About this podcast
The inimitable Richard Epstein offers his unique perspective on national developments in public policy and the law.
The Libertarian is a podcast of the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 30 episodes
- Diesel Shock: The High Cost of Energy Isolation · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 30Why are diesel prices soaring, and why doesn’t American energy independence shield consumers from global shocks? Richard Epstein discusses how war, restrictions on pipelines, and…
- Trump’s $5,000 Promise and the Limits of Presidential Power · 20 min · Season 1 Episode 29Richard Epstein examines Trump’s proposal to send Americans $5,000 checks, questioning who would pay, whether the giveaway makes economic sense, and what congressional approval…
- Can Trump Still Win the War With Iran? · 20 min · Season 1 Episode 28Richard Epstein takes a look at Trump’s war with Iran and a strategy Epstein sees as dangerously muddled. From the Strait of Hormuz and soaring geopolitical stakes to Trump’s…
- Will a Mega-Merger Save or Destroy Hollywood? · 22 min · Season 1 Episode 27Richard Epstein unpacks the antitrust battle over the proposed Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger—and what it reveals about the changing economics of Hollywood…
- Zeus's Law: What The Odyssey Gets Right—and Wrong · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 26Richard Epstein and Charles C. W. Cooke discuss Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—its departures from Homer, its moral themes, and its spectacular scale. They also explore…
- Richard Epstein Fixes Soccer · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 25Can the world's most popular sport be improved? Richard Epstein thinks so, and argues that soccer's rules are overdue for reform. From red cards and penalty kicks to VAR…
- Roundup at The Supreme Court · 22 min · Season 1 Episode 24Charles C. W. Cooke and Richard Epstein break down the Supreme Court’s Roundup v. Monsanto decision, arguing that the case was widely miscast as a simple fight between big…
- Elon Musk, Inequality, and the Politics of Envy · 28 min · Season 1 Episode 23Richard Epstein takes on the growing obsession with billionaires, wealth taxes, and economic “justice,” arguing that making the rich poorer will not make the poor richer. Using…
- Trump’s Iran Gamble Is Backfiring · 22 min · Season 1 Episode 22This week, Richard Epstein weighs in on war, deterrence, and the limits of modern military strategy. Drawing lessons from World War II, Vietnam, Gaza, and the current conflict…
- When Trump Sued Himself: The $1.776 billion Slush Fund · 29 min · Season 1 Episode 21Richard Epstein analyzes the Trump administration’s controversial $1.776 billion settlement fund, arguing that it represents a profound breach of constitutional norms, public…
- A Turning Point For Section 2: SCOTUS Reins in the Voting Rights Act · 22 min · Season 1 Episode 20Charles C. W. Cooke and Richard Epstein break down the Supreme Court’s latest Voting Rights Act decision, examining how the ruling in Louisiana v. Callais narrows the use of race…
- The Half-War · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 19Richard Epstein examines the unfolding U.S. confrontation with Iran through both a strategic and constitutional lens, arguing that President Trump’s approach reflects a deeper…
- The Slippery Slope of Social Media Liability · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 18A Los Angeles jury has handed down a verdict stating that Meta and Google are held liable for a young woman’s psychological harm allegedly linked to social media use—along with a…
- Tax the Rich . . . Until They Leave: Mamdani and Rent Control · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 17Richard Epstein takes aim at NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push for rent control and higher inheritance taxes, arguing that both policies punish landlords, shrink housing supply…
- Iran, Regime Change, and the War Powers Act · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 16Richard Epstein defends the U.S. strike on Iran as a necessary act of preemptive self-defense, arguing that waiting for an “imminent” attack would have been reckless in the face…
- Equal Time in an Unequal Media Environment · 25 min · Season 1 Episode 15Richard Epstein unpacks what the equal time rule actually is, where it came from, and why it still applies to broadcast television decades after the demise of the Fairness…
- Can Social Media Platforms Be Held Liable for User Speech? · 25 min · Season 1 Episode 14Can social media companies be held legally responsible for the harms caused by their users? Richard Epstein examines the surge of lawsuits targeting social media platforms…
- Trump Flirts with Price Controls · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 13President Trump’s recent embrace of economic proposals run sharply against free-market orthodoxy, exploring three headline-grabbing ideas: capping credit-card interest rates…
- Who Decides When America Goes to War? · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 12Who actually decides when the United States goes to war—Congress or the president? Richard Epstein traces the Constitution’s original division of war powers from 1789 to the…
- Can the President Fire Anyone? SCOTUS Hears Arguments in Trump v. Slaughter · 35 min · Episode 11Richard Epstein does a deep into the Supreme Court’s latest showdown: Trump v. Slaughter, a case that could redefine presidential removal power and the future of independent…
