Cato Event Podcast

Throes of Democracy, the second volume in Walter McDougall's series on American history, illuminates a period of profound transformation in American politics and society. From the presidency of Andrew Jackson to the splits and regeneration of American political parties, Throes of Democracy describes in vivid detail America's transformation from frontier Republic to national state.McDougall, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, pays particular attention to the diverse experiences of the new Americans representing a mélange of religions, ethnicities, and ideologies: Jews, Protestants, Catholics; Germans, Irish, Africans; Whigs and Democrats. Examining the outcome of the Civil War, McDougall makes a compelling argument that the failure of Reconstruction can be seen as a progenitor of America's latter-day failed attempts at regime change and nation building. In the end, McDougall's dedication to historical accuracy, his elegant prose, and his sharp analysis make for an eminently readable and moving narrative.Please join the author and our distinguished commentators for a discussion of this fine new history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Returning to the subject that first made him famous over two decades ago, Richard Epstein, the author of Takings, has a new book on property rights. In it, he takes readers from the strongly protective property rights advocated by the Constitution's Framers to the weak property rights supported by progressive and liberal politicians in the 20th century. Using both political theory and economic analysis, Epstein offers a compelling interpretation of the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause to draw the connections between property rights, individual liberty, and social progress. And he looks also at the renewed appreciation of property rights that has arisen in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's infamous Kelo v. New London decision. Please join us for a discussion of this new work, with vigorous comments from the other side. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"We all know what to do, but we don't know how to get re-elected once we have done it," said Jan-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg. He was referring to a key political conundrum faced by leaders in most democracies, including members of the European Union and the United States, who realize the need for economic reforms but often fail to tackle them out of fear of voters' displeasure. Munkhammar argues in his new book The Guide to Reform that many supposed obstacles to reform are not obstacles at all and shows that almost all of the reformist governments in the OECD have been reelected. His book discusses successful reforms in, among other nations, Ireland, Spain, and Sweden, and offers practical advice on how to get them done. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February is Black History Month, so it’s an appropriate time to take a critical look at the way government has treated racial minorities, especially African Americans. Is government more likely to be the friend or adversary of minority groups? Has it been liberals, conservatives, or libertarians like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass who have been the most consistent defenders of everyone's rights? What does history suggest would be the best public policy for racial minorities in the 21st century? Bruce Bartlett, a former Reagan administration economist with a provocative new book, and Casey Lartigue, coeditor of Educational Freedom in Urban America and a controversial former XM 169 talk show host, will discuss these questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the U.S. organ donor waiting list nears a record 100,000 and an average of seven Americans die every day waiting for an organ that never comes, solving the U.S. organ shortage takes on new urgency. Matas and Hippen will argue that the shortage could be solved by lifting the U.S. prohibition on the sale of human organs. Delmonico and Crowe will argue that the legalization of organ sales would do more harm than good. Matas will present his model for a regulated organ market described in his recent Cato study "A Gift of Life Deserves Compensation." And Hippen will present his observations on why Iran is the only country in the world without an organ shortage, the subject of his forthcoming study. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twilight at Monticello is an unprecedented and engrossing personal look at Thomas Jefferson in his final years that will change the way readers think about him. During the years from his return to Monticello in 1809 until his death in 1826, Jefferson dealt with illness and debt, corresponded with the leading figures of the Revolution, and became a radical decentralist and admirer of the New England townships, where, he believed, the real fire of liberty burned bright.Jefferson had witnessed the strength of local governments during his ill-advised, near-dictatorial embargo, which proved to be the great crisis of his political life, not because he placed too much faith in his countrymen's capacity for self-government but because, for once in his life, he placed too little faith in it. During these years, Jefferson also became increasingly aware of the costs to civil harmony exacted by the Founding Fathers' failure to effectively reconcile slaveholding within a republic dedicated to liberty. Right up until his death on the 50th anniversary of America's founding, Thomas Jefferson remained an indispensable man, albeit a supremely human one. Based on new research and documents culled from the Library of Congress, the Virginia Historical Society, and other special collections, including hitherto unexamined letters from family, friends, and Monticello neighbors, Alan Pell Crawford paints an authoritative and deeply moving portrait of Thomas Jefferson as private citizen — the first original depiction of the man in more than a generation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since 1991, federal transportation law has imposed an endless long-range transportation process on states and metropolitan regions. This process has consumed huge amounts of money to little benefit. Few, if any, metropolitan regions are seriously considering alternatives that would reduce congestion. Many have written plans that will lead to major increases in congestion. Repealing the planning requirements would actually make transportation work better. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his new book, The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics, Michael Shermer examines such questions as: How did we evolve from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumer-traders? Why are people so irrational when it comes to money and business? He argues that the new science of evolutionary economics provides an answer to both of those questions. Shermer shows how evolution and economics are both examples of a larger phenomenon of complex adaptive systems. Along the way, he answers such provocative questions as, Do our tribal roots mean that we will always be a sucker for brands? How is the biochemical joy of sex similar to the rewards of business cooperation? How can nations increase trust within and between their borders? Finally, Shermer considers the consequences of globalization and why free trade promises to build alliances between nations. Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the author of Why People Believe Weird Things and Why Darwin Matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.