving accurate nutrition advice? Cato Visiting Senior Fellow Dr. Terence Kealey is author of Breakfast is a Dangerous Meal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will elimination of education-related deductions and other tax changes affect higher education? Neal McCluskey comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Government control over air travel is still onerous, and that can limit both choice and the safety of travel. Gary Leff of the Mercatus Center and the blog View from the Wing discusses the latest fight over air travel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tate Lacey discusses the changes that are coming to the Federal Reserve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do education savings accounts (ESAs) work? Jonathan Butcher of the Goldwater Institute and the Heritage Foundation discussed their merits at the State Policy Network Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Kansas cut taxes and raised spending, state lawmakers make a serious (and obvious) error. Dave Trabert of the Kansas Policy Institute offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has alienated the leaders of many governments, but Saudi Arabia's leaders are not among them. Now, the Saudis are making radical changes in governance, economics, and traditions. Emma Ashford comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's too much money in politics, or so goes the chestnut. Economist Jeff Milyo offers some perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The data on misconduct and corruption among border patrol agents is especially murky, but we have some evidence available to us. Alex Nowrasteh is author of "Border Patrol Termination Rates," a new policy analysis from the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the long history of the ebb and flow of liberty, some examples stand out. Jim Otteson of Wake Forest University offered a few of those examples at Cato Club 200. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Hong Kong rise to prominence as a hub of global commerce? Neil Monnery is author of Architect of Prosperity: Sir John Cowperthwaite and the Making of Hong Kong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should you be subsidizing hikers and cyclists on public lands? Holly Fretwell of the Property and Environment Research Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conservatism has seen better days. Jeff Flake, Republican U.S. Senator from Arizona, discussed what he sees as problems in the conservative movement at Cato Club 200 in Laguna Beach, California. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Home health care workers in Pennsylvania are struggling to stay out of unions. David Osborne of the Fairness Center discusses his case to keep unions out of Pennsylvania homes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Treating guns like cars might not end up with the kind of regulation that gun prohibitionists want. But thinking about guns like we think about cars might get us to a more productive conversation. Trevor Burrus comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

European populism is on the march, but it's less clear how sustainable the various movements are. Alberto Mingardi of the Istituto Bruno Leoni provides some perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should commercial speech receive diminished First Amendment protection? Martin Redish of Northwestern Law School made his case at the Cato Institute's conference on the First Amendment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does Alexis de Tocqueville have to offer Americans today? James Poulos explains in his new book, The Art of Being Free: How Alexis de Tocqueville Can Save Us from Ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zoning mostly done at the local level, but should states take charge of the process in the name of economic efficiency? Emily Hamilton of the Mercatus Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do federal housing subsidies end up subsidizing restrictive zoning at the local level? And how does zoning drive housing costs? Vanessa Brown Calder examines the relationship in a new Cato Policy Analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the areas of agreement across the ideological spectrum when it comes to freedom of speech? Robert Bauer, White House counsel under Barack Obama, makes his case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world of endless distraction, it's easy to avoid conscious growth. And, in a world of endless distraction, it's more important than ever to control ourselves. At Cato’s 40th anniversary celebration, Charles Murray discussed the good life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2012 felt like a better year for individual rights on college campuses, according to Greg Lukianoff of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Then things got much, much worse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States need a comprehensive way to judge which occupational licenses are justified and which aren't. Jarrett Skorup of the Mackinac Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is the FBI involved in investigating college sports recruiting scandals? Ilya Shapiro comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last major tax reform was 30 years ago. How did it happen? Cato Institute Vice President John Samples comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drawing a legal line around what might constitute "extremist" speech for the purpose of regulation or prohibition is virtually impossible. The same goes for "fake news." Flemming Rose comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whatever you think of the Iran Nuclear Deal, the alternatives are worse. That’s according John Glaser and Emma Ashford, authors of the new Cato paper, "Unforced Error: The Risks of Confrontation with Iran." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How free should unions be to take fees from workers? When do those fees violate the First Amendment? Attorney Jacob Huebert discusses Janus v. AFSCME, which will soon go before the U.S. Supreme Court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Edwards discusses the tax plan now circulating in Congress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colin Grabow is author of "Responsible Stakeholders: Why the United States Should Welcome China’s Economic Leadership." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.