Best Prospect Research Institute Podcasts (2025)

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Repeal Day: Alcohol Prohibition and the Hypocrisy of the Drug War 31:04

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13h ago31:04

31:04

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 enforcement incentives, and empowering violent traffickers. Drawing on real-world examples of overdose deaths, civil forf…

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The central economic role of the United States in question? 15:00

3d ago15:00

15:00

For much of the modern era, the United States has stood at the heart of the global economy—anchoring the international monetary system, shaping the rules of trade, and driving global growth through its innovation and financial power. But today, this long-standing leadership is being tested on multiple fronts.In this episode, we explore the shifting…

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NIH's Lost Mission 37:15

3d ago37:15

37:15

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 shift from financing mission-led research to funding basic science has reduced its effectiveness in improving Am…

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Superabundance at Thanksgiving 36:07

9d ago36:07

36:07

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-prices show most goods becoming more abundant over time. Plus, the pair discuss human progress developments and why…

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Energy Realism: Climate Policy Meets Actual Economics 37:34

10d ago37:34

37:34

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 homicide” narrative misreads the data, and that abundant, affordable energy remains humanity’s greatest defense…

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Peace Diplomacy in an Era of Growing Conflict 20:42

10d ago20:42

20:42

In this episode, we mark the first year of the Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation with a wide-ranging conversation on the state of peace diplomacy today. At a time when conflicts are multiplying across the globe, we ask whether this signals a failure of diplomacy or a call for its evolution.We explore how the peace diplomacy sector works—who its …

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The Disaster Aid System: How FEMA Rewards Risk 29:22

15d ago29:22

29:22

FEMA was meant to help only when disasters exceeded state capacity. Yet today it functions primarily as a national subsidy machine, encouraging development in floodplains, bailing out wealthy coastal states, and shifting costs onto taxpayers far from the danger zones. The Cato Institute's Dominik Lett and Chris Edwards discuss how well-intentioned …

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The Shutdown That Solved Nothing 32:16

17d ago32:16

32:16

Romina Boccia, Michael F. Cannon, and Adam Michel break down the 43-day government shutdown driven by demands to extend temporary Obamacare subsidies for upper-income households earning well into six figures. The trio examines how the stalemate exposed deeper structural problems: runaway entitlement growth, perverse state incentives, a fragile food…

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Don’t Do It, Mr. President: The Prospect of a US War in Venezuela 31:36

21d ago31:36

31:36

The Cato Institute's Justin Logan and Brandan P. Buck unpack the Trump administration’s shifting justifications for military action in Venezuela, from fentanyl and cocaine interdiction to Monroe Doctrine revivalism. They explore the legal and strategic risks of invoking war powers under dubious pretenses, warning that the push for regime change cou…

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The Supreme Court’s $300 Billion Tariff Showdown 39:22

23d ago39:22

39:22

Can a president tax Americans at will under the guise of a national emergency? The Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome and Brent Skorup dissect the high-stakes Supreme Court battle over Trump’s “fentanyl tariffs,” the broadest assertion of trade power in modern U.S. history. They explore how the case could reshape executive authority, revive dormant c…

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Prospects for Peace in Ukraine: Diplomacy, Power, and the Politics of War 18:37

27d ago18:37

18:37

More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the prospect of peace remains elusive. Several rounds of negotiations have taken place — yet none have brought the two sides closer to ending the war. Why have diplomatic efforts failed so far? What obstacles continue to block progress? And how do global and regional powers — from…

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What a Long Shutdown It's Been 34:01

29d ago34:01

34:01

Romina Boccia joins Nicholas Anthony to discuss how the shutdown centers on demands to extend subsidies for earners making well above median household income—all the way up to $500,000 annually. Federal workers and SNAP recipients have been offered up as political collateral for a deal that would cause an unprecedented $1.5 trillion in additional d…

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The $650,000 Question: How Steel Protectionism Fails 38:11

1M ago38:11

38:11

For 60 years, the U.S. government has protected the steel industry through tariffs, quotas, and Buy American mandates. Yet steel costs remain among the highest globally, and protectionism has extracted a staggering price: $650,000 in economic damage for every steel job saved, and 75,000 manufacturing jobs lost in 2019 alone. Cato's Clark Packard an…

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135: Karen Cochran on Cultivating Billion-Dollar Donor Relationships 17:56

1M ago17:56

17:56

Karen Cochran reveals why two-thirds of transformational gifts come from outside your donor base—and how research unlocks these relationships. Read More on the Learning Edge Blog Connect with Karen: LinkedIn | Philanthropy Innovators Website Why Your Major Gifts Program is Falling Short—And How to Fix It | Karen Cochran 5 Ways to Develop Billion-Do…

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Five* Types of Innovative "Schools" 40:49

1M ago40:49

40:49

School choice isn’t just about choosing different schools—it’s about unbundling education itself and trying new things to get kids excited about learning. Cato scholars Neal McCluskey and Colleen Hroncich envision a future where adults educated through innovative institutions bring diverse perspectives to workplaces and communities. Hosted on Acast…

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Political Pressure and Monetary Policy 32:26

1M ago32:26

32:26

Both Republicans and Democrats pressure the Fed toward different agendas, revealing deeper institutional problems. Norbert Michel and Jai Kedia argue that broad discretion and an inflated view of the Fed's influence enable mission creep and capture regardless of who holds power. The solution? Congressional legislation establishing clear rules. Host…

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Feeding AI's Energy Appetite 29:00

1M ago29:00

29:00

Travis Fisher and Jennifer Huddleston discuss how outdated energy policies created barriers to new generation just as AI data centers began demanding unprecedented amounts of power. They imagine a path forward using free market policies in both AI and electricity to create previously unimaginable levels of human flourishing and prosperity. Hosted o…

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Peace President? 47:17

2M ago47:17

47:17

President Trump is taking a victory lap for brokering peace in Gaza—while simultaneously escalating the U.S. proxy war in Ukraine and launching airstrikes against suspected cartel boats. Our panel assesses Trump’s Nobel ambitions, celebrates this year’s actual Peace Prize winner, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Justin Logan, "The…

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Protecting Immigration Enforcement Officers and the Constitution 32:03

2M ago32:03

32:03

According to recent government data, immigration enforcement has become a much more dangerous job. David Bier and Patrick Eddington discuss the policy tradeoffs driving these numbers, previous administrations' efforts at mitigating mass immigration, and how to craft a more just, effective and safe immigration policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/…

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Trump Universities? 45:30

2M ago45:30

45:30

President Trump’s new “Compact with Academia” aims to reshape higher ed using the leverage of federal funds. Our panel unpacks the constitutional risks of Washington’s latest salvo in the campus culture wars. Plus, shutdown week two: will the administration deliver on federal job cuts or is it Grim Reaper cosplay? Neal McCluskey, "Higher Ed Compact…

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1
Repeal Day: Alcohol Prohibition and the Hypocrisy of the Drug War 31:04

1
The central economic role of the United States in question? 15:00

1
NIH's Lost Mission 37:15

1
Superabundance at Thanksgiving 36:07

1
Energy Realism: Climate Policy Meets Actual Economics 37:34

1
Peace Diplomacy in an Era of Growing Conflict 20:42

1
The Disaster Aid System: How FEMA Rewards Risk 29:22

1
The Shutdown That Solved Nothing 32:16

1
Don’t Do It, Mr. President: The Prospect of a US War in Venezuela 31:36

1
The Supreme Court’s $300 Billion Tariff Showdown 39:22

1
Prospects for Peace in Ukraine: Diplomacy, Power, and the Politics of War 18:37

1
What a Long Shutdown It's Been 34:01

1
The $650,000 Question: How Steel Protectionism Fails 38:11

1
135: Karen Cochran on Cultivating Billion-Dollar Donor Relationships 17:56

1
Five* Types of Innovative "Schools" 40:49

1
Political Pressure and Monetary Policy 32:26

1
Feeding AI's Energy Appetite 29:00

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Peace President? 47:17

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Protecting Immigration Enforcement Officers and the Constitution 32:03

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Trump Universities? 45:30

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Protecting Expression in Crisis 31:10

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134: How Mid-Level Programs Drive Major Gift Growth with Jeff Schreifels 17:56

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Shutdowns and Shadow Dockets 46:40

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How Government Shutdowns Actually Work 43:28

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Doing It the Hard Way 45:25

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SEC Commissioner Challenges Financial Surveillance 35:20

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Free Speech and Domestic Tranquility 45:31

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The Rise of University Administration 31:01