Unintended Consequences

Cato Institute

Unintended Consequences is the quarterly podcast of Regulation magazine, featuring hosts Peter Van Doren and Paul Matzko. It explores how government interventions can have surprising, and often negative, consequences.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Listener

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Unintended Consequences Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Unintended Consequences episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Unintended Consequences for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Unintended Consequences episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Railroad Profiteering and Mortgage Forbearance

Unintended Consequences

04/19/23 • 51 min

In this episode of the Unintended Consequences podcast, we start by investigating whether railroads are making excessive profits by cutting back labor expenses. That’s the subject of Peter’s new paper, which is particularly timely given the reaction to the train derailment in eastern Ohio. Then, Mark Calabria joins to discuss his cover article about his time as the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the steps he took to prevent a mortgage meltdown during the pandemic. Finally, Peter and Paul tackle the limits of zoning reform as a solution for runaway housing inflation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Listener

Enforcing Smart Water Management Policies and Encouraging Bureaucratic Neutrality is Harder Than You Might Imagine

Unintended Consequences

07/24/23 • 63 min

Is there an “optimal hypocrisy” when it comes to enforcing laws and regulations? That’s the central theme in this episode of Unintended Consequences, which covers both water policy and the neutrality of government economists.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Starter Homes, Electric Vehicles, and Poverty

Unintended Consequences

02/14/24 • 66 min

Incentives matter, but they don’t care about your intentions. In this episode Paul and Peter start by talking with special guest and Truist Distinguished Professor of Economics at Winston-Salem State University Craig Richardson. He discusses how the federal government tried to prevent greedy banks from taking advantage of homebuyers but just ended up making it harder for first-time homebuyers, especially those from minority communities, to afford a house. They also discuss a review of Matthew Desmond’s book Poverty, by America, as well as efforts by the Biden administration to boost the transition to electric vehicles.

Featuring Peter Van Doren, Paul Matzko, and Craig Richardson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should You Have the Right To Repair Your John Deere Tractor?

Unintended Consequences

04/15/24 • 63 min

It’s tractor week at Unintended Consequences with special guest Ike Brannon, who is a Senior Fellow at the Jack Kemp Foundation, about the right to repair movement and the struggle of farmers over whether John Deere can restrict their right to tinker with their own tractors. But first, Peter and Paul talk about government restrictions on manufactured homes as well as efforts by state officials to override local opposition to upzoning. (For those interested in doing a little extra reading about how houses are shrinking, here is a deep dive from the New York Times.) And the episode ends with a surprising paper about how unions actually lower wages.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regulatory Expectations Get a Reality Check: Boeing, Chevron, and Antitrust

Unintended Consequences

08/12/24 • 61 min

Theory is elegant, but even the most well-designed and well-intentioned theory of regulation may not survive the acid test of reality. First, Paul and Peter discuss the dilemma faced by federal regulators trying to address Boeing’s safety record and the risk that (in)action might push more passengers to drive instead. Then Peter offers a counterintuitive take on the Supreme Court ending Chevron deference, deflating some of the hot air from the decision’s most ardent supporters and critics. Finally, they are joined by Professor Thomas Hazlett to dig deeper into the surprising outcomes from the T-Mobile – Sprint megamerger in 2020.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Politics of Nostalgia: Economic Policy Under Biden and Trump

Unintended Consequences

10/14/24 • 57 min

There is substantial overlap between the Biden and Trump administrations on economic policy. Both presidents have favored protectionist industrial policy and higher import tariffs. Yet these policies would not only fail to return America to the economy of the early 20th century; they would harm most ordinary American workers and consumers in the attempt. In this episode, Peter and Paul discuss the incredible cost of Trump’s proposed tariff increases, the retrograde nature of Biden’s approach to the steel industry, and a surprising result from the research on universal basic income.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whiskey, Electricity, and Antitrust

Unintended Consequences

10/10/23 • 65 min

Peter and Paul discuss three topics – adulterated whiskey, Texan electricity, and Brandeisian antitrust – with one core theme: government action under political pressure is a poor substitute for market discipline. With special guests Macy Scheck and Daniel Smith.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more best episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Unintended Consequences have?

Unintended Consequences currently has 7 episodes available.

What topics does Unintended Consequences cover?

The podcast is about News, News Commentary, Podcasts and Politics.

What is the most popular episode on Unintended Consequences?

The episode title 'Railroad Profiteering and Mortgage Forbearance' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Unintended Consequences?

The average episode length on Unintended Consequences is 61 minutes.

How often are episodes of Unintended Consequences released?

Episodes of Unintended Consequences are typically released every 95 days, 23 hours.

When was the first episode of Unintended Consequences?

The first episode of Unintended Consequences was released on Apr 19, 2023.

Show more FAQ

Unintended Consequences

Cato Institute

Top 10 Unintended Consequences Episodes

Railroad Profiteering and Mortgage Forbearance

Enforcing Smart Water Management Policies and Encouraging Bureaucratic Neutrality is Harder Than You Might Imagine

Starter Homes, Electric Vehicles, and Poverty

Should You Have the Right To Repair Your John Deere Tractor?

Regulatory Expectations Get a Reality Check: Boeing, Chevron, and Antitrust

A Politics of Nostalgia: Economic Policy Under Biden and Trump

Whiskey, Electricity, and Antitrust

FAQ

How many episodes does Unintended Consequences have?

What topics does Unintended Consequences cover?

What is the most popular episode on Unintended Consequences?

What is the average episode length on Unintended Consequences?

How often are episodes of Unintended Consequences released?

When was the first episode of Unintended Consequences?

Comments