Mercatus Policy Download
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Episodes
Here's to Occupational Licensing Reform!
September 18, 2018 11:00 - 37 minutes - 30.4 MBOver the past two years, Illinois has taken multiple steps to reform how it regulates occupational and professional licenses. Illinois’ reform efforts are part of a broader national movement reexamining the ways in which we license certain professions. In other words, how state governments decide who’s allowed to work in what jobs. Here to do that, we have the perfect panel for today’s topic: Secretary Bryan Schneider from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation...
Is Tax Reform 2.0 Coming Soon?
September 04, 2018 11:00 - 44 minutes - 36.3 MBLast month, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady released what he’s calling a “listening session framework” for a second bite at the tax reform apple. While many thought that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed last December would be the last we’d hear about tax reform for at least a few years, Brady’s framework gives us the outline for what’s been dubbed “Tax Reform 2.0.” The plan includes permanent tax cuts, new savings vehicles for families, retirees, and students, and refor...
Here's to 5G!
August 21, 2018 11:00 - 38 minutes - 31.2 MBFor most of us, terms like “3, 4, and 5G” may not mean much more than an indicator that we can use our smartphones, or that it’s time to upgrade them to a newer model. They are simply markers of each new generation in wireless technology. But for telecommunications policy experts, 5G really matters. Some have predicted that exciting new technologies like driverless cars can only become a reality with the speed and reliability that 5G will provide. Futuristic smart-homes that rely on a vari...
Here's to a Better Deal on Sports Stadiums!
August 07, 2018 11:00 - 33 minutes - 27.7 MBSports are often a great unifier for society. They give us arbitrary, even petty rivalries that we can lean into without taking too seriously at the same time that they bring people together. But sports, particularly at the professional level, can be expensive. Even ignoring things like player salaries, equipment, and an extensive staff, every sports team needs a place to call home, and stadium costs can easily run in the hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s not really something most ...
Here's to a Better Unemployment Rate!
July 24, 2018 11:00 - 34 minutes - 27.8 MB“How many people are unemployed” sounds like a simple question with a straightforward answer: just go around and find out how many people don’t have jobs and you’re done! However, as economists who study the issue will tell you, it’s not that easy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a government agency charged with collecting data, has six separate measures of unemployment. And just in case you think we’re splitting hairs, those different measures ranged from as low as 1.7 to as high as 8.5% ...
Emergent Ventures Launches at Mercatus
July 18, 2018 14:00 - 10 minutes - 9 MBToday we have a special bonus episode for you, giving you a look inside the Mercatus Center’s newest project. Those of you who have followed our work over the past year or so may have noticed an increased attention to the idea of policy moonshots: high-risk, high-reward efforts aimed at dramatically improving the world. Today, we’re taking our own advice. This fall, the Mercatus Center will launch “Emergent Ventures,” an incubator designed to fund and support dynamic and promising ideas wi...
Here's to the Future of the BCFP!
July 17, 2018 12:49 - 36 minutes - 30.1 MBHow to regulate consumer financial products and services has remained one of the most contentious issues in Washington since the financial crisis. Congress created a new agency aimed at dealing with the issue in the wake of the crisis, but nearly 7 years after that agency first opened its doors, the issue remains as relevant as ever. In fact, experts are even divided on what to call the agency. For some, it’s the “Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,” or CFPB. For others, including Acting...
Why Expanding Skilled Immigration Is Good for the United States
July 10, 2018 11:00 - 28 minutes - 23.3 MBEveryone seems to agree that America is a nation of immigrants. Beyond that, however, actual immigration policy remains a contentious and often partisan topic. From insistence on a border wall between the United States and Mexico to growing calls for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, common ground hasn’t been easy to find lately. That may be because, as the Mercatus Center’s general director Tyler Cowen recently put it, “Immigration is hard,” and “it’s worth...
Fed Chair Powell and the New Rules of Monetary Policy
June 26, 2018 11:00 - 27 minutes - 22.5 MBInflation, rate hikes, hawks, doves, and yes, even dual-mandates. We’re diving into the exciting and, at times, intractable world of the Federal Reserve today to talk about new-ish Fed Chair Jay Powell and the Fed’s recent announcement that it’s increasing its interest rate target now and in the near future. That makes this the perfect time to talk about the direction the Fed may be heading under Powell’s leadership. Here to answer that question, we have an all-star panel of Fed watchers...
What Do ICOs Mean for the Future of Financial Markets?
June 12, 2018 11:00 - 36 minutes - 50.4 MBDepending on who you ask, Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs, are a scam, a brilliant new way for cryptocurrency companies to raise startup money, a sneaky way to get around securities regulations, or some combination of the above. What we do know for sure is that ICOs are garnering a lot of attention these days. China outright banned them last year, and the SEC recently launched its own “HowieCoin,” a fake ICO meant to steer potential investors away from scams. To talk about what these thi...
Here's to Keeping the Internet Free and Open!
May 29, 2018 11:00 - 20 minutes - 17.2 MBOn May 16th, the US Senate voted to repeal a Federal Communications Commission rule that was itself a repeal of the FCC’s 2015 rule intended to change the way the internet is regulated. The double repeal is now awaiting sign off from the House and the President, neither of which seem likely to support it. Still, the legislation has renewed the debate over ‘net neutrality,’ and how policymakers should regulate the internet. Here to unpack those issues are three experts on internet policy ...
Here's How to Regulate Facebook Productively!
May 15, 2018 11:00 - 38 minutes - 31.5 MBPrivacy and social media have always had a complicated relationship. On the one hand, users of sites like Facebook often voice concerns when they find out how much of their personal information ends up with advertisers. On the other hand, the roughly 2 billion active users of Facebook continue to provide that data voluntarily in exchange for free use of the platform. Add political advertising to that mix, and you have the ingredients for intense Congressional hearings featuring Facebook CE...
Here's to Win-Win Regulatory Reform!
May 01, 2018 11:00 - 37 minutes - 30.5 MBThe word “regulation” can be a pretty loaded one in the world of public policy. To some, it means health and safety protections necessary for a well-functioning economy and society. To others, it means unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions that kill jobs and favor large, established businesses. What just about everyone can agree on, however, is that there’s room for improvement in the existing regulatory system. Today, we’re talking about the idea of “win-win” regulatory reform. Or, put di...
Here's to Dynamic American Cities!
April 17, 2018 11:00 - 42 minutes - 34.9 MBJust about everyone who lives in a metropolitan coastal area understands the value of affordable housing. It's a given that if you want the benefits that come with living near lots of people and businesses, you're going to have to pay more for your mortgage or rent. That might be most obviously true of California, where growing demand and stagnant supply have produced 10 of the 11 most expensive metropolitan areas in the country. The state is aware of the problem and at least one potential...
Here's to Ending Self-Destructive Trade Wars!
April 10, 2018 11:00 - 32 minutes - 26.7 MBWhat do felt hats, flamethrowers, soybeans, and aluminum all have in common? They're all potential targets for new tariffs in the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China. For some time, the US has been trending towards freer and more open trade, culminating the North American Free Trade Agreement and efforts to finalize the Trans‑Pacific Partnership. But that trend may have come to an abrupt halt under an administration that has famously said, "Trade wars are good and ...
Here's to the Free Flow of Data!
April 03, 2018 11:00 - 28 minutes - 23.1 MBMany US companies need to move data across borders, and it’s not just the ones you think. In addition to social media and tech firms, traditional companies like payment processors, logistics companies, and physical manufacturers also provide digital services across countries. This makes them subject to data localization requirements, one of the key emerging issues in trade and trade agreements. Getting these requirements right will position countries to benefit from the increasingly vi...
Here’s to Cheaper Doctors (And More of Them)!
March 27, 2018 14:17 - 32 minutes - 26.8 MBWhile the US health care debate focuses on insurance and funding, many people struggle to schedule a doctor visit in timely manner. In rural areas, simply finding a doctor nearby can be a challenge. Nationwide there could be a shortage of somewhere between 40,800 and 104,900 physicians by 2030. Access to health care, in other words, means more than having insurance. How to address this doctor shortage? Dr. Jeffrey Flier, former Dean of Harvard's Faculty of Medicine, has some ideas: Refor...
Here's to Better Financial Regulation!
March 13, 2018 20:50 - 35 minutes - 28.6 MBCongress is attempting small reforms to Dodd‑Frank. Once the dust settles on the Crapo bill, it's going to be awhile before we hear from them again on the matter. The future of financial regulator policy now lies with the agencies. So what should be on the agenda? Highlights: A new idea for CFPB reform. The table agrees the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the place to watch. And J.W. Verret gives us a sneak peek of his best idea for reforming it: regulatory contracts. A better...