Drug Reformation: End Government’s Power to Require Prescriptions

Round white pills spill out of an orange pill bottle on a blue background

U.S. law grants the Food and Drug Administration the power to make consumers get a prescription before purchasing certain drugs. The rationale behind government‐​imposed prescription requirements is consumer safety—that is, the idea that some drugs are too dangerous for consumers to use without physician supervision. In a new study, Cato scholars Jeffrey A. Singer and Michael F. Cannon argue that government‐​imposed prescription requirements violate the rights of individuals to access the medicines they want, and actually make patients less safe, not more.

A Fiscal Cliff: New Perspectives on the U.S. Federal Debt Crisis

A Fiscal Cliff book cover

The unsustainable, and still rapidly growing, U.S. federal government debt is a classic case of ‘‘in denial.” Despite numerous congressional committees, bipartisan commissions, and votes, we are no closer to a solution to the debt crisis than we were more than a decade ago. In fact, in 2018, a congressional committee was appointed to recommend budget process reforms, but that committee could not agree on any recommendations to submit to Congress. In this timely volume, scholars and policymakers assess the United States’ fiscal constraints and provide new perspectives that are desperately needed in order to solve the nation’s debt crisis.

Pandemics and Policy

US Capitol Building with reflection

The third great crisis of the 21st century has already inflicted a greater toll in lives lost and economic hardship than 9/11 and the 2008 financial collapse combined. And just as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our daily lives, it has transformed the political landscape, with governments at all levels exercising emergency powers rarely seen outside the context of total war. With so much at risk, what’s needed now is sober, realistic assessment of the choices ahead—a guide to policies that can stem the damage while avoiding permanent transformation of American life and law. The Cato Institute aims to meet that need with its new series, Pandemics and Policy.

Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors 2020

2020 Fiscal Policy Report Card cover

Governors play a key role in state fiscal policy. They propose budgets, recommend tax changes, and sign or veto tax and spending bills. When the economy is growing, governors can use rising revenues to expand programs or they can return extra revenues to the public through tax cuts. When the economy is stagnant and budget deficits appear, governors can respond by raising taxes or trimming spending. A new report from Cato scholars Chris Edwards and David Kemp grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited‐​government perspective.