Cato Podcast

SpendingTracker.org is a project aimed at giving citizens a clear idea about how much individual members of Congress vote to spend. Jonathan Bydlak of the Coalition to Reduce Spending discusses the project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feds often condition federal funds on state government behavior. But how much can the feds withhold if states don't play ball? That may be a critical question as President Trump seeks state help with his immigration plans. Josh Blackman comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What laws are enabling President Trump's stepped up immigration enforcement? Alex Nowrasteh explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do Islam and classical liberalism diverge? Can there be a reconciliation? Mustafa Akyol, author of Islam without Extremes, comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

H. L. Mencken's relationship with religion and religious people was complicated. D. G. Hart is author of Damning Words: The Life and Religious Times of H. L. Mencken. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Dunagan, a former DEA researcher and now with Law Enforcement Action Partnership, discusses the Obama record and Trump Administration plans with respect to the ongoing War on Drugs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Massive protests greeted Donald Trump upon his inauguration, but speaking out against the president will require a robust First Amendment. Will the American Left support it? Luke Wachob of the Center for Competitive Politics believes so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The departure of Michael Flynn from the Trump Administration reveals more than just the problems of poorly timed phone calls to foreign officials. Julian Sanchez comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stingrays trick your phone into giving data to the cops. Is that legal? Constitutional? Adam Bates comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do so-called "bottleneckers" restrict competition and harm the public? Dick Carpenter of the Institute for Justice discusses his new book, Bottleneckers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does Donald Trump mean for the broad libertarian movement? And why shouldn't we give credit to politicians when they do things we like? Anthony Comegna comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When President Trump this week suggested destroying the career of a state lawmaker in Texas, he put civil asset forfeiture in the spotlight like never before. Texas State Senator Konni Burton is that lawmaker. She wants civil forfeiture to end entirely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The delegation of trade authorities to the executive may end up allowing Donald Trump to instigate mischief in the trade realm. Dan Ikenson discusses a possible trade war with China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New agency guidelines for future financial regulation are spelled out in President Trump's recent executive order. Thaya Brook Knight comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a federal court considers the travel ban on people from several majority Muslim countries, how many people have been affected? The figures presented by the White House seem to be way off. Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whoever pays for it, President Trump's plans for a wall separating the U.S. from Mexico is fatally flawed on a number of fronts. Dan Griswold explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Gorsuch's own writings raise at least one concern about how he would perform on the Supreme Court. Ilya Somin comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do key members of the Trump Administration believe the Iran nuclear deal is so weak? How would other signatories to the deal respond to a U.S. withdrawal? John Glaser comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's pick for the Supreme Court, has much to recommend him to libertarians, according to Cato adjunct scholar Andrew Grossman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Federal appellate judge Neil Gorsuch is President Trump’s pick to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. What do we know about his judicial opinions and philosophy? Ilya Shapiro comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From where does the U.S. receive refugees and why does that matter? And why be optimistic about prospects for immigration reform? Tim Kane of the Hoover Institution comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the U.S. really need a military presence in dozens of countries around the globe? John Glaser comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How fair are the criticisms of Donald Trump's order on immigration from seven majority Muslim countries? But the order is probably still illegal. Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Generally speaking, there's nothing wrong with cities and states refusing to help enforce federal law. David Bier says the same is true for immigration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What should a Department of Education headed by a school choice advocate actually do? Neal McCluskey and Jason Bedrick comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Theresa May appears to work toward positioning Britain as a global hub for expanding trade, the U.S. turns inward. Tom Clougherty and Ryan Bourne comment on Brexit, the European Common Market, and Trumpian Protectionism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When India suddenly told citizens to swap out their old cash for new cash, the impact was devastating. Jim Dorn explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders have some strong parallels in their populism. John Samples comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barack Obama expressed concerns about "leaving a loaded weapon lying around" for future presidents to wield. And then he did exactly that. Gene Healy comments on the outgoing President’s aggrandizement of the Oval Office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do we know about the costs and benefits of the Obama foreign policy as his time in the White House comes to an end? Chris Preble comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A policy that gave Cubans help escaping Cuba has come to an end in President Obama's final days in office. Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 7,500 mile journey from China to London along the "new Silk Road" signals a new era of trade between those countries. U.S. officials should take the hint. Christine Guluzian comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world lost the great civil libertarian, journalist, and Cato scholar Nat Hentoff last week. Scott Bullock comments on his several legacies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The "border adjustment tax" may be a move to head off a possible trade war undertaken by President-elect Trump. Dan Ikenson and Dan Mitchell discuss the risks and opportunities of such a plan, and alternatives that should be on the table. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Without Congress, just what can a President do to disrupt trading relationships? How far can the President go toward raising the price of products that Americans want? Daniel J. Ikenson comments on executive power and international trade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes firms decide where to locate new production facilities? What is the role of the American tax and regulatory environments in attracting production facilities? Dan Pearson comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can the specter of a President-elect threatening companies with punitive taxes really make the U.S. a better place to invest? Simon Lester comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Wilbur Ross at Commerce, Peter Navarro at the new National Trade Council, and Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative, Donald Trump has assembled a team aimed at protecting U.S. industry from competition. Dan Ikenson and Dan Mitchell comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barack Obama will have served as President during eight continuous years of war. Ben Friedman comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Banning speech doesn't stop terrorism, and for some people such bans can make radical, disfavored ideologies more attractive. Flemming Rose comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President-elect Donald Trump makes many statements via social media and off-mic about America's plans for nuclear weapons, but it's not clear what they mean. Ben Friedman comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How states choose to comply with the Affordable Care Act can make a difference for taxpayers. Sal Nuzzo of the James Madison Institute makes his case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the constitutional issues raised when a government can put someone, even a registered sex offender, behind bars simply for making use of social media? David Post comments on the Packingham case that goes before the Supreme Court next year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does occupational licensing hamper ex cons who want to be productive members of society? Stephen A. Slivinski of Arizona State has some new research on the subject. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How customers get eyeglasses in South Carolina could be undergoing a big change, but not if the incumbent industry can help it. Robert McNamara of the Institute for Justice discusses the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should the Federal Reserve clear the way for competitive currencies? Jim Grant is publisher of Grant's Interest Rate Observer. We spoke during Cato's monetary conference in November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heather Ann Thompson discusses Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Opposition to liberty isn't always rooted in mere ignorance. It's often rooted in a school of thought that opposes liberty. Tom G. Palmer discusses the new thinkers who are working to make intolerance respectable again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Homesharing is facing increasing scrutiny from state and local governments. At the State Policy Network annual meeting, Christina Sandefur discusses the controversy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are public high schools so bad at preparing young people for so many real jobs in the private sector? Jim Stergios of the Pioneer Institute comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.