Cato Podcast

Giving parents a wider variety of choices for their own kids means disrupting existing institutional power. But does enhancing parental choice in education "blow a hole" in state budgets? Cato’s Neal McCluskey evaluates the case of Arizona. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New polling from the Cato Institute asks Americans to weigh their preferences for Buy American policies against the very real likelihood that protectionism will hit them in their pocketbooks. Scott Lincicome and Emily Ekins detail the results. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a monopoly depends on who you ask and what’s being monopolized. In the case of Google, it's a narrow focus on one element of its business: search. Jennifer Huddleston details how a court concluded that Google, despite its many competitors, is still a search monopolist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How have candidates navigated the thorny politics of cryptocurrency? Nicholas Anthony discusses how crypto crept into the 2024 election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Public support for fostering robust legal immigration has taken a dramatic negative turn. What's likely under a Trump or Harris administration on immigration? David Bier comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does a former U.S. Senator from the Bay Area have more than the usual sympathy for tech firms fearing the heavy hand of federal regulators? Cato's Jennifer Huddleston evaluates candidates Trump and Harris on tech policy and regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many states declared states of emergency during the recent pandemic, and those declarations conferred fresh powers to the executive branch. What do those powers do in terms of saving lives? Christian Bjørnskov is coauthor of State of Emergency: An Economic Analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Project 2025 has effectively become an epithet for many Democrats. The project was aimed at providing the next administration with a roadmap for reform in a wide variety of areas, some more controversial than others. Neal McCluskey offers a couple cheers aimed at the education portion of the document. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When parents have choices to make in education, it's an opportunity for parents to engage with what schools are offering. Colleen Hroncich and Jamie Buckland detail how states should proceed with helping those parents navigate the new landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Large increases in home prices mean both home appreciation and closing off housing options for would-be buyers. Housing researcher Nolan Gray discusses a range of federal options for removing some state and local regulatory barriers to new housing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris will make a full-throated defense of the freedom to trade, and both would use trade restrictions to score points or compel Americans' behavior. Scott Lincicome discusses their policy preferences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is no small matter to attempt to hide a physical or mental infirmity in the President of the United States. The ramifications could be severe. Walter Olson discusses considerations in any attempt to insert some transparency into what the public and Congress should know about the chief executive’s wellbeing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cato's Travis Fisher walks us through the record and pronouncements of candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on critical energy issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republicans seem so concerned about Joe Biden's departure from the presidential race that some groups have threatened litigation over any Biden replacement on Americans' ballots. Walter Olson comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why have five or more children? Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth by Catherine Pakaluk details the stories and reasoning of dozens of women who have gone well beyond replacement-level fertility. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump's running mate this time around is a consistent opponent of immigration and doesn't draw the typical – and reasonable - distinctions between legal and illegal immigrants. David Bier comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Protectionism is frequently justified on national security grounds, but there are strong reasons to liberalize trade in the name of American security, as well. Colin Grabow explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The One Weird Trick of public health advocacy seems to be to define as much as possible as a public health concern to justify massive intervention into the lives of Americans. Jeff Singer explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Americans have access to either medical or recreational cannabis, but prohibition at the federal level persists, and that prohibition keeps in place at least two big problems. Paul Best explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Inserra says looming regulation of artificial intelligence has huge implications for the future of free expression. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fiscal picture for the federal government is increasingly dire. Social Security’s worsening finances figure prominently in that story. Cato's Romina Boccia and Brian Riedl of the Manhattan Institute tell the tale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The federal government has its own problematic junk fees, according to Cato's Nick Anthony. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's hard to get a handle on the breadth of protections handed to current and future presidents in Trump v. United States. Cato's Walter Olson says much of the immunity from prosecution handed to these heads of state is wholly invented by SCOTUS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

State laws seeking to compel social media companies to allow certain content or people on their platforms failed to pass muster at the Supreme Court. Jennifer Huddleston evaluates what's next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Murthy v. Missouri, the Supreme Court clarified the evidence that would be required to prove government coercion with respect to online speech platforms. Cato's Walter Olson and Brent Skorup discuss the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court's Jarkesy decision will mean more cases brought federal agencies will end up in court instead of the court-like rooms inside the agencies themselves. Will Yeatman of the Pacific Legal Foundation and Cato’s Jennifer Schulp explain the importance of the change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court's decision giving absolute immunity to the President of the United States from prosecution for certain actions raises as many questions as it answers. Cato’s Clark Neily offers some initial thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in human history. Cato's Roger Pilon details the philosophical underpinning of America's Birth Certificate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Texas collects data on the immigration status of those accused of crimes in the state. What it tells us about the crime rates of immigrants versus native-born Americans is valuable. Alex Nowrasteh explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Courts will no longer defer to federal agencies when it comes to interpreting certain statutes. Tommy Berry explains the Supreme Court's opinion that ended so-called Chevron deference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One galling and unAmerican provision typical of recent National Defense Authorization Acts may finally be on the way out. Patrick Eddington details how it happened. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Streetcars are great for politicians' ribbon cutting events, but not much else. Marc Joffe explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After President Joe Biden appeared distracted in last night’s debate with Donald Trump, some lawmakers are now discussing the 25th Amendment's provisions to remove a mentally unfit chief executive. And how would a political party replace a candidate after the selection process in states has largely concluded? Gene Healy and John Samples explain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some members of Congress want to make it easier to draft both men and women into wartime military service. Doug Bandow explains why that's a terrible idea at odds with liberty in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big changes may be ahead for legal gun ownership in the United States. Clark Neily explains the potential implications following the Supreme Court's Rahimi decision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When police use underhanded tactics to wrongly charge you with a crime, should they get a free pass if they bring along some legitimate charges, as well? The Supreme Court says "no." Tommy Berry explains the case of Chiaverini v. City of Napoleon, Ohio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court hasn't closed the door entirely on taxes on unrealized income, but the door isn't exactly open. Thomas A. Berry explains the court's decision in Moore v. United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many Americans, it is jarring to find themselves subject to severe financial, reputational, and professional penalties in adjudications very different from a courtroom. Brent Skorup explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CFPB has long been controversial. Its unique structure makes it powerful in ways other agencies are not. Jennifer Schulp and Tommy Berry detail the recent Supreme Court holding that the agency's funding doesn't violate the Appropriations Clause. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arguments on behalf of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) don't stand up to scrutiny. Nicholas Anthony runs down and interrogates the arguments in his new book, Digital Currency or Digital Control?: Decoding CBDC and the Future of Money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Between the needless complications of the tax code and various special-interest giveaways in it, overall tax rates are higher than they could be otherwise. Adam Michel explains in a new paper what would be required for Congress to lower overall rates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new executive order from President Joe Biden will make seeking asylum in The Land of the Free that much more difficult. David Bier explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The conviction of the President's son, Hunter Biden, on charges relating to lying about drugs to get a gun makes for an interesting case for those who care about Second Amendment rights and ending the War on Drugs. Clark Neily comments on the case, appeals, and the broader justice system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Boaz was an intellectual leader of the Cato Institute for four decades and a libertarian thinker of the first order. In addition to his speeches, books, and clear-headed communication of libertarian ideas in the public sphere, David was a friend and mentor. David passed away on June 7, 2024. Aaron Ross Powell, founding director of Libertarianism.org, and Cato Senior Fellow Tom G. Palmer discuss the work and legacy of David Boaz.Related:The Libertarian Mind by David BoazThe Libertarian Reader edited by David Boaz“David Boaz: Liberty’s North Star” by Aaron Ross Powell“David Boaz Is with Us” by Tom G. Palmer“The Separation of Art and State” by David BoazThe Crisis in Drug Prohibition edited by David Boaz“David Boaz: ‘Now It’s Your Turn’” featuring David Boaz and Caleb O. Brown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Boaz, longtime executive vice president of the Cato Institute, has passed away at the age of 70. His contributions to the advance of libertarian ideas in the public sphere are hard to overestimate. These are his remarks at the Students for Liberty LibertyCon in February.David Boaz Memorial Page Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following his related testimony on Capitol Hill, Cato's Adam Michel details why Congress should move toward ending a wide variety of penalties aimed squarely at Americans who save. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slowing or freezing technological advancement could be devastating for the many benefits that artificial intelligence can bring to a wide variety of problems we face. Jack Solowey and Jennifer Huddleston explain what's at stake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Presidents of both parties have been handed – decade over decade – a growing list of powers to be only unlocked in the event of an emergency, but those powers rarely get reviewed on a consistent basis. What's a better path for handing over and taking back emergency power? Satya Thallam of Americans for Responsible Innovation comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serving the underserved is a well-established path to profits for entrepreneurs and acceptance for minority populations. Economist Nathan Goodman explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former President Donald Trump has been convicted on felony charges of falsifying business records to conceal crimes. Cato's Clark Neily discusses the trial in the context of how criminal prosecutions work generally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.