Cato Institute

Cato Podcast

Each week on Cato Podcast , leading scholars and policymakers from the Cato Institute delve into the big ideas shaping our world: individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Whether unpacking current events, debating civil liberties, exploring technological innovation, or tracing the history of classical liberal thought, we promise insightful analysis grounded in rigorous research and Cato’s signature libertarian perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author

Cato Institute

Category

Government

Podcast website

www.cato.org

Latest episode

Jul 9, 2026

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Episodes

A Guide to Content Moderation for Policymakers 21.05.2024

Humility is a good starting point for lawmakers seeing to understand content moderation. David Inserra offers a helpful  guide to policymakers . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

J.S. Mill, On Liberty, and How Liberals Think 20.05.2024

Paul Meany  of Libertarianism.org walks us through the importance of John Stuart Mill through his powerful treatise  On Liberty . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress Should Make No Law Setting Speech Rules for Universities 18.05.2024

In the wake of protests at many universities over the Israeli war in Gaza, what's the role for Congress to regulate? Unsurprisingly, it's not much. Cato's  Neal McCluskey  and  Nico Perrino  of FIRE comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Confront Errors in "Pandemic Inflation" 17.05.2024

In David Beckworth's essay in  The War on Prices , he explains what must be true for narratives of a pandemic-driven inflation to be true. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Wage Gap and The War on Prices 16.05.2024

The US wage gap between men and women consistently drives calls for deep federal intervention into the labor market in the name of preventing discrimination. Analyzing that gap more critically reveals far less clarity about its causes and potential solutions. Vanessa Brown Calder explains in her essay in the new book,  The War on Prices . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

Rent Control: Another Bad Idea That Never Dies 15.05.2024

Rent control doesn't make housing more affordable. It makes affordable housing less available. Jeff Miron explains in his essay in the new book,  The War on Prices . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pink Tax and The War on Prices 14.05.2024

Are the prices men and women pay for similar products evidence of discrimination that calls for a heavy-handed government response? Ryan Bourne is editor of the new Cato book,  The War on Prices . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Punishing Effects of Credit Card Interest Caps 13.05.2024

For the marginally creditworthy, mandatory interest rate caps on credit cards would end access to a convenient form of credit. Nick Anthony discusses his essay in Cato's new book,  The War on Prices . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Should We Learn from New Data on Price Gouging Laws? 10.05.2024

It's not exactly a silver lining, but data from the pandemic has some lessons in it about the effectiveness of price gouging laws. Gavin Roberts, an economist at Weber State University, discusses his findings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will AI Power a Better Future for Local Journalism? 09.05.2024

As smaller local newspapers continue to shrink, what's the potential for AI to help deliver local news to happy customers? Paul Matzko makes his hopeful case to foster a better-informed public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring Tensions among the US, China, and Europe 08.05.2024

European leaders think very differently than US officials about China, both as a rising economic power and a military threat. Doug Bandow discusses why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discrimination and Identity Politics Have No Place in Medical Education 07.05.2024

Ideological commitments shouldn't harm your ability to receive medical treatment. Erec Smith and Jeff Singer discuss a troubling evolution in how medical education is delivered in the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump and Biden Aren't Free Traders, so What's the Difference? 06.05.2024

There aren't big, glaring differences between Trump and Biden on giving Americans maximum freedom to trade across the globe, but the style of the candidates' protectionism differs somewhat. Scott Lincicome explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medicare Can't and Won't Go on Like This 03.05.2024

Medicare represents a massive fraction of the federal budget, and its spending is effectively on autopilot. That needs to change sooner than later. Paragon Health Institute chief  Brian Blase  and Cato's  Michael Cannon  comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Your Financial Advisor Soon Have to Snitch on You? 02.05.2024

New regulations under consideration would hold financial advisors accountable to elements of the Bank Secrecy Act, which currently compels banks to turn over certain financial data to the feds. How would that change your relationship with that advisor? Jennifer Schulp comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Descheduling Is Preferable to Rescheduling Cannabis 01.05.2024

The DEA is likely to change its federal designation for cannabis in the coming months. It's a good sign for research and for the ability of Americans to receive medical treatments involving the plant, but descheduling and ending federal prohibition is still a worthy goal. Jeff Singer explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feds Beat the Drum for Early Childhood Education Spending 30.04.2024

How productive is federal spending to advance early childhood education? Following her testimony on Capitol Hill, Cato's Colleen Hroncich says there are several problems with the assumptions about its benefits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Upsides and Risks of Increasing State Capacity 29.04.2024

What does the case of Peru have to teach us about state capacity to foster (or hamper) human flourishing?  Edwar Escalante  of Angelo State University discusses the upsides and downsides of increasing state capacity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Biden Continues Transferring Student Debt to Taxpayers 27.04.2024

The Heroes Act was insufficient authority for the President to cancel massive amounts of student debt. The Biden White House has instead been moving to cancel (transfer) smaller amounts of student debt using different executive authority. Neal McCluskey explains the issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Much Immunity from Future Prosecution Is Due to Former Presidents? 26.04.2024

Former President Trump's lawyers argued before the US Supreme Court that the President ought to be broadly immune against misdeeds committed in office, even many that are clearly criminal. The Supreme Court is now weighing where to draw the lines both for this former President and future former Presidents. Clark Neily discusses the oral argument at the high court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

Reputation, Dynamism, and Strangers with Candy 25.04.2024

Economics is everywhere, and its implications are subtle and beautiful. The essays in Art Carden's book,  Strangers with Candy , uses both economic and biblical insight to show how welcoming strangers can make us both better and wealthier people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congressional Fans of Warrantless Surveillance on Americans Win Another Round 24.04.2024

There was a point when Cato's Patrick Eddington believed warrantless snooping on Americans might be on the wane. He was very wrong. Congress instead voted to continue unconstitutional surveillance of Americans for at least two more years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

North Carolina Made Big Promises to VinFast and Locals Are Paying the Price 23.04.2024

North Carolina's pursuit of VinFast to make electric vehicles in the state has placed dozens of homeowners in a difficult spot. Paul Best explains how  economic development ran headlong into homeowners' property rights . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wielding Federal Power with Accountability to Congress 22.04.2024

There are two avenues to fixing a big issue with federal appointments, that of individuals not confirmed by Congress nonetheless wielding significant federal power. Tommy Berry  explains the problem and the solutions . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Housing Wealth and Generational Wealth 19.04.2024

Housing plays a large role in growing wealth for Americans, but it remains an area where economist  Jeremy Horpedahl  is pessimistic for the near term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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