Socialism is making a comeback in American politics, but do people actually know what "socialism" means?

In this episode of the Cato Weekly Podcast, Paul Meany sits down with Marian Tupy to unpack the rise of “democratic socialism,” the growth of the welfare state, and the crucial difference between government assistance and government control.

Read Marian's article here:

https://www.cato.org/commentary/bill-mahers-category-error-socialism

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

Flock cameras and other forms of surveillance technology are spreading across America, promising to help police solve crimes. But the technology has also created a vast network for tracking where Americans go.

Join Laura Bondank-Harmon and Clark Neily as they discuss how much privacy and freedom we’re giving up in the name of security.

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

How Hard Is It to Rig an American Election?

Election fraud claims are increasingly more common.

Walter Olson joins Stephen Rowe to separate genuine election irregularities from viral fraud claims. They explain what the evidence tells us about mail-in voting, voter ID, foreign interference, and the integrity of the US election system.

Read Walter's work here:

https://www.cato.org/people/walter-olson

Producer: Barbara Galletti

Post Production: Sedona LaMarre

Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman

Original Music: Cecil Sherman

Director of Photography: Darren Walker

Assistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde

Assistant Editor: Lester Romero

Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields

Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall

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

In an unprecedented expansion of its role in the marketplace, the Trump administration has acquired ownership interests in dozens of firms.

Cato's Scott Lincicome joins Laura Bondank-Harmon to discuss this radical move from the US government, the seen and unseen costs of intervening in the private sector, and how should Congress act if they want to put a stop to it before it's too late.

Read more of Scott's work here:

https://www.cato.org/free-society/winter-2026/conspicuous-fist-trumps-state-corporatism

Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall

Producer: Barbara Galletti

Post Production: Sedona LaMarre

Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman

Original Music: Cecil Sherman

Director of Photography: Darren Walker

Assistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde

Assistant Editor: Lester Romero

Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields

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

Free health care, housing, college, paid leave, and retirement benefits may sound appealing... but how would we pay for them?

Rikki Schlott sits down with Cato’s Adam Michel to unpack the Democratic Socialists of America’s ambitious agenda and the staggering cost of its proposals. If taxing the rich and corporations is not enough to foot the bill, who would be paying next?

Access Adam Michel's research here:

https://www.cato.org/blog/who-will-pay-democratic-socialisms-200-trillion-cost

Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall

Producer: Barbara Galletti

Post Production: Sedona LaMarre

Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman

Original Music: Cecil Sherman

Director of Photography: Darren Walker

Assistant Producer: Elcid Demonteverde

Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields

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

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

A number that's precise, dramatic, and politically convenient should raise your suspicion, not lower it. Aaron Brown, author of Wrong Number:

How to Extract Truth from a Blizzard of Quantitative Disinformation, joins Cato's Ryan Bourne to break down the warning signs of a bad statistic, from missing context to claims that arrive straight from a press release.

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

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