Qualified Opinions

Donald Trump's win marks the first time a Republican has won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004. What does this decisive election mean? How closely related are the political and policy realities? What can we expect under a Trump administration, and will Democrats make significant shifts in their own policy initiatives? Join Veronique de Rugy, Dominic Pino, and Akash Chougule break down the election and what we can expect under the new Trump administration.

Of the cherished liberties of a free society, economic liberty holds a special place. Personal choice, voluntary exchange, and the protection of private property sustain our political and civil liberties. Matt Mitchell joins the show today to discuss economic freedom and a new index from the Fraser Institute that maps economic freedom around the world. Matthew D. Mitchell is a Senior Fellow in the Centre for Economic Freedom at the Fraser Institute. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute, Mitchell was a long-serving senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he remains an affiliated senior scholar.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely already heard of Project 2025—but what is actually in it, should you care about it, and how much of it would a potential Republican government actually be capable of executing? Stephanie Slade recently wrote an article for Reason breaking it down, and today, she joins Veronique to discuss it. Stephanie Slade is a senior editor at Reason, the magazine of "free minds and free markets," and a fellow in liberal studies at the Acton Institute. Her writing has appeared in America magazine, The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, the Online Library of Liberty, and elsewhere. She covers the intersection of religion and politics. Project 2025 Is No Match for MAGA Dysfunction

Though there have been several union wins in recent years, union membership is at historic lows. Where do unions fit in the future of America? Will they continue to decline, or will they see a comeback? How will automation play a role? Vinnie Vernuccio joins Qualified Opinions to discuss. Vincent Vernuccio, president and co-founder of the Institute for the American Worker, brings over 15 years of expertise in labor law and policy. Vernuccio holds advisory positions with several organizations, including senior fellow with the Mackinac Center.

Many Americans have forgotten about Grover Cleveland—but William Ruger believes Cleveland's legacy of bridging the gap between populism and classical liberalism is increasingly relevant to today's polarized political climate. William Ruger serves as the President of the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off this week in the second Presidential Debate—and it was as lively as you'd expect. But when we cut through the noise, what do we see in terms of policy and programs? What policy direction would each candidate take the country? National Review Institute fellow Dominic Pino and Americans for Prosperity Vice President Akash Chougule join Veronique to break it down on this special episode of Qualified Opinions.

Joining the show today is Vance Ginn. Vance is the founder and president of Ginn Economic Consulting, where he leverages data-driven insights to shape economic policy discussions across the nation. Over the course of the show, Veronique and Vance discuss state and local government spending, federal spending, and the connection between the two.

The right and the left seem to have a lot of opinions about women and fertility, most of them not super productive. What would be a productive way to approach these conversations? Veronique is joined by Clara Piano, Susannah Barnes, and Anna Claire Flowers to discuss.

For all the buzz about the Harris Walz 2024 campaign, the policy substance of the campaign has been light to non-existent thus far. What would policy look like under a Kamala Harris presidential administration? In this special episode of Qualified Opinions, Veronique sits down with Dominic Pino and Akash Chougule to break down the potential policy direction of Harris and what we saw at the DNC this week. Dominic Pino is Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at the National Review Institute and the host of AIER's Econception Podcast. Akash is the Deputy Director of Policy at Americans for Prosperity.

As we navigate an era where corporate influence and political power are more intertwined, scrutinized, and tense than ever, Veronique de Rugy dives into the fascinating intersection of politics and business with her guest, Tevi Troy. Tevi Troy is a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and a best-selling author. See his latest book, released August 20th, The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry.