To achieve the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Cato’s scholars typically take a skeptical look at proposals to expand the size, scope, and power of government.
Politics and Society
Circumventing Section 230: Product Liability Lawsuits Threaten Internet Speech
Recent product liability suits intended to circumvent Section 230’s protections contravene the statute’s purpose and threaten Americans’ access to the tools upon which they increasingly rely.
What Americans Think About Poverty, Wealth, and Work
Findings from the Cato Institute 2019 Welfare, Work, and Wealth National Survey
Judging Biden
Biden became Judiciary Committee chairman when the Democrats won back that chamber in the 1986 midterm elections, just in time to preside over the Robert Bork hearings.
Escaping the Partisan Death Spiral
Even as we watch what feels like a highstakes contest, in the end our political future will probably be more endless partisan fighting, endangering basic constitutional norms, and now, thanks to COVID-19, our economy and our health as well. A genuine contest of ideas and visions, it will not be.
Trump’s Ad Hoc Administrative State
If Congress remains passive, we can expect subsequent presidents to build on Trump’s model. The template is straightforward: find a capacious or implied delegation; whip together an administrative program that maximizes discretion; and recite “good cause” to escape any procedural rigor.
Featured Podcast
Social Media Reaction to the Attack on the Capitol
Twitter banned President Trump after he used the platform to help spin up a crowd just before last week’s deadly Capitol attack. That should seem like an easy call. But what about similar bans on some Trump supporters? The removal of accounts on various platforms appeared to be fairly widespread. Will Duffield and Matthew Feeney comment.
Featured Book
The Three Language of Politics
Progressives, conservatives, and libertarians are like tribes speaking different languages. Political discussions do not lead to agreement. Instead, most political commentary serves only to increase polarization. The Three Languages of Politics is an accessible, precise, and insightful guide to lowering the barriers coarsening our politics. This is not a book about one ideology over another. Instead, it is a book about how we communicate issues and ideologies and how language intended to persuade instead divides.