Free Thoughts

Chris Edwards joins us this week to discuss the politics that goes into attempting to minimize the federal deficit. The Federal Government determines the federal budget, however there is not a balanced-budget requirement, which leads to the growth of the federal deficit. The Federal Government does two main “things” according to Edwards; they produce stuff and they transfer income. Obviously, national defense is one of the main things that the Federal Government produces. If they were to cut that production- it would have an immediate effect on defense programs and initiatives. Whereas if you cut from other programs, like those regarding housing, you would cut direct benefits to people.Over half of the federal budget goes to entitlement programs. Social Security alone has turned into a trillion dollar endeavor. Edwards suggests that if budget cuts were made across the board then it would be perceived as fair to all programs and it would be a step in the right direction.Why is it difficult for the Federal Gove

Reverend Rob Schenck joins us this week to discuss not only his book Costly Grace: An Evangelical Minister’s Rediscovery of Faith, Hope, and Love, but also his career in the evangelical world and how it morphed into continued political engagement. Schenck, at the age of eighteen, decided that he would live his life in the service of God. He elaborates on how his religious life can be divided into three separate awakenings and how over the past few years he has come to see how politicized the evangelical community has become. After meeting President Ronald Reagan, Schenck became mesmerized by Reagan’s “presidential glow”, which inspired him to take his religious career into the political sphere. He notes how the Roe v. Wade decision invited the evangelical world into the sphere of politics. Up until Roe, many states had differing laws about abortion, but the Supreme Court decision allowed evangelicals to come together to form a stable pro-life movement.When did evangelicals become present in the political disc

Matthew Larosiere joins us to discuss how his interest in the design and development of weapons is controversial. Larosiere argues that most people agree that everyone should be able to defend themselves. However, most people do not understand that “aimed fire” is actually more effective than peppering bullets hoping to hit your target. The “aimed fire” technique is actually the most utilized military tactic because it results in a higher level of precision and accuracy. Larosiere also touches on how 3D-printed guns have been in the spotlight in recent news. The outrage about 3D-printed guns arose because many people did not understand that, in the United States, there is no law against manufacturing your own gun, in your home, for personal use. There are, of course, laws that prevent the sale and exportation of homemade guns, but it is not illegal to have a hobby, need, or want to manufacture your own gun.Why would anyone own a gun? What is the most effective mechanism to defend yourself? What is the differe

Adam Bates, from the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), joins us this week for our 250th episode to talk about how the Muslim ban, which President Trump initiated during his first week in office, inspired him to change his work focus from criminal justice reform to refugee relief.Bates addresses how the Administration is “overtly hostile” towards refugees. In our current political climate, it is an extremely trying time for refugee law, but also to be a refugee. The Refugee Act of 1980 allows the President to decide each year what the refugee cap is for the following year. President Trump set the lowest cap in the last 38 years at 45,000 refugees for the 2018 fiscal year. We have only resettled 16,000 refugees so far this year. We are incredibly far away from our maximum capacity of refugees.What is a refugee by definition? Are there exceptions to this definition? What is “temporary-protected status”? How is an asylum-seeker different than a refugee? How does the refugee process work? Which coun

What tends to drive Congress’ institution overall? Where do organizations like Cato fit into the legislative process? What is the difference between the work that think tanks like Cato do, and that work of the Hill and lobbyists? Who is writing the actual legislation that might become law?Further Readings/References:The Statrix: How Government Wraps Our Perception of the World - Free Thoughts PodcastWashington’s Five Tricks - Free Thoughts PodcastThe Distinction Between Governance and Government - Free Thoughts PodcastBuilding a Better Government - Free Thoughts Podcast  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thomas Hazlett joins us for a discussion on the history of the U.S. government’s regulation of the airways. Efforts to liberate the radio spectrum have generated so much progress, ushering in smartphones, social media, podcasts and online media providers. But the battle for reform is not even half won.Further Readings/References:Check out the book: The Political Spectrum: The Tumultuous Liberation of Wireless Technology, from Herbert Hoover to the SmartphoneLearn more about Thomas HazlettCheck out our new podcast on emerging technology Building Tomorrow  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sebastian Edwards joins us today to discuss why we abandoned the gold standard. Edwards recently published American Default: The Untold Story of FDR, the Supreme Court, and the Battle over Gold.On April 5, 1933, FDR ordered Americans to sell all their gold holdings to the government. This was followed by the abandonment of the gold standard and the devaluation of the dollar. American Default is the story of this forgotten chapter in America’s history.Further ReadingsLearn More about Sebastian EdwardsRead the book American Default: The Untold Story of FDR, the Supreme Court, and the Battle over GoldThe Gold Standard Won’t Be Coming Back - Free Thoughts Podcast  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you are a regular listener of Free Thoughts, you are surely familiar with Free Thoughts fan favorite Peter Van Doren.  Today, Peter Van Doren joins us for special bonus episode of Free Thoughts to discuss the latest issue of Regulation Magazine. If you like what you hear, you can check out Regulation online by heading to cato.org/regulation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alex Nowrasteh joins us today to discuss the state of immigration in President Trump’s America.Further ReadingsThe Truth About Immigration (with Alex Nowrasteh) - Free Thoughts PodcastYou Are Now Free to Move About the Planet (with Alex Nowrasteh - Free Thoughts Podcast Understanding Immigration - The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Building Tomorrow Podcast explores the ways technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship enable private individuals to build a free, wealthy, and peaceful world.Subscribe to Building Tomorrow here! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gary Chartier joins us for a conversation on freedom of expression. He just published his new book An Ecological Theory of Free Expression.  Chartier argues for an “understanding of expressive freedom as rooted and realized in a complex set of social ecosystems that merit protection on multiple grounds and applies it provocatively to a range of contemporary issues.”Further ReadingsMore about Gary ChartierMore work by Gary ChartierLiberty Chronicles: The Corporation Problem (with Gary Chartier) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Find the book here: Seasteading: How Floating Nations Will Restore the Environment, Enrich the Poor, Cure the Sick, and Liberate Humanity from PoliticiansMore about Joe QuirkLearn more about Seasteading here See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Status, Prestige, Activism and the Illusion of American Decline by John GlaserFree Thoughts Podcast - Close America’s Overseas Bases (with John Glaser)Free Thoughts Podcast - Is the Iran Deal a Good Deal? (with John Glaser)Encyclopedia of Libertarianism - Foreign Policy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Jessica Flanigan joins us to discuss the rights of self-medication; rights to purchase and use unapproved treatments, prohibited drugs, and pharmaceuticals without a prescription. As Jessica describes in her most recent publication in Cato Unbound, “For most patients, rights of self-medication needn’t change how they make medical decisions. After all, rights of self-medication do not preclude patients from consulting with physicians or using only government-certified drugs. But if patients had rights of self-medication they would be free to make intimate and personal decisions about their bodies that reflected their values rather than the values of a physician or public official.”Further Readings/References:Pharmaceutical Freedom: Why Patients Have a Right to Self Medicate Book by Jessica FlaniganMore about Jessica FlaniganRespect Patients’ Choices to Self-Medicate by Jessica Flanigan See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jay Cost joins us to discuss his new book The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy. In the history of American politics there are few stories as enigmatic as that of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison’s bitterly personal falling out. Jay Cost is the first to argue that both men were right—and that their quarrel reveals a fundamental paradox at the heart of the American experiment.Further Readings/References:More about Jay Cost here.Free Thoughts Podcast: Big Government and the Rise of American Political Corruption (with Jay Cost).Jay Cost, The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy (book). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mike Munger joins us to discuss his new book Tomorrow 3.0: Transaction Costs and the Sharing Economy. We discuss the future of the sharing economy,  the role of the middle man, and the fundamental economic concept of transaction costs.Further Readings/References:Tomorrow 3.0: Transaction Costs and the Sharing EconomyLearn more about Mike Munger here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Diego Zuluaga joins us for a discussion on cryptocurrencies. We also discuss fiat money, Gresham’s law and the difference between blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Further ReadingsYour World on the Blockchain - Free Thoughts PodcastContracts and Cryptography - Free Thoughts PodcastIs Bitcoin the Future of Money? - Free Thoughts Podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dan Ikenson joins us to answer one important question: is the United States in a trade war? We also discuss the future of trade policy and trade policy regulation.  Further Readings/References:Free Trade - Encyclopedia of Libertarianism.orgHow Free Trade Creates Wealth - Free Thoughts PodcastSpecialization and Trade: A Re-introduction to Economics See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Will Duffield joins us to discuss Cambridge Analytica and the future of social media. What is Cambridge Analytica? What is Facebook doing with all this data? Should we expect more regulation of online advertising or nationalized social media platforms?Further Readings/References:Free Thoughts Podcast: Free Speech Online (with Will Duffield) Free Thoughts Podcast: Nothing Is Secure (with Julian Sanchez)Free Thoughts Podcast: The Internet Doesn’t Need to Be Saved (with Peter Van Doren) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Peter Van Doren joins us again to discuss his time on federal jury duty. On February 20th, 2018, Van Doren reported to the Federal District Court and was selected for jury duty. It was an MS-13 murder case involving an ongoing criminal conspiracy. We discuss conspiracy law, the nature of jury duty and the qualms of the criminal justice system. Further Readings/References:More about Peter Van DorenCato book Jury NullificationNancy MacLean and the Lazy Jury Fallacy by Trevor BurrusAn Essay on the Trial by Jury: Juries vs Representative Democracy by Lysander Spooner See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.