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PODCAST

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

government politics

All Episodes

45:25

Doing It the Hard Way

Cato Podcast ·

2025/09/25

FCC chair Brendan Carr’s “easy way or hard way” threat to TV broadcasters lit a censorship firestorm this week. Our Cato panel digs into the government's jawboning, broadcast licensees' “junior-varsity” First Amendment rights, and whether it’s time to scrap the FCC altogether. Plus, the latest on AI regulation and the art of the TikTok deal.Featuring Gene Healy, Ryan Bourne, Brent Skorup and Jennifer HuddlestonBrent Skorup, "Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC, and Why Broadcasters Still Have “Junior Varsity”

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35:20

SEC Commissioner Challenges Financial Surveillance

Cato Podcast ·

2025/09/23

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce joins Jennifer Schulp and Cato's Norbert Michel to discuss how government financial surveillance has eroded Americans' constitutional privacy rights through tools like the Consolidated Audit Trail. Peirce advocates for principles-based regulation that protects individual financial privacy while allowing innovation to flourish, arguing that current prescriptive rules create barriers to entry and stifle competition. The conversation explores how new technologies could

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45:31

Free Speech and Domestic Tranquility

Cato Podcast ·

2025/09/18

Are Americans becoming dangerously tolerant of political violence? After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, our Cato panel looks at trends in public opinion, past episodes of political terrorism, and new risks to free expression. Plus, Milei’s electoral setback in Buenos Aires province—what now for Argentina's libertarian experiment?Alex Nowrasteh, "Politically Motivated Violence Is Rare in the United States," September 11, 2025.Emily Ekins, "The State of Free Speech and Tolerance in America," October

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31:01

The Rise of University Administration

Cato Podcast ·

2025/09/17

When Syracuse University forced its social work faculty to partner with a for-profit corporation that takes two-thirds of online tuition revenue, professor Kenneth Corvo began investigating where student money actually goes in higher education. His findings reveal a systemic problem across American universities: more administrators than faculty at the college level, expanding bureaucracies focused on "student experience" and compliance, and minimal transparency about how tuition dollars are spent

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41:53

High-Stakes Intel

Cato Podcast ·

2025/08/28

"Golden shares” at home, grand bargains abroad. In this episode, Cato scholars weigh Trump’s push for equity stakes in U.S. firms under the CHIPS Act and his effort to strike a quick deal with Putin on Ukraine. What does state capitalism at home mean for American liberty—and can deal-making diplomacy abroad actually end the U.S. entanglement in Ukraine?Featuring Ryan Bourne, Gene Healy, Norbert Michel, and Justin LoganScott Lincicome, “The government’s Intel stake is antithetical to American

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24:05

Trade, Power, and Tension: The U.S.-China Story

Cato Podcast ·

2025/08/19

Justin Logan and Clark Packard break down the twists and turns of the U.S.-China relationship—from trade liberalization and consumer benefits to lost manufacturing and rising geopolitical tensions. They unpack how economic integration shaped today’s challenges and what it means for America’s future.Justin Logan, “Liberty at Home, Restraint Abroad: A Realist Approach to Foreign Policy,” Free Society(June 20, 2024)Justin Logan, “Uncle Sucker: Why U.S. Efforts at Defense Burdensharing Fail,” Policy

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45:58

Summits, Guns, and Money

Cato Podcast ·

2025/08/14

As President Trump pushes to unwind one proxy war—with Russia in Ukraine—he’s ramping up another in this hemisphere: ordering the Pentagon to ready battle plans against Latin American drug cartels. On our panel, Cato scholars weigh the odds of a Putin deal and the risk of replaying past drug war disasters.FeaturingRyan Bourne,Ian Vásquez,Gene Healy, andJustin LoganLinks for Show NotesJustin Logan,“Trump Shouldn’t Settle for European Spending Pledges,”Foreign Policy, July 25, 2025Brandan P

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31:59

Atomic Economics

Cato Podcast ·

2025/08/05

Peter Van Doren and David Kemp bring libertarian skepticism to the bipartisan political support for nuclear power. They analyze why regulatory reform alone may not solve nuclear's economic problems and discuss how recent U.S. projects have failed to deliver on promises of cost-effectiveness even after a supposed "renaissance" in the late 2000s. They finish up with a discussion on whether small modular reactors (SMRs) are the nuclear silver bullet.Show Notes:Peter Van Doren and David Kemp, Nuclear

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37:35

One and a Half Cheers for SCOTUS

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/31

Cato's Clark Neily and Mike Fox give the most recent SCOTUS term a B-grade on criminal law. While they celebrate some unanimous victories like Barnes v. Felix (requiring courts to consider totality of circumstances in police use-of-force cases) and Martin v. United States (allowing federal tort claims against law enforcement), they express frustration with the Court's repeated refusal to hear cases involving the "petty offense doctrine," appellate waivers in plea bargains, and felon-in-possession

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32:40

SCOTUS Roundup

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/29

Thomas A. Berry and Brent Skorup analyze five major Supreme Court cases from the recently concluded term, describing it as a "mixed bag" with more government victories than libertarians would prefer. They discuss key decisions including Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton (upholding Texas age verification requirements for adult content), Trump v. Casa Inc. (ending universal injunctions by federal judges), and several other significant rulings on transgender rights and religious liberty in schools

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35:36

The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/24

Adam Michel, Michael Cannon, and Dominik Lett break down the One Big Beautiful Bill. Is it $3.4 trillion, or actually $6 trillion? Is Medicaid getting a cutor a trim? With spending cuts pushed to later years and tax benefits front-loaded, the scholars dissect the political calculations and baseline accounting that shaped this massive piece of legislation.Show Notes:Michael F. Cannon, Krit Chanwong, and Dominik Lett, "Congress Must Cut and Reform Medicaid" cato.org, April 28, 2025Domink Lett, "The

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33:10

Cato Cage Match: Education vs. Health Care

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/22

Michael F. Cannonand NealMcCluskey let us listen in on their ongoing 20-year debate over who has the more difficult job -- fixing health care or education. McCluskey argues that government's monopolistic control over K-12 education and compulsory schooling creates a more fundamental threat to freedom, whileCannoncontends that health care is even more dysfunctional due to cascading government interventions that have created the world's most expensive and gap-ridden health system. Both scholars

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24:30

Aimless Rivalry: U.S. and China in the Middle East

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/17

Justin Logan and Jon Hoffman delve into Hoffman's latest policy analysis, "Aimless Rivalry: The Futility of U.S. China Competition in the Middle East." They debunk justifications for U.S. Middle East policy based on competition with China and challenge prevailing narratives in international relations. Tune in for a thorough discussion that puts threats in context and examines U.S. policy through a skeptical lens.Show Notes:Jon Hoffman, "Aimless Rivalry: The Futility of US–China Competition in the

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29:14

Stablecoins and the Fight for a Level Playing Field

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/15

What are stablecoins, how do they work, and what does the future hold for these innovative financial instruments? Join Norbert Michel and Jennifer Schulp from the Cato Institute's Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives as they delve into the evolving landscape of stablecoin legislation. Whether you're a seasoned crypto enthusiast or just curious about digital currencies, this discussion will provide valuable insights into the regulatory environment and the potential impacts on the financial

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28:09

The Rise and Fall of DOGE 1.0

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/10

In this episode, Alex Nowrasteh and Ryan Bourne delve into the intriguing journey of Doge 1.0 under Donald Trump's administration. From Elon Musk's ambitious overhaul to the eventual departure of key figures, they explore the chaotic, amusing, and concerning facets of this government efficiency experiment. With insights into the economic impacts, legislative hurdles, and potential future in Doge 2.0, this discussion sheds light on the complexities of attempting a bureaucratic revolution. Join Alex

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31:04

Misinformation in the Age of AI

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/08

Is misinformation really a new crisis—or just the latest chapter in a centuries-old debate over truth, speech, and power? In this episode, Cato Institute’s Jennifer Huddleston and David Inserra unpack the cultural and policy panic surrounding misinformation and disinformation in the age of AI, deepfakes, and viral tweets. Who should decide what counts as truth online? Plus, why humility, media literacy, and a competitive internet might be better solutions than censorship.Show Notes:Jennifer

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26:05

The Illusion of Financial Privacy

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/03

In this eye-opening episode, Cato Institute’s Norbert Michel and Nicholas Anthony explore how the 1970 Bank Secrecy Act has evolved from a tool to catch tax cheats into a sprawling financial surveillance system that erodes Fourth Amendment protections. They discuss the law’s expansion post-9/11 and emerging reform efforts that could restore financial privacy.Show Notes:Norbert Michel and Jennifer J. Schulp, "Revising the Bank Secrecy Act to Protect Privacy and Deter Criminals" Policy Analysis No

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28:14

One Big Beautiful Podcast

Cato Podcast ·

2025/07/01

In this episode, Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome and Adam Michel dive deep into the sweeping new legislation—dubbed "The One Big Beautiful Bill"—moving through Congress. They break down what’s at stake as key provisions of the 2017 tax reform are set to expire, unpack the bill’s complex mix of tax cuts, new carve-outs, and industrial subsidies, and examine why temporary tax policy and policy uncertainty could derail economic growth. Plus, they confront the fiscal fiction behind tariffs as a

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1:17

An Announcement from the Cato Institute

Cato Podcast ·

2025/06/23

Starting July 1, we’ll be trying some new things on this feed, starting with conversations between Cato Institute scholars. We hope you’ll join us. Please consider listening to some of our other podcasts on cato.org/podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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17:26

Best of Cato Daily Podcast: A Would-Be Home Distiller...

Cato Podcast ·

2025/06/20

Caleb O. Brown hosted the Cato Daily Podcast for nearly 18 years, producing well over 4000 episodes. He has gone on to head Kentucky’s Bluegrass Institute. This is one among the best episodes produced in his tenure, selected by the host and listeners.An engineer and brewer thought he would take up home distilling as a hobby, but he then learned it’s a federal crime. InReam v. U.S. Department of Treasury, he’s fighting back. The Buckeye Institute’s Robert Alt explains. Hosted on Acast. See

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