Across the political spectrum, free enterprise is under seige. From the left, we see calls for wealth redistribution, aggressive regulation, and ever-expanding entitlement programs. From the right, we are witnessing growing trade protectionism and government intervention in the economy. Today, we are diving into the most pressing economic issue of our time: the future of free markets in America. Joining Qualified Opinions today is Dr. Samuel Gregg and Richard Reinsch to discuss. Samuel Gregg is ...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Earlier this month, Donald Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and Canada, along with their retaliatory tariffs, were paused for one month after a deal was made. But with that month coming to an end soon, tariffs will be back on the table. Today, Veronique de Rugy sits down with Erica York to discuss the economics of these tariffs. Erica York is Vice President of Federal Tax Policy with Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy. She previously worked as an auditor at a large community bank in Kansas ...
Feb 19, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast With some provisions of the 2017 tax cuts set to expire in 2025, legislators are scrambling to make sure their preferred cuts are getting an extension. Add to that Donald Trump’s demand for no taxes on tips and you are left with a very uncertain future for taxation policy. What should we expect? Adam Michel joins to discuss. Adam N. Michel is director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, where he focuses on analyzing the economic and budgetary effects of taxation in the United States....
Feb 05, 2025•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast For the first time since Grover Cleveland, Donald Trump has been sworn in for his second non-consecutive term—and in many ways, he is off to a much different start than his first administration. What do these initial days tell us about what to expect over the next four years? Joining the show today is Dominic Pino to discuss. Dominic is a Thomas J. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at the National Review Institute and host of AIER’s Econception podcast.
Jan 27, 2025•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Healthcare spending is the single largest item in the federal budget and the fastest-growing one, too. It is the main driver of our future debt. Reform isn't just necessary but urgent. Vero is joined today by two of the sharpest minds in healthcare policy to discuss solutions. Michael F. Cannon is the Cato Institute’s director of health policy studies. Washingtonian magazine named Cannon one of Washington, DC’s Most Influential People in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Cannon was previously a domest...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast It can be intimidating to wrap your head around the relationship between healthcare, government, and the economy. From finances to regulation, the web is complex and wide-spanning. Joining Qualified Opinions today to make better sense of this is Michael F. Cannon. Cannon is the Cato Institute’s director of health policy studies. Washingtonian magazine named Cannon one of Washington, DC’s Most Influential People in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast The Department of Government Efficiency is being tasked with reining in the frivolous government spending we have all grown to know as “the norm.” But where should those cuts be made? Alex Nowrasteh and Chris Edwards joined the show to discuss a new report from the Cato Institute that outlines where the waste is and how to cut it. Alex Nowrasteh is the vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute. Chris Edwards occupies the Kilts Family Chair in Fiscal Studies at t...
Dec 20, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the end of 2024, the United States’ national debt has ballooned to $36 trillion, and the budget deficit hovers over $2 trillion. With spending only having the prospect of going up, the U.S. financial situation to be even more dire in 10 years, likely climbing another $22 trillion. Is there any way out of this crisis? Economic economist Joshua Rauh and policy researcher Jack Salmon joined Vero today to discuss. Joshua Rauh is the Ormond Family Professor of Finance at Stanford’s Graduate School...
Dec 12, 2024•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are coming to Washington, DC, intending to cut $2 trillion in wasteful federal spending. Together, they will form the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. This ambitious project opens up many questions, and Tom Church and Danny Heil are joining Vero today to discuss. Tom Church is a policy fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he studies health care policy, entitlement reform, income inequality, poverty, and the federal budget. Daniel Heil is a policy fel...
Nov 22, 2024•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast AIER Director of Research Samuel Gregg joins Qualified Opinions to discuss the fracturing of the conservative and libertarian movements, where free markets and ordered liberty go from here, and his new book, The Next American Economy .
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump’s win marks the first time a Republican has won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004. What does this decisive election mean? How closely related are the political and policy realities? What can we expect under a Trump administration, and will Democrats make significant shifts in their own policy initiatives? Join Veronique de Rugy, Dominic Pino, and Akash Chougule break down the election and what we can expect under the new Trump administration.
Nov 08, 2024•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Of the cherished liberties of a free society, economic liberty holds a special place. Personal choice, voluntary exchange, and the protection of private property sustain our political and civil liberties. Matt Mitchell joins the show today to discuss economic freedom and a new index from the Fraser Institute that maps economic freedom around the world. Matthew D. Mitchell is a Senior Fellow in the Centre for Economic Freedom at the Fraser Institute. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute, Mitchel...
Oct 28, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely already heard of Project 2025—but what is actually in it, should you care about it, and how much of it would a potential Republican government actually be capable of executing? Stephanie Slade recently wrote an article for Reason breaking it down, and today, she joins Veronique to discuss it. Stephanie Slade is a senior editor at Reason, the magazine of "free minds and free markets," and a fellow in liberal studies at the Acton Institute. Her...
Oct 18, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Though there have been several union wins in recent years, union membership is at historic lows. Where do unions fit in the future of America? Will they continue to decline, or will they see a comeback? How will automation play a role? Vinnie Vernuccio joins Qualified Opinions to discuss. Vincent Vernuccio, president and co-founder of the Institute for the American Worker, brings over 15 years of expertise in labor law and policy. Vernuccio holds advisory positions with several organizations, in...
Oct 10, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many Americans have forgotten about Grover Cleveland—but William Ruger believes Cleveland’s legacy of bridging the gap between populism and classical liberalism is increasingly relevant to today’s polarized political climate. William Ruger serves as the President of the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER).
Oct 02, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off this week in the second Presidential Debate—and it was as lively as you’d expect. But when we cut through the noise, what do we see in terms of policy and programs? What policy direction would each candidate take the country? National Review Institute fellow Dominic Pino and Americans for Prosperity Vice President Akash Chougule join Veronique to break it down on this special episode of Qualified Opinions .
Sep 13, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joining the show today is Vance Ginn. Vance is the founder and president of Ginn Economic Consulting, where he leverages data-driven insights to shape economic policy discussions across the nation. Over the course of the show, Veronique and Vance discuss state and local government spending, federal spending, and the connection between the two.
Sep 05, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast The right and the left seem to have a lot of opinions about women and fertility, most of them not super productive. What would be a productive way to approach these conversations? Veronique is joined by Clara Piano, Susannah Barnes, and Anna Claire Flowers to discuss.
Aug 28, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast For all the buzz about the Harris Walz 2024 campaign, the policy substance of the campaign has been light to non-existent thus far. What would policy look like under a Kamala Harris presidential administration? In this special episode of Qualified Opinions, Veronique sits down with Dominic Pino and Akash Chougule to break down the potential policy direction of Harris and what we saw at the DNC this week. Dominic Pino is Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at the National Review Institute and the ...
Aug 23, 2024•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast As we navigate an era where corporate influence and political power are more intertwined, scrutinized, and tense than ever, Veronique de Rugy dives into the fascinating intersection of politics and business with her guest, Tevi Troy. Tevi Troy is a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and a best-selling author. See his latest book, released August 20th, The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Tita...
Aug 21, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a debate dividing conservatives. One side views IVF as a family-supporting technology that helps couples struggling with fertility, while the other side argues that IVF raises moral concerns about the sanctity of human life. What should we make of the debate? Vanessa Brown Calder joins Veronique de Rugy to discuss in this episode of Qualified Opinions. Vanessa Brown Calder is director of opportunity and family policy studies at the Cato Institute, where she foc...
Aug 14, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast What are the preconditions for a functional liberal democracy? How have our institutions lost their way? How can our divisive culture be put on the right track again? Yuval Levin joins the show to discuss. Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy. The founder and editor of National Affairs , he is also a senior editor at The New Atlantis , a contrib...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Randy Barnett joins host Veronique de Rugy today to discuss the future of originalism, individual liberty, and his latest book, A Life for Liberty: The Making of an American Originalist . Randy E. Barnett is the Patrick Hotung Professor of Constitutional Law at the Georgetown University Law Center and is the Faculty Director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution.
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The attempt on Donald Trump’s life has shocked the country—so much so that the Director of the Secret Service has resigned. The shock and fear are understandable, given this is the first major assassination attempt since Ronald Reagan. But how does the modern period compare to the rest of American history? What can we learn from assassination attempts in the past, and how do they differ from now? Tevi Troy joins Veronique de Rugy to discuss. Tevi Troy is a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy ...
Jul 24, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast With protectionist policy on the rise both to the left and the right of American politics, we are left with a burning question: What happened to the free trade consensus? This week, Veronique de Rugy sits down with Scott Lincicome to discuss the modern state of trade policy and global economics. Scott Lincicome is the Cato Institute’s Vice President of General Economics and the Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies ....
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joining Qualified Opinions today is Nancy French, who discusses the changing political landscape, her career path, and being the writer behind the name. Nancy French is a best-selling ghostwriter and author of her memoir, Ghosted: An American Story .
Jul 10, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast To expand or not to expand the child tax credit is a key issue that consumes a lot of ink on the right and on the left. What is the best path forward? Kevin Corinth sits down with host Veronique de Rugy to discuss. Kevin Corinth is a senior fellow and the deputy director of the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches economic mobility, poverty, safety net programs, homelessness, social capital, and other issues....
Jul 03, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is inflation really the product of greed? Do greater economic means equal less incentive for competition? What is the right approach to antitrust policy? Veronique de Rugy sits down with Brian Albrecht to discuss. Brian Albrecht is Chief Economist of the International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE), which he joined in February 2022. In his role, he is responsible for the application and integration of theoretical and empirical economic methodologies into ICLE’s research.
Jun 26, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast America’s economic dynamism attracts immigrants from all over the world and has served as a beacon of hope for decades—however, today, Americans are more pessimistic about the future than ever. What can be done about it? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with Jeremy Horpedahl to discuss. Dr. Horpedahl is the Director of ACRE and an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Arkansas. His research has been published in Econ Journal Watch , Constitutional Political Economy , the ...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast The New Right and the Old Right are increasingly the major factions of conservatism today. Where do they diverge? And are there seldom spoken areas of convergence? Joining Veronique de Rugy is Charles Kesler, who will explore the landscape of American conservatism today. Charles Kesler is a Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute, Editor of the Claremont Review of Books , host of Claremont’s The American Mind video series, and the Dengler-Dykema Distinguished Professor of Government at Claremon...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
