The Cato Weekly Podcast - Cato Institute

Latest Episodes:

The Myth of the Good Old Days Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

Housing, healthcare, groceries, and the cost of living give us plenty to worry about. But how bad was life before modern conveniences transformed human life?

Paul Meany sits down with Chelsea Follett, author of The Grim Old Days: An Introduction to the Preindustrial Past, to explore what everyday life was really like before antibiotics, refrigeration, indoor plumbing, and modern sanitation. From romanticized visions of the past to the extraordinary improvements we often take for granted, they examine why understanding that history matters for how we see the world today.

Buy Chelsea's new book here: https://www.cato.org/books/grim-old-days

Producer: Barbara Galletti

Post Production: Sedona LaMarre

Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman

Original Music: Cecil Sherman

Director of Photography: Darren Walker

Assistant Editors: Lester Romero and Shaneen Gevorgiz

Assistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde

Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields

Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trading Democracy for Oil? The Venezuela-US Deal Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Everything about the Trump administration’s oil deal with Venezuela is troubling: It was negotiated in secret, raises questions about its legality and transparency, and was made with Venezuela’s unelected interim government.

Ian Vasquez joins Laura Bondank-Harmon to explain why the agreement could undermine Venezuela’s democratic transition.

Read more of Ian's work here: https://www.cato.org/blog/everything-about-us-venezuela-oil-deal-troublesome

Producer: Barbara Galletti

Post Production: Sedona LaMarre

Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman

Original Music: Cecil Sherman

Director of Photography: Darren Walker

Assistant Editor: Lester Romero

Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields

Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Bad Policy Delays Adulthood Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Young Americans are leaving home, finding jobs, buying homes, starting families, and saving for retirement later than previous generations. But is this a problem with young people, or are bad policies getting in their way?

Rikki Schlott sits down with Cato’s Ryan Bourne to explore how regulations, inflation, and government intervention can make these steps into adulthood harder and more expensive.

Read Cato's "Handbook on Affordability" here:

https://www.cato.org/handbook-affordability

Read Rikki's article "The Peter Pan State: How Bad Policy Delays Adulthood" here:

https://www.cato.org/free-society/spring/summer-2026/peter-pan-state-how-bad-policy-delays-adulthood

Producer & Video Editor: Barbara Galletti

Post Production: Sedona LaMarre

Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman

Original Music: Cecil Sherman

Director of Photography: Jonathan Fields

Assistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde

Assistant Editor: Lester Romero

Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields

Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the US Already Quasi-Socialist? Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Socialism is making a comeback in American politics, but do people actually know what "socialism" means?

In this episode of the Cato Weekly Podcast, Paul Meany sits down with Marian Tupy to unpack the rise of “democratic socialism,” the growth of the welfare state, and the crucial difference between government assistance and government control.

Read Marian's article here:

https://www.cato.org/commentary/bill-mahers-category-error-socialism

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Controversy Over Flock Cameras Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Flock cameras and other forms of surveillance technology are spreading across America, promising to help police solve crimes. But the technology has also created a vast network for tracking where Americans go.

Join Laura Bondank-Harmon and Clark Neily as they discuss how much privacy and freedom we’re giving up in the name of security.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Hard Is It to Rig an American Election? Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

How Hard Is It to Rig an American Election?

Election fraud claims are increasingly more common.

Walter Olson joins Stephen Rowe to separate genuine election irregularities from viral fraud claims. They explain what the evidence tells us about mail-in voting, voter ID, foreign interference, and the integrity of the US election system.

Read Walter's work here:

https://www.cato.org/people/walter-olson

Producer: Barbara Galletti

Post Production: Sedona LaMarre

Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman

Original Music: Cecil Sherman

Director of Photography: Darren Walker

Assistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde

Assistant Editor: Lester Romero

Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields

Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uncle Sam Owning Private Companies? Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

In an unprecedented expansion of its role in the marketplace, the Trump administration has acquired ownership interests in dozens of firms.

Cato's Scott Lincicome joins Laura Bondank-Harmon to discuss this radical move from the US government, the seen and unseen costs of intervening in the private sector, and how should Congress act if they want to put a stop to it before it's too late.