Qualified Opinions

To expand or not to expand the child tax credit is a key issue that consumes a lot of ink on the right and on the left. What is the best path forward? Kevin Corinth sits down with host Veronique de Rugy to discuss. Kevin Corinth is a senior fellow and the deputy director of the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches economic mobili...

Is inflation really the product of greed? Do greater economic means equal less incentive for competition? What is the right approach to antitrust policy? Veronique de Rugy sits down with Brian Albrecht to discuss. Brian Albrecht is Chief Economist of the International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE), which he joined in February 2022. In his role, he is responsible for the application and integra...

America's economic dynamism attracts immigrants from all over the world and has served as a beacon of hope for decades—however, today, Americans are more pessimistic about the future than ever. What can be done about it? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with Jeremy Horpedahl to discuss. Dr. Horpedahl is the Director of ACRE and an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Arkan...

The New Right and the Old Right are increasingly the major factions of conservatism today. Where do they diverge? And are there seldom spoken areas of convergence? Joining Veronique de Rugy is Charles Kesler, who will explore the landscape of American conservatism today.  Charles Kesler is a Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute, Editor of the  Claremont Review of Books , host of Claremont's  T...

With Social Security and Medicare set to become insolvent in less than 10 years, the federal government is becoming increasingly desperate for new sources of revenue. The new big idea is to raise money by ending the tax treatment of 401k and other tax-deferred retirement plans. Veronique de Rugy sits down with Jason Fichtner to discuss the threat this poses to America's future retirement savings. ...

How real is greedflation? Do women actually pay a pink tax? Do price controls actually help make things more affordable? These are the questions Ryan Bourne seeks to answer with Veronique de Rugy on this episode of Qualified Opinions . Ryan Bourne is the R. Evan Scharf Chair for the Public Understanding of Economics at Cato and is the author of several books, including Economics In One Virus and T...

In a world increasingly tangled in regulatory red tape and bureaucratic inertia, many across the country have stood up to address the issue of housing shortages and affordability. The "Yes in My Back Yard" (YIMBY) movement is gaining momentum across the country, and Bryan Caplan's new book  Build, Baby, Build captures its essence. Listen as Veronique de Rugy and Caplan discuss. Bryan Caplan is a s...

Being middle class in America used to mean something. It was something socially transformative and even revolutionary. What happened? These are the ideas Christine Rosen writes on in her recent article for  Commentary , "The Elite War on the American Middle Class—and How to End It."  Christine sits down with host Veronique de Rugy to discuss what has happened to America's middle class and how we c...

With the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio approaching 180%, Americans are getting increasingly concerned about the future of our economy. Strangely, however, Japan's debt-to-GDP ratio is over 250%, and it has not seen any inflationary crisis so far. What does this mean, and what should the takeaway be for America? In part two of his interview with host Veronique de Rugy, David Bahnsen delves deeper into Jap...

Newspapers have been reporting on demographic challenges and birth declines in nations across the world. How hard will these problems hit the United States, and what can be done to counter them? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with social science trailblazer Dr. Catherine Pakaluk to discuss her research into the relationship between family structure and economic outcomes. Pakaluk is an Associate...

Work-life balance has been in the news a lot in recent years. Young people have been quiet quitting. Bernie Sanders wants Americans to work only 32 hours per week. Gen Zers have surpassed Baby Boomers in the workforce and are demanding employers establish a company's purpose in a way that contributes to a better society. Veronique de Rugy sits down for a discussion with David Bahnsen to discuss th...

Birth rates are falling. Parents and kids are stressed out. Mental health issues among kids are on the rise. What made raising kids much harder than it needs to be? Tim Carney joins host Veronique de Rugy to discuss the contemporary challenges facing parenting and what we can do about it.  Timothy P. Carney is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he works on civil society, f...

California's top income tax rate stands at 13.3%, whereas Arizona's sits at 2.5%. When are income taxes so high that they become counterproductive? At what point is a state income tax rate high enough to incentivize leaving the state? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with economist Joshua Rauh to discuss these questions and more. Joshua Rauh is the Ormond Family Professor of Finance at Stanford's...

The Republican Chairman of the House Budget Committee made news recently when he announced that if Republicans are serious about fixing Washington D.C.'s finances, they'll have to talk about raising taxes. But with how fast deficit spending has accelerated, how much would tax rates have to increase to solve the problem? Which areas of federal spending need a second look? What is the trajectory of...

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan's meteoric rise turned antitrust and administrative precedent on its head. How did this rise come about? What impact has Khan already had on corporate America? How will her tenure as the top antitrust cop change the future of administrative precedent?  Adam White joins host Veronique de Rugy to discuss these questions and more. Adam White is a Senior F...