Cato Podcast

When groups have to decide, scale matters. Leda Cosmides comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The people who have written off Africa as a "hopeless continent" should take another look. Marian Tupy comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The big government shift into allocating capital has made many problems worse. Ike Brannon comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How likely are you to be killed by a foreign-born terrorist inside the United States? The odds are vanishingly small. Alex Nowrasteh discusses the data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renters in Seattle are learning that the low-cost tiny apartments they'd like to occupy are being zoned out of existence. Vanessa Brown Calder comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Electoral College is meant to provide a check on mob rule. So what's a faithful elector to do in 2016? Andrew M. Grossman comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Being responsible for your own happiness is an opportunity, not a burden. Tom G. Palmer is editor of the new book, Self-Control or State Control? You Decide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The benefits of trade may be all around us, but that doesn't mean we're naturally supportive of it. Dan Pearson explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How has welfare reform impacted the fates of immigrants to the United States? David Bier parses the data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a political season featuring divisive candidates, Paul Ryan has spent an inordinate amount of time promoting his own sketched out plans for reforming programs aimed at alleviating poverty. Michael Tanner comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump's photo-op in Mexico has done nothing to obscure his insistence on both building a wall at the southern border and deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. Alex Nowrasteh comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alabama requires both registration and an ethics course for anyone deemed a "lobbyist" by the state. Paul Sherman of the Institute for Justice is challenging the requirement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baltimore police have engaged in large-scale surveillance without any authorization. The implications for policing are troubling. Jim Harper comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How has the role of the jury been diminished in American courts? Suja A. Thomas is author of The Missing American Jury. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How have the Nordic states fared compared to the glowing endorsements from the likes of Bernie Sanders? Nima Sanandaji is author of Debunking Utopia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How has the view of the United States as an "umpire" served U.S. foreign policy? Elizabeth Cobbs is author of American Umpire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canada's program to allow private individuals and group to sponsor the resettlement of refugees should be a model for the U.S. So says Cato policy analyst David Bier. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Major insurers have exited or curtailed their involvement in Affordable Care Act "exchanges," leaving many Americans with zero exchange-based health coverage options. Michael Cannon comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been two decades since Bill Clinton signed a large welfare reform act into law. How has it fared? And how should we think about welfare reform in the future? Michael D. Tanner comments at the Cato Institute's conference on welfare reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert McDonald discusses the polarizing figure of Thomas Jefferson at Cato University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taking Donald Trump at his word on policy matters is a tricky endeavor. Ben Friedman parses the Republican nominee's latest speech on fighting terrorism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The little-understood U.S. intervention in Somalia has delivered tragic results. Bronwyn Bruton of the Atlantic Council comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It appears a group of hackers stole NSA's own malware and now are offering the tools for auction. Julian Sanchez comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Obama Administration's DEA has reaffirmed that it will not reschedule marijuana from the most restrictive category of controlled substances. Adam Bates comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do the elections and political party crackups have to tell us about the strange election year of 2016? Anthony Comegna comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump economic plan contains tax cuts, but virtually no engagement with the larger problem of excessive federal spending. Michael Tanner comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Bates discusses President Obama's record on pardons and commutations in his final year in office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hillary Clinton's long history as an advocate for war is hard to overstate. Christopher A. Preble comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Conyers discusses her coauthored book, The Human Cost of Welfare: How the System Hurts the People It's Supposed to Help. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rise of Donald Trump has clearly signaled the disconnect between voters and the GOP. Ben Domenech says a realignment of the parties may be well underway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many past presidents have been outright opponents of government-supported science. Terence Kealey walks through the history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A proposed return to Glass-Steagall financial regulation is now a part of both GOP and Democratic platforms. How did that happen? Would it prevent another financial crisis? Mark Calabria comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What factors have led Haiti, once the world's leading coffee producer, to tumble into subsistence-level farming? And why does that industry repeatedly fail to return? Tate Watkins, author of Haitian Coffee Grows on Trees, discusses his work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few states with demographic issues might be the next ones to end the dreaded income tax. Stephen Slivinski of Arizona State University predicts at least one state will soon end the personal income tax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do the elections involving Thomas Jefferson have to tell us about the political culture of today? Robert McDonald, author of Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson's Image in His Own Time, offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hillary Clinton's public lionizing of entrepreneurs appears to stand at odds with various policies she'd like to see adopted. Jared Meyer of the Manhattan Institute says the sharing economy stands to lose a great deal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a one-way street when environmentalists sue the federal government. When the groups sue and win, they often get their legal fees covered. Holly Fretwell of the Property and Environment Research Center comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bitcoin revolution hasn't quite delivered as promised, but the underlying technology may be far more revolutionary. Don and Alex Tapscott, authors of Blockchain Revolution, comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fight over climate change has focused primarily on mitigating emissions. Professor Matthew E. Kahn of USC argues that changes in the urban landscape has much to teach us about so-called adaptation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The shooter in Dallas who killed several police officers was ultimately taken out with a robot and explosives. What can be done to assure that use of technology remains a last resort? Matthew Feeney comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Our Foreign Policy Choices: Rethinking America's Global Role" details key lessons from the last two decades of American-led warfare. Christopher A. Preble puts those lessons in the context of our current election season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does U.S. militarism compromise NATO obligations? A. Trevor Thrall talks about the recent coup attempt in Turkey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How have Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump tried to take advantage of changing views on immigration? Alex Nowrasteh and David Bier comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How have Americans changed their thinking on crime and punishment? Derek Cohen of the Texas Public Policy Foundation comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congressional Budget Office numbers about the future of debt and deficits should be taken with more than a grain of salt. Dan Mitchell explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Krist Novoselić is chairman of Fairvote.org. In his assessment of reforms to make changes to elections in the United States, he ranks overturning Citizens United at the bottom and argues that groups have free speech rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New British PM Theresa May doesn't have a record that should encourage people who support free markets and relatively free migration. Tom Clougherty comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Market pricing of on-street parking could save commuters time and energy, but locals don't like it. Ike Brannon comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hillary Clinton has added more goodies to her plans for free college for young people. Neal McCluskey discusses some of the problems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Body camera footage and witness recordings help investigators after police-initiated killings. In the case of Alton Sterling, killed by Baton Rouge police this week, will investigators ask the right questions? Matthew Feeney comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.