Cato Podcast podcast | Listen online for free

4848 episodes

AI: Must We Act Now?
2026/07/30 | 41 mins.
Artificial intelligence could transform productivity, employment, and living standards. But does that mean governments should “act now” to “steer” the technology? Economist John Cochrane joins Cato’s Ryan Bourne to explain why he thinks a prominent economists’ letter gets the problem wrong, whether fears of mass job loss are justified, and how speculation about AI’s potential is already shaping public policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Happy 60th Birthday, Now Pay the Bill
2026/07/28 | 26 mins.
Medicare spent $1.2 trillion in 2025 and still can't show it's saving lives. The Cato Institute's Laura Bondank-Harmon is joined by Michael Cannon and David Hyman to mark the program's 60th anniversary, explaining how it broke health care pricing and why "Medicare for All" would only make it worse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Wisdom of Crowds: An Intro to Prediction Markets
2026/07/23 | 42 mins.
Prediction-market pioneer Robin Hanson joins Cato's Ryan Bourne to explain this new industry's promise, how betting can improve decision-making, and whether we should worry about insider trading, manipulation, and sabotage as these markets proliferate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Fight Against Financial Surveillance
2026/07/21 | 29 mins.
Financial surveillance in America is expanding.

In this episode, host Nicholas Anthony sits down with Representative Warren Davidson to discuss the growing reach of the Bank Secrecy Act, and why it’s time to scale back the surveillance of law-abiding Americans.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Is Childcare So Expensive?
2026/07/16 | 40 mins.
Parents in many parts of the country face eye-watering childcare bills, yet providers often operate on thin margins and workers remain modestly paid. Cato's Chelsea Follett joins Ryan Bourne to discuss the economics behind America’s childcare crunch, the regressive regulations that make care scarcer, and the supply-side reforms that could give families more affordable options. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More Government podcasts

Trending Government podcasts

About 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 information.

Podcast website

Government News News Commentary Politics