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Cato Podcast

Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Tariffs
Donald Trump
Trump Administration
China
Libertarianism
Artificial Intelligence
First Amendment
United States
Social Security
Venezuela
Fourth Amendment
Government Shutdown
Constitution
Iran
Supreme Court
Trade Policy
JD Vance
Obamacare
Qualified Immunity

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 resea... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes4853Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GovernmentNewsPolitics

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Latest Episodes

Rep. Kevin Fitzpatrick (R) and Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D) lead one of Washington's only bipartisan caucuses, the Problem Solvers Caucus, and they've teamed up on an affordability agenda that touches housing, energy, health care, and immigration. Ryan Bou... more

New York City Mayor Mamdani wants five city owned grocery stores selling staples 30% below cost, at $70 million to build and $100 million a year to run. Cato's Rikki Schlott talks with Don Boudreaux about why private supermarkets survive on 2% profit... more

Nearly 60% of housing markets in the United States have been characterized as “unaffordable.” Cato's Ryan Bourne talks with Howard Husock of the American Enterprise Institute about why rent freezes, vouchers, and government run housing tend to make t... more

Earlier this year the Supreme Court ruled that the president could not use the "International Emergency Economic Powers Act" (IEEPA) to impose tariffs and the administration immediately turned to other legal mechanisms to assert that power.

Laura Bon... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Brian Fitzpatrick
Representative, Pennsylvania's first congressional district; Republican
U.S. Congress
Episode: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Affordability?
Tom Suozzi
Representative, New York's third congressional district; Democrat
U.S. Congress
Episode: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Affordability?
Don Boudreaux
Adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and professor of economics at George Mason University
Cato Institute, George Mason University
Episode: Can Government Run a Grocery Store?
Howard Husock
Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and housing policy scholar
American Enterprise Institute
Episode: Bad Ways To Improve Housing Affordability
Clark Neily
Senior Vice President of Legal Studies at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: The Eternal Quest for More Tariffs
Justin Logan
Director of Defense and Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Iran: Schrodinger's War
John Cochrane
Economist, Rosemarie and Jack Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution; Grumpy Economists blogger
Hoover Institution, Cato Institute
Episode: AI: Must We Act Now?
David A. Hyman
Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute and Professor of Health Law and Policy at Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center; Cato Institute
Episode: Happy 60th Birthday, Now Pay the Bill
Michael F. Cannon
Director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Happy 60th Birthday, Now Pay the Bill

Hosts

Laura Bondank-Harmon
Host of the show, guiding discussions with policy experts
Ryan Bourne
Host of the show, guiding discussions with policy experts

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • David Bier

    Is a must-follow on Twitter

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Portland Antifasist
    United States5 months ago
  • Protest, Carry, Die episode is poor.

    Protest, carry, die episode is the Mainstream media version only. This is not the normal CATO quality I expect.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    DF987@
    United States6 months ago
  • Sometimes misleading.

    While usually balanced, I do find that some of the journalists are misleading in their representation of the facts.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    H82W8
    United States6 months ago
  • Once Great. Now Poor.

    Since the departure of Caleb Brown, this podcast has been in a death spiral. Caleb brought clarity, coherence, and a disciplined commitment to intellectual honesty. His absence exposes how much of the podcast’s credibility rested on his stewardship.

    Discussions that once challenged assumptions with sharp inquiry now drift through MAGA talking points with little depth.

    The shift in tone is disappointing. This show increasingly sounds apologetic toward the current administration, softening criti... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Eat Drink Fun
    United States9 months ago
  • Expected better

    I gave this a try expecting thoughtful, libertarian discussion—but it came across as oddly partisan and more conservative than I anticipated. Hard to tell if this was just a bad sample or if the tone has shifted overall, but it wasn’t what I expected from Cato.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    CitiCustomer
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Informative, accessible debates on complex topics.
Great breadth of topics and expert guests for libertarian-driven policy discussion.
High-quality policy critique, though some listeners feel tone can drift partisan.
Thoughtful, concise libertarian analysis with strong guest lineup.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#26
United States/Government
Apple Podcasts
#79
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#138
United Kingdom/Government
Apple Podcasts
#34
Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts
#131
Australia/Government
Apple Podcasts
#147
Germany/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bad Ways To Improve Housing Affordability
Q: What did you think the bipartisan housing bill got right and what did it get wrong about housing?
The bill was small in scope, easing certain federal requirements on manufactured housing and preserving some reformers on margins, but it did not constitute a breakthrough in supply or affordability; it largely tinkered around the edges and retained policies that have historically failed to boost supply.
Iran: Schrodinger's War
Q: Has there been any lesson from past U.S. interventions that should apply to the Iran situation?
The guest emphasizes the Powell/Weinberger doctrine as a benchmark—clear objectives, overwhelming force, public support, and a defined end—arguing that such a framework has been ignored, leading to protracted and costly engagements.
Iran: Schrodinger's War
Q: What do you think is really going on here?
The guest argues the conflict reflects a mix of misperception, political opportunism, and strategic overreach, with goals influenced by external actors and internal shifts, rather than a coherent, publicly defendable strategy.
Iran: Schrodinger's War
Q: Okay. And with that background, what do you think the administration's goals were when they started the conflict with Iran? Was there ever a good reason to attack?
Logan suggests there was no clearly justifiable public rationale that lined up with a defined objective, criticizing the administration for lacking a credible, publicly explained plan and the historical comparison to prior interventions that sought clear goals before acting.
Wealth Taxes Failed Abroad. Why Try Them Here?
Q: Why might a wealth tax raise little or no revenue and even reduce future tax receipts?
Because a wealth tax drives capital away, triggers avoidance and exemption strategies, creates administrative burdens, and reduces investment and productivity, ultimately shrinking the tax base and lowering other tax revenues.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Cato Podcast

What is Cato Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across episodes, the show frequently analyses public policy through a libertarian lens, with a strong emphasis on markets, limited government, and civil liberties. Topics commonly span tax and finance policy, regulatory reform, energy and technology policy, national security, and constitutional governance, often featuring sharp debates between libertarian scholars and policymakers. Notable strengths include concise, evidence-based takes from Cato Institute experts, critical examinations of government programs (e.g., Medicare, wealth taxes, surveillance regimes), and accessible explanations of complex legal or economic frameworks. The format tends to pair policy critique with practical reform ideas, highlighting real-world impacts on prices,... more

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1. The Reason Roundtable
2. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
3. The Libertarian
4. Law Talk With Epstein, Yoo & Cooke
5. EconTalk

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Cato Podcast launched 20 years ago and published 4853 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Cato Podcast?

Recent guests on Cato Podcast include:

1. Brian Fitzpatrick
2. Tom Suozzi
3. Don Boudreaux
4. Howard Husock
5. Clark Neily
6. Justin Logan
7. John Cochrane
8. David A. Hyman

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