Cato Podcast

It's not even clear that "Medicare for Some" is a good idea, let alone "Medicare for All.” Michael F. Cannon comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cost to public safety of reducing spending on criminal justice programs can be effectively zero. That's according to Sal Nuzzo of the James Madison Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 16 years of war, it's time to reckon with the less-appreciated anniversary of September 14, 2001, when Congress gave the President a relatively open-ended power to make war. Gene Healy explains why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is heavy-handed punishment a particularly good way to handle the opioid crisis? I spoke with Greg Newburn of Families Against Mandatory Minimums at the State Policy Network Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The naming of national monuments creates a few underappreciated problems. Hannah Downey of the Property and Environment Research Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Utah has removed many of the pointless licensing requirements for businesses operated by minors. Connor Boyack of the Libertas Institute discusses the importance of giving kids a taste of truly free enterprise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is there so little rent seeking? Is rent seeking itself still misunderstood? Matthew Mitchell of the Mercatus Center discussed the issue at FEECon in June. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley’s public pitch explaining the problems of the Iran nuclear deal spent precious little energy discussing what happens if the U.S. exits the deal. Emma Ashford evaluates the arguments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The White House will end President Obama's Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA), but Jeff Sessions' defense of ending DACA on policy grounds misunderstands immigration almost entirely. Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Choosing the size of the national debt is a fight worth having. So why doesn't anyone want to have it? Michael Tanner comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ilan Wurman is author of A Debt against the Living. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court has an opportunity to change how governments may track Americans. Jim Harper comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Obama White House narrowed the scope of military gear that could be distributed to local police forces. The Trump White House has undone those small restrictions. Clark Neily and Adam Bates discuss the change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the U.S. gain by risking war in the South China Sea? Not much, according to "A Balanced Threat Assessment of China’s South China Sea Policy," a new Cato Institute paper. John Glaser and Eric Gomez comment on the dispute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marijuana is legal to consume in a handful of states. So why is researching marijuana virtually impossible? Trevor Burrus discusses the federal role in prohibiting pot research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we tolerate intolerance? Jason Kuznicki comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should monuments to the Confederacy be removed or merely reframed? And where should that line of thinking stop? Walter Olson offers a few ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Afghanistan strategy laid out by Donald Trump looks a lot like one that previous battlefield commanders have suggested is sorely wanting. Trevor Thrall and Erik Goepner comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The successes of protectionism are grossly exaggerated. Scott Lincicome discusses his new paper, "Doomed to Repeat It: The Long History of America’s Protectionist Failures." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A full-throated rejection of Nazism in its various forms doesn't compel anyone to ally with the strongly anti-liberal elements of the Antifa movement. Daniel McCarthy of The American Conservative discusses the sad events in Charlottesville. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China has presented to the U.S. and North Korea its perceived commitments if the two countries decide to tangle. Chris Preble comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What powers are granted to the President to make war? What are the costs and benefits of constraining it further? Gene Healy comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new attack on school choice appears to be claiming that proponents are bigoted in some way, or at least the roots of school choice arose from racist impulses. Neal McCluskey evaluates the bold claim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since he started his bid for office, President Donald Trump has been a forceful detractor of the Iran nuclear deal, repeatedly vowing to dismantle it. But the nuclear deal affords the United States a number of opportunities. Ariane Tabatabai is author of "Preserving the Iran Nuclear Deal: Perils and Prospects." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chicago is suing the federal government over the withholding of funds if the city doesn't obey federal dictates on immigration. Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the emerging threats to the rights enshrined by the First Amendment? Floyd Abrams' new book is The Soul of the First Amendment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 287(g) program allows local cops to become deputy federal law enforcers for immigration and the Trump Administration is working to expand it. The program's effectiveness so far is less than stellar. Matthew Feeney comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The flawed E-Verify program is voluntary so far, but making the program mandatory would balloon the technical errors and due process problems while threatening to throw millions of Americans out of work. David Bier makes the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some misconceptions persist around opioids, addiction, and chemical dependence. Jeffrey Singer comments on the opioid crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Applied Mainline Economics, authors Peter J. Boettke and Matthew D. Mitchell provide some thoughts of particular use to the young economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why didn't Nancy MacLean speak with the scholars most familiar with the work of Nobel laureate James Buchanan when she wrote Democracy in Chains? Steve Horwitz comments on what he sees as errors in the book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A federal court has thrown out a District of Columbia requirement for carrying a gun. What does that mean for the rights of District residents going forward? Alan Gura comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The economic recovery is now showing up in state budgets, but massive threats still loom for state budgets. Chief among those threats is the pressure of state pensions. Eileen Norcross of the Mercatus Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit is supposed to help low-income people secure housing, so why give the benefits directly to developers? Vanessa Brown Calder explains why it should go away. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should the U.S. respond to the arrival of true dictatorship in Venezuela? Juan Carlos Hidalgo comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regulators sometimes have a hard time keeping up with innovation, and that poses problems for consumers and the broader public. Virginia Postrel of Bloomberg comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Amazon a monopoly? And if so, should regulators begin the process of separating the massive retailer's operations? Walter Olson comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can we end the federal government's warrantless snooping on Americans? Senators Ron Wyden and Rand Paul talk to Cato's Patrick Eddington. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A member of the U.S. House wants to have the President's head examined. It's far from an ideal response to an erratic chief executive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Impeachment isn't a dirty word. Gene Healy explains why Congress should consider it more often. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Attorney General has expanded the abuse of due process known as civil forfeiture. Clark Neily explains how the process harms low income and disenfranchised people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who inspired the young James Buchanan decades before he received a Nobel Prize? Nancy MacLean presents a few ideas in her book, Democracy in Chains. Economic historian Phil Magness believes her bold claims need some scrutiny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The costs and benefits of regulations need more scrutiny and lawmakers should understand clearly that regulations aren't costless. Thaya Brook Knight comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The biggest reason to privatize much of the federal government is that the feds just don't manage those resources very well. Chris Edwards makes the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Federal flood insurance is effectively a subsidy to wealthy coastal homeowners. Ike Brannon believes it should be scrapped. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The drug MDMA - also known as ecstasy - is now entering Phase III trials as part of the FDA approval process for use as a treatment. How did we get here? Mike Riggs of Reason tells the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prohibition-related drug violence in Mexico may be fueling a growing populism. Ian Vasquez comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Senate's new measure aimed at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act still has deep flaws. Michael Cannon makes the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An emerging trade agreement between the European Union and Japan shows that Donald Trump's pronouncements on trade won't stop the rest of the world from lowering trade barriers. Simon Lester explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How important is Henry David Thoreau as a libertarian? And how important is he in American history? Anthony Comegna comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.