Caleb Brown
- Chief Executive Officer, Bluegrass Institute
Kentucky, Shelbyville
CEO @bluegrasspolicy
Articles by Caleb Brown
Universal pre-K is an expensive experiment
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman's passionate case for guaranteeing preschool access for every 4-year-old in the state deserves scrutiny. The evidence for universal pre-K as an economic development strategy is far weaker than she suggests. Kentucky families deserve honesty about what this expensive and expansive program can – and cannot – deliver. Coleman omits the most rigorous recent research on the subject.
Universal Pre-K is an Expensive Experiment
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman’s passionate case for guaranteeing preschool access for every 4‑year-old in the state deserves scrutiny. The evidence for universal pre‑K as an economic development strategy is far weaker than she suggests. Kentucky families deserve honesty about what this expensive and expansive program can – and cannot – deliver. Coleman omits the most rigorous recent research on the subject.
Cato's Caleb Brown: "Thank You for Listening"
Generated with ElevenLabs AI technology. I have no memory of this story, but my cousin Laura says it occurred. I was fifteen and visiting family in Rapid City, South Dakota. Laura asked me the question every young person has repeatedly heard, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I said I wanted to work at the Cato Institute. When Laura told me this story a few years ago, I asked her what she thought of my answer at the time.
Q&A: Bridget McCormack on the Law's New Era
Caleb O. Brown: At Cato’s Constitution Day, part of the challenges you laid out is people not being able to navigate the system without highly qualified assistance. Hasn’t that always been the case? Bridget M. McCormack: The legal system has always been complicated, and I think that’s a feature, not a bug. But the problem we face right now is the sheer number of people who have to navigate their civil justice problems without the help of lawyers.
Cheers to President Carter
Reports of Jimmy Carter’s death have long been premature, but if nothing else, he has been given the gift of many living wakes. We held our own for him in this space seven years ago, highlighting a podcast with Regulation Magazine editor and Cato Senior Fellow Peter Van Doren. As Peter notes in our conversation, prior to the Carter administration, very few outside the wealthy had ever flown on an airplane.
Kentucky’s High Court Can Empower Parental Choice in Education
“Even within my own four children, I saw the need for multiple educational options,” she said.
Libertarianism
Libertarianism is the belief that each person has the right to live his life as he chooses so long as he respects the equal rights of others. Libertarians defend each person’s right to life, liberty, and property. In the libertarian view, voluntary agreement is the gold standard of human relationships. If there is no good reason to forbid something (a good reason being that it violates the rights of others), it should be allowed.
Guest columnists: 'Parents deserve opportunity to decide what's best for their own kids'
Country United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth...
Fifteen Years of the Cato Daily Podcast
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the Cato Daily Podcast. To mark the occasion, we are giving listeners a small token of our appreciation. It’s an honor to serve as your host and, as always, thank you for listening.
Federal Regulation from Trump to Biden
Tom Firey and Will Yeatman offer the soberest of sober assessments of the Trump regulatory record and a few thoughts on what’s in store from Team Biden.
The Fairness Doctrine Hot Takes Have It Almost Completely Wrong
The refrain is “Bring back the Fairness Doctrine!” Paul Matzko, author of The Radio Right, explains where reviving and expanding government control of broadcast and cable (and streaming) content will inevitably lead.
Countering Violent Extremism and Where It Can Lead
The attack on the Capitol has renewed calls to more closely monitor and punish extremism in the United States. In some sense, the United States has been here before. Patrick Eddington and Julian Sanchez weigh in.
Trump Is No Longer in Office, So Why Put Him on Trial?
The U.S. Senate is awaiting an article of impeachment from the House regarding Donald Trump’s activities leading up to a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. Why should the Senate proceed with a trial for a President who has already left office? Gene Healy offers his thoughts.
Is Trading Too Easy on Robinhood?
The “gamification” of stock trading has raised the hackles of state‐level financial regulators. So what’s the big deal if Robinhood throws up confetti when you make a trade? Jennifer Schulp evaluates the claims.
Trump Team Stymies Diplomacy in Yemen
The Trump Administration has declared Houthis a terror group. In doing so, the road to a diplomatic resolution of the Saudi‐led war in Yemen is that much more difficult. John Glaser comments.
Trump Impeached (Again)
Donald Trump’s latest impeachment in the U.S. House now triggers a Senate trial. An impeachment trial isn’t a criminal proceeding, so how will the Senate weigh evidence? And why did some in GOP leadership push instead for “censure” just days after running for their lives from a Trump‐inspired mob that killed at least four people? Gene Healy comments.
Myths of American Exceptionalism Left and Right
Does the ideal of American exceptionalism demand anything? That is, how can the U.S. be exceptional without people working to make it that way? Historian Anthony Comegna talks about the myths that surround the notion of American exceptionalism.
Impeachment, the 25th Amendment, or Don't Bother?
As the U.S. enters the final two weeks of the presidency of Donald Trump, the pro‐Trump mob attack on the Capitol is spurring lawmakers to renew calls to remove the President by either impeachment and removal or invoking the 25th Amendment. Gene Healy explains how those Constitutional processes would work.
Markets versus Central Planners on Vaccine Distribution
The heavy hand of government is getting heavier during the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccine doses. Jeff Singer comments.
“Biden’s Pick for Secretary of Education
Joe Biden’s pick for Secretary of Education will face pressure for the department to hand down “guidance” to tell schools when and how to open or close as the pandemic continues. Neal McCluskey explains why the feds need to stay out of it.
Campaign Finance and American Democracy: What the Public Really Thinks and Why It Matters
How has the Citizens United decision changed the competitiveness of politics? Do voters have a basically fair understanding of how campaign spending functions? David M. Primo and Jeffrey D. Milyo are authors of Campaign Finance and American Democracy: What the Public Really Thinks and Why It Matters.
Open: The Story of Human Progress
Despite the backlash against openness in much of the world, Johan Norberg says it’s a source of strength. His new book is Open: The Story of Human Progress.
Biden Shouldn’t Back Down on Immigration Reform
Joe Biden has no reason to back away from his ambitious immigration reform plans. David Bier explains why.
Ever-Expanding Hopes for A Student Loan Bailout
It wasn’t a big piece of the presidential campaign, but since the election, proposals to bail out student loan borrowers have become dramatically more ambitious. Neal McCluskey explains the folly of more freebies for the well‐off.
How Do Immigrants Vote?
Immigrants make up a valuable group of voters in American elections. How did they vote in 2016 and 2020? Alex Nowrasteh explains.
Salaam Alaikum and Merry Christmas
Understanding the role of Jesus in Islam may be a key to expanding mutual religious toleration. Mustafa Akyol explains why.
Religious Persecution Across the Globe
Religious persecution around the globe continues. How would a Biden Administration differ in foreign policy relating to religion?
Team Biden and the Means to "Full Employment"
What new government programs would be justified in pursuit of a target of “full employment” in the economy? Ryan Bourne discusses what the Biden economic team might be planning.
Sizing Up the SolarWinds Hack
The devastation and expense of the attack on customers of SolarWinds, including many secretive government agencies, won’t be known for some time. Julian Sanchez details some of what we know now.
Vaccine Distribution When Demand Far Exceeds Supply
What’s the libertarian answer to distributing a vaccine against a deadly disease when supply is so low relative to the demand? Michael Cannon makes his case.
Are Facebook's Newer Properties Evidence of Monopoly?
Was Facebook’s purchase of Instagram and other properties evidence of monopolistic practices? Will Duffield and Ryan Bourne are skeptical.
Waivers and Secretaries of Defense
Lloyd Austin is Joe Biden’s pick to head the Defense Department? Why does he need a waiver to serve. Eric Gomez explains.
A Boring Biden Presidency? Don’t Bet on It
Will a Biden Administration bring us nothing more than an undoing of the executive actions of the Trump team? That’s an unlikely outcome, according to Gene Healy.
Access, Quality, and Educational Freedom
There exists a tension among educational freedom advocates between the broad freedom for parents to make meaningful choices about the educations their children receive and guarantees of equity and quality. Jason Bedrick explains why the policy choice between freedom and equity is often a false one.
Big White Ghetto: Dead Broke, Stone-Cold Stupid, and High on Rage in the Dank Woolly Wilds of the "Real America"
Kevin D. Williamson is author of Big White Ghetto: Dead Broke, Stone‐Cold Stupid, and High on Rage in the Dank Woolly Wilds of the “Real America”.
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World
Textiles are everywhere, and before the Industrial Revolution, even tiny advances in textile development had massive ripple effects. Virginia Postrel traces this amazing history in The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World.
Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest Court
Judicial confirmations are a partisan affair, and that’s hard to square with what we expect from judges. Ilya Shapiro elucidates the confirmation process in Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America’s Highest Court.
Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy
How did the U.S. go from skepticism of foreign entanglements to setting the stage for its role as a dominant global power? Stephen Wertheim explains in Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy.
Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius
Stoicism is built to deliver mental clarity in difficult times. Ryan Holiday is author of Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius.
The Faithless?: The Untold Story of the Electoral College
The Electoral College is still poorly understood. Emily Conrad demystifies the institution in her new book, The Faithless?: The Untold Story of the Electoral College.
Setting Trumpster Fires in Foreign Policy
The lame duck Trump team appears to be working to stymie the Biden foreign policy agenda. John Glaser explains how.
Trumpism and Tylerism Revisited
Four years ago, Anthony Comegna argued that President John Tyler offered the greatest parallel to Donald Trump’s presidency. As the Trump Administration winds down, Comegna argues that the parallels are as strong as ever.
Government in a Pandemic
Governments have roles to play in a pandemic. But the roles that governments choose to play often turn out to fail or make matters worse. Tom Firey details his new Cato paper.
Yet Another Challenge to Obamacare before SCOTUS
How did Supreme Court justices receive the new case against Obamacare? Ilya Shapiro and Michael Cannon discuss the oral argument.
SCOTUS Gives Hope for the Beginning of the End of Qualified Immunity
Qualified immunity, the court invented doctrine that protects public officials from civil liability even in cases of egregious conduct, took a small hit at the Supreme Court recently. Jay Schweikert explains what it might mean long term.
2020's Ephemeral Blue Wave and Persistent Polling Problems
Do we really know anything more about voters than we did before Election Day this year? Why were polls again so bad at clearly predicting results? Emily Ekins explains.
An Unnerving Shakeup at Pentagon and DHS
The housecleaning at the top ranks of the Pentagon could have concerning implications, but it’s perhaps good news that we still don’t seem to know exactly why it happened. John Glaser and Eric Gomez comment.
Pfizer, Operation Warp Speed, and the Race for a Vaccine
Pfizer is among the leaders in the development of a vaccine or COVID-19, but it did so without subsidy from the U.S. government. Terence Kealey describes why that matters.
President-Elect Biden and the Freedom to Trade
Partisan alignment over trade has become scrambled in the Trump years. Does a Biden Administration hold promise for enhancing free trade? Simon Lester and Dan Ikenson offer their assessments.
Election 2020 and the Virtues of Divided Government
The news of this election and who controls what levers of federal power is a mixed bag, but divided government might be one bright spot for libertarians. Political strategist Liz Mair makes her case.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Caleb
Contact Caleb, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack