Cato Podcast

Do new methods for securing petroleum-based energy threaten to alter the balance of global power and destabilize parts of the world? Eugene Gholz, an Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, argues that it's hard to find clear connections. National Security Implications of New Oil and Gas Production Technologies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Montana's move to rein in militarization of police may serve as a model for states wishing to exercise greater control of their police forces. Adam Bates comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The firing rate for federal workers is a small fraction of the rate in the private sector. Chris Edwards explains why that needs to change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prominent Republicans like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio support blanket spying on Americans even though it's been shown to deliver few dividends. Julian Sanchez explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republicans Scott Walker and Ted Cruz may have plenty to argue about on the debate stage when it comes to immigration. Alex Nowrasteh discusses their positions and proposed state-based worker visa programs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jailing or denying a driver's license to parents who can't afford child support payments is, at best, totally incoherent. Walter Olson explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court has made it a little harder for police to detain motorists following the end of a legitimate traffic stop, but it won't end the use of drug-sniffing dogs. Jim Harper comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Government Accountability Office has some authority to look into how the Federal Reserve does its business, but is that sufficient? Former GAO comptroller general David Walker comments. Should GAO Audit the Federal Reserve? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There may be few self-identified libertarians, but there are millions of Americans who hold broadly libertarian views. Emily Ekins comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Columbia University professor John McWhorter argues that the Drug War has worsened poverty in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the role of the private sector in addressing poverty? Harriet Karr-McDonald of the Doe Foundation offers her thoughts at the Cato Institute conference " Can We End Poverty? " Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the U.S. get for more than a trillion dollars in annual anti-poverty spending? Michael D. Tanner puts the spending in perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There appears to be some appetite for surveillance reform in Congress. Patrick Eddington discusses the reasons why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A terrorist plot in Newburgh, New York turned out to be largely a production of federal law enforcement agencies. Filmmaker David Heilbroner details the case in his new film, "The Newburgh Sting." The Newburgh Sting  and the FBI's Production of the Domestic Terrorism Threat Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What will legal marijuana look like in the years ahead? Bruce Barcott, author of Weed the People , offers his assessment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are serious issues for any summit of the Americas, but those issues likely aren't on the table. Juan Carlos Hidalgo comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The DEA had its own phone records collection program years before September 11, 2001. Julian Sanchez comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sentencing reform should be a key element of any criminal justice reform package this year, according Mike Riggs of Families Against Mandatory Minimums. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will "disparate impact" be viewed at the U.S. Surpeme Court this year? Walter Olson explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Religious Freedom Restoration Acts don't quite function the way you've been told, according to Mollie Hemingway, a senior editor at The Federalist . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed by the federal government and 19 states enshrine discrimination as its critics claim? Roger Pilon offers his thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Was Utah's compromise on discrimination and religious liberty a good deal? Walter Olson comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would switching the Federal Reserve's target from interest rates to nominal GDP give the central bank much-needed discipline? Economist Scott Sumner says yes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even if virtually everyone agrees that certain speech is offensive, it still deserves protection. Greg Lukianoff of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education explains why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So-called Blaine Amendments were created to keep states from sending public funds to support Catholic education. And today, those laws foil many efforts at giving parents more choice in education. Following the premiere of the Cato Institute film, Live Free and Learn: Scholarship Tax Credits in New Hampshire , Dick Komer, a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice , described the history and t...