Cato Podcast
News & Politics
About
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.
Episodes
- Kicking the Can to Xi's September Visit
The US-China summit produced few deliverables and no breakthroughs on Taiwan, Iran, or trade. Cato's Clark Packard and Evan Sankey break down what was actually agreed, why rare earths and semiconductors have created a strategic stalemate,…
- The Immigration Crackdown You’re Not Hearing About
David Bier joins Ryan Bourne on the Cato Podcast to discuss how President Trump's executive actions have led to a 99.9% decrease in asylum entries and a significant reduction in student visas, family visas, and H-1B applications. Bier argu…
- Washington's Tariff Whack-a-Mole
Clark Packard and Alfredo Carrillo Obregon analyze the dormant Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, explaining why courts are rejecting current administration tariff theories and the potential impact of Section 301 investigations on Ameri…
- The Growing Farm Subsidy Boondoggle
The Cato Podcast episode "The Growing Farm Subsidy Boondoggle" features Ryan Bourne, Chris Edwards, and Clark Packard discussing the expansion of federal farm subsidies beyond disaster relief to include commodity supports, crop insurance,…
- Rethinking How America Treats Opioid Addiction
Helen Redmond, author of "Liquid Handcuffs," joins Dr. Jeffrey Singer on the Cato Podcast to discuss the history and current model of opioid addiction treatment in America, which originated from a Nixon-era crime control program, and argue…
- The Cure for the WHO
Ryan Bourne and Roger Bate discuss the World Health Organization's issues, including mission creep and its performance during Covid-19. They explore the need for cross-border cooperation on infectious diseases and the potential for a refor…
- Congress Is AWOL in America's Iran War
The War Powers Resolution allows the president up to 60 days of defensive latitude in introducing U.S. forces into hostilities ; it is not a blank check for open-ended war. Cato's Molly Nixon and Katheri…
- Subsidize a Diagnosis, Get More Diagnoses
Medicaid spending on autism therapy jumped from $300 million to $2 billion in just eight states over seven years. Cato's Ryan Bourne, Jeff Singer, and Adam Omary argue the cause isn't an epidemic; it's distorted incentives and a diagnostic…
- The Surveillance Program Congress Can't Quit
For 18 years, the NSA has collected Americans' communications under FISA Section 702 with no probable cause warrant required. Cato's Patrick Eddington and Maria Sofia break down the latest reauthorization fight and what genuine reform woul…
- How to Fix Washington's Affordability Crisis
Consumer prices are up 28% in six years and inflation is accelerating again. Cato's Ryan Bourne, Jai Kedia, Colin Grabow, and Stephen Slivinski unpack Cato's new Handbook on Affordability and the macroeconomic and supply-side r…
- Who Actually Pays Federal Taxes?
The top 10% pays 60% of all federal taxes, the bottom 20% pays effectively nothing, and last year's tax cuts added new complexity. Cato's Chris Edwards and Adam Michel unpack the numbers and make the case for real reform. Hosted on Acast.…
- Birthright Citizenship on Trial
Trump's executive order challenges 150 years of birthright citizenship law, hinging on four words in the 14th Amendment. The Cato Institute's Tommy Berry, Dan Greenberg, and David Bier unpack the constitutional stakes and what the justices…
- The Great Political Realignment
Steve Davies’s new book, The Great Realignment, argues that the key political divide of the past century — markets versus state control — is being displaced by a new aligning issue: nationalism, sovereignty, and collective identity versus…
- Congressional Feuding and Airport Chaos
TSA agents are staying home; airport lines are hours long, and Congress still cannot agree on a DHS funding bill. The Cato Institute's Pat Eddington and Chris Edwards say this is a consequence of tying aviation security to the federal budg…
- The Flaws of Rent Ceilings
Massachusetts is weighing a ballot initiative that would cap rent increases at the rate of inflation with no vacancy decontrol, one of the most stringent rent control regimes proposed in the country. Cato's Ryan Bourne and Jeff Miron walk…
- Surf, Speech, and Government Cartels
In Newport Beach and along California's state beaches, government-created monopolies have effectively banned independent surf instructors from earning a living, with one instructor fined $40,000 after an undercover sting operation. Stephen…
- Talkin’ ’Bout My Generation (Z)
Cato’s new media fellow, Rikki Schlott, joins Ryan Bourne to talk Gen Z: how social media shaped them, why online life has made young people both more anxious and more persuadable, and how the socialist left and the alt-right have each fou…
- Who's Watching the $170 Billion?
A 30-day DHS shutdown hasn't slowed ICE or Border Patrol, because nearly $170 billion in One Big Beautiful Bill funding keeps them running with minimal transparency and almost no congressional oversight. Cato's Dominik Lett and David Bier…
- Anthropic, Albany, and the AI Backlash
AI policy discussions increasingly hinge on control: who sets the terms for how AI can be used, what it can say, and who gets access. Cato's Ryan Bourne hosts Jennifer Huddleston, Senior Fellow in Technology Policy, to discuss th…
- The Strait of Hormuz and the Price of War
Beyond the immediate crisis, the conversation explores the unintended consequences of military escalation in the Middle East and the limits of U.S. policy responses once global energy flows are disrupted. Cato's Evan Sankey and Colin Grabo…
- Unlawful Voting Is a Tiny Problem
The push for new federal databases and legislation like the SAVE Act is often justified as necessary to stop widespread unlawful voting. But according to election administrators and investigators, confirmed cases are vanishingly rare.…
- War Powers and the Road to Iran
As the White House signals openness to escalation and murky and conflicting objectives, uncertainty clouds both the legal basis and strategic endgame of U.S. involvement in Iran. The Cato Institute's Justin Logan, Thomas Berry, and Br…
- Rhetoric vs. Reality in the State of the Union
President Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday was a full-throated victory lap: America is supposedly “bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever.” Cato’s Ryan Bourne, Clark Neily, and Evan Sankey separate truth from exaggeration—testi…
- Who Decides When America Goes to War?
Cato’s Katherine Thompson sits down with Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy to examine the persistent conflict between Congress and the presidency over war powers. From potential military action against Iran to past debates o…
- No Tax on Tips, New Tax on Billionaires?
Ryan Bourne sits down with Cato’s Adam Michel to unpack what the 2026 tax year will bring, including new provisions commonly described as “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime." They also explore the economics of California's billionair…
- Raging Against Modernity
A new ideology is gaining influence on the American right: postliberalism. In this episode, Cato Institute economist Ryan Bourne speaks with Phil Magness of the Independent Institute about what postliberalism is, where it came from, and wh…
- Why Globalization Wins on the Field
Cato’s Scott Lincicome sits down with Washington Post editorial writer Dominic Pino to explore what professional sports reveal about trade, immigration, and competition. From a talent-filled, globe-spanning World Series to the NHL’s influx…
- Protest, Carry, Die: Rights in Conflict
As debates over gun rights intensify, recent shootings in Minnesota reveal how quickly constitutional protections can unravel in practice. Cato's Clark Neily and Matthew Cavedon discuss the dangers of treating firearms as intrinsic hazards…
- Reforming the Federal Reserve, Brick by Brick
For more than a century, the Federal Reserve has accumulated responsibilities far beyond monetary policy, from bank regulation to payments and emergency lending. The Cato Institute's Nick Anthony, Norbert Michel, and Jai Kedia break down w…
- History Makes Clear: School Choice Is Necessary in a Diverse Society
Cato’s Neal McCluskey is joined by Cheryl Fields-Smith, Matthew Lee, and Ron Matus to discuss the new book Fighting for the Freedom to Learn and the centuries-long movement for school choice in America. They challenge the myth…
- Iran on the Brink: Another Middle East War in the Making?
With aircraft carriers moving into position and calls for “new leadership” in Tehran growing louder, the risk of U.S. military action remains high despite the absence of a coherent strategy. The Cato Institute's Brandan P. Buck and Jon Hof…
- What’s Missing from the White House’s Health Care Plan
From over-the-counter drugs to employer-controlled health benefits, Cato's Michael Cannon and Dr. Jeffrey Singer argue that real health reform means giving patients control over their own money rather than reshuffling subsidies. They expla…
- Fallout From the Minnesota Fraud Scandal
Cato's David Bier and Chris Edwards discuss the welfare fraud scandals in Minnesota, including the $250 million Feeding Our Future scam, to explain how federal money flowing through state programs creates weak oversight and incentives for…
- Free Markets for Electricity
As data centers begin demanding power at the scale of entire cities, the electricity system is running headlong into regulatory barriers built for a different era. The Cato Institute's Travis Fisher sits down with Glen Lyons, the foun…
- Debanked for Dissent: How Putin’s Reach Extends Abroad
A Russian dissident living in exile finds her US bank accounts closed after being labeled an extremist by the Kremlin. Nicholas Anthony interviews Anna Chekhovich of the Anti-Corruption Foundation about her experience being debanked.…
- Banking on Moral Hazard: The Push for $10 Million Deposit Insurance
A plan to massively expand FDIC insurance is gaining traction in Washington, despite little evidence that customers or community banks are asking for it. Cato's Nicholas Anthony, Norbert Michel, and Jill Castilla, CEO of Citizens Bank of E…
- Australia’s Social Media Ban and the Illusion of Online Safety
From Australia’s social media ban to U.S. and UK age-verification laws, governments are increasingly treating online access as something to be licensed. Cato's Jennifer Huddleston and David Inserra explore how these policies collide with f…
- How Fuel Economy Rules Made Cars Bigger, Pricier, and Less Safe
Intended to save fuel and protect consumers, CAFE standards have instead penalized efficient small cars, subsidized trucks and SUVs, and created a de facto electric-vehicle mandate. Cato's Chad Davis, Brent Skorup, and Peter Van Doren trac…
- Social Security’s Popularity Problem
A new Cato survey reveals that Americans overwhelmingly support Social Security while fundamentally misunderstanding its structure, finances, and long-term viability. Romina Boccia and Emily Ekins explore how myths about personal accounts,…
- Better Care for Billions Less: Fixing Medicaid’s Long-Term Care Incentives
Cato's Michael Cannon and the Center for Long-Term Care Reform's Stephen Moses examine how Medicaid’s long-term-care eligibility rules let middle- and upper-middle-class households shelter assets and shift costs onto taxpayers, driving up…
- Strategy Without Strategy: Inside the New NSS
The Cato Institute's Katherine Thompson and Josh Shifrinson join Justin Logan to dissect the most contentious passages of the National Security Strategy, including its warnings about European “civilizational erasure,” its revived Monroe Do…
- Repeal Day: Alcohol Prohibition and the Hypocrisy of the Drug War
The Cato Institute's Jeff Singer and Michael Fox mark Repeal Day by examining how alcohol prohibition and the modern drug war share the same destructive logic: criminalizing peaceful people, fueling black markets, corrupting law enforcemen…
- NIH's Lost Mission
Cato adjunct scholars Terence Kealey and John Early join Ryan Bourne to discuss the pair's new Cato working paper Mission Lost: How NIH Leaders Stole Its Promise to America . Kealey and Early detail how the National Institutes of Health's…
- Superabundance at Thanksgiving
Is your Thanksgiving dinner more or less affordable this year? Human Progress's Marian Tupy joins the Cato Institute's Ryan Bourne to discuss the political battle over affordability, the long-term costs of high inflation, and how time-pric…
- Energy Realism: Climate Policy Meets Actual Economics
Cato's Chad Davis and Travis Fisher examine the gulf between symbolic climate pledges and the real-world complexities of energy use — from EV carbon costs to fossil-fueled resilience against natural disasters. They argue that the “climate…