Qualified Opinions

If you’ve ever wondered why the federal government is in the business of running your local school district from 3,000 miles away, you’re not alone. In fact, the idea that education policy should be dictated by Washington, DC, rather than parents, teachers, and communities was never a given in American life and most of our nation’s history.

It wasn’t fully a reality until 1980, when the Department of Education was established. Howe...

When we think of the gig economy, we think of its compartments. We might imagine an Uber driver shuttling people around town, or the DoorDash delivery person who brings us our Chinese food. But is it more complicated than this? Who are the people behind these careers? Are policymakers missing the mark when building legislation around independent workers?

Liya Palagashvili joins Veronique to discuss.

Liya Palagashvili is a senior re...

From grant cutting to staff firing, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has made a lot of noise in recent weeks. But there is another side of DOGE, one committed to deregulation.

Joining the podcast today to discuss is James Broughel.

Dr. James Broughel is a Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Dr. Broughel is an accomplished economist whose expertise lies in regulatory institutions and the impact of...

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 ...

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 pr...

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 ec...

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 Econcep...

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 Peo...

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,...

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. 

Ch...

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 rese...

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 inequal...

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...

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...

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 mark...

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 ...

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 Qual...