Kamala Harris’s Irresponsible Proposal to Expand Medicare
Michael F. Cannon Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris proposes to expand Medicare by having it subsidize in-home long-term care for enrollees—paying for someone to help them with activities of daily living, that sort of thing. One report estimates the
Public Schooling Culture War Appears to Be Cooling—Why?
Neal McCluskey Over the last few years, the country has experienced especially heated culture war in public schools. But new data from Cato’s Public Schooling Battle Map suggest things might be cooling off. The first chart below shows the number of conflicts
Introducing the Cato Handbook on Executive Orders and Presidential Directives
Alex Nowrasteh American presidents have enormous and growing power over our lives, liberty, and private property. Article II of the Constitution vests the president with “executive power,” which includes faithfully executing laws passed by Congress and acting as the commander in
The Many Roads to Liberty
What are the philosophical foundations of a libertarian society? There are many possible answers, but in this column, I’m going to discuss three of the most important of these.
Tragedy Strikes at Canadian Overdose Prevention Center Despite Staff Efforts
Jeffrey A. Singer Last week, the staff at an overdose prevention center (OPC) in London, Ontario were unable to save a client who overdosed on a drug consumed at the facility, even after they rushed the person to a nearby hospital
The “Fascist” Ad Hominem As an Act of Projection
Mussolini: “The fascist conception of life stresses the importance of the State and accepts the individual only in so far as his interests coincide with the State."
The Christian Faith in the Thought and Life of Frédéric Bastiat
Frederic Bastiat was a well-known and eloquent defender of liberty and free-market economics. He also was a devout Catholic who looked to tie his faith to his economic and political beliefs.
Government Jobs and Part-Time Work Are Behind the Latest Jobs Gains
To find any real growth in employment in the September report, we have to look to government jobs and workers holding down two jobs as total hours decline.
Freedom of Association and Cancel Culture
As Murray Rothbard often noted, freedom of association is a fundamental right, what he called a “subset of private property rights.” Unfortunately, our modern cancel culture has taken aim at this right, taking away the voluntary nature of human interaction.
The Mirage of Honest Government
America is always on the verge of finally having "honest government." Of course, what passes for “honest government” is a government that efficiently takes wealth from productive people and transfers it to those who are politically-connected.
An Economy So Strong It Requires Crisis-Level Fed Action
The Fed’s specialty is propaganda through data, with a long record of failure. This is by design. Their communication tools must work in overtime, particularly in the face of a decision like this, to avoid “spooking markets”, though this veneer
The Denarius and the Dollar: Price Controls Then and Now
The more things change, the more they remain the same. In our present age of inflation, we are reminded of how Diocletian and other Roman authorities ordered price controls and other measures to hold down prices. None of these edicts
Tariffs, Protectionism, and Why Borders Matter
The political zeitgeist is to embrace protectionism, leading some who support free trade to embrace open borders. However, as Murray Rothbard explained, people and societies are complex entities and what may work for trade does not work for open immigration.
Understanding the Basics of Modern Banking
Banking systems around the world have huge effects on our lives, yet few people understand how banks work. Worse yet, even fewer understand the malign powers of central banks and how this system undermines economies. Thus, it is important to
Yes, We Should Defend the Term “Capitalism”
Many proponents of free markets have tried to cast aside the name “capitalism” as a descriptor of the market system. They should take caution before doing so.
The Second Trump Shooter Believed Exactly What the Establishment Media Wanted Him to Believe
After Trump narrowly escaped another assassination attempt, the establishment seems uninterested in the motives of the would-be shooter. Perhaps that’s because he’s echoing the same simplistic narratives about the Ukraine war and Trump that they demand we all believe.
The Fed Hits the Panic Button and Slashes the Fed Funds Rate
The Fed is desperate for you to think that “this time is different.” Unfortunately, Powell can’t seem to come up with explanation of why that is the case.