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PODCAST

Qualified Opinions

Veronique de Rugy

Qualified Opinions is an intellectual salon that illuminates the challenges facing free markets, liberalism, and the political climate of today. Join host Veronique de Rugy, a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center, and her guests for enlightening discourse. Qualified Opinions is a production of the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).

society & culture

All Episodes

58:33

Supply and Demand Still Answers Many Policy Questions

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/09/26

Today, Brian Albrecht joins Qualified Opinions to discuss his recent writings on tariffs, why economists find them uniquely frustrating, and how simple supply and demand principle still does a remarkable job at predicting the effects of policies. Brian Albrecht is the Chief Economist at the International Center for Law & Economics.

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01:00:33

The Fight Against Graduate Unions with Jon Hartley

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/09/04

Graduate student unions are on the rise, and they’re not like the workers' unions of the 1950s and 1960s—they are something all their own. At the heart of these unions sit many of the issues sending our universities into decay: social justice activism, radical politics, and woke culture. Jon Hartley joins to discuss the battle against these institutions. Jon Hartley is an economist specializing in finance, labor economics, and macroeconomics. He is currently a Policy Fellow at the Hoover

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01:03:01

The Triumph of Economic Freedom

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/05/16

Free market ideas are waning on both sides of the aisle in modern American politics, but the justifications for this sit on shaky ground. In The Triumph of Economic Freedom, Donald Boudreaux and Phil Gramm debunk seven economic myths about American Capitalism. Donald Boudreaux joins the show today to discuss. Donald Boudreaux is a Senior Fellow at the Mercatus Center, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, and one of the most compelling public defenders of free market principles.

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01:03:07

The Federal Budget: More Than Just Dollars and Cents

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/05/02

How much do people understand about the budget? How about the tax system, or Social Security? With new budget proposals being unveiled and John Thune eager to get a budget passed before July 4th, Vero sits down with Danny Heil and Tom Church from the Hoover Institution to break through the noise about this complicated process. Danny Heil is a policy fellow at the Hoover Institution whose focus is on the federal budget, tax policy, and the federal antipoverty programs. Tom Church is a policy fellow

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59:30

Getting Washington Out of Education

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/04/25

If you’ve ever wondered why the federal government is in the business of running your local school district from 3,000 miles away, you’re not alone. In fact, the idea that education policy should be dictated by Washington, DC, rather than parents, teachers, and communities was never a given in American life and most of our nation’s history. It wasn’t fully a reality until 1980, when the Department of Education was established. However, a new Trump administration proposal to eliminate the Department

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55:49

Busting the Myths Around Gig Workers

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/04/18

When we think of the gig economy, we think of its compartments. We might imagine an Uber driver shuttling people around town, or the DoorDash delivery person who brings us our Chinese food. But is it more complicated than this? Who are the people behind these careers? Are policymakers missing the mark when building legislation around independent workers? Liya Palagashvili joins Veronique to discuss. Liya Palagashvili is a senior research fellow and director of the Labor Policy Project at the

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58:13

The Other Side of DOGE

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/03/24

From grant cutting to staff firing, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has made a lot of noise in recent weeks. But there is another side of DOGE, one committed to deregulation. Joining the podcast today to discuss is James Broughel. Dr. James Broughel is a Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Dr. Broughel is an accomplished economist whose expertise lies in regulatory institutions and the impact of regulations on economic growth.

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01:02:18

The Future of Free Markets in America

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/02/26

Across the political spectrum, free enterprise is under seige. From the left, we see calls for wealth redistribution, aggressive regulation, and ever-expanding entitlement programs. From the right, we are witnessing growing trade protectionism and government intervention in the economy. Today, we are diving into the most pressing economic issue of our time: the future of free markets in America. Joining Qualified Opinions today is Dr. Samuel Gregg and Richard Reinsch to discuss. Samuel Gregg is the

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48:05

The True Cost of Tariffs

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/02/19

Earlier this month, Donald Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada, along with their retaliatory tariffs, were paused for one month after a deal was made. But with that month coming to an end soon, tariffs will be back on the table. Today, Veronique de Rugy sits down with Erica York to discuss the economics of these tariffs. Erica York is Vice President of Federal Tax Policy with Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy. She previously worked as an auditor at a large community bank in Kansas and

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51:41

The Uncertain Future of the American Tax Code

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/02/05

With some provisions of the 2017 tax cuts set to expire in 2025, legislators are scrambling to make sure their preferred cuts are getting an extension. Add to that Donald Trump’s demand for no taxes on tips and you are left with a very uncertain future for taxation policy. What should we expect? Adam Michel joins to discuss. Adam N. Michel is director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, where he focuses on analyzing the economic and budgetary effects of taxation in the United States.

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57:21

Donald Trump’s Second Act: What to Expect

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/01/24

For the first time since William Howard Taft, Donald Trump has been sworn in for his second non-consecutive term—and in many ways, he is off to a much different start than his first administration. What do these initial days tell us about what to expect over the next four years? Joining the show today is Dominic Pino to discuss. Dominic is a Thomas J. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at the National Review Institute and host of AIER’s Econception podcast.

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01:11:01

Charting a New Path for Healthcare

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/01/15

Healthcare spending is the single largest item in the federal budget and the fastest-growing one, too. It is the main driver of our future debt. Reform isn't just necessary but urgent. Vero is joined today by two of the sharpest minds in healthcare policy to discuss solutions. Michael F. Cannon is the Cato Institute’s director of health policy studies. Washingtonian magazine named Cannon one of Washington, DC’s Most Influential People in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Cannon was previously a domestic

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59:39

Getting the Government Out of Healthcare

Qualified Opinions ·

2025/01/03

It can be intimidating to wrap your head around the relationship between healthcare, government, and the economy. From finances to regulation, the web is complex and wide-spanning. Joining Qualified Opinions today to make better sense of this is Michael F. Cannon. Cannon is the Cato Institute’s director of health policy studies. Washingtonian magazine named Cannon one of Washington, DC’s Most Influential People in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

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55:28

2025 Is the Year to Cut Spending

Qualified Opinions ·

2024/12/20

The Department of Government Efficiency is being tasked with reining in the frivolous government spending we have all grown to know as “the norm.” But where should those cuts be made? Alex Nowrasteh and Chris Edwards joined the show to discuss a new report from the Cato Institute that outlines where the waste is and how to cut it. Alex Nowrasteh is the vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute. Chris Edwards occupies the Kilts Family Chair in Fiscal Studies at the

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47:53

Facing the Realities of Our Financial Future

Qualified Opinions ·

2024/12/12

At the end of 2024, the United States’ national debt has ballooned to $36 trillion, and the budget deficit hovers over $2 trillion. With spending only having the prospect of going up, the U.S. financial situation to be even more dire in 10 years, likely climbing another $22 trillion. Is there any way out of this crisis? Economic economist Joshua Rauh and policy researcher Jack Salmon joined Vero today to discuss. Joshua Rauh is the Ormond Family Professor of Finance at Stanford’s Graduate

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58:02

Elon Musk’s Ambitious Plan to Cut $2 Trillion in Waste

Qualified Opinions ·

2024/11/22

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are coming to Washington, DC, intending to cut $2 trillion in wasteful federal spending. Together, they will form the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. This ambitious project opens up many questions, and Tom Church and Danny Heil are joining Vero today to discuss. Tom Church is a policy fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he studies health care policy, entitlement reform, income inequality, poverty, and the federal budget. Daniel Heil is a policy fellow

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01:02:13

The Evolving Landscape of Conservative Thought with...

Qualified Opinions ·

2024/11/15

AIER Director of Research Samuel Gregg joins Qualified Opinions to discuss the fracturing of the conservative and libertarian movements, where free markets and ordered liberty go from here, and his new book, The Next American Economy.

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58:29

A New Trump Administration: What to Expect

Qualified Opinions ·

2024/11/08

Donald Trump’s win marks the first time a Republican has won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004. What does this decisive election mean? How closely related are the political and policy realities? What can we expect under a Trump administration, and will Democrats make significant shifts in their own policy initiatives? Join Veronique de Rugy, Dominic Pino, and Akash Chougule break down the election and what we can expect under the new Trump administration.

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56:27

Economic Freedom as a Cornerstone to Liberty

Qualified Opinions ·

2024/10/28

Of the cherished liberties of a free society, economic liberty holds a special place. Personal choice, voluntary exchange, and the protection of private property sustain our political and civil liberties. Matt Mitchell joins the show today to discuss economic freedom and a new index from the Fraser Institute that maps economic freedom around the world. Matthew D. Mitchell is a Senior Fellow in the Centre for Economic Freedom at the Fraser Institute. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute, Mitchell

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53:38

Breaking Down Project 2025 with Stephanie Slade

Qualified Opinions ·

2024/10/18

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely already heard of Project 2025—but what is actually in it, should you care about it, and how much of it would a potential Republican government actually be capable of executing? Stephanie Slade recently wrote an article for Reason breaking it down, and today, she joins Veronique to discuss it. Stephanie Slade is a senior editor at Reason, the magazine of "free minds and free markets," and a fellow in liberal studies at the Acton Institute. Her

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48 results

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