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What We Saw at the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Since 1999, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has run a museum in Arlington, Virginia that showcases the agency's "tradition of excellence" and the "impact of federal drug law enforcement on the changing trends of licit and illicit drug use in American history."

Visitors can check out a replica of a '70s-era head shop, jerry-rigged works for shooting up and getting high, exhibits dedicated to the opium wars and cocaine cartels, and good, old-fashioned propaganda such as the classic movie Reefer Madness.

Take a guided tour of the place with ReasonTV correspondent Kennedy. And don't forget to exit through the gift shop and pick up DEA compression shorts by Under Armour or a K-9 plush dog stuffed animal.

Shot by Jim Epstein and Joshua Swain. Edited by Swain.

About 2.30 minutes.

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Julian Morris Discusses European Bailout Fever on Fox Business

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation’s Vice President of Research Julian Morris appeared on Cavuto to discuss increasing market turmoil in Europe and America and how bailouts and spending doesn't heal an economic crisis caused by bailouts and spending. Air Date: July 23, 2012.

Approximately 6.37 minutes.

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Brain Doherty Discusses Gun Control in the Wake of the Colorado Shooting on RTAmercia

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty appeared on RTAmerica to discuss how politicizing the Colorado tradegy to advocate gun control won't make Americans any safer.

Approximately 12 minutes

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Matt Welch Discusses Libertarianism on the Rise at Freedom Fest with RT

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason editor in chief Matt Welch appeared on RTAmerica to discuss the events at Freedom Fest, the increasing popularity of Gary Johnson, and how the media doesn't take libertarianism seriously. Air Date: July 12, 2012.

Almost 10 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses How "Un-American" Are Swiss Bank Accounts on Fox Business

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT

On Tuesday, July 10, Editor in Chief of Reason Matt Welch went on Fox Business to talk about Democratic outrage over Mitt Romney's Swiss bank account, and how this fake populism ignores the real issues of how taxpayer money is spent.

2.54 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses the Cronyism Behind Discount VIP Loans for Congressmen

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Managing Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward discusses the controversy surrounding Countrywide making loans to government workers that have lower interest rates than normal loans and how easy it is to influence congressmen on CNBC's Closing Bell. Airdate: July 6, 2012.

4.39 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Loch Ness, Unibrows, and Facebook on Alyona's Happy Hour

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on The Alyona Show to discuss schools teachers disproving evolution with the Loch Ness monster, basketball player Anthony Davis trademarking his unibrow, and Facebook introducing new @facebook email address for its users. Air Date: June 27, 2012.

Approximately 11.09 minutes.

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Ed Krayewski Discusses the Controversial Use of Domestic Drones on RTAmerica

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor, Ed Krayewski appeared on RTAmerica to discuss the pros and cons of having drones in private and public sector hands. Air date: June 21, 2012.

Approximately 7.09 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Talks Greece, Spain, and Euro Dissolution on The Alyona Show

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on The Alyona Show to discuss whether the Eurozone is on the brink of dissolution after a weekend of a narrow election victory in Greece and increasing bond yields in Spain. Air Date: June 18, 2012.

Approximately 9.22 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Discusses How the Government Uses Google to Spy on You

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Cavuto to discuss Google's announcement that the company has been ordered to give up personal information on users to the American government. Air date: June 18, 2012.

Approximately 4.34 minutes.

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How TV's 'Dallas' Won the Cold War

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The oil-and-sex soaked TV show Dallas is back on the small screen. The unapologetically odious J.R., the unappealingly ethical Bobby and the uncontrollaby alcoholic Sue Ellen are all back, along with a new crew of young, hardbodied hotties to pull in viewers who have yet to start pulling in Social Security checks.

During its original run from 1978 to 1991, Dallas was an international cultural phenomenon with ratings higher than late-’70s interest rates. It was the most or second-most watched show in the United States for half a decade, showing up in ABBA songs and Ozzy Osbourne videos, and spinning off the megahit Knots Landing.

But Dallas’ greatest impact ultimately wasn’t in these United States but in communist Romania, where it helped topple the brutal Ceausescu regime.

Dallas was the last Western show allowed during the nightmarish 1980s because President Nicolae Ceausescu thought it showcased all that was wrong with capitalism. In fact, the show provided a luxuriant alternative to a communism that was forcing people to wait more than a decade to buy the most rattletrap communist-produced cars.

“I think we were directly or indirectly responsible for the fall of the [communism],” Larry Hagman told the Associated Press a decade ago. “They would see the wealthy Ewings and say, ‘Hey, we don’t have all this stuff.’"

After the dictator and his wife were shot on Christmas Eve 1989, the pilot episode of Dallas—with a previously censored sex scene spliced back in—was one of the first foreign shows broadcast on liberated Romanian TV.

The impact of Dallas on global worldviews reminds us that “vulgar” popular culture is every bit as important as chin-stroking political discourse in fomenting real social change.

Throwaway cultural products influence far-flung societies in ways that are impossible for anyone, even dictators, to predict or control.

That lesson is more relevant than ever in a world where movies, TV shows, and music cross borders with impunity and the free West engages the semi-free East, whether in China or Iran. If the United States is interested in spreading American values and institutions, TV shows may go a lot further than armored personnel carriers.

Like Mikhail Gorbachev, poodle haircuts, and Members Only jackets, Dallas didn’t long survive the post–Cold War world it helped create. But like an uncontainable gusher in a Texas oil field, the original series left us far richer than we ever dreamed possible.

About 2.30 minutes. Produced by Meredith Bragg. Written by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. For a fuller treatment of this topic, go here.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Cultural Decline in America with Stossel

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on Stossel to bust the myth that today's youth culture is a sign of America's moral decline. Air Date: June 7, 2012.

About 4.34 minutes.

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Hemp History Week: Ending the War on George Washington's Favorite Crop

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

"The main goal [of Hemp History Week] is to try to bring back hemp farming in the United States again," explains Eric Streenstra, President of the nonprofit advocacy group Vote Hemp.

Once hailed as a "New Billion Dollar Crop" by Poplar Mechanics, hemp farming was effectively shut down in the United States over confusion with its genetic cousin, marijuana. Though hemp carries no psychoactive properties, the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act defined hemp a a narcotic and that wording was subsequently adopted into the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Current laws allow the importation of industrial hemp from outside the U.S., leading to an ever expanding list of hemp related products, but denies would be hemp-farmers the ability to grow industrial hemp on American soil.

Steenstra sat down with Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie to discuss the legislative fight to lift the ban on cultivation, hemp's long history in America, and why hemp lube is just one of the many benefits associated with the plant.

Approximately 4.48 minutes.

Camera by Jim Epstein and Meredith Bragg. Edited by Joshua Swain.

A. Barton Hinkle on hemp.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses NYC Mayor Bloomberg's Plan to Ban Sugary Drinks on NBC Nightly News

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on NBC's Nightly News to discuss New York City's latest push in their war on obesity by limiting the amount of sugar in sodas and how this enroachment into personal choice isn't something politicians should be doing. Air Date: May 31, 2012.

About 2 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses How Rising Unemployment Will Effect Obama and Romney's Campaign on Jansing & Co.

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief, Matt Welch discusses how slow economic growth and high unemployment will effect the presidential vote in November 2012 and the "voodoo" economics behind Solyndra on MSNBC's Jansing & Co. Air date: April 30, 2012.

Approximately 13.53 minutes.

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Ed Krayewski Discusses Romney, Obama, and America's Military Expansion on RTAmerica

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor, Ed Krayewski appeared on RTAmerica to discuss whether a Romney presidency will cut military spending or is America destined to keep spends more money on its armed forces than any other country in in the world and its budget is greater than the next ten countries combined. Air date: May 30, 2012.

Approximately 8.52 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Another European Bank Bailout on Fox Business

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief, Matt Welch appeared on Fox Business to discuss the another bank bailout in the works for Europeans and whether the EU will be prepared for a Greek exit. Air date: May 20, 2012.

Approximately 2.46 minutes.

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Lucy Steigerwald Discusses NDAA and Propaganda on RT

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Lucy Steigerwald discusses propositions to increase the budget for propaganda spent in countries in Iraq, Afghanistan, and even on American citizens on the RT. Airdate: May 22, 2012.

7.24 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Attacks Ads, Super PACs, and Alienated Independents with Jansing & Co.

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief, Matt Welch appeared on Jansing & Co. to discuss the fine line between campaign and super PAC ads and whether the increase in attack ads from Obama and Romney will further alienate independents and moderates. Air date: May 18, 2012.

Approximately 12.50 minutes.

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Lucy Steigerwald Confiscated Cell Phones at an Obama Donor Dinner with Alyona

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Lucy Steigerwald discusses moms spraying Lysol on dancing teens, George Lucas building low income housing, and the Obama campaign confiscating donors' cell phones on the Alyona Show's Happy Hour. Airdate: May 15, 2012.

6.34 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusse Restoring Trust in Mortgage Backed Securities on Fox Business

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on Fox Business to discuss how to increase private investment in mortgage-backed securities. Air Date: May 8, 2012.

Approximately 4 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses France and Greece Austerity with Alyona

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses game changing election in France and Greece and what it can mean for austerity and the European economy on the Alyona Show. Air Date: May 7, 2012.

Approximately 11 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses the Reversing Trends of Immigration and Austerity w/ Thom Hartmann

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs joined the Heritage Foundation's Lachlan Markay with RT's Thom Hartmann to discuss how slowing and even reversing immigration trends from Latin America will effect how the GOP will strategize during the November election. The panel also discusses whether austerity and cutting spending have lead European nations into another recession. Airdate: April 25, 2012.

19.25 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses Who Profits from the Drug War on RT

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs discusses how the illegality of marijuana has created a successful buisness climate for drug cartels and the prison industry on RT. Airdate: April 24, 2012.

19.25 minutes.

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Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman & The Decline of Racism & Violence in America

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Trayvon Martin will not go gently into that good night, and the poor kid’s ghost can and will haunt us, it seems, until justice is done.

His shooter, the neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, so the wheels of the legal system, however slowly and imperfectly, are grinding forward.

But we can’t shake the death of 17-year-old Trayvon. That’s partly because it was senseless and avoidable. And also in part because his shooting is being ridden like Seabiscuit by everyone to benefit their respective political sides and agendas.

Figures such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton want to use the Martin shooting to say that when it comes to race, little to nothing has changed in America over the past 20, 30, or 50 years. Gun control advocates want to say that the shooting proves that America is awash in the blood of gun violence egged on by Second Amendment fundamentalists.

But neither of those things is true.

While there’s still a lot of work to be done, race relations are getting better, as is clear from the majority of black, white, Latino, and other respondents in poll after poll. Electing Barack Obama as president doesn’t give us a free pass on the nation’s ugly history, but it’s a pretty good indicator that things aren’t the way they used to be.

And gun violence in every way is way down from where it was just a few decades ago, when most states and localities started to allow more people to own and carry guns. That’s true even in Florida, which liberalized its gun laws years ago, leading people to worry it would become “the Gunshine State.” In fact, Florida’s death rate from guns is average for the country.

I’m saddened by Trayvon Martin’s death. I don’t think that George Zimmerman should have pursued him and confronted him after calling the cops.

But I also think that we can only negatively compound the tragedy if we insist on making it embody trends that are actually moving in positive directions.

About 2 minutes.

Produced by Joshua Swain. Camera by Jim Epstein. Written by Nick Gillespie and Kennedy, who also hosts.

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Nick Gillespie on California's Unlearned Budget Lesson, the GSA & the Secret Service Scandals

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

"[Secret Service] were trying to get the prositutes to take less money, that's a rarity in government" says Nick Gillespie on The Willis Report.

Gillespie also discusses Califronia's budget problems through its broke colleges and high-speed rail delusions, the GSA and Secret Service scandal.

Approximately 6.44 minutes.

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How City Hall is F*cking Record Store Day!

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

April 21, 2012 marks the fifth annual Record Store Day, a nation-wide project to promote struggling brick-and-mortar music shops. Across the country, independent stores offer exclusive, one-of-a-kind recordings as a way to bring customers through the door.

"It is the busiest day of the year," says Matt Moffatt, co-owner of Washington, D.C.'s Smash Records, a shop that sells new and used CDs and vinyl LPs, along with clothing, posters, t-shirts, vintage clothing, and more.

But now the powers that be in the nation's capital have decided that record stores must get second-hand dealer business licenses, which cost a lot of money and have onerous reporting requirements. Store owners such as Moffatt would have to report every new piece they put up for sale to the police, allow the cops to verify it's not stolen, and get information about all customers who buy used goods. Failure to comply would mean incurring massive fines of thousands of dollars a days.

"Basically," says Moffatt, "they want us to get a pawn shop license."

Local business groups such as the Adams Morgan Partnership are pushing back but the future of stores such as Smash Records is far from clear. "It just seems so heavy-handed, it could easily destroy businesses like mine," says Moffatt.

About 3.45 minutes. Produced by Meredith Bragg and hosted by Kennedy; co-written by Nick Gillespie.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses ADA Lawsuit Abuse w/ Varney & Co.

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox Business' Varney & Co. to discuss the coming spike in lawsuit abuse due to latest ADA requirement for hotels and recreation centers. Airdate: April 17, 2012.

About 3 minutes

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Matt Welch Discusses the GSA Scandal & the Widespread Abuse of Taxpayer Money on Fox Business

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Fox Business to discuss the latest developments in the GSA scandal, which uncovered bribes, kickbacks, and reckless behavior in the department that manages federal funds, and the widespread mentality of wasting taxpayer money. Air Date: April 13, 2012.

About 3 minutes.

For more Welch on GSA, click here.

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Lisa Snell Discusses the Failure of the Eduational Program "Head Start" with John Stossel

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's director of education and child welfare Lisa Snell appeared on Stossel's "No They Can't" special to discusses ineffectiveness and heavy tax burden of Head Start, the federal program that promotes school readiness. Air Date: April 2, 2012.

Approximately 3.05 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses 2012 Election, Judicial Activism & "Social Darwinism" on Melissa Harris-Perry

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry Show to discuss today's most heated political battles - Obama vs Romney on the economy, Obama vs SCOTUS on healthcare, & SCOTUS vs the public's privacy on strip searches. Air Date: April 7, 2012.

About 33 minutes.

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4 Loko Tacos & Other Illicit Foods - Kennedy w/ Keep Food Legal's Baylen Linnekin

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

“[Four Loko] is truly vile to drink,” admits Baylen Linnekin, executive director of Keep Food Legal, “but I’m not the arbiter of taste and neither should the government.”

Be it unpasteurized, caffeinated, or sodium-enriched, government inevitably finds excuse to regulate and even ban food and drink that they say risk public health or safety. Keep Food Legal fights to keep the nanny state from ossifying the American palette by promoting people’s right to grow, cook, and consume the edibles of their choosing.

Reason contributor Kennedy dished with Linnekin about Big Government threats to culinary versatility, over some delicious and illegal Four Loko tacos cooked up by Linnekin himself.

About 25 minutes. Filmed by Joshua Swain and Anthony Fisher. Edited by Zach Weissmueller.

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Matt Welch Talks DEA Raids on CA Pot Clubs, Obama, & Rolling Stones on Varney & Co.

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

On Fox Business' Varney & Co., Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch discussed the outrageous DEA and IRS raid on Oaksterdam University in California. Welch also discusses the increase in gun sales amid a slow economic recovery and reveals his favorite Rolling Stones' song. Airdate: April 6, 2010.

3.40 minutes.

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Harris Kenny Discusses Privately Run Prisons, Drug Policy, & Immigration on Al Jazeera's The Stream

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation Policy Analyst Harris Kenny appeared on Al Jazeera's The Stream to discuss the complexities of introducing private-public prisons into America with the highest incarceration rate as well as open immigration and drug policy. Air date: April 4, 2012.

Approximately 37 minutes.

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Is Bullying an Epidemic?! Nick Gillespie on Fox & Friends

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox & Friends to talk about whether youth bullying a rational epidemic or an exaggerated panic. Gillespie's recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, "Stop Panicking About Bullies," argued efforts to intervene in school bullying creates more problems than it solves.

Approximately 3.30 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Talks GOP Social Darwinism, Teacher Sex, & Failed Journalists on the Alyona Show

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on The Alyona Show with RT's Lauren Lyster to discuss President Obama remarks on the GOP's new budget as a form of 'social Darwinism', teacher-student sex laws, and end of professionalism for journalists.

Approximately 7.17 minutes.

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Student Loans Burdening Seniors and Preschoolers?! Lisa Snell Discusses the Education Monopoly on Fox Business

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's director of education and child welfare Lisa Snell appeared on Fox Business to discusses how giving parents control over their child's education fund and introducing competition among schools would bring prices down and quality up. Air Date: April 2, 2012.

Approximately 4.44 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses New ADA Pool Regulations with Erin Burnett

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared on CNN's OutFront with Erin Burnett to debate trial lawyer Justin Leto about new regulations requiring private companies to install handicap lifts into pools, and whether this regulation would help bring equality to America's disabled or simply benefit the trial lawyers. Air Date: March 15, 2012.

Approximately 5.30 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses California's Raising Tuition Rates on Fox Business

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Vice President of Research Adrian Moore appeared on Fox Business to discuss California's skyrocketing tuitions for public colleges and how government subsides have only made things worse. Air date: March 16, 2012.

Approximately 3.20 minutes.

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John Stossel on the Media, Liberty, and Why He Doesn't Miss Working for ABC

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

"At ABC, it was like, 'This is mainstream. This is correct. And then there are you whackos," said Fox Business host John Stossel.

Stossel made a keynote speech at Reason Weekend 2012, Reason Foundation's annual donor event. He talked about why liberty is counter-intuitive to most people and how being accepted by conservatives more easily than by liberals surprised him. He also shared horror stories from his days working on 20/20 at ABC, where he says anchors like Peter Jennings would regularly look at him with disgust.

About 35 minutes. Filmed by Joshua Swain and Anthony Fisher. Edited by Zach Weissmueller.

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Brian Doherty Discusses Ron Paul's Next Move after Super Tuesday on RT

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

GOP candidate Ron Paul didn't win a any states on Super Tuesday but as Reason senior editor Brian Doherty explains on RT that Ron Paul has succeed in establishing a thriving, activist community for his libertarian ideas that will influence future political debates to come. Airdate: March 7, 2012.

10.10 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Obama's Symbolic Presidency with Varney

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Editor in Chief, Matt Welch appeared on Varney & Co. to discuss how Obama's job policies are only symbolic gestures and argues that the unemployment crisis would be better fixed by good governance and congressional budget. Air date: March 8, 2011.

About 3 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Joins Alyona's Happy Hour to Talk TSA Bodyscanners & Dennis Kucinich

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs appeared on the Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss a blogger who can trick TSA bodyscanners, Dennis Kucinich losing his seat to another Democrat, and a girl who sued her college because her roommate had too much sex and she fell into depression. Airdate: March 7, 2012.

6.26 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Google Privacy with Cavuto

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Managing Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward discusses the controversy surrounding Google's new privacy settings and whether the government will take advantage of user information on Cavuto. Airdate: March 1, 2012.

About 2 minutes.

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Shikha Dalmia Discusses how Ayn Rand was an Illegal Immigrant on WSJ.com

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Foundation's senior policy analyst Shikha Dalmia appeared on Wall Street Journal's video blog to discuss Ayn Rand's early history in America as an illegal immigrant as well as how immigration policy is playing a decisive role in the GOP race. Air Date: Feb 16, 2012.

Approximately 6.39 minutes.

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Kennedy on Whitney Houston, Adele, &... Michelle Obama?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

What do Whitney Houston, Adele, the First Lady - plus crooner Tony Bennett and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld - have in common?

KYSR DJ and former MTV VJ Kennedy connects the dots as Houston fans prepare for the songbird's funeral, Adele polishes her six Grammys, and Michelle Obama hula-hoops her way across the nation, pushing kids to eat less and exercise more.

About 3 minutes.

Written by Nick Gillespie and Kennedy, who also hosts. Edited by Meredith Bragg.

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Former MTV VJ Kennedy on Her Libertarian Evolution

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

As current drive time radio host on KYSR in Los Angeles and former MTV VJ Kennedy explains it, early reactions to her political leanings were pretty consistent. "Your name is Kennedy, and you're a Republican, and you're on MTV? What?!"

At Reason Weekend 2012, Reason Foundation's annual donor event, Kennedy sat down with Reason's Nick Gillespie to discuss her transformation from Dan Quayle fetishist to hardcore libertarian, a Republican tattoo, and her recent fight with HBO's Bill Maher over atheism.

About 28 minutes. Filmed by Joshua Swain and Anthony Fisher. Edited by Meredith Bragg.

http://www.facebook.com/Kennedynation

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"Romney is an echo, not a choice when it comes to Obama" - Nick Gillespie on Freedom Watch

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the love/hate relationship Republicans has with Mitt Romney and whether Ron Paul can challenge the future status quo of the GOP. Air Date: February 13, 2012.

About 3:47 minutes.

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Will More Federal Money Help Our Schools? Peter Suderman on Fox Business

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

President Obama wants more federal tax-dollars going to teachers as a way of improving education. Reason associate editor Peter Suderman appeared on Fox Business' Power and Money says the problems are not in spending but in heavy-handed bureaucracy and regulation. Airdate Feb 7, 2012.

Aproximately 4 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses MegaUpload, Niall Ferguson, & Tim Tebow on Alyona's Happy Hour

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs appeared on the Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss the torrent site BTJunkie voluntarily shutting down after learning MegaUpload's fate, genetically modified babies, Niall Ferguson's comments on war with Iran, and Tim Tebow's political side. Airdate: Feb 6, 2012.

8.44 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses the Buffett Rule and His Favorite Beatles Songs on Varney & Co.

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason magazine Editor in Chief, Matt Welch appeared on Varney & Co. to discuss Warren Buffett's confusion between income tax and capital gains tax and why debt is not a revenue problem but a spending problem. Welch also reveals his favorite Beatles' songs. Air date: January 26, 2012.

Approximately 2.34 minutes.

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Will More Taxpayer Money Solve the Debt Crisis? Anthony Randazzo on Freedom Watch

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo joined a panel on Freedom Watch to discuss a recent shift in policy as the Treasure Department begins to resist funding the ECB to bailout European debt. The panel also discuss the politics behind the debt ceiling in America. Air Date: January 25, 2011.

Approximately 6.27 minutes.

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Julian Morris Discusses Whether Capitalism is "Outdated" & "Crumbling" on Freedom Watch

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Foundation’s Vice President of Research Julian Morris joined a panel on Freedom Watch to discuss the World Economic Forum founder's quote that "capitalism... has no place in the world." The panel also discusses a new proposal for the federal government to overhaul foreclosures in robo-settlements. Air Date: January 23, 2012.

Approximately 7.40 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Discusses GM, Toyota, & Crony Capitalism on Freedom Watch

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano to challenge the government's bragging rights over how GM outpaced Toyota. Suderman believes the comparison is unfair due to subsidies and the tragic earthquake. Airdate January 15, 2012.

Aproximately 7 minutes.

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Tim Cavanaugh Discusses Gingrich and Political Sex Scandals with Thom Hartmann

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Tim Cavanaugh to discuss Gingrich's proposed open marriage with then-wife Marianne Gingrich and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) prostitution scandal with Thom Hartmann. Air Date: January 20, 2012.

Approximately 11.29 minutes

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Warren Buffet, taxes, and SOPA with Judge Napolitano

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

"The whole point [of the internet] is that you have free access," says Reason's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo. Randazzo appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the consequences of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Warren Buffet's tax fued with GOP member of Congress. Air Date: January 19, 2012.

Approximately 6.36 minutes.

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Can a White Libertarian Man Represent Chinatown in Congress?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

Meet Dan O'Connor, a self-described libertarian Democrat who wants to represent New York's District 12 - which includes Chinatown and parts of Queens and Brooklyn - in Congress.

O'Connor spent six years living in China, so he feels a connection to the inhabitants of Manhattan's Chinatown, who he says share his views that taxes and regulations on businessess are too high, immigration laws too onerous, and school-choice programs too small. Those positions play well in the rest of the district across the East River too, he says. So does his belief that defense spending should be cut and troops brought home, that the Federal Reserve should be audited, and that politicians should be term-limited. Indeed, should O'Connor manage to unseat the Democractic incumbent, Nydia Velazquez, in September's primary, he's pledged to serve no more than four terms.

O'Connor faces an uphill struggle, for sure. Reason's Matt Welch spoke with him at last summer's FreedomFest in Las Vegas, and his ideas are striking for their uniqueness among office seekers calling themselves Democrats. This interview in no way represents an endorsement, but there's no doubt O'Connor is an interesting character with whom to spend a few minutes.

His website is here.

About 4 minutes. Shot by Jim Epstein and Zach Weissmueller and edited by Joshua Swain.

Held each July in Las Vegas, FreedomFest is attended by around 2,000 limited-government enthusiasts and libertarians a year. Reason.tv spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks. For an ever-growing playlist, go here now.

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MTV's Kurt Loder and Kennedy Talk A Libertarian Year in Review

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

MTV VJ and Reason Magazine contributor Kurt Loder joined fellow VJ Kennedy and Fox Business' John Stossel to discuss same-sex marriage, medical marijuana, Sesame Street and other libertarian stories from 2011.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Talks A Libertarian Year in Review on Stossel

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward joined John Stossel, David Boaz, Jeffrey Miron, and Kmele Foster to discuss a libertarian perspective on 2011 - from the consequences of new economic regulations, U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Libya, to the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

Approximately 21.41 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Talks Nanny State Tales from 2011 & "Pint-Sized Sparticuses" on Stossel

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Reason's Nick Gillespie joins Fox Business' John Stossel to discuss Nanny State tales from 2011 - ranging from banning prostitution, undercooked hamburgers, student-teacher relationships, video poker, home-brought lunches and the citizens that fight back.

5.37 minutes.

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Government Tracking Our Kids?! - Lisa Snell Discusses Student Privacy on CNN's OutFront

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Foundation's Director of Education Lisa Snell discuss how schools collecting personal information on students would only reduce privacy and create stereotypes instead of benefiting their education as the federal government claims the program is for on CNN's OutFront. Air Date: December 29, 2011.

About 4 minutes.Scroll down for downloadable versions of this video.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Jon Corzine, Newt Gringrich, & Ron Paul on Freedom Watch

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano to discuss how the fiscal scandal surrounding Jon Corzine shows how little regulations could stop bad investments. Gillespie also discusses the rise of Newt Gringrich and Ron Paul in the GOP nomination. Air Date: 12/9/2011.

Approximately 5.45 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses the U.S.'s Hypocrisy with Internet Freedom on RT

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs appeared on RT America to discuss the hypocrisy behind the U.S.'s urge for internet freedom abroad yet increasingly restricts the same freedoms at home. Airdate: December 8, 2011.

7.19 minutes.

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Mike Riggs on Alyona's Happy Hour Discusses a Controversial Gun Ad, Anti-Semitism, and a Twin-Earth

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs appeared on the Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss a gun ad that compares Obama to Hitler and Stalin, whether a US Ambassador's comments on Isreali foreign policy is anti-Semitic, and a recently discovered exo-planet that resembles Earth. Airdate: December 5, 2011.

7 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Payroll Tax Cuts, Social Security, and the GOP on Fox Business Network

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason's Nick Gillespie discusses on Fox Business Network how payroll tax cut will not reduce costs nor spur spending unless Congress cuts social security as well. Airdate: December 6, 2011.

4.10 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses Miley Cyrus Supporting OWS And The Latest Cain Sex-Scandel on Alyona's Happy Hour

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs appeared on the Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss The Office's Dunder Mifflin paper products by Staples, the Kansas teen who wouldn't apologize to Govenor Brownback after her tweet, Miley Cyrus's new song supporting Occupy Wall Street, and the latest Herman Cain sex-scandel.

Airdate: November 28, 2011.

7.34 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses Drum Circles, Guy Fawkes Posters, Halal Turkey, & Anonymous on Alyona's Happy Hour

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs appeared on the Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss whether drum circles constitute torture, a new Guy Fawkes poster, stealthy halal turkey and a war between Anonymous and government helping hackers. Airdate: November 21, 2011.

9.15 minutes.

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Is Mitt Romney the new Bob Dole? Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie on Freedom Watch

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

"There is virtually nothing in a Romney candidacy for a libertarian, for someone who wants low taxes and fiscal conservatism and social tolerance."

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss how libertarian ideas have entered the mainstream GOP conversation and why Mitt Romney will never be president. Air Date: November 10, 2011.

3.58 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses Local Governments vs. the Occupy Movements on the Alyona Show

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs appeared on the Alyona Show to discuss recent encroachments by local governments to stall Occupy movements from excising freedom of speech and assembly in their cities. Airdate: November 1, 2011.

6.20 minutes.

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Zombie Obama, a School Attending Robot, & a UFO Sighting - Mike Riggs Joins Alyona's Happy Hour

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs joined the Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss an eclectic mix of news from a GOP flyer depicting a zombified Obama, a woman posing naked inside a horse carcass, an allergy-stricken student using a robot to attend class, and a potential UFO sighting. Airdate: November 1, 2011.

9.10 minutes.

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Peter Schiff Challenges "Phony" Growth Based on Spending on After the Bell

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT

On Fox Business Network's After the Bell, Peter Schiff challenges recent economic growth saying it's based on how "spending money we don't have" instead on actual savings and investment. Schiff also discusses his time talking with the Occupiers on Wall Street. Air Date: October 28, 2011.

5.30 minutes.

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Occupy Wall Street, Obamacare, & Bailouts - Peter Schiff on Huckabee

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Peter Schiff joins European Parliament Member Daniel Hannan on Huckabee to discuss how increasing government regulation, oversight, and taxes has set back America's economy and created the Occupy Wall Street movenment. Air Date: October 28, 2011.

About 15 minutes.

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Peter Schiff Discusses His Time Talking with the "99%" on Fox & Friends

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

"They should be frustrated with the government; that's what's wrecked the economy, not capitalism," says Peter Schiff on Fox & Friends. Schiff says he sympathizes with the Wall Street Occupiers' outrage but his understanding of the free market tells him anger should be directed toward Washington DC instead. Air Date: October 28, 2011.

About 4 minutes.

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Peter Schiff vs. Cornell West on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

"If they really want a bright future for this country, it's capitalism that will provide it, not government."

That's what Peter Schiff told Princeton University Professor Cornell West last night in a heated debate on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. They were discussing Schiff's recent Reason.tv appearance, in which he engaged protestors at Occupy Wall Street with a sign that read, "I Am the 1%, Let's Talk." Air Date: October 27, 2011.

Here's the original video.

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Matt Welch Discusses How the Tea Party and OWS Share Common Goals on The Alyona Show

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch argues that Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party movements have more in common than their supporters think; such as anti-corporatism, disappointment with both political parties, and distrust to the status quo on RT's The Alyona Show. Air Date: October 21, 2011.

About 8 minutes.

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Matt Welch Joins The Alyona Show's Happy Hour to Discuss OWS, TSA, and the Rapture

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch joins The Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss the Rapture that didn't happen, police violence at Occupy Wall Street, Tennessee's expansion of TSA to highways, and how opening an account at a Cezch bank can be "orgasmic." Air Date: October 21, 2011.

About 8 minutes.

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Remy's Occupy Wall Street Protest Song

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EDT

As the Occupy Wall Street movement spreads like a, well, financial contagion through global markets, intergalactic Internet sensation Remy and Reason.tv give the movement its anthem.

Written and performed by Remy and produced by Meredith Bragg.

About 2.45 minutes. Go to http://reason.tv for downloadable versions. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get automatic updates when new material goes live.

For Reason's coverage of Occupy Wall Street, including video coverage from lower Manhattan, go here.

Follow Reason on Twitter.

For more Remy & Reason.tv vids, go here.

For even more Remy, go to his YouTube channel.

Lyrics to the "Occupy Wall Street Protest Song"

Come gather round people
come and join your hands
we're taking Wall Street
and we're making demands
and we're heeding the call
and we're crying for help
only 1% of us have wealth

but first we need posters
we need to make signs
but to do so it seems
that we need some supplies

We need poster board
I can't make it myself
but it's 10 cents a sheet
at the store it's on sale
an example of economies of scale
it's so evil

They're saying that freedom
has done little to stop
Corporations from keeping
the wealth at the top
But at what point in history
would a kid and a king
both have clean water to drink?

George Washington was
the richest man of his age
But he lost all his teeth
at a very young age
Because they didn't have Scope
and they all crapped in trays
we're not wealthy?

now there's fountains on streets
from which clean water pours
Four dollar generics
at all big box stores
a sultan and student
both have iPhone 4s
it's not fair

Come gather young people
come on everyone
and I'll tell you a tale
of a fortunate son

He's born in a country
and given vaccine
and rendered immune
to all kinds of disease
the Kardashians are on
all his TVs
it's not perfect

Banks don't need bailouts
on that we agree
so let's start up a group
and let's take to the streets
because if we do that then
you know what that means
we're racist.
[End]

Ken Burns on PBS Funding, Being a "Yellow-Dog Democrat," and Missing Walter Cronkite

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

"In a perfect world," says legendary filmmaker Ken Burns, "we'd want government support [for the arts] and a lot more of it."

Burns' new PBS documentary, Prohibition, was made with his longtime collaborator Lynn Novick and explores the causes, failures, and legacy of the nation's "Noble Experiment" in banning alcohol in the early 20th century. His previous works on topics such as the Civil War, baseball, and jazz were critical and commercial successes, helping to revitalize the documentary form and start rich conversations about race, history, and politics.

The Prohibition documentary will likely do the same. "There were all these factions, left and right, black and white, that were for [banning alcohol].... It [is] too easy to dismiss it as purely a retrograde, conservative attempt back to some good old days that never existed. It was a much more complicated dynamic." Indeed, the documentary stresses the role of Progressive legislators in pushing the 18th Amendment.

"The telling of history need not be Castor Oil, the dry recitation of dates, facts, and events" says Burns, who rejects doctrinaire activism in his art despite calling himself a "Democrat for life."

Burns says the proliferation of cheap production and distribution technologies for creative expression is a cause for optimisim but worries about audience fragmentation. "When I grew up, there were four or five channels and people basically shared a common canon of knowledge....Now people can seek their own self-satisfying sources of knowledge [which] is hugely dangerous."

Despite the immense popular appeal of his work, Burns is no fan of "the market" when it comes to making films. While Bank of America is one of the major funders of his current documentary, he says that in a non-public-television setting the company would have likely exerted editorial pressure on his product. Corporate money and commerical outlets even on niche cable channels come with too many strings and compromises attached, says Burns. He notes that highly praised documentarians such as Errol Morris "work a great deal of time doing commerical work on the side, which I don't have the time or the luxury or the talent to do."

This wide-ranging and sometimes-heated conversation is about 22 minutes long and was filmed by Jim Epstein, Anthony Fisher, and Meredith Bragg, who also edited the piece. Watch a discussion with Gillespie and Burns specifically about Prohibition here

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Prohibition Vogue: Why We're Still Talking About "The Noble Experiment"

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT

Alcohol prohibition may have been repealed in 1933, but Americans have rarely been more intoxicated with the "noble experiment" than they are today.

Between "Last Call ," Daniel Okrent's best-selling 2010 book, leading clothing designers taking inspiration from jazz age fashion, a new prime-time documentary by Ken Burns, and the new, second season of HBOs critically acclaimed Boardwalk Empire, it's impossible to ignore the new interest in Prohibition. With a fixation on "classic cocktails" and faux-speakeasies, even drinking culture itself seems to be bellying up to the bar.

What's fueling this fascination and where will it end? Reason.tv talks with filmmaker Burns, author Okrent, and drug policy activist Aaron Houston of Students for Sensible Policy , who argues that "Culture and art right now are reflective of a general sentiment in this society that the war on drugs has not worked."

And that change is in air. Marijuana legalization initiatives will be on the ballot in at least two states in 2012, Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) have introduced legislation to let states decide pot's legal status, and record high levels of Americans are in favor of legalization. As Okrent tells Reason.tv, the need for excise tax revenue during the Great Depression helped make repeal of alcohol prohibition not just possible but desirable. Coupled with a sense of exhaustion at a drug war that has done little to prevent drug use, the dire financial straits of government at all levels may just spell the demise of contemporary prohibition.

Approx. 5 minutes. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also narrates. Additional camera work by Jim Epstein and Anthony Fisher.

For more Reason.tv on drugs and alcohol, go here .

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Wayne Allyn Root Explains How He Will Become President

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT

At FreedomFest 2011, Reason's Matt Welch sat down with Wayne Allyn Root to talk about his media plans and presidential aspirations. Root said "America cares about jobs number one, jobs number two, jobs number three and jobs number ten thousand...". He beleives that America is focused on the economy and not as much on the social issues such as online gambling.

Held each July in Las Vegas, FreedomFest is attended by around 2,000 libertarians and advocates of limited government. Reason.tv spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks. For an ever-growing playlist, go here now.

About 7 minutes. Shot by Zach Weissmueller and Jim Epstein and edited by Sharif Matar.

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Adrian Moore Talks Federal Reserve on Freedom Watch

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Vice President of Research Adrian Moore appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss government oversight of the Federal Reserve and the public's economic uncertainty. Air date: September 13, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Shikha Dalmia Discusses Post-9/11 Foreign Policy with RT

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason senior policy analyst Shikha Dalmia appeared on RT to discuss how the War on Terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan have cornered the U.S. into becoming the world police leaving America with few opportunities and double standards on Syria and Libya. Airdate: September 11, 2011.

About 5 minutes.

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Matt Welch Debates Ann Coulter on the Iraq War, TSA, and using Torture with Stossel

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason editor in chief Matt Welch debated Ann Coulter on a special Stossel episode dedicated to how the government has responded to 9/11. Welch debated Coulter on how secure America is after invading Iraq, creating the TSA, and implementing torture for information gathering. Air Date: September 8, 2011

About 10 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Government Refinancing Bad Mortages on Freedom Watch

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the federal government's hinted proposal to refinance bought mortgages which will break contract with investors, lose taxpayer money, and wouldn't even stop foreclosures. Air Date: August 31, 2011.

Approximately 3.25 minutes.

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Reason-Rupe Poll: Do Americans Feel Safer After 9/11, TSA, and Foreign Wars?

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT

As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks arrives, do Americans feel safer after the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq?

According to the new Reason-Rupe poll of 1,200 U.S. adults, “62 percent say we have less personal freedom today” but “81 percent have faith that the security measures implemented” has made America safer from terrorist attacks. Reason’s Katherine Mangu-Ward talks with Emily Ekins, Reason’s polling director, to find out what post-9/11 America thinks about today’s national security, personal freedoms, and the Iraq War.

This Reason-Rupe poll surveyed a random, national sample of 1,200 adults by telephone (790 on landlines, 410 on cell phones) over August 9-18, 2011. The overall results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The full Reason-Rupe survey is online here and ongoing analysis is online here.

This Reason Foundation project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation.

Shot by Anthony Fisher and Joshua Swain; edited by Swain. About 4 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Hurricane Hype, Obama's Jobs Plan, and Ugliness on America's Nightly Scoreboard

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Fox Business Network's America's Nightly Scoreboard to discuss the media's reporting on Hurricane Irene, Obama hiring economist Krueger, and whether ugliness should be classified as a disability. Airdate: August 29, 2011.

Approximately 15.23 minutes

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Congress and the Fed's Blame Game on the Alyona Show

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses Ben Bernanke accusing Congress for a poor fisical policy and the plans for the foreclosured houses the government bought on The Alyona Show.

Approx. 10 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Obesity Epidemic, a Flash-Mob at Bachmann's Clinic, and Chuck Norris

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on The Alyona Show's Happy Hour segment to discuss the obesity epidemic, a gay flash-mob targeting Bachmann's clinic, Chuck Norris's op-ed on a UN gun law treaty, and if Comet Elenin has caused the recent extreme weather. Air date: August 26, 2011.

Approximately 7.56 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Discusses Cigarette Labels and Insurance Exchanges on Freedom Watch

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the tobacco industry's law suit against the FDA over new branding mandates and funding for insurance exchanges. Air date: 8/17/2011.

Approximately 8.02 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses President Obama's Jobs Plan on Cavuto

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on Cavuto to discuss President Obama's upcoming jobs plan. Air Date: 8/17/2011.

Approximately 4 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Online Gambling on Bulls and Bears

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Bulls and Bears to discuss the legalization of online gambling as a way to bring in revenue to the federal government. Air Date: August 17, 2011.

Approximately 3.39 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Discusses a Possible QE3 and Congress's Lowest Approval Ratings on Freedom Watch

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the recent call for stimulus in the form of QE3 and what the lowest approval ratings for Congress mean for Obama and 2012 elections. Air date: 8/10/2011.

Approximately 7.42 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses the S&P Downgrade and London Riots on Freedom Watch

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Vice President of Research Adrian Moore appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss Congress planing to investigate S&P's decision to downgrade America's credit and whether the London riots are a sign for worse to come. Air date: August 9, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Obama's No Child Left Behind Waivers with Judge Napolitano

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss the Obama administration granting waivers on No Child Left Behind and how voters are growing tired of empty promises by both political parties. Air Date: August 9, 2011.

Approximately 4.30 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the S&P Downgrade on the Alyona Show

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on The Alyona Show to discuss S&P downgraded the U.S. to AA+ and Moody's statement that if the Washington gridlock continues they will also downgrade. Air Date: August 8, 2011.

Approximately 11.04 minutes.

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Michelle Fields Discusses Teacher Tenure with Judge Napolitano

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Journalist Michelle Fields discusses her interview with Matt Damon and how teachers unions and government bureaucracy is harming education with Judge Napolitano. Air date: August 5, 2011.

Approximately 4.12 minutes.

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Michelle Fields Discusses the Lowest Approval Rating for Congress on the Alyona Show

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Journalist Michelle Fields discusses a CBS/New York Times poll that 82% of Americans dissaprove of Congress and her viral hit interview with Matt Damon on the Alyona Show. Air date: August 5, 2011.

Approximately 4.12 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses Toll Roads and Privately-Built Highways on Stossel

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Vice President of Research of Reason Adrian Moore appeared on Stossel to discuss how toll roads alleviate traffic better than public transportation and lessons America can learn from France and China. Air date: August 4, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses the Failed Debt Debate and the Market's Downturn on Freedom Watch

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss how the debt agreement failed to stop market fears and stop government intervention in the economy. Air Date: August 4, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Markets Reaction to the Debt Deal on The Alyona Show

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on The Alyona Show to discuss how the debt deal has not easied uncertianity in the markets and how government can do little to change the economy. Air Date: May 10, 2011.

Approximately 8.48 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy: The Facts About Spending Cuts, the Debt, and the GDP

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor's Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Raising the debt limit might put off a downgrade disaster in August, but that still isn’t enough—as Standard & Poor’s recent warning made clear. Perhaps the most important shot not heard around the world was S&P’s other admonition: Namely, that the U.S. bond rating will be downgraded in three months, if not sooner, unless we do something about government spending. Beyond raising the debt limit, S&P laid out clear criteria for avoiding a downgrade: 1) reduce the debt by about $4 trillion; 2) agree to a credible plan within three months; and 3) guarantee that this newfound fiscal discipline will actually stick.

If S&P isn’t bluffing, then lawmakers should get serious about reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio, and they should do it quickly. But how do we achieve such a task?

Myth 1: You cannot reduce the deficit to an appropriate level without also raising taxes.

Fact 1: Spending cuts are the most effective way to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio.

We are not the first nation to struggle with a dangerous debt-to-GDP ratio, and thankfully, the academic world has already produced great insights into what can be done to reduce this ratio without hurting the economy.

Take the work of Harvard’s Alberto Alesina and Silvia Ardagna. They examined 107 efforts to reduce the debt in 21 OECD nations between 1970–2007. Their findings suggest that tax cuts are more expansionary than spending increases in the cases of a fiscal stimulus. Also, they found that spending cuts are a more effective way to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio:

For fiscal adjustments we show that spending cuts are much more effective than tax increases in stabilizing the debt and avoiding economic downturns. In fact, we uncover several episodes in which spending cuts adopted to reduce deficits have been associated with economic expansions rather than recessions. We also investigate which components of taxes and spending affect the economy more in these large episodes and we try to uncover channels running through private consumption and/or investment.

As you can see in this chart, in cases of successful fiscal adjustments—defined by the cumulative reduction in debt-to-GDP ratio three years after fiscal adjustment greater than 4.5 percentage points—spending as a share of GDP fell by about 2 percentage points while revenue also fell by half a percentage point (left bars). On the other hand, unsuccessful fiscal adjustment packages—cumulative increases in debt-to-GDP ratio—were made of smaller spending reductions (only 0.8 percentage-point reduction) and large revenue increases (right bars).

The IMF found similar results and reports that fiscal adjustment on the requisite scale of what we need today is actually not unprecedented:

During the past three decades, there were 14 episodes in advanced economies and 26 in emerging economies when individual countries adjusted their structural primary balance by more than 7 percentage points of GDP. Several economies were also able to sustain large primary surpluses for five or more years afterwards, though the record is more mixed in this regard.

For those who are not ideologically inclined toward austerity measures, it is key to remember that this research is consistent with the work of former Obama Council of Economic Advisers chairman Christina Romer and her economist husband, David Romer, which shows that increasing taxes by 1 percent of GDP for deficit-reduction purposes leads to a 3 percent reduction in GDP. In fact, Alesina and Ardagna discuss the work of Romer and Romer starting on page five of their paper.

Myth 2: Lawmakers facing economic catastrophe forget about politics and adopt measures that address genuine fiscal issues.

Fact 2: Politicians rarely put politics aside. Historically, four out of five fiscal adjustments were primarily comprised of tax increases—and were unsuccessful.

Following and building on Alesina and Ardagna’s work, a new paper by Andrew Biggs, Kevin Hassett, and Matthew Jensen of the American Enterprise Institute studies fiscal adjustments covering over 100 instances in which countries took steps to address their budget gaps. Their results are consistent with those of the Harvard economists; expenditure cuts outweigh revenue increases in successful consolidations. Moreover, their work shows that even in a time of crisis (or especially in a time of crisis), lawmakers tend to adopt policies for the sake of politics. Countries in fiscal trouble generally got there through years of catering to interest groups and pro-spending constituencies (on both sides of the political aisle), and their fiscal adjustments tend to make too many of the same mistakes.

As a result, failed fiscal consolidations are the rule rather than the exception. Indeed, 80 percent of the fiscal adjustments Biggs, Hassett, and Jensen studied were failures. The United States cannot afford to follow this pattern.

Myth 3: We have had higher debt-to-GDP ratios before so we shouldn’t worry now.

Fact 3: We should worry. The debt-to-GDP ratio actually underestimates the size of the government’s real liabilities.

As government debt and deficits have swollen, we often look to the past for guidance. From that point of view, history appears to be reassuring, since several advanced countries have had debt-to-GDP ratios much higher than the one we have now. The United States after World War II had a public debt/GDP ratio of roughly 110 percent, while Britain’s was 250 percent. In fact, the UK’s national debt has averaged almost 100 percent of GDP since its creation in 1693. France's public debt was about 280 percent of GDP at the end of World War II. And yet neither of these countries defaulted. So why should we worry?

Two main reasons: First, while our debt is big now, it’s only going to get bigger in the coming years. This year, the debt held by the public is $9.7 trillion, which is roughly 69 percent of GDP. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it will reach 200 percent in 2037--if the economy doesn’t collapse first (which it likely will). These projections aren’t surprising considering that the president’s budget doubles the debt held by the public from $9 trillion today to $18 trillion in 2021.

Second, the debt-to-GDP ratio actually underestimates the scale of our debt problem. Here is why:

1. Intragovernmental debt. This $4.6 trillion of debt is money that the federal government owes to its various trust funds. In other words, it’s a liability to the government but an asset to the trust funds, so in accounting term it’s zeroed out. However, over time the programs will redeem the IOUs as they need the money to fund benefits. As that happens, the intragovernmental debt decreases but debt held by the public increases. Eventually, this $4.6 trillion will be converted into public debt.

2. Unaccounted liabilities. There exists a broad range of liabilities that are debt, yet are not captured in the debt-to-GDP ratio. To take one example, the Financial Statement of the United States values the government’s civil-service pension liabilities (that is, the contractual claims on government accumulated to date by civil servants) at $5.7 trillion. That amount is not captured by the debt-to-GDP ratio. A share of this $5.7 trillion will be paid for by IOUs included in the intragovernmental debt, which we know will be converted into public debt. In addition, the unfunded share of this liability will have to be paid for with more debt, which isn’t accounted for in the debt/GDP metric. The Financial Statement of the United States shows another $1.5 trillion of such liabilities, including payments due to government-sponsored enterprises.

3. Unfunded liabilities. There is a balance of $39 trillion in unfunded liabilities over 75 years for programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

While we can’t add all these numbers up because it would be the equivalent of comparing oranges to apples (some of these numbers represent the net present value of beneficiaries’ future claims on the government), considering them in context still helps to illustrate why the debt-to-GDP ratio underestimates how much present and future debt has been accumulated over the years. Hopefully, this also helps illustrate why the current debt-ceiling debate shouldn’t just focus on Treasury’s ability to pay our bills today, but must focus on our overall debt problem.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Remy Munasifi and Meredith Bragg Talk about Creating "Raise The Debt Ceiling Rap"

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Remy Munasifi and Meredith Bragg of Reason.tv talk to local news station DC WUSA 9 about creating their viral hit "Raise The Debt Ceiling Rap". Airdate: July 27, 2011.

Approximately 1.52 minutes.

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Remy Munasifi Talks about "Raise The Debt Ceiling Rap" on CNN's News Room

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Remy Munasifi talked with CNN's News Room about creating the "Raise The Debt Ceiling Rap" and it's rise in popularity. Airdate: July 27, 2011.

Approximately 2.55 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Job Creation, the Housing Market and if Walnuts are a Drug on Freedom Watch

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss GE’s CEO who criticized companies for not hiring, the Obama administration potentially renting foreclosured homes, and the FDA's claim that walnuts are a drug. Air Date: April 29, 2011.

Approximately 12.15 minutes.

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Peter Suderman on Discusses Fake Budget Cuts on Freedom Watch

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the how the government has pretended to cut spending by including non-existent war spending and excluding entitlement obligations. Air date: 7/26/2011.

Approximately 4.51 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Crack Downs on Food Trucks on Freedom Watch

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss how government regulators, due to health concerns and pressure from brick-and-mortar restaurants, have targeted food trucks and how this has hampered potential business owners and limited customer choice. Air Date: July 19, 2011.

Approximately 4.11 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Consequences of the Debate Crisis on The Alyona Show

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses the Federal Reserve's loans to corporations and banks, a falling U.S. dollar, and the possibility of America loosing its credit rating on RT's The Alyona Show. Airdate July 25, 2011.

Approximately 9.10 minutes.

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Damon Root Discusses Myths Surrounding Unions and the Great Depression on Stossel

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Damon Root discusses on Stossel how many "truths" about unions and the Great Depression are in fact myths, including the ideas of Hoover as a small-government zealot and unions helping minorities. Airdate July 21, 2011.

Approximately 9.07 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the History of Negative Campaign Ads on Stossel

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Stossel to discuss how mudslinging in elections are common throughout American history and how negative campaign ads create positive results for voters. Airdate July 21, 2011.

Approximately 8.30 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy Discusses the Threat of America Losing its Credit Rating on Freedom Watch

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss S&P's plan to downgrade America's AAA credit rating if there is no long-term deficit reduction package and whether this is avoidable. Airdate 7/21/2011.

Approximately 3.29 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Discusses the FDA Proposing to Regulate Medical Apps on Mobile Devices

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Cavuto to discuss the FDA's recent proposal to regulate medical apps on mobile devices and argues regulation will create expensive products and limit consumer choices. Air date: 7/22/2011.

Approximately 3.44 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Dicusses the Differences Between State and Federal Budgets on Freedom Watch

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss differences between the state' and federal budget requirements and government employee retention rates. Air date: 7/19/2011.

Run time approximately 6.01 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy: Tells the Facts about the Debt Ceiling

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: If a deal is not reached by August 2, the U.S. will default on its debt.

Fact 1: The Treasury Department can prioritize payments in order to avoid a default.

The Treasury Department is due to pay off $30 billion in maturing short-term debt. But we also know that the Treasury has the ability to prioritize its payments and pay that particular $30 billion out of the $172 billion it collects in tax revenue. As the Bipartisan Policy Center has calculated, after paying $30 billion in interest payments in August, Treasury could, if it ceased all other functions (see page 13 of this document), also pay for Social Security, Medicare, unemployment benefits, and payments to defense contractors. Technically speaking, there is no need to default in the absence of a debt ceiling agreement.

This is not an ideal solution and it entails some significant risks (mainly timing difficulties), but it could be done if necessary.

In addition, the Treasury could sell some of its assets in order to pay the bills. That’s an expensive option at this point, since it would probably mean selling them at a low price, but these are not normal times and a fire sale beats a default.

Myth 2: If the debt ceiling isn’t raised the government won't be able to pay Social Security benefits.

Fact 2: There are approximately $2.6 trillion dollars in the Social Security Trust Fund. Those assets can be used to pay benefits. Furthermore, there is already trillions of dollars of interagency debt that counts toward the $14.29 trillion debt limit. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner could convert that interagency debt into publicly-held debt, preventing not only a technical default but also preventing any delay in government payments.

President Barack Obama has suggested that if the Treasury prioritized payments in order to prevent default on the debt, it might do so on the backs of seniors by not sending out their Social Security checks. This is a particularly troubling rhetorical move by the White House. As the president and his advisers know, there are ways for the government to pay these benefits—messy ways, yes, but still viable—in the absence of a debt-ceiling agreement. That’s what the president should be saying rather than trying to scare seniors.

According to a Bipartisan Policy Center report, incoming revenue on August 3 will amount to $12 billion. At the same time, the government is scheduled to spend some $32 billion—most of it in the form of Social Security checks. How do we make up the difference?

First, remember how Social Security works. Starting now, the difference between payroll-tax revenue and Social Security benefits is made up by redeeming the IOUs in the Social Security Trust Fund. In order to pay back this IOU, Treasury has to borrow the money, which increases the debt held by the public by the same amount. In other words, if Treasury were to redeem the needed Social Security bonds and issue new marketable Treasury bonds to make good on them, it would be a one-for-one swap.

There is a potential glitch, however, having to do with whether Treasury has the authority to use payroll tax money to pay benefits rather than to “invest.” According to Washington Post “Fact Checker” Glenn Kessler, the Treasury has done it before:

There is a technical wrinkle involving the fact that payroll taxes that are collected are supposed to be immediately turned into Treasury securities, but there could be ways around that, such as putting the monies in a noninterest bearing account, as during the 1985 debt crisis. “Although some of the Secretary’s actions appear in retrospect to have been in violation of the requirements of the Social Security Act, we cannot say that the Secretary acted unreasonably given the extraordinary situation in which he was operating,” the General Accounting Office later concluded....

Still, during the 1996 debt limit crisis, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin announced that Treasury did not have sufficient funds to pay Social Security benefits. Congress rushed to pass a special law that said the Social Security benefits did not count against the debt limit. Was this designed to pressure the Republican-led Congress, or had even a shrewd operator like Rubin run out of options? However, Congress later that year passed a law, 121-104, that codified Treasury’s authority to use Social Security trust funds to pay benefits and administration expenses in the event a debt ceiling is reached, which could give the administration the authority they need in the current crisis.

The Congressional Research Service has also explored this question in a series of reports this year. The answer is unfortunately inconclusive and buried in a footnote: “Under normal procedures Treasury pays Social Security benefits from the General Fund and offsets this by redeeming an equivalent amount of the trust funds’ holdings of government debt. In order to pay Social Security benefits, and depending on the government’s cash position at the time, Treasury may need to issue new public debt to raise the cash needed to pay benefits. Treasury may be unable to issue new public debt, however, because of the debt limit. Social Security benefit payments may be delayed or jeopardized if the Treasury does not have enough cash on hand to pay benefits.”

Myth 3: The Treasury cannot use the Social Security Trust Fund to delay a default past August 2.

Fact 3: While the Treasury cannot use money from the Social Security Trust Fund, it can “disinvest” from other trust funds to pay for benefits.

Treasury can “disinvest” from some of its trust funds. Here’s how it works according to the legislative director of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees.

Each day, the U.S. Treasury takes in several billion dollars for federal trust funds. For Social Security, these dollars come in the form of employer and employee payroll taxes. Federal employee and Postal Service contributions to the CSRDF [Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund] also inject cash into the Treasury. Usually, this cash is immediately invested in nonmarketable government securities—to remain available to finance future benefits. But if a debt limit breach appears imminent, the Treasury Department could “underinvest” this revenue as it arrives. The trust funds would be given a temporary IOU that does not count against the debt ceiling, and the withholdings would be used to pay off the government’s cash obligations until an increase in the debt ceiling could be settled.

The Treasury Department could also make cash available from the trust fund by “disinvesting” some of the money used to buy government bonds. Under this approach, bonds held on behalf of trust funds would be converted to cash earlier than normally needed. Like the “underinvestment” option, cash from this transaction would be used to pay federal obligations on a temporary basis.

The disinvesting approach is a temporary accounting device that would help maintain the Treasury’s cash flow.

According to the Government Accountability Office, the use of “disinvestment” to pay for benefits has been used during a previous debt-ceiling crisis:

In the past, Treasury has taken a number of extraordinary actions such as temporarily disinvesting securities held as part of federal employees’ retirement plans to meet the government’s obligations as they came due without exceeding the debt limit, until the debt limit was raised.

In fact, it happened during the last big debt-ceiling crisis in 1995-1996. According to the GAO, Treasury managed to remain technically under the debt ceiling and incurred about $138.9 billion in additional debt that normally would have been subject to the ceiling by disinvesting $46 billion in Civil Service fund securities in November 1995 and February 1996. The Treasury also suspended the investment of $14 billion in fund receipts in December 1995 and exchanged about $8.6 billion in Civil Service fund securities for Federal Financing Bank securities.

These actions, of course, are nothing more than short-term budget gimmicks. But they would allow the U.S. to avoid defaulting on the debt. Once these options are exhausted, however, there will be nothing left to do but raise the debt ceiling or dramatically cut government spending.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses the Debt-Ceiling Debate on Freedom Watch

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss whether the debt-ceiling debate is more a deterrence for the economy's recovery rather than a safe guard against rampant government spending as Moody’s recently suggested. Airdate: July 18, 2011.

Approximately 7.19 minutes.

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3 Reasons Why The Debt-Ceiling Debate is Full of Malarkey

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EDT

All anybody in Washington can talk about these days is the debt limit or debt ceiling – the total amount of money the federal government is authorized to borrow at any given time. After a decade in which spending increased by more than 60 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars and the debt limit was raised no fewer than 10 times, the government is about to max out its $14.3 trillion credit line, leading to fears that Washington is going to default on its bonds, stop cutting Social Security checks, and destroy the economy more than it already has.

But the current debate over the debt ceiling is full of malarkey for at least three reasons.

1. August 2 is a phony deadline. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has pushed back the drop-dead date when the U.S. finally reaches its limit a bunch of times already: March 31, April 15, May 31 were all cited as deadlines before August 2 was inked in as Armageddon. But this time, he means it, man, really.

2. Reaching the debt ceiling is NOT the same as defaulting on our debt – which would indeed be catastrophic.

Think about it: You can max out your credit cards but as long as you keep paying the minimum amount due each month, your creditors don’t go crazy. Interest on the debt is a small fraction of total outlays and the government has a series of tools – from using cash on hand to selling assets to scrimping on nonessential payments – to make sure interest payments are made and seniors aren’t put on an all cat-food diet.

3. Legislating-by-Panic is no way to run a country. The reason we’re in this mess is because government can’t stop spending. And the government can’t even pass a budget on a year’s notice. But we’re expecting them to come up with a good plan for the country’s borrowing in a couple of weeks? Trying to force through an expansion of the country’s credit line by promising cuts in spending down the road is exactly why we’re in this situation to begin with.

It makes far more sense to do something like sell some TARP assets -- the government is sitting on $320 billion in outstanding direct loans and equities investments -- to cover interest payments through the end of the fiscal year than to force Congress and the president to come up with a budget that cuts spending -- and borrowing -- for real, next year, not is some distant future.

For more information, check out Nick Gillespie's 5 Uncomfortable Facts About the Wonderful, Horrible Debt-Limit Debate and Mercatus Center's Jason J. Fichtner & Veronique de Rugy's The Debt Ceiling: What is at Stake.

About 2.35 minutes.

Produced by Nick Gillespie and Meredith Bragg, edited by Joshua Swain.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses what the Possiblity of QE3 Means on The Alyona Show

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appeared on Russia Today’s The Alyona Show to discuss FED Chairman Ben Bernanke's proposing more monetary stimulus through QE3. Air Date: June 13, 2011.

Approximately 7.35 minutes.

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Adam Summers Discusses California's High Speed Rail on Los Angeles' KABC-TV

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Policy Analyst Adam Summers debunks the myths that California's High Speed Rail Project was approved by voters, will be built in budget, and pay for itself on Los Angeles' KABC-TV. Airdate: June 12, 2011.

Approximately 5.52 minutes.

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C-SPAN's Brian Lamb Interviews Nick Gillespie

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie, co-author with Matt Welch of The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America, sat down with C-SPAN's Brian Lamb for an in-depth interview about the themes of the book, the evolution of Reason.tv since its 2007 launch, Gillespie's tenure at Reason magazine, what's with the all-black, all-the-time, and much more.

Approximately 55 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses the FED's Secret Lending Program with Judge Napolitano

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss how the Federal Reserve gave billions of dollars to Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, and others. Airdate: July 7, 2011.

About 8 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Government Shutdowns and Tax Hikes with Judge Napolitano

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss Minnesota's government shutdown, Obama's debt ceiling deal, and potential tax hikes and cutting tax breaks. Airdate: July 6, 2011.

Approximately 9.27 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy: The Facts About Stimulus Spending

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Stimulus spending can jump start the economy and fix unemployment.

Fact 1: Recent experience suggests stimulus spending won’t help.

There’s no question President Barack Obama inherited a lousy economy. Yet even many prominent Democrats, including Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, now acknowledge that after two and a half years in office, the president owns the economy. Unfortunately for him, things still aren’t looking so so good. That’s why the president called on Congress last week to pass a series of spending measures that he said would boost the economy, including additional infrastructure spending and an extension of the payroll tax cut for another year.

With this in mind, I thought it would be interesting to update my chart on the level of stimulus spending and unemployment rates since 2009.

The chart is based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Center for Data Analysis. As you can see, the administration’s promise that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) would keep unemployment rates from reaching 8.8 percent and would create some 3 million jobs—90 percent of them in the private sector—did not materialize.

The unemployment rate started at 7.6 percent when President Obama took office and peaked at 10.2 percent in October 2009. Since the enactment of the stimulus bill in February 2009, the unemployment rate has not approached pre-ARRA levels, even though $382 billion has been made available by government departments and agencies (on top of tax credits and other tax-related items). In fact, unemployment recently edged up, from 9 percent in April to 9.1 percent in May.

Based on this data, it is hard to make the case that doing more of the same will help. Yet that is precisely what New York Times columnist Paul Krugman think we should do. In his view, these dire results are due to a stimulus that was too small. It’s difficult to imagine what level of stimulus spending would be large enough for Krugman. What I do know is that we have spent $666 billion to date, yet unemployment remains above 9 percent. And under even the rosiest of assumptions, which claim 2.4 million jobs created, each of those jobs cost $278,000 (see here).

Myth 2: Additional infrastructure spending is an effective way to stimulate the economy and create jobs.

Fact 2: In theory, infrastructure spending injects more money into the economy than other types of government spending. In reality, however, politicians rarely include infrastructure spending in stimulus bills. Instead, they spend money on items like transfers and tax cuts. Only 3 percent of the last stimulus went to infrastructure.

Economists on both sides of the aisles argue that one reason why the stimulus failed is that it wasn’t designed properly. Stanford University’s John Taylor, for instance, has argued that although much money was spent, very little stimulus money was spent in the form of actual government purchase. In a paper with he co-authored with John Cogan, Taylor finds that, out of the total $682 billion package, federal infrastructure spending was just $0.9 billion in 2009 and $1.5 billion through the first half of 2010—or less than four-tenths of 1 percent.

Taylor and Cogan also noted that most of the money generated by tax cuts was saved, not spent, and that the money that went to state governments was spent to reduce the states’ reliance on borrowing and on other “non-purchase” items, such as transfer payments, subsidies, and interest payments. In other words, the additional money that went to states and taxpayers didn’t change a thing. Taylor claims that a better-designed stimulus would have probably been more effective.

But experience tells us that the next stimulus won’t be any better. As the chart above shows, only 3 percent of the last stimulus went to infrastructure spending. Why? Because such programs are not political winners. For one thing, they take too long to produce results. Therefore they always take a back seat to politically-popular tax credits and transfers to the states.

Furthermore, while it may be true that additional infrastructure spending would have proved more effective than the current stimulus, that doesn’t change the fact that once the stimulus money goes away, the jobs and increased demand also disappear, and the government is left holding the debt.

Myth 3: Tax rebates will stimulate the economy.

Fact 3: The evidence says they don’t. First, people usually save the extra money. Second, even if tax rebates did increase consumption, companies don’t hire employees or build new plants because of a one-time boost.

This chart shows how personal disposable income jumped thanks to the 2008 tax rebate, the tax credits in the stimulus, and the 2010 payroll tax cut. It also shows that personal consumption did not increase noticeably as a result of these government actions. In fact, formal statistical work by Joel Slemrod, a professor of tax policy at the University of Michigan, has shown that rebates generally produce no statistically significant increase in consumption. Basically, tax credits and rebates produce greater savings, not greater consumption.

The theory that tax rebates and payroll tax cuts will result in an increase in consumption suffers from several serious problems. First, it assumes people don’t realize that the extra cash flow is temporary and that businesses don’t realize that the new consumption won’t last. Tax rebates, for example, assume that if people get extra money to increase their consumption, businesses will then expand production and hire more workers. But this is not true. Even if producers notice an upward blip in sales after the rebate checks go out, they will know it's temporary. Companies won't hire more employees or build new factories in response to a temporary increase in sales. Those who are foolish enough to do so will go out of business.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Matt Welch Discusses the Healthcare Mandate Burden on States and Tim Giethner with Judge Napolitano

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss how some states are having trouble meeting the federal government's new healthcare laws and whether Tim Giethner will leave after a budget agreement in Congress. Air Date: July 6, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch Discuss their New Book "The Declaration of Independents" on The Alyona Show

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch and Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie discussed their new book The Declaration of Independence and how the rise independent voters and political decentralization is making American life better on RT's The Alyona Show. Air Date: June 30, 2011.

About 12 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Greece Riots, US Debt and China's Growing Economy on The Alyona Show

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses Greece's ongoing debt problems on Europe's economy, whether China will become the major lender in the world, and likely scenarios to U.S.'s unresolved budget crisis on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show". Airdate: June 28, 2011.

About 10 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch Discuss Their New Book The Declaration of Independence w/ Dylan Ratigan

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch and Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie discussed their new book The Declaration of Independence and how the rise independents and libertarianism are reshaping America's polticial landscape with MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan. Air Date: June 24, 2011.

Approximately 8.07 minutes

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Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch Join Stossel on the Declaration of Independents

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie and editor in chief of Reason Matt Welch joins Stossel in a special episode dedicated to the upcoming book The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America. Featuring interviews with the authors, plus Kurt Loder, Grant McCracken, Kennedy, and Andrew Breitbart, this hour-long program covered politics–and anti-politics–in a way rarely seen on cable television. Air Date: June 23, 2011.

About 45 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses The Declaration of Independents on Fox News' Red Eye

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor in Chief of Reason.com & Reason.tv Nick Gillespie discusses his recent co-authored book with Matt Welch The Declaration of Independents, and how increasing choices in American lives are challenging government's expanding powers.

The Declaration of Independents hit shelves on June 28. Order your copy in hardcover or as an e-book from your favorite bookstore by clicking here.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the Latest Marijuana Bill, Anthony Wiener and a Union Puppet Show w/ Adam Carolla on Red Eye

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared Fox News' Red Eye to discuss various topics, including Barney Frank and Ron Paul's marijuana bill, a strange Brazilian cartoon ad that references pedophilia, the science behind Anthony Wiener's actions, and a pro-union puppet show for kindergarteners. Airdate: June 25, 2011.

Approximately 41 minutes.

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Baylen Linnekin Discusses Fast Food Advertising and Child Obesity on Freedom Watch

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason contributor Baylen Linnekin appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss whether pressuring Congress to regulate advertising to childern will limit obesity or simply limit what parents can feed their childern. Air date: 6/28/2011.

About 3:00 minutes.

Go here for Reason.tv's coverage of raw milk raids and the fight for food freedom.

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Shikha Dalmia Discusses Bollywood on The Agenda with Steve Paikin

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's senior policy analyst Shikha Dalmia discusses the history of Bollywood and the powerful impact it has had on individuals and cultures outside India.

The original link.

Air Date: June 24, 2011.

About 58 minutes

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Mike Riggs Joins Alyone's Happy Hour to Discuss Cars 2, a Southwest Pilot, and John Galliano's Rants

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Associate Editor of Reason Magazine Mike Riggs appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss whether Cars 2 is against big oil compaines, a Southwest pilot's sexist rant about Houston's airport, France's problem with John Galliano's free speech and how Facebook helped end a hostage situation. Air Date: June 24, 2011.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch Discuss the End of the Two-Party System with Judge Napolitano

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch and Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Freedom Watch With Judge Napolitano to talk about their new book The Declaration of Independence and how the rise independents means the two-party system is in decline.

Air Date: June 24, 2011.

Approximately 5.43 minutes

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Tim Cavanaugh Discusses Unions and the Federal Reserve with Judge Napolitano

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason columnist and Hit & Run contributor Tim Cavanaugh appeared on Freedom Watch to discusses why union membership is in decline and whether the Federal Reserve will continue to recieve skepticism. Air Date: June 24, 2011.

Approximately 7.16 minutes.

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Shikha Dalmia Discusses The Aftermath of the General Motors Bailout with the Subcommitte on Regulatory Affairs

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's senior policy analyst Shikha Dalmia testifies at the "Lasting Implications of the General Motors Bailout," held by the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. The hearing examined the aftermath of U.S. taxpayers' bailout of General Motors and sought to learn lessons about the lasting implications and unintended consequences of the federal government's intervention into business operations.

Hear Shikha Dalmia at the 20.45 minute mark.

Air Date: June 22, 2011.

Approximately 38.06 minutes

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Jim Epstein Discusses His Arrest at the DC Taxicab Commission Meeting with Judge Napolitano

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv producer Jim Epstein talks to Judge Napolitano about what sparked his arrest at the DC Taxicab Commission Meeting and whether the government can prevent reporters from using cameras in public hearings. Air date: June 23, 2011.

Approximately 3.41 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy: The Facts about American Prisons

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Incarceration rates in the U.S. are comparable to the rates in other industrial countries.

Fact 1: U.S. incarceration rates are significantly larger than those in any other liberal democracy.

In 2009, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were 1,524,513 prisoners in state and federal prisons in the United States. When local jails are included, the total climbs to 2,284,913. These numbers are not just staggering; they are far above those of any other liberal democracy in both absolute and per capita terms. The International Centre for Prison Studies at King’s College, London calculates that the United States has an incarceration rate of 743 per 100,000 people, compared to 325 in Israel, 217 in Poland, 154 in England and Wales, 96 in France, 71 in Denmark, and 32 in India.

America’s enormously high incarceration rate is a relatively recent phenomenon. According to a 2010 report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), U.S. incarceration rates between 1880 and 1970 ranged from about 100 to 200 prisoners per 100,000 people. After 1980, however, the inmate population began to grow much more rapidly than the overall population, climbing from about 220 per 100,000 in 1980 to 458 in 1990, 683 in 2000, and 753 in 2008.

Myth 2: The rise in the incarceration rate reflects a commensurate rise in crime.

Fact 2: Crime rates have collapsed.

Why are American incarceration rates so high by international standards, and why have they increased so much during the last three decades? The simplest explanation would be that the rise in the incarceration rate reflects a commensurate rise in crime. But according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the total number of violent crimes was only about 3 percent higher in 2008 than it was in 1980, while the violent crime rate was much lower: 19 per 1,000 people in 2008 vs. 49.4 in 1980. Meanwhile, the BJS data shows that the total number of property crimes dropped to 134.7 per 1,000 people in 2008 from 496.1 in 1980. The growth in the prison population mainly reflects changes in the correctional policies that determine who goes to prison and for how long.

Mandatory minimum sentencing laws enacted in the 1980s played an important role. According to the CEPR study, nonviolent offenders make up more than 60 percent of the prison and jail population. Nonviolent drug offenders now account for about one-fourth of all inmates, up from less than 10 percent in 1980. Much of this increase can be traced back to the “three strikes” bills adopted by many states in the 1990s. The laws require state courts to hand down mandatory and extended periods of incarceration to people who have been convicted of felonies on three or more separate occasions. The felonies can include relatively minor crimes such as shoplifting.

Myth 3: The drop in violent crimes is the result of “tough on crime” policies, particularly expanded prison sentences.

Fact 3: Only a small share of the drop in violent crime is the result of expanded incarceration.

For many, America’s soaring incarceration rate and the drop in crime that began 20 years ago are connected. The theory is that if you punish people and make it very costly to commit a crime (expand incarceration), they will have an incentive to live a more virtuous life.

A good question then is whether or not tough sentences have accomplished this? Research by the Pew Center on the States suggests that expanded incarceration accounts for about 25 percent of the drop in violent crime that began in the mid-1990s—leaving the other 75 percent to be explained by things that have nothing to do with keeping people locked up.

If it wasn’t incarceration, what caused the drop?

As Reason contributing editor Radley Balko explains, “There is no shortage of theories: Scholars have pointed to everything from the legalization of abortion to the prohibition of lead-based paints. Other theories credit America’s aging population (the vast majority of criminals are under 30), President Bill Clinton’s program to put more cops on the street, and either stronger gun control laws or an increase in gun carrying by law-abiding Americans.”

He concludes:

More likely, crime scholars argue, we probably have less crime now not because of any anti-crime initiatives dreamed up by academics and politicians but because civil society has quietly churned out benefits independent of those policies. Basically, we are wealthier and the opportunity cost of being incarcerated is high at all level of income.

On that point, it is also worth reading this great piece by Reason Senior Editor Tim Cavanaugh about the drop in New York City’s crime rate.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Damon Root Discusses Government Intervention in the Housing Market and Libya on Freedom Watch

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Associate Editor Damon Root appeared on Freedom Watch With Judge Napolitano to discuss how government intervention in the housing market is making for a difficult recovery and whether the military intervention in Libya is unconstitutional.

Air Date: June 16, 2011.

Approximately 7.24 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy: The Facts about Transportation Spending

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor's Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

The United States spends about $160 billion annually on highways, with about one-fourth of that total coming from the federal government. Federal highway spending is funded mainly through gas and other fuel taxes that are paid into the Highway Trust Fund. In recent years, however, the amount of money Congress has spent out of the general fund has exceeded the dedicated trust funds set aside for highway spending.

Myth 1: Highways and roads pay for themselves thanks to gasoline taxes and other charges to motorists.

Fact 1: They don’t. Gas taxes and other highway user fees pay less today than ever before.

In 1957 about 67 percent of highway funds came from user fees. Forty years later the revenue from user fees has shrunk to just 50 percent of total highway funds. Indeed, user fee revenue as a share of total highway-related funds is now at its lowest point since the Interstate Highway System was created.

And the difference is now made up by taxes and fees not directly related to highway use. These include revenue generated by sales and property taxes, general fund appropriations, investment income, and various bond issues.

This growing proportion of non-user revenue reveals a profound shift in the nature of highway funding, and has consequently led to increasing debate about the future of America’s highways. This discussion has also been fueled by the approaching expiration date this September for an important Highway Trust Fund law.

Which means that now is the time to think outside of the box and to consider privatizing America’s highways.

Myth 2: Proceeds from the federal gas tax are used to build and maintain the interstate highway system.

Fact 2: That was the promise made to taxpayers in 1956. Today, however, at least 25 percent of federal gas tax funds are diverted to non-highway uses including maintaining sidewalks, funding bike paths, and creating scenic trails.

Fuel tax revenues are now insufficient to maintain the current level of highway spending. As the Congressional Budget Office noted in its discussion of the weaknesses of the fuel tax system: It does not account for the costs of congestion, it is a fixed cost per gallon (meaning it does not adjust with inflation), and it provides insufficient revenues to pay for the costs that users impose on the system. Moreover, it is clear that the diversion of gas tax funds to non-highway projects is the biggest cause of the underfunding problem.

As Reason Foundation Director of Transportation Policy Robert Poole has explained:

The federal HTF was invented in 1956, promising motorists and truckers that all proceeds from a new federal gas tax would be spent on building the interstate system. They aren't. Congress has expanded federal highway spending beyond interstates to include all types of roadways. And since 1982, a portion of "highway user taxes" have been diverted to urban transit (non highway use). Today, the federal role in transportation includes maintaining sidewalks, funding bike paths, and creating scenic trails.

Poole estimates that some 25 percent of the gas tax goes to non-highway use. As the Federal Highway Administration’s “Highway Authorizations” table indicates, Congress allocates highway money to truck parking facilities, safety incentives to prevent operation of motor vehicles by intoxicated persons, grants for anti-racial profiling programs, magnetic levitation trains, and dozens of other non-road activities. The main diversion is to rail and public transit, which leads us to the next myth.

Myth 3: Increased spending on public transit will boost ridership. Therefore we need to transfer highway dollars to transit programs and increase state and local taxes to fund transit agencies.

Fact 3: There is no visible relation between transit funding and transit ridership. Despite huge increases in public transit funding over the past two decades, ridership has barely increased.

Despite huge increases in transit funding over the past two decades, ridership has remained constant. Using American Public Transportation Administration (APTA) data, the chart above reveals that ridership has barely changed as funding has drastically increased—especially if you control for the increasing number of transit systems, and the level of population growth over time.

Although transit funding in 1995 was eight times more than it was in 1978 (17.4 billion and 2.2 billion respectively), the total increase in ridership was only about 2 percent. Total ridership in 1978 (7.8 billion trips) was actually more than ridership in 1995 (7.7 billion trips)—the only difference was in the amount of funding. Between 1989 and 1996 ridership fell by 11 percent; again, this was while funding increased by 42 percent.

These funding increases have included federal, state, and local taxpayer assistance to transit. Moreover, about a quarter of these subsidies come directly from highway user fees. Cato Institute Senior Fellow Randal O’Toole claims that “because transit produces less than 5 percent of urban transport, while autos produce more than 90 percent, it is safe to say that most of the taxes supporting transit are subsidies from auto users to transit riders.”

The reasons for the shortcomings in transit ridership have less to do with the amount of available funds than with the fact that rail lines are expensive to build, maintain, and operate, and the fact that most transit systems have at some point been forced to significantly raise fares and/or curtail services, often leading to the loss of transit riders.

According to O’Toole, “Thanks in part to the high cost of rails, transit systems in Atlanta, Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and the San Francisco Bay Area carried fewer riders in 2005 than two decades before. Los Angeles lost 17 percent of its bus riders when it began building rail transit.” The fact that transit workers are generally members of public sector unions hasn’t helped either.

None of this means that transit agencies will never be able to attract new riders. But it does mean that simply throwing more money at transit isn’t the answer.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Veronique de Rugy: The Facts about the Alternative Minimum Tax

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor's Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: The Alternative Minimum Tax targets millionaires.

Fact 1: While the Alternative Minimum Tax was originally created to target millionaires, today it falls most heavily on non-millionaires.

The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) was created in 1969 to prevent 155 wealthy taxpayers from using deductions and credits to avoid paying any federal income taxes.

Here’s how it works. Taxpayers who are subject to the AMT must calculate their tax liability twice, once under regular income tax rules and again under AMT rules. If liability under the AMT proves higher, taxpayers pay the difference as an add-on to the regular tax. The difference paid is their AMT.

However, mainly due to the failure to index the AMT for inflation in 1981 when the regular income tax was indexed, the reach of the AMT has expanded over time to hit middle-income people it was never intended to tax. As a result, the AMT impacts a growing share of the population. According to the Congressional Budget Office, last tax season 4.5 million taxpayers were affected by the alternative minimum tax, an increase of over 4 million taxpayers since 1970.

Until 2000, less than 1 percent of taxpayers paid the AMT in any given year; by 2008, 3 percent of taxpayers were subject to the AMT. And its costs go far beyond increased tax liabilities.

This chart shows the composition of taxpayers affected by the Alternative Minimum Tax in 2009 by adjusted gross income (AGI), using data from the 2010 CBO Brief, “The Individual Alternative Minimum Tax.”

As you can see, the AMT hits far more than the highest-income individuals. In fact, only 10 percent of AMT revenue came from taxpayers making above $500,000 and only a fraction of those people are millionaires.

Also, the majority of AMT revenue came from taxpayers in the $200,000-$500,000 (in 2009 dollars) income range while some 5 percent of taxpayers making less than $100,000 were liable for the AMT as well.

As we see, 23 percent of taxpayers with income between $100,000 and $200,000 have AMT liability.

This evidence stands in sharp contradiction with the original purpose of the AMT, which was to prevent 155 millionaires from using deductions and credits to avoid paying any federal income tax.

Myth 2: The AMT is family friendly.

Fact 2: Households with three or more children are four times more likely to pay the AMT than households with zero children.

The AMT disallows certain tax breaks, especially state and local tax deductions and the personal exemption. As a result, the AMT hits some taxpayers harder than others. Married couples with children and taxpayers in high-tax states are disproportionately hit by the AMT.

This chart compares AMT liability among taxpayers based on the number of children in their households in 2010, using data from the Tax Policy Center’s “Characteristics of AMT Taxpayers.” The number of children is defined as the number of exemptions taken for children living at home. As the numbers show, an increase in the number of children in a household was accompanied by an increase in the AMT liability. Thus 8.6 percent of households with three or more children had liability under the AMT. Essentially, if you have three or more children you pay over four times the amount of people who have no children.

Myth 3: The Republicans are the only party strongly opposed to the AMT.

Fact 3: While Republicans would be happy to repeal the AMT, Democrats are also opposed to it. That’s because almost 50 percent of AMT revenue comes from four Democratic strongholds: California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

The AMT hits some taxpayers harder than others, especially those who would otherwise claim large deductions for their state and local taxes.

This chart illustrates the proportion of AMT payers in various states using data from the Tax Policy Center (“Alternative Minimum Tax by State, Tax Year 2008”). Nearly 48 percent of the total revenue from the AMT is collected from just four states--California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York--amounting to one-twelfth of all states. The remaining 52 percent is shared by the rest of the country.

Nearly half of all states pay less than 0.7 percent of total AMT revenues each, but in California taxpayers who paid the AMT made up 22 percent of total AMT revenues, while 15.5 percent of AMT revenues came from New York, 7 percent from New Jersey, and 3.5 percent from Massachusetts. The bottom line is that the AMT hits people in some states harder than others.

This is why Democrats such as Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), are so upset about the AMT. The tax hits liberal states the hardest.

In addition, taxpayers also have to deal with what’s called the “real bracket phenomenon.” Bracket creep occurs when people experience an increase in wages, salary, or other income that moves them from one tax bracket to the next highest bracket. For instance, because the AMT isn’t indexed for inflation, growth in nominal income tends to raise the AMT liability more than regular income tax liability. This phenomenon is especially pernicious in places with a high cost of living like New York City, where some employers offer generous salaries to offset sky-high rents and other city-related costs. Since the inflation index used to set the brackets does not appropriately take these localized costs into account, the more people earn to make up for the high cost of living, the more likely they are to be hit by the AMT.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Tim Cavanaugh Discusses a SWAT Raid for Student Loan Debt on RT

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason columnist and Hit & Run contributor Tim Cavanaugh discusses the recent SWAT raid on a California man for student loan debt and the increasing amount of raids with Thom Harmann on RT.

Air date: June 8, 201

Approximately 9.29 minutes.

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How Cultural Innovation Happens

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:50:00 EDT

About 15 years ago, Grant McCracken went to a shopping mall to interview teenagers about their identities. He found that the old rigid categories of "preppie," "jock," and "nerd," had given way to a much longer list: There were surfer/skater guys, b-girls, goths, punks, heavy-metal rockers, and many other types of kids wandering around.

In books such as Plenitude, McCracken catalogued the explosion of new lifestyles and identities in North America and the developed world more generally. In his most recent volume, last year's Chief Culture Office, McCracken argues that an understanding of how consumers play with their identities is key to making products that people want. His next book, Culturematic, will be published next year and examines how people create self-replicating cultural experiments that producers and audiences either dig or reject. One example: MTV's invention of reality television in 1992, just as the station's old programming model was beginning to flag. Out of a moment of desperation grew today's dominant form of serial TV.

Trained in anthropology, the Canadian-born McCracken is a research affiliate at Convergence Culture Consortium at MIT and a brand consultant; his blog covers everything from arcane academic research to Gossip Girl plot threads.

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie sat down with McCracken to talk about the throughline that exists in all of his work.

Edited by Jim Epstein; camera by Epstein and Anthony Fisher.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy: The Facts about the Government's Medicare Cost Projections

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth: The government’s cost projections are reliable.

Fact: They are not. No matter what governmental body does the scoring, it is almost invariably unreliable.

In 1967 long-run forecasts estimated that Medicare would cost about $12 billion by 1990. In reality, it cost more than $98 billion that year. Today it costs $500 billion.

When it comes to the federal government, massive cost overruns are the rule, not the exception. The $800 billion cost of the war in Iraq dwarfs the $50-60 billion that Mitch Daniels, then director of the Office of Management and Budget, predicted at the outset. In light of these numbers it’s interesting to remember that Larry Lindsey, President George W. Bush’s economic advisor, was fired for projecting that the war could cost between 1 and 2 percent of GDP back in 2002 (roughly between $100 and $200 billion).

Strangely, lawmakers seem to never expect these extra costs even when the excesses take place under their own noses. The Capitol Hill Visitor Center, an ambitious three-floor underground facility, originally scheduled to open at the end of 2005, was delayed until 2008. The price tag exploded from an original estimate of $265 million in 2000 to a final cost of $621 million.

At the heart of the problem is the massive amount of budget gimmicks, the abuse of rosy scenarios, the emergency spending loopholes, and a lack of fiscal discipline by lawmakers who just can’t stop spending the taxpayers’ money.

This chart compares Congressional Budget Office long-term projections of the debt held by the public from 2010 with long-term projections calculated in 2007. In 2007, the CBO projected that the debt held by the public would surpass 60 percent in 2023. Note that this long-term projection incorporated policy changes that were deemed likely at the time. Using the same methodology last year, the CBO projected that the debt will exceed 60 percent of GDP by the end of 2010. In the three years between projections, the debt milestone has accelerated by 13 years. This unforeseen acceleration is worth careful consideration; as the government consumes more credit, less will be available to the private sector.

In other words, even even short-term economic projections are frequently unreliable—especially when the projections are done by the government.

The above chart shows what a more realistic path for Medicare spending may look like. It compares the long-term projections of Medicare costs under the current law (the 2011 Trustees Report) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary’s alternative projections (2011 Trustees Report Alternative). The latter projections were released as a “best estimate” of future Medicare expenditures to address the “likely understatement of current-law projections.”

These projections primarily differ in their assumptions about the plausibility of drastic payment-rate cuts. If such cuts do not materialize, Medicare will cost tens of billions more each year than current law projects.

Furthermore, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, physician payments are tied to a sustainable growth rate mechanism (SGR), which adjusts repayment rates in order to cap physician-related spending. Since 2001, physicians have been scheduled to receive at least a 5 percent reimbursement cut each year under SGR; and this cut has been overridden by Congress every year except 2002.

In 2012, physician payments are scheduled to decrease by 29.4 percent—an update which is extremely unlikely to occur. So while the Board of Trustees is legally bound to incorporate these cost savings into its projections, the Office of the Actuary has formed a more realistic baseline which incorporates increasing physician repayments into the total cost of Medicare.

Under the current-law baseline, Medicare spending is projected to grow from 3.99 percent of GDP in 2020 to 6.25 percent of GDP in 2080; under the alternative scenario, Medicare spending is projected to grow from 4.31 percent of GDP in 2020 to 10.36 percent of GDP in 2080. In nominal terms, this is a cost underestimation of $2.7 trillion dollars by the year 2080.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

The Government's War on Cameras

Thu, 26 May 2011 09:00:00 EDT

Who will watch the watchers? In a world of ubiquitous, hand-held digital cameras, that's not an abstract philosophical question. Police everywhere are cracking down on citizens using cameras to capture breaking news and law enforcement in action.

In 2009, police arrested blogger and freelance photographer Antonio Musumeci on the steps of a New York federal courthouse. His alleged crime? Unauthorized photography on federal property.

Police cuffed and arrested Musumeci, ultimately issuing him a citation. With the help of the New York Civil Liberties Union, he forced a settlement in which the federal government agreed to issue a memo acknowledging that it is totally legal to film or photograph on federal property.

Although the legal right to film on federal property now seems to be firmly established, many other questions about public photography still remain and place journalists and citizens in harm's way. Can you record a police encounter? Can you film on city or state property? What are a photographer's rights in so-called public spaces?

These questions will remain unanswered until a case reaches the Supreme Court, says UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh, founder of the popular law blog The Volokh Conspiracy. Until then, it's up to people to know their rights and test the limits of free speech, even at the risk of harassment and arrest.

Who will watch the watchers? All of us, it turns out, but only if we're willing to fight for our rights.

Produced by Hawk Jensen and Zach Weissmueller. Camera by Jim Epstein and Jensen. About 7.30 minutes.

Read Reason magazine's January 2011 cover story, "The War on Cameras" and the companion piece "How to Record the Cops." For Reason.com coverage of the war on cameras, go here.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the Upcoming Release of The Declaration of Independents on S.E. Cupp's Webshow

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor in Chief of Reason.com & Reason.tv Nick Gillespie sit’s down with Brian Sack, filling in for S.E. Cupp, to discuss his co-authored forthcoming book with Matt Welch, The Declaration of Independents and how libertarian politics can fix America's problems.

The Declaration of Independents comes out on June 28. Pre-order your copy in hardcover or as an e-book from your favorite bookstore by clicking here.

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Nick Gillespie Talks Ed Schultz, TSA v. Texas on Fox News Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld to discuss Texas caving in to federal TSA regulations, Obama and the "Arab Spring", the side effects of prescription drugs, suspended MSNBC host Ed Schultz's sexist comments about Laura Ingarham, Candyland the movie, and more.

The show's other guests were Leeann Tweeden and Tom Shillue.

Airdate: May 26, 2011.

Approximately 42.48 minutes.

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Adrian Moore, Len Gilroy, Tim Cavanaugh & Anthony Randazzo: On Privatization & Government Reform

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Is a Privatization Revolution coming?

At Reason Weekend 2011, Reason Foundation's annual donor event, Adrian Moore opens the panel discussion with the history and success of Sandy Springs, GA, and how privatization on every level of government is increasing. Leonard Gilroy describes his work aiding debt burdened state and local governments to privatize services. Tim Cavanaugh talks about the legal hurdles of reducing public worker pensions and what states can do to reform. And tackling the economic policies at the federal level in Washington DC, Anthony Randazzo explains his work in ending Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

About 57 minutes. Filmed by Alex Manning and Paul Detrick; edited by Joshua Swain.

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Shikha Dalmia Discusses U.S. Foreign Policy with the Middle East after Arab Spring on Russia Today

Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Senior policy analyst at Reason Foundation Shikha Dalmia appeared on Russia Today to discuss how the U.S. foreign policy is in disarray and, as the rest of the world, has been unprepared for the uprisings in Libya, Syria and the entire the Middle East. Air Date: May 23, 2011.

Approximately 6.39 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the Broken U.S. Postal Service with Judge Napolitano

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie joined Judge Napolitano on Freedom Watch to discuss the inefficient and tax-payer burdening United States Postal Service and whether or not it can be sold off. Airdate: May 11, 2011.

Approximately 4.10 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Anti-Sharia to Anti-Junk Food Bills on The Alyona Show

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the various topics of the proposed anti-Sharia bill in Tennessee, new federal guidelines for marketing food to children, and the arresting of a facebook-ing teenager for 'disorderly conduct.'

Approximately 6.28 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Debt Debate on Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss the White House's push to increase the debt ceiling and the politics of cutting the debt. Air Date: April 29, 2011.

Approximately 8.09 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses if the GOP is Serious on Cutting Spending with Judge Napolitano

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss if the GOP is serious about cutting spending and the debt or whether these are empty promises to keep Tea Party support. Air Date: May 9, 2011.

Approximately 5 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Debt Ceiling on The Alyona Show

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show with co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research Dean Baker to discuss the postponed debt ceiling debate and how the politics may not cure the debt. Air Date: May 10, 2011.

Approximately 9 minutes.

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Mike Riggs Discusses the Increasingly Violent Drug War in Mexico on The Alyona Show

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Associate Editor of Reason Magazine Mike Riggs appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the growing unrest in Mexico over the unsuccesful drug war and how intervention by the American government is making things worse. Air Date: May 10, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses a Divided America on CNN's In The Arena

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie joined The Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel on CNN's In the Arena with Eliot Spitzer to discuss how divided both Washington and Americans are by ideology today and whether there still is common ground. Airdate: May 11, 2011.

Approximately 7.35 minutes.

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Ron Bailey Discusses Corn Subsides and Oil Prices on Russia Today's The Big Picture

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Science Correspondent Ron Bailey appeared on Russia Today's The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann to discuss how corn subsidies have lead to higher oil and food prices. Air Date: May 10, 2011.

Approximately 9 minutes.

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Governments vs. Markets: Julian Morris on Environmental Protection

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Which does a better job of protecting the environment: governments or markets?

Reason Foundation’s Vice President of Research Julian Morris spoke at Reason Foundation's annual Reason Weekend and challenged the idea that regulations and energy subsidies will save us from environmental disasters. In fact, they help cause them.

When people are driven by profits and protected by property rights, Morris argues, environmentally friendly products will develop naturally.

Morris is the author of dozens of scholarly articles on issues ranging from the morality of free trade to the relationship between institutions, economic development and environmental protection.

Approximately 28 minutes.

Filmed by Alex Manning and Paul Detrick; Editded by Joshua Swain

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Michael Moynihan's Reason Exit Interview

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:02:00 EDT

Former Reason senior editor and Reason.tv producer Michael C. Moynihan is now working at Vice magazine, the New York-based media outlet that covers the seamier side of art, culture, and politics.

Shortly before he left Reason and Washington, D.C., Moynihan, who joined Reason in 2007, sat down for an exit interview with Nick Gillespie to talk about his favorite video and print contributions to Reason (go here for his archive) and what he plans to be doing at his new perch.

About 11 minutes. Shot and edited by Meredith Bragg.

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Matt Welch Discusses Poll Results from the Reason-Rupe Survey on Freedom Watch

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine editor in chief Matt Welch appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss poll results from the new Reason-Rupe Survey measuring the public's view on reducing the debt and cutting spending and what effect this will have on the next election. Air Date: May 6, 2011.

Approximately 3.28 minutes.

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Tim Cavanaugh Discusses Potential Libertarian-Leaning GOP Candidates on Russia Today

Sat, 07 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason columnist and Hit & Run contributor Tim Cavanaugh discusses last Thursday's Republican debate and examines the many libertarian-leaning candidates looking to secure a nomination, on Russia Today. Airdate May 6, 2011.

Jacob Sullum Discusses the Targeted Killing of Bin Laden on The Alyona Show

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum recently appeared on Russia Today's Alyona Show to discuss the targeted killing of Osama Bin Laden. Sullum explains the legality of the assassination and whether the American government crossed a line. Air date: May 4, 2010.

Approximately 8 minutes.

Veronique de Rugy: The Facts About the Corporate Income Tax

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: We can collect more revenue by raising the tax rate on corporations or by increasing the top bracket.

Fact 1: The wealth of the economy is a much better indicator of corporate tax revenue than tax rates and tax brackets.

This chart shows the corporate tax collection as a share of the economy side by side with the top marginal corporate rate since 1981. During that time, the U.S. corporate tax rate has been as high as 46 percent and has gone down to 34 percent. Since 1993, the top rate has been 35 percent. The level of income covered by the top tax bracket has varied a lot too: from $100,000 in 1981 to $1.4 million in 1984, down to $335,000 in 1987 and up again to $18 million since 1993 (all dollar amounts in nominal terms).

This chart makes clear that the general state of the economy is a much better indicator of the tax collection than rate levels and the top bracket. It is particularly visible since 1993, since the rate and top bracket haven’t changed and yet tax collection varied a great deal, falling during recessions and rising during recoveries.

Myth 2: Corporations pay the corporate income tax.

Fact 2: First, corporations do not pay taxes, only individuals pay taxes. More importantly, economists have shown that a majority of the corporate income tax is borne by labor mainly in the form of lower wages rather than borne by shareholders.

This chart (overly simplified for the Bloomberg discussion) is based on academic work done by Aparna Mathur and Kevin Hassett in December 2010 and shows the link between corporate tax rates and the average manufacturing wage (in U.S. dollars) for 65 countries between 1981 and 2005. It shows a negative link between tax rates and wages, suggesting that higher corporate tax rates lead to lower worker wages. Mathur and Hassett test this point by using regressions controlling for other factors. They find that a 1 percent increase in the corporate income tax leads to almost a 0.5-0.6 percent decrease in hourly wages.

Interestingly, a chart from their original 2006 paper shows that when the sample of countries is restricted to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, the negative slope is much more pronounced. That implies that higher corporate taxes have a stronger negative impact on wages in developed economies.

This is consistent with a growing body of work [see Arulampalam et al. (2007), Mihir A. Desai, C. Fritz Foley, and James R. Hines (2007), and Felix (2007)] that analyzes actual payroll data to see who in fact is bearing the corporate income tax. Such work finds a large impact of corporate income tax on labor—as high at 200 percent. The theoretical studies that followed found a lower but still large impact on wages from the corporate income tax. These studies show that from 45 to 75 percent of the cost of the corporate tax is borne by labor rather than shareholders, as has long been believed.

Here is the Congressional Budget Office’s William Randolph (2006) for instance:

Burdens are measured in a numerical example by substituting factor shares and output shares that are reasonable for the U.S. economy. Given those values, domestic labor bears slightly more than 70 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax. The domestic owners of capital bear slightly more than 30 percent of the burden. Domestic landowners receive a small benefit. At the same time, the foreign owners of capital bear slightly more than 70 percent of the burden, but their burden is exactly offset by the benefits received by foreign workers and landowners.

Myth 3: The United States is a friendly country for businesses.

Fact 3: Not really. While there is good access to capital, the U.S. has the top corporate income tax rate among OECD nations and a worldwide tax system.

In 2010, the top national corporate tax rates among the 31 members of the OECD ranged from 8.5 percent in Switzerland to 35 percent in the United States. Hence, within the OECD countries, the United States has the highest statutory tax rate at the national level. The picture changes only slightly when we add subnational or state-level corporate tax rates to the national rate. In the United States, the average top statutory rate imposed by states in 2010 added a bit over 4 percent (after accounting for the fact that state taxes are deducted from federal taxable income) for a combined top statutory rate of 39.2 percent. Among all OECD countries in 2010, the United States had the second-highest top statutory combined corporate tax rate, after Japan’s rate of 39.5 percent.

Interestingly, the U.S. corporate income tax raises little revenue compared with other taxes and this share has decreased over the years. It's not surprising, then, that the U.S. raises less revenue from the corporate tax than the OECD average. Corporations, like individuals, can and do use tax breaks to lower their tax burdens and, as a result, the effective tax rate is lower than the top rate.

However, these breaks shouldn’t be looked at independently of the corporate tax system. As it turns out, the U.S. not only imposes high rates, it also taxes corporations on a worldwide basis. So, for example, profits made by an American-owned computer plant are subject to U.S. taxes whether the plant is located in Texas or Ireland. Most major countries don’t tax foreign business income. In fact, about half of OECD nations have “territorial” systems that tax firms only on their domestic income.

As I explained a few years ago in Reason magazine, the combination of high rates, the worldwide tax system, and a competitive global marketplace makes the U.S. corporate tax system more punishing than it seems even on first glance.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Veronique de Rugy Tells the Truth About Taxes and the Rich

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Wealthy people pack up and move when their taxes increase.

Fact 1: High taxes generally do not cause the wealthy to move.

As governors and state legislatures consider tax increases to fix state fiscal issues, concern over the potential flight of wealthy residents has surfaced again. For a given state, wealthy residents provide both a greater proportion of that state’s income tax revenue and a disproportionate share of the charitable donations made within that state. According to the Survey of Consumer Finances, sponsored by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, on a national basis households with a net worth of at least $1 million, headed by a person age 60 or older, comprised 4 percent of all households but donated approximately 25 percent of all household charitable contributions made in 2007 (the most recent year for which data is available). It is obviously in each state’s interest to keep these wealthy residents around.

A number of studies in the economic literature explore the impact of taxes on the migration behavior of households in the United States. What these papers have generally shown is that taxes have little impact on cross-state migration. Instead, the migration impacts of unemployment are much greater. Overall, the results suggest that taxes do not cause out-migration, but they do influence the choice of destination for some migrating households, such as retirees.

The above chart uses data from a study by the Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy to illustrate the effect of a tax increase on New Jersey residents making greater than $500,000 per year. Following the tax increase, the authors conservatively estimate that net out‐migration in this income bracket rose by about 350 out of 44,000 people, or by about 0.8 percent of New Jersey’s taxpayers making more than half a million dollars a year. This is a small, but noticeable effect. However, the study also claims that the rate of out-migration by higher income earners was in line with the out-migration rate of people who weren’t subject to the tax. In other words, the behavior of the rich is consistent with the behavior of the rest of the population.

According to a regional household survey conducted by the Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project at Temple University in 2004, just 27 percent of respondents in Philadelphia cited tax concerns as a reason they moved to their current location. Compare this to the 59 percent of survey respondents who said their residential choice was motivated by housing costs, the 47 percent who were motivated by good schools, and the 44 percent who wanted to be closer to family and friends. On the list of reasons for moving, tax concerns ranked ninth.

When respondents were asked whether they had ever considered moving in order to pay lower taxes, 73 percent of Philadelphia residents said no. Within the subsection of respondents living in affluent suburbs, the number climbed to 83 percent. (Interestingly, those who had considered moving because of tax concerns were more likely to move within the next two years than others in the group surveyed.) Similarly, a 2003 study in the Journal of Gerontology found that while tax burdens are the most important fiscal characteristic affecting the location choice of retirement-age individuals, factors such as climate, general economic conditions, and housing costs are still much more important.

Why? Because while location matters, taxes are one of the factors that define how desirable a location is. Among the factors that keep people in high-tax places are jobs, family, friends, and city amenities (few New Yorkers would agree to pack up and move to North Dakota no matter how low the taxes there might be).

In addition, there is the fact that moving is usually a costly hassle, and most people’s social lives are grounded in their community and their workplace. Relocating often results in a longer commute for those still employed, causes disruption to the children who are still in school, and often means giving up on your social network and friends.
Presumably there is a level of taxation that will prompt more high-income individuals to move or change their behavior radically. However, it is also likely that the wealthy already have fairly well-developed tax sheltering strategies in place.

The general conclusion is that moderate tax increases on the rich, even if no neighboring jurisdictions follow suit, is unlikely to lead to much in the way of emigration.

That being said there are other reasons not increase taxes on the very rich. Higher taxes do slow down the rate of business development and job growth. In turn, high taxes reduce the number of wealthy people a given state may attract.

Myth 2: Blue states are big government states and red states are small government states.

Fact 2: Blue states are net payers, meaning residents pay more in income tax than they get back from the federal government, while red states are net recipients. Only one red state pays more into the system than it gets.

Only 10 blue states are net recipients of federal subsidies, as opposed to 22 red states. Only one red state is a net payer of federal taxes, as opposed to 16 blue states. Another blue state pays in as much as it gets.

This chart uses data from the Tax Foundation documenting the amount of federal spending in each state per dollar of federal taxes paid with states classified as red or blue according to their respective voting results in the 2008 presidential election. As you can see, red states receive more in benefits from the federal government than they put in; the opposite tends to be true for blue states. Only one red state receives less from the federal government than it pays in; compare this to the 17 blue states that receive less in benefits than they pay in federal taxes. Conversely, 21 red states are net recipients of federal funding, while only 11 blue states are.

The top 10 recipients of federal money are New Mexico, Mississippi, Alaska, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, South Dakota, Kentucky, and Virginia. The top 10 payers are New Jersey, Nevada, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Illinois, Delaware, California, New York, and Colorado. Rhode Island breaks even.

With a few notable exceptions, the Northeast, the Upper Midwest, and the West Coast bankroll the South and Great Plains. That pattern also looks like a red and blue state map from any recent presidential election. While the differences between the red and blue states are often exaggerated, it remains an interesting proxy to some heartfelt differences between rural and urban states.

There is a very strong correlation, then, between a state voting for Republicans and receiving more in federal spending than its residents pay to the federal government in taxes (the rust belt and Texas being notable exceptions). In essence, blue state residents are subsidizing those in red states. Both red and blue states appear to be acting politically in opposition to their economic interests. Blue states are voting for candidates who are likely to continue the policies of red state subsidization while red states are voting for candidates who profess a desire to reduce federal spending (and presumably red state subsidization).

Myth 3: The federal income tax may be progressive but the rest of the tax system is not, particularly the payroll tax.

Fact 3: The entire tax system is progressive.

We hear this argument all the time: While the federal income tax may be progressive, the rest of the tax system isn’t, particularly the payroll tax, since Social Security taxes are capped. However, the thing to keep in mind is that Social Security taxes, at least for now, are funding Social Security benefits. As Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute explains:

Analysts of this system consider them together in order to determine whether the program is or isn’t progressive. One way they do it is by calculating what’s called the “net tax rate”—that is, the statutory 12.4 percent Social Security tax paid by workers minus the benefits they receive from the program. If you receive benefits equal to your taxes, then your net tax rate is zero. If you pay more in taxes than you receive in benefits, your net tax rate is positive; likewise, if you receive more benefits than taxes your net tax rate is negative.

Based on Biggs’ data I made the following chart:

As Biggs explains:

This is for the 1940 birth cohort; I take the PV of lifetime taxes, benefits and earnings for the earnings quintiles as a whole and then calculate the net tax rate (taxes-benefits)/earnings. If you do it a the individual level you get a lot of people with zeros in either the numerator or the denominator and so it screws things up. These are pretty similar to the earlier numbers but lack the odd path. These were calculated with the Policy Simulation Group models and they should match up well with what SSA or CBO puts out. These are Social Security only; Medicare would be more progressive than this, since it’s basically a flat benefit for everyone.

As we can see, while Social Security taxes are much less progressive than the income tax, they too are progressive.
However, here is something to consider: Based on income distribution data, we know that the fourth quintile is made up of households whose income is above $55,000 per year. What that means is that households making more than $55,000 are likely to pay more into Social Security than they get back. Now, $55,000 is more than the median income (which is roughly $49,000), yet I suspect most people making that amount wouldn’t think of themselves as wealthy. They also probably do not realize they are paying into a system only to get the illusion they are getting something in return for their old age.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Nick Gillespie Discusses Libertarian-Leaning Republican Candidates for Presidency with Judge Napolitano

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie joined Judge Napolitano and discussed the increasing number of libertarian-leaning Republican candidates for presidency in 2012 following the start of Gary Johnson and Ron Paul's campaigns. Airdate: April 26, 2011.

Approximately 4.33 minutes.

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Brian Doherty Discusses Ron Paul's Potential Presidential Run on The Alyona Show

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

TheAlyonaShow on Apr 26, 2011

Ron Paul has announced that he'll be launching an exploratory committee and flirting with a presidential run for 2012. But while the 75 year old Paul has long been considered a political outsider here in Washington, and a long shot presidential candidate, you have to wonder if the timing could be right. Reason Magazine's Brian Doherty discusses if Paul could actually have a shot.

Aproximately 6.23 minutes.

Nick Gillespie Joins Ann Coutler and Michael McDonald on Greg Gutfeld's Red Eye

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared Fox News' Red Eye to discuss various topics, including union activists advocating violence, accessing pornography in New York City libraries, Lindsey Lohan earning prison time and the beating of a transsexual woman at a Baltimore McDonald's. Airdate: March 26, 2011.

Approximately 40 minutes.

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Reason Magazine Ad -- Quotes and Covers

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

In a screwed up world, there's REASON to believe.

Subscribe to Reason Magazine now for only $15 for 11 issues.

The first issue is yours free if not completely satisfied.

www.reason.com/subscribe

Produced by Nick Gillespie and Meredith Bragg

Approx. 15 seconds

Music by Jason Shaw @ audionautix.com

Radley Balko Discusses Recording the Police with Stossel

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Radley Balko appeared on Fox Business' Stossel to discuss how technology has made it easier for people to film police misconduct and how cops have declared a war on cameras. Air date: April 21, 2011.

Approximately 8.25 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy Tells the Truth about Taxes on Bloomberg

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: The wealthy aren’t paying their fair share.

Fact 1: The wealthy disproportionately fund the United States federal government.

As you can see, the top earning 1 percent of Americans (or 1.4 million returns making more than $380,000) paid 38 percent of federal personal income taxes. However, they made only 20 percent of income. The top 5 percent of income earners pay almost 60 percent of income taxes and make almost 35 percent of all personal income. The Americans at the lower half of the income spectrum (or 70 million returns) paid 2.7 percent of the total. This chart also shows that roughly half of taxpayers pay for almost all of the federal personal income taxes.

It means that the income tax in America is extremely progressive.

This week, E.J. Dionne's Washington Post column quoted writer David Cay Johnston: "The effective rate for the top 400 taxpayers has gone from 30 cents on the dollar in 1993 to 22 cents at the end of the Clinton years to 16.6 cents under Bush. So their effective rate has gone down more than 40 percent.”

In fact, the top 400 aren't a static group. There's lots of income mobility in and out of the "top 400" every year, and most of their income is due to highly fluctuating capital gains (which is taxed lower than ordinary income). IRS data for the top 400 over a 15-year period show that 72 percent of them appeared only once. A little more than 12 percent appeared twice and a little over 15 percent appear three times or more. Trying to fine tune tax policy to attack the "top 400" will only tax different people tomorrow than are there today.

Myth 2: Top earners in the United States are millionaires.

Fact 2: Only 2% of the top 10% of earners are millionaires.

When Americans think of the top earners in the United States, they often overstate the earnings of those with the highest reported earnings. The top 10 percent of United States tax returns report $114,000 in earnings, the top 5 percent of households report $169,000 in earnings, and the top 1 percent report $380,000.

Furthermore, these earnings should be taken in their geographic context. This chart shows what a worker would need to earn in each of 5 different cities in order to maintain the same standard of living as a person living in DC making $250,000.

As we can see, it takes roughly $170K in Kansas or Georgia to have the standard of living of someone making a $250,000 in Washington DC. However, to have that standard of living in New York, you need almost $400,000.

Myth 3: All Americans pay income taxes.

Fact 3: An estimated 45% of Americans will pay no federal income taxes this year.

According to the Tax Policy Center, this tax season, an estimated 45 percent of tax units will pay no federal income taxes. In 2009, federal non-income taxpayers were distributed throughout the earnings spectrum, with 26.3 percent of tax returns reporting less than $10,000 paying no income tax, 29.1 percent of those making between $10,000 and $20,000 paying no income tax; the remaining 44.6 percent of Americans not paying income taxes were distributed throughout all cash income levels.

Myth 4: The key to our deficit problems rests in our ability to increasing the top marginal tax rates leads to increased tax revenues

Fact 4: From 1930 to 2010, tax revenue collection in the United States has never topped 20.9 percent, averaging 16.5 percent of GDP over these 80 years - despite drastic fluctuations in the rate of taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

This chart shows the historical path of federal taxation as a percentage of GDP using the earliest records available from the Office of Management and Budget and top marginal tax rate data from the Tax Policy Center. In red, the historical path of the highest marginal income tax rates (right axis), in green, historical federal revenues as percentages of GDP (left axis). From 1930 to 2010, tax revenue collection in the United States has never topped 20.9 percent of GDP, averaging 16.5 percent of GDP over these 80 years.

This comes despite the drastic historical fluctuation in the rate of taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

During the time period examined above, the rate of income taxation on the highest earning Americans has fluctuated drastically, from 25 percent of income in 1930 to 92 percent of income in the early 1950’s. Despite these vast differences in these top marginal rates, the total percentage of GDP the federal government has collected in revenue has changed little.

The bottom line is that any claim that the revenue problems could be solved by raising revenue as a percentage of the economy above 19 percent is unrealistic. Also, raising the top marginal rates has never proven to generate sustainable increase in revenue.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Atlas Shrugged's Makers Speak!

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EDT

Released April 15, 2011, Atlas Shrugged Part I has been predictably panned by reviewers and wildly embraced by audiences.

At the movie-review site Rotten Tomatoes, just 8 percent of critics give a thumbs up, compared to 85 percent of moviegoers. Such a sharply split reaction mirrors the reception of Ayn Rand's original and controversial novel too. Appearing in 300 theaters, the movie's weekend take on a per-screen basis was a strong $5,640, good enough for third overall behind major-studio releases Rio and Scream 4.

How do the folks behind Atlas Shrugged Part I feel about it all?

On April 16, at Reason Foundation's annual Reason Weekend, Nick Gillespie interviewed producers John Aglialoro, Harmon Kaslow, and Mike Marvin, and actor Matthew Marsden (he plays James Taggart) live in front of about 100 people. They talked freely about the challenges of making the film on a tight budget and an even tighter deadline; how Rand's politics play in Hollywood (spoiler alert: poorly!); where the inspiration for the film came from; how the train and other memorable scenes were shot; and whether there's any truth to the rumors that Atlas Shrugged Part III will be a musical...

And then they answer audience questions, including when to expect Parts II and III...

Go here for IMDB's page on the movie.

And go here for Reason's one-stop shop for all our Atlas Shrugged Part I coverage and video.

About 40 minutes. Shot by Paul Feine and Paul Detrick; edited by Detrick.

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Veronique de Rugy Tells the Truth About Health Care Reform and the Economy on Bloomberg

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Health care reform will reduce the deficit.

Fact 1: Health care reform will increase the deficit.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes many provisions that have nothing to do with health care: the CLASS act, a student loan overhaul, and many new taxes. These provisions don't change the health care system. They just raise money to pay for the new law. Strip them away and the law’s actual health care provisions don't lower the deficit—they increase it!

The chart below uses data from Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to clarify the fiscal consequences of health care reform.

As you can see, from 2012 to 2021, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the health care act will reduce deficits by $210 billion (note that this estimate differs from the widely cited $143 billion figure used during the lead-up to the passage of the act). During this same time period, however, the actual health care reform provisions of the law will increase deficits by $464 billion.

Of course, one should not evaluate the health care legislation on its fiscal impacts alone. In theory we should get some fiscal benefits. But the key question is how they net out. Still, no matter what you think about the benefits of the health care legislation, it is incorrect to claim that health care reform will save money. It won’t.

Myth 2: The U.S. health care system is a free-market system.

Fact 2: Roughly half of all U.S. health care is currently paid for by the government.

Even in the absence of the health care reform law, government programs including Medicare and Medicaid already fund almost half of American health care. Roughly a third of the remaining expenditures are funded by private insurers—mainly through subsidized and highly regulated employee plans. Not exactly a free market.

As this chart shows, state and federal entities make up over half of the health insurance market. Of course, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will only increase the share of government involvement in the health care market.

Myth 3: Medicare spending increases life expectancy for seniors. Reductions in Medicare spending will therefore reduce their life expectancy.

Fact 3: Increases in life expectancy for seniors are due to increased access to health care, not to Medicare.

While Medicare spending has certainly decreased seniors’ out of pocket health care expenses (by 1970, Medicare reduced out of pocket expenses by an estimated 40 percent relative to pre-Medicare levels), the program’s effect on mortality is much less clear.

This chart compares mortality rates by age during the periods immediately before and after Medicare’s implementation. As you can see, there is little difference in the observed mortality of men and women during these time periods. This observation is supported by the economic literature.

Economists who examine the effects of Medicare on mortality have found little evidence of a causal relationship, especially in recent years. For example, MIT’s Amy Finkelstein and Wellesley’s Robin McKnight used several empirical approaches and found no evidence that Medicare played a role in the substantial declines in elderly mortality that followed its implementation. Instead, they write, their evidence suggests that,

the explanation lies in the fact that, prior to Medicare, lack of legal access—rather than lack of insurance—was the main barrier to receiving hospital care when individuals had life threatening, treatable conditions.

Other economists, writing at the Chicago Federal Reserve, have found that Medicare did reduce mortality rates immediately following its implementation. But they also found that the effects of Medicare on mortality have been diminishing ever since. These researchers found that by the mid-1980s, there is no evidence of Medicare having any effect on mortality. As legal access to the health insurance market for the elderly has expanded over time, whatever effect Medicare once may have had on mortality has since disappeared.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Nick Gillespie on War-Mongering Presidents & "Lily-Livered Sapsucker" Congress on Glenn Beck

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on The Glenn Beck Show featuring guest host Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss Barack Obama's and George Bush's unconstitutional war-mongering - and Congress' absolute fecklessness.

This may be the first and only time that Fox News viewers heard Congress described as a bunch of "lily-livered sapsuckers" and worse for not standing up to bomb-happy presidents.

Air date: April 12, 2011.

Matt Welch Discusses Averting Government Shutdown on Freedom Watch

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine editor in chief Matt Welch appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss the government avoiding shut down and what the next moves are for Obama and the Republican House. Air Date: April 11, 2011.

Approximately 7.40 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie, Veronique de Rugy Talk Budget Battles on Stossel

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie and Mercatus Center economist (and Reason columnist) Veronique de Rugy talk budget battles with John Stossel on Fox Business Network.

Gillespie and de Rugy argue that while Barack Obama's proposed budget for 2012 is not worth discussing, Rep. Paul Ryan's widely discussed GOP plan doesn't cut outlays enough either. More importantly, says Gillespie, a country as rich and yet as broke as ours needs a fundamental rethink of entitlement spending for the middle class and well-off.

Read de Rugy & Gillespie on Ryan's plan at Reason.com.

Air date: Thursday, April 7, 2011.

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Veronique de Rugy on Bloomberg Discusses The Truth About Spending Cuts

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Spending cuts will derail the economy.

Fact 1: The academic literature shows that successful cases of fiscal adjustment relied overwhelmingly on spending cuts, not tax increases.

While the political debate heats up over the short-term effects of spending cuts, there is a wide academic consensus that spending cuts are a major factor for achieving lasting debt reduction. In particular, empirical studies have shown that fiscal consolidations based upon spending cuts have been more effective than tax-based consolidations.

This chart consolidates data from five peer-reviewed studies examining the ratio of spending cuts to revenue measures in successful fiscal consolidations. It illustrates that the average successful fiscal consolidation was comprised of 80 percent spending cuts and 20 percent revenue measures.

An independent analysis performed by the American Enterprise Institute economists Andrew Biggs, Kevin Hassett, and Matthew Jensen confirms the literature’s finding that fiscal consolidations that reduce ratios of debt to GDP tend to be based upon reduced government outlays rather than increased tax revenues. This result holds whether fiscal consolidations are defined in terms of improvements in the cyclically-adjusted primary budget deficit or in terms of pre-meditated policy changes designed to improve the budget balance.

Biggs, Hassett, and Jensen reviewed the extensive existing literature on fiscal consolidations. They also conducted their own data analysis to study that question. They used a large data set covering over 20 Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries and spanning nearly four decades to isolate over 100 instances where countries took steps to address their budget gaps. Some of these fiscal consolidations were spending-based while others relied more on taxes. Here is what they found:

Our findings are striking: countries that addressed their budget shortfalls through reduced spending were far more likely to reduce their debt than countries whose budget-balancing strategies depended upon higher taxes.

The typical unsuccessful fiscal consolidation consisted of 53 percent tax increases and 47 percent spending cuts. By contrast, the typical successful fiscal consolidation consisted of 85 percent spending cuts. These results are consistent with a large body of peer-reviewed research.

These findings are also consistent with the research of Harvard’s Alberto Alesina and Silvia Ardagna (here is another paper by Alesina on the issue).

The debate, of course, is far from settled. Yet as Biggs explained in his March 30, 2011 testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee:

[The debate] is not about whether spending-based fiscal consolidations are more likely to succeed than tax-based consolidations. Even using the IMF study’s methods, spending-based consolidations are more likely to reduce deficits and debt than tax-based consolidations.

Second, the IMF study does not dispute that spending-based fiscal consolidations generate superior short-term economic outcomes than tax-based consolidations.

In other words, the least we can say about fiscal consolidations comprised primarily of spending cuts is that they shrink both deficits and the debt. In that context it is worth pointing to the work of former Obama administration Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer and her economist husband David Romer, which shows that increasing taxes by 1 percent of GDP for deficit-reduction purposes leads to a 3 percent reduction in GDP.

Myth 2: We can’t balance the budget without raising taxes.

Fact 2: We can balance the budget simply by holding spending constant.

Fiscal balance can be achieved by holding spending constant, and by driving it toward its historical equilibrium.

In Reason magazine’s March issue, Nick Gillespie and I proposed a 10-year balanced budget plan that would systematically reduce the projected growth in outlays (spending that hasn’t occurred yet and hasn’t even been appropriated) so that it equals the 19 percent of GDP that the Congressional Budget Office projects the federal government will raise as revenue if the current tax system is left unchanged. Effectively, under this plan, spending is frozen at its current levels and allowed to grow only for inflation. See the chart below.

In other words, we can balance the budget over the next decade without raising taxes if we ratchet down spending from its current level of 25 percent of GDP to 19 percent -- a figure that would still leave spending well above the 18.2 percent of GDP that President Bill Clinton spent in his last year in office, a time when no one was complaining about a skin-flint federal government.

Another solution would be for Congress and the president to agree to reduce 1 percent from the federal budget each year until balance is reached. As my Mercatus Center colleague Jason Fichtner explains in this paper, the 1 percent reduction would be a real cut in spending, not just a reduction in the rate of growth of government. Once a balanced budget is reached, then spending could again be allowed to grow, but at rates consistent with the growth in the overall economy so that relative fiscal balance is maintained. A 1 percent reduction in spending does not necessarily mean a 1 percent cut across the board. Under this plan, Congress could still set priorities.

As Gillespie and I explained earlier this week in our piece assessing Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wisc.) Path To Prosperity plan,

if cuts such as these are not possible, it would be better to give up any pretense that we will ever restore the barest semblance of sanity to the federal budget and get on with fiddling as Rome burns. If we're going to continue hosting a party whose bill is unpayable, we might as well enjoy ourselves.

Myth 3: Paul Ryan’s plan will dramatically cut spending.

Fact 3: Ryan’s plan reduces spending between FY2011 and FY2012. After that it reduces the growth of spending. But overall spending grows by $1.1 trillion over 10 years under Ryan’s plan.

At first glance, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s FY2012 Budget Resolution is a step in the right direction. With a determined moniker, “The Path to Prosperity,” the Republican roadmap is oriented on spending cuts, debt reduction, and credible revenue expectations.

The plan is not too surprising to those of us who have followed Ryan’s previous budget crusades. It concentrates on cutting government spending--reforming two of our three largest autopilot programs, Medicare and Medicaid--while recognizing that attempts at raising tax revenue will not support economic growth or fix our spending problem.

The new plan realistically projects that tax revenue as a percentage of the economy will grow as a result of economic growth and not from tax rate hikes. Under Ryan’s plan tax revenue will consume 17.1 percent of the wealth created by American families, a number that is more in line with the government’s abilities to collect money. This is a serious improvement over the Deficit Commission’s plan, which called for reducing the deficit by raising tax revenue to an unprecedented 21 percent of GDP--an approach that is little more than wishful thinking on the part of its authors.

However, a look at the data shows that while the Ryan plan will cut spending the first year, it then proceeds to slow down the rate of spending. In nominal terms, spending increases from $3.6 trillion in 2011 to $4.7 trillion in 2021. That equates to a $1.1 trillion increase over that period.

Of course, you wouldn’t know that anything about those spending increases under the Ryan plan if you only read the recent headlines wailing about "the end of progressive government."

All things considered, Ryan’s proposal is a definite improvement over the Deficit Commission’s plan to increase spending by $1.6 trillion over 10 years and it’s also a big improvement over the president’s budget which increases spending by $1.9 trillion over the same period.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Veronique de Rugy Discusses the Truth About Deficits and the Debt

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Debt and deficits are a disease that can only be cured by raising taxes.

Fact 1: Debt and deficits are only a symptom. The disease is overspending. And tax increases are no cure. Besides, even if we could balance the budget by raising taxes it wouldn’t stay balanced so long as programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid remain unreformed.

Polls reveal that debt and deficits have become defining issues in American politics. While these issues are indeed important and the American people are justifiably concerned about the level of debt our nation is racking up, they are only symptoms of the real problem: overspending. America is living beyond its means and is projected to continue doing so into the foreseeable future.

The above chart compares tax revenues and government spending as a percentage of GDP from 1930 to the year 2084, using Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections for the years 2011 to 2084.

As you can see, in the past, tax revenues have averaged 15.9 percent of GDP. During recent years, revenue collection has slightly increased, averaging 18.5 percent of GDP during the 1990s, and averaging 17.5 percent of GDP during the first decade of the new millennium. Notably, the federal government has never been able to collect 21 percent of GDP in tax revenues. It defies reality to think that it will be able to do so now. That’s why the CBO estimates that revenues will remain fixed at 19.3 percent of GDP into the future.

Yet the CBO anticipates that from 2012 through 2021, the federal government will spend, on average, 23.3 percent of GDP—a higher level of spending as a percentage of GDP than the government has ever been able to collect.

Myth 2: There is no relationship between high interest rates and deficits. And even if there was, interest rates remain at all-time lows.

Fact 2: That may have been true once, but the data now shows that investors anticipate an increase in both interest rates and deficits.

For the last 20 years, economists have looked for evidence that deficits lead to higher interest rates. In 1993, for instance, North Carolina State University economist John Seater surveyed the literature on deficits and interest rates and concluded that the evidence is “inconsistent with the traditional view that government debt is positively related to interest rates.” But George Mason University economist Arnold Kling argues that economists haven’t seen a correlation between budget deficits and interest rates because foreign investment in U.S. assets has increased over the years, dulling the impact of fiscal policy. The real question is what happens if that investment slows or stops.

Moreover, deficits have reached a level that economists haven’t really studied before. Current circumstances remind Kling of “a guy jumping out of a building from the 10th floor, passing the third floor, and saying, ‘It’s all fine so far.’” Deficits do not matter up to a certain level. But at what level do we hit the ground with a resounding splat?

Here is what we do know: To get deficits under control the federal government could cut spending, increase taxes, or do some combination of both. Neither of these policies is popular; hence the temptation to print money (or “monetize the debt”) to pay the bills. The resulting inflation would reduce the value of each dollar, and it would introduce high levels of uncertainty into the economy. Imagine what it would be like to try to calculate the net present value of your investment in an environment where you can’t predict what your dollars will be worth tomorrow. Such circumstances mean less innovation and less entrepreneurship, and therefore less economic growth and more hardship.

The Federal Reserve may be reluctant to take the inflationary route. But investors know that other central banks have done so in the past and that such a scenario could happen again. In exchange for extending more loans to a federal government that has become a riskier borrower, lenders will ask for an inflation premium.

As the chart below illustrates, a look at the yield curve signals that investors are indeed expecting inflation and an increases in rates.

The yield curve for U.S. Treasury securities, which reflects the functional knowledge of investors, provides a revealing look at investor expectations about the interest rates. In finance, the yield curve depicts the relationship between interest rates and the time to maturity of the debt. Normally, these curves slope slightly upward, reflecting investor tradeoffs between increased returns and time to maturity. However, when investors are concerned about inflation or economic uncertainty, the normally gently sloping curve can become much steeper, as investors turn away from holding securities long-term and thus drive yields higher.

Even now, the steepness of the yield curve for U.S. Treasury securities shows that investors expect interest rates and inflation to become higher in the future. Such expectations can lead investors to sell longer-term Treasury securities due to the predictable fact that when interest rates increase, bonds with longer maturities perform worse. In turn, that depresses the prices of those bonds and drives their yields higher.

Interestingly, in February China joined PIMCO (one of the world’s largest bond companies) in selling long-term U.S. Treasury bonds.

Understanding the relationship between maturity and interest rates sheds light on this behavior. Since 2007, China has been systematically transitioning its U.S. debt holdings to short-term debt. In June 2009, the most recent month for which data is available, China’s holdings of U.S. debt were 12 percent of its total holdings, up from 3 percent in June of 2008.

In future years, after more research about the current period has been done, economists may conclude that deficits did lead to higher interest rates.

Myth 3: Debt and deficits may be a problem, but we don’t have to fix it now.

Fact 3: Debt and deficits are having an immediate negative impact on the economy.

Even in the absence of a crisis, the effects of persistent deficits remain substantial. As the government borrows, some people delay spending and investment in anticipation of future tax increases. Others will not invest in the economy or start new businesses as government borrowing consumes a greater portion of the available capital. All of this hurts the economy. Economists use the term “crowding out” to refer to this contraction in economic activity that follows from deficit-financed spending.

The chart above uses data from two CBO papers forecasting the effect on GDP per capita that crowding out may have and contrasting that with commonly-used CBO projections. The red line, which uses data from a presentation to the Fiscal Commission in June 2010, shows per capita GDP growth simply shrinking around the year 2022 due to crowding out. The blue line shows another projection of the impact of crowding out that starts shrinking GDP per capita in 2034. The contrast with the black line, which uses data generally referenced by scholars and government officials, is striking.

In other words, regardless of whether CBO’s original or updated predictions materialize, it is very likely that the people of the United States will feel the negative impacts of high debt and deficits driven by overspending. Our country risks getting caught in a downward, potentially unmanageable spiral.

The chart above shows the scale of the spending cuts that would be required to close the fiscal gap, or to stop the debt from growing as a percentage of GDP, through 2035. These estimates are conservative; they do not incorporate the feedback effects of increasing debt and deficits on the economy. Nonetheless, the longer we wait the more dramatic the required cuts will be.

If action is taken this year, lawmakers could close the fiscal gap through 2035 by reducing primary spending by 4.8 percent of GDP; if this action is delayed another 4 years, primary spending would have to be reduced by 5.7 percent of GDP. If lawmakers wait until 2020, the necessary cuts would grow to 7.9 percent of GDP. In other words, legislative inaction equals billions of dollars in additional spending cuts.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Nick Gillespie Debates U.S. intervention in Libya on CNN's In The Arena

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie debated editor and publisher of The Nation Katrina vanden Heuvel on the U.S. military intervention in Libya and how America should address international needs without bombs or troops on CNN's In The Arena. Airdate: March 29, 2011.

Approximately 9.16 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Politics of Budget Cuts on Freedom Watch

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch talks about the politics of budget cut negotiations and whether the IRS has started an inappropriate new campaign of targeting the wealthy with tax audits. Air date: March 23, 2011.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Obama's Libya Speech on America's Nightly Scoreboard

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

On Monday, March 28, 2011, just after President Barack Obama addressed the nation about U.S. military intervention in Libya, Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Fox Business Network's America's Nightly Scoreboard to discuss the speech and assess Washington's current doctrine for using lethal force.

Approximately 3 minutes

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Veronique de Rugy Discusses The Truth About Nuclear Power on Bloomberg

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Nuclear power is a cheap alternative to fossil fuels.

Fact 1: It isn’t.

As Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute wrote in Reason magazine in 2009, “Nuclear energy is to the Right what solar energy is to the Left: Religious devotion in practice, a wonderful technology in theory, but an economic white elephant in fact (some crossovers on both sides notwithstanding). When the day comes that the electricity from solar or nuclear power plants is worth more than the costs associated with generating it, I will be as happy as the next Greenpeace member (in the case of the former) or MIT graduate (in the case of the latter) to support either technology.”

Until that time comes, producing nuclear energy remains a very costly business.

The chart above uses data from a 2009 interdisciplinary study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to compare the costs of generating a kilowatt hour of electricity using nuclear, coal, and gas power. Looking at this data, the cost differential is clear—nuclear-powered energy costs 14 percent more than gas to produce a unit of electricity, and it costs 30 percent more than coal. Furthermore, according to Gilbert Metcaf’s recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper on energy, this increased cost of nuclear energy includes a baked-in taxpayer subsidy of nearly 50 percent of nuclear power’s operating costs.

While the nuclear industry in the United States has seen continued improvements in operating performance over time, it remains uncompetitive with coal and natural gas on the basis of price. This cost differential is primarily the result of high capital costs and long construction times. Indeed, building a nuclear power plant in the United States has cost, on average, three times as was originally estimated.

The United States Energy Information Administration estimates that these cost trends will continue for the near future.

This chart compares the projected costs of generating electricity in the year 2016 using various sources. As you can see, nuclear power remains more expensive than other conventional forms of power.

As Taylor notes, this is why nuclear power has only flourished in countries where the government has intervened on its behalf.

Myth 2: Risk is the main problem with nuclear power.

Fact 2: Cost is the main problem, not risk.

Radiation is terrifying to most people. And like most things, the less you actually know about it, the more frightening it can be.

Safety is certainly a critical issue, as the tragedy in Japan makes clear. However, so far the death toll from the current nuclear crisis in Japan is zero.

The chart above uses data compiled from various sources to compare the deaths per terawatt of energy produced. Deaths resulting from the production of nuclear power are over 4000 times less than the rate of death resulting from the production of energy from coal.

Writing in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Bernard Cohen, a physics professor at the University of Pittsburgh, puts the risk from nuclear power into context, comparing the relative risk of nuclear power to other activities. He used a one-in-a-million chance of increased risk of premature death as a standard. His calculations indicate that if one lived at the boundary of a nuclear power plant for five years, there would be an increased risk of premature death from nuclear radiation of one in a million. That risk would decline significantly as one moved further away from the plant.

Put differently, Cohen found that the risk of living next to a nuclear power plant is comparable to the risk incurred from riding 10 miles on a bicycle, riding 300 miles in an automobile, or riding 1,000 miles in an airplane.

In fact, Steven Chu, President Barack Obama’s energy secretary, has made it clear he doesn’t think nuclear power is dangerous per se. When asked to compare coal and nuclear energy in 2009, Chu responded: “I’d rather be living near a nuclear power plant.”

That being said, what happened in Japan reminds us that while nuclear doesn’t kill people on a yearly basis, it has the potential to be very lethal under certain circumstances. However, the idea of risk-free world is unrealistic because unanticipated vulnerabilities are inevitable in any complex system. Future technologies may reduce the chance of some terrible disaster but it won’t ever eliminate it completely. Like all other sources of energy, nuclear power entails some risk.

Myth 3: The spread of nuclear power has stalled in the U.S. due to a hostile regulatory environment.

Fact 3: Nuclear power has stalled because it is simply not profitable.

Many Americans argue that government regulations are the real reason why nuclear power is so expensive. As evidence, they point out that in France, where there is more opportunity to build nuclear power plants, nuclear power is safe and affordable.

It is true that France gets about 75 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. It is also true that the country has avoided a large-scale disaster due to the many safety regulations it has imposed, most of which are similar to regulations enacted in the U.S.

However, producing nuclear energy in France is not any cheaper than it is here. The chart above shows, in U.S. dollars, the parity between the costs of generating nuclear power in the United States (which has a relatively strict regulatory regime) and France (which has a relatively loose one).

The chart presents a range of estimates of the costs of nuclear reactors in the two countries gathered by Mark Cooper, a senior research fellow for economic analysis at the Institute for Energy and the Environment at the Vermont Law School. As Cooper found, the ranges overlap: France’s estimated cost of a kilowatt of power is between $4,500 and $5,000; the United States’ estimated cost for this unit of power is between $4,000 and $6,000.

From the start of commercial nuclear reactor construction in the mid-1960s through the 1980s, capital costs (dollars per kilowatt of capacity) for building nuclear reactors rose dramatically. Although unit costs for technology usually decrease with volume of production because of scale factors and technological learning, nuclear power has gone in the opposite direction. This exception to the rule is usually attributed to the idiosyncrasies of the nuclear regulatory environment as public opposition grew, laws were tightened, and construction times increased.

As a result, no new nuclear power plants have been built in the United States in 29 years. Nuclear has proven to be a poor investment, producing far more expensive electricity than originally promised.

Myth 4: Nuclear power is the key to energy independence.

Fact 4: More nuclear doesn’t mean less oil.

On last Sunday’s Meet the Press, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) cited America’s need to get off of foreign oil as a strong reason for pursuing nuclear power.

Setting aside the misguided goal of so-called energy independence, Schumer is still wrong. Oil is primarily used in vehicles and in industrial production. Nuclear power is primarily used for electricity.

As the chart below illustrates, data from the United States Energy Information Administration shows that the vast majority of our electricity comes from non-oil sources.

Interestingly, according Michael Levi, a senior fellow and director of the program on energy security and climate change at the Council on Foreign Relations, it wasn’t always the case. “During the heyday of nuclear power, the early 1970s (45 plants broke ground between 1970 and 1975),” Levi writes, “oil was a big electricity source, and boosting nuclear power was a real way to squeeze petroleum out of the economy. Alas, we’ve already replaced pretty much all the petroleum in the power sector; the opportunity to substitute oil with nuclear power is gone.”

Perhaps more importantly, less than 1 percent of the oil used in the United States today goes to generate electricity while 70 percent is consumed by the transportation sector, with roughly 30 percent of oil being used by the residential and industrial sectors.

The bottom line is that more nuclear power would mean less coal, less natural gas, less hydroelectric power, and less wind energy. But more nuclear won’t mean less oil.

Am I against nuclear power? It certainly looks like nuclear can never be a sustainable source of energy because it is just too expensive. And while it is a safe source of energy overall, there are tremendous risks in those instances where something goes disastrously wrong. The probability of such a dire scenario may be low, but the need to build-in protections against it will always raise the cost of producing nuclear power.

But more importantly, what I am against is the government deciding that nuclear power must be encouraged and then subsidizing the industry. On that point, I leave the last word to Reason Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey.

“The main problem with energy supply systems is that for the last 100 years, governments have insisted on meddling with them, using subsidies, setting rates, and picking technologies,” Bailey observes. “Consequently, entrepreneurs, consumers, and especially policymakers have no idea which power supply technologies actually provide the best balance between cost-effectiveness and safety. In any case, let’s hope that the current nuclear disaster will not substantially add to the terrible woes the Japanese must bear as a result of nature’s fickle cruelty.”

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Michael Moynihan Discusses this Week's News on The Alyona Show's Happy Hour

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Senior editor of Reason, Michael Moynihan appeared on The Alyona Show's Happy Hour segment to discuss the media's focus on Prince William's wedding, Americans failing citizen tests, and the military's airstrikes in Libya. Air date: March 22, 2011.

Approximately 7.07 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses a New Low in the Housing Market on The Alyona Show

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Director of Economic Research at Reason Foundation Anthony Randazzo appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the latest drop in new home sales from the Commerce Department and how ending government intervention will aid the recovery. Air date: March 23, 2011.

Approximately 7.03 minutes.

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Matt Welch Talks Obamacare PR on Freedom Watch

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Freedom Watch With Judge Napolitano to discuss new PR tactics by the Obama administration to rally support for Obamacare.

Air Date: March 18, 2011.

Approximately 8 minutes

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Government Redundancy with Jeff Flake on Stossel

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie joined Jeff Flake (R-AZ) on Stossel to discuss the irony of the federal government not knowing the cost of a program that teaches financial literacy and how we could prioritize what government should be doing. Airdate: March 17, 2011.

Approximately 8.14 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy Debunks Hedge Fund Myths on Bloomberg

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Hedge funds are highly leveraged.

Fact 1: The market exposure of most hedge funds is less than twice the percentage of assets under management.

Contrary to commonly-held belief, highly-leveraged hedge funds are the exception rather than the rule. Hedge funds use short sales and derivatives to manage risk and reduce losses when the market is performing poorly. In addition, hedge funds often borrow funds or use other forms of leverage to magnify gains.

Furthermore, hedge funds take no part in the process of underwriting new securities. Nor do they serve as brokers or dealers of securities and derivatives. These funds have a single line of business—asset management—and they typically use relatively small amounts of leverage to finance and profit from their investment activities.

A 2007 study of hedge fund leverage by Adrian Blundell-Wignall, a deputy director of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which included leverage from borrowed funds and implicit leverage from derivatives, estimated that average hedge fund leverage was 3.9-to-1 (which means that for every $3.9 in hedge fund assets, $1 was equity and the rest was borrowed (or the economic equivalent of borrowing was achieved by using derivatives), with the bulk of the leverage coming from derivatives. In 2008, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that average global hedge fund leverage from borrowed funds had a ratio of 1.4-to-1.

The chart above is based on data from the McKinsey Global Institute; note that it measures leverage in a slightly different way than the OECD does (gross leverage here is assets plus liabilities divided by assets) but the overall outcome is quite similar. As you can see, even at its peak, total leverage in the hedge fund industry was not more that 3.5 times the level of assets under management—far below the leverage ratio of banks.

For context, consider that banks are typically leveraged at least 10-to-1 and investment banks are usually leveraged at least 20-to-1. In the case of investment banks, this means that for every dollar actually held by the investment bank, it had borrowed between $20 and $30.

More interestingly, as New York Law School professor Houman Shadab notes in his article “Hedge Funds and the Financial Crisis,” the contrast between the levels of leverage in these different components of the financial sector became even more pronounced in the lead-up to the financial crisis. For example, banking sector leverage usually ranged from 12-to-1 to 17-to-1 while major U.S. investment bank leverage became as high as 33-to-1 in recent years.

Myth 2: The hedge fund industry’s tendency to take excessive risks, combined with a lack of regulation, was an important cause of the financial crisis.

Fact 2: Not only did hedge funds not precipitate the financial crisis, they did nothing to exacerbate it. If anything, hedge funds have helped the economy to recover more quickly.

It is a fact that hedge funds are not as heavily regulated as other financial institutions. Also, they are not required to register with investment authorities or report on their activities. As a result, it is often alleged that hedge funds played a role in the emergence of the credit crisis, contributing to volatility through short-selling and by selling shares as a result of de-leveraging and redemptions.

The data, however, does not support such theories. While hedge funds have often seen greater payoffs than the larger financial industry, they have done so while taking fewer risks.

McKinsey Global Institute research shows, for instance, that a significant portion of hedge funds have delivered higher and less volatile returns than investments in public equities and bonds over time, including during the financial crisis.

McKinsey also found that since 1990 investors in hedge funds have earned higher returns than investors whose portfolios contain only equities and bonds. Between 1990 and 2008, an index of hedge funds outperformed a range of blended portfolios of U.S. bonds and equities. The hedge fund index produced 12 percent average annual returns over the period, compared with 7.8 percent for a portfolio of only equities and 7.2 percent for a portfolio of only bonds.

More importantly, hedge funds fared relatively better during the financial crisis than other firms in the industry. In 2008, as losses from the U.S. mortgage market turned into an international financial crisis, global equities dropped 42 percent. Yet hedge funds suffered worldwide losses of just 27 percent.

As the following chart from Shadab’s “Hedge Funds and the Financial Crisis” shows, hedge funds have systematically outperformed the stock market in downturns.

Why? These outcomes are attributable in large part to the legal regime under which they occur. First, federal law enables hedge funds to pursue innovative investment strategies through leverage, short sales, and derivatives. Second, contract law and the hedge fund structure provides fund managers with incentives to innovate while maintaining a relatively healthy balance between risk taking and risk management.

Take the hedge fund compensation scheme. Hedge fund managers are compensated by charging a management fee based upon the size of the fund (typically 1 to 2 percent for hedge funds) but they also charge an annual performance-based fee, typically 20 percent of profits. In addition, they frequently invest their own money in the funds they manage.

This compensation structure generally leads hedge funds to be more prudent in risk-taking than other financial companies. Most hedge fund managers seek to maximize asset size and put much more emphasis on low volatility at the cost of returns so that they can optimize assets under management and asset management fees.

Basically, it is a myth that hedge fund managers are risk takers who seek to maximize returns.

As Shadab notes, “a general lesson from the law and economics of hedge funds is that when a legal regime permits financial intermediaries to be flexible in their investment strategies and aligns the incentives of investors and innovators through performance fees and co-investment by managers, financial innovation is likely to complement investor protection without wide-ranging regulation.”

Myth 3: Most hedge fund managers are billionaires.

Fact 3: Who cares? But if you must know, the average hedge fund manager’s yearly earnings are $336,000.

We hear all the time that hedge fund managers are billionaires. This belief likely stems from a highly-publicized survey which revealed that in 2009, the 25 highest-paid hedge fund managers earned a collective $25.3 billion, beating the old 2007 high by a wide margin. Yet this number is not representative of the larger hedge fund industry.

The chart above uses data collected from a series of confidential surveys of fund managers and employees across a variety of firms, large and small. Average compensation of hedge fund managers in 2009 was around $336,000 with roughly 50 percent of this compensation paid as a bonus. Importantly, since compensation is so closely tied to performance, managers have the incentive to maximize performance and take judicious risks. In other words, they have some skin in the game.

While much has been made of super-rich hedge fund managers such as George Soros and David Tepper, compensation actually varies widely within the profession. On the low end, earnings fall within the $50,000 range; on the high-end, certain well-publicized partners, principals, and fund managers make over a million dollars annually. The majority of hedge fund managers surveyed in 2008 reported compensation in the $100,000 to $300,000 range. Less than 2 percent of hedge fund managers report earnings of over a million dollars.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Veronique de Rugy on the Truth About the State Pension Crisis on Bloomberg

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Unfunded state pensions do not represent an immediate threat and are therefore not in crisis.

Fact 1: In the best case scenario, some state pension funds will run out as soon as 2017. And the longer the states wait to fully fund their pensions, the more drastic the financial consequences will be.

The fact that state pensions only represent a small share of state budgets doesn’t mean that they aren’t in crisis. Take the case of New Jersey. According to Joshua Rauh, professor of finance at Northwestern University, under the best case scenario, New Jersey’s pension funds (there are 5 of them) are scheduled to run out as soon as 2017. Once those state pension plans run out of money, pension payments will have to come out of the state’s general fund revenues—that is, out of the pockets of state taxpayers.

Furthermore, there is reason to believe these estimates are too conservative. When private-sector accounting methods are used to show the true market value of state pension liabilities, the situation becomes even more critical than it initially appears.

According to Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute and my Mercatus Center colleague Eileen Norcross, the state of New Jersey reports that its pension systems are underfunded by $44.7 billion. Yet when those pension plan liabilities are calculated in a manner consistent with private-sector accounting requirements—methods that economists almost universally agree to be more appropriate—New Jersey's unfunded benefit obligation rises to $173.9 billion.

In other words, New Jersey has made a $173 billion promise without any idea of how it will pay for it. I would say that’s a crisis.

Plus, this is serious money. As Biggs and Norcross note,

This amount is equivalent to 44 percent of the state's current GDP and 328 percent of its current explicit government debt. This calculation applies a discount rate of 3.5 percent (the yield on Treasury bonds with a maturity of 15 years) to reflect the nearly risk‐free nature of accrued benefits for workers. It is estimated if state pension assets average a return of 8 percent, New Jersey will run out of funds to meet its pension obligations in 2019. If asset returns are lower than 8 percent, they will run out of funds sooner.

This has real implications. State actuaries estimate that under certain assumptions, New Jersey’s pension plans will run out of enough assets to make benefit payments beginning in 2013.

The irony is that New Jersey, like other states, has put itself in a financial binder even before the pension crisis really hits. That says a lot about the state’s future ability to address the problem.

Myth 2: State debt accurately reflects state liabilities. And state default is not a concern because the federal government will bail the states out before they reach that point.

Fact 2: Many government pension liabilities are kept off the books, so most states and cities underestimate their actual debt.

Consider Connecticut. Bonds are only a small part of its total debt. Like many other states, Connecticut also owes to its pensions and retiree health care funds, which are not clearly disclosed, and which will cost even more in the long run.

Northwestern's Joshua Rauh and Robert Novy-Marx, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Rochester, have added Connecticut’s unfunded liability to the state’s debt. As you can see in the chart above, the state’s reported debt is roughly $23 billion. The official estimated value of its unfunded pension liabilities is $48.4 billion. That’s $71.4 billion. On top of that amount we should add another $28.2 billion in underestimated liabilities due to poor accounting standards. Now you have a total state debt of almost $100 billion.

Would the federal government really have the ability to bail out 50 states whose individual debt often exceeds $100 billion? That would cost roughly $5 trillion. And while all of that money wouldn’t be paid out at once, it is still unrealistic for the states to count on a federal bailout.

Myth 3: State and local workers are not overpaid. And even if they are, changing their compensation won’t make a difference.

Fact 3: While this is a complex issue, the total compensation package for state workers does tend to exceed that of their private-sector counterparts.

Take the case of Ohio.

The Buckeye Institute for Policy Solutions has an interesting report out called “The Grand Bargain is Dead.” As we see in this example from Ohio, compensation costs for state and local employees begins at a higher level than that of their private-sector counterparts and continues to diverge throughout the employees’ careers. According to the Buckeye Institute, for 26 careers in state and local government paying around the median wage rate, government employees were consistently and significantly paid above the corresponding private-sector wage rate.

Ohio has an on-the-book $8 billion budget gap. The data shows that in the Buckeye state, where almost one new public-sector job was added to the economy for each private-sector job from 1990 to 2010, realigning state worker compensation packages to match those of their private-sector peers would save taxpayers over $2.1 billion in the next two years (or 28 percent of this year’s $8 billion deficit).

It is true that comparing compensation is a tricky business. While taking a closer look at the differences between public and private-sector employees explains some of the compensation differential, it is not great enough to explain the difference in wages between comparable public and private employees.

This chart from The New York Times shows that there are 12 percent more white-collar workers in local government than there are in private employment and 19 percent more white-collar workers at the state level. Some argue that this is the reason for the difference in compensation. It’s the diplomas stupid! Maybe, but all the diplomas in the world can’t explain the 221 percent difference in lifetime employment costs witnessed by workers in Ohio.

Myth 4: The financial crisis, which caused a depreciation of pension assets, is the real culprit behind pension underfunding.

Fact 4: While the recession dealt a severe blow to state pensions, the problem of pension underfunding dates back to the early 2000s. Many states had already failed to cover the cost of promised benefits even before they felt the full weight of the Great Recession.

The problem started long before the recession. A 2010 Pew study called “The Trillion Dollar Gap,” found that in 2000, slightly more than half of the states had fully funded pension systems. By 2006, that number had shrunk to six states. By 2008, only four states—Florida, New York, Washington and Wisconsin—could make that claim. The chart above, taken from the Pew study, illustrates this point.

Here’s the bottom line: We can argue endlessly over when the pension plans will run out of cash, or what the true value of the unfunded liabilities is. We can even debate what the true meaning of being broke. But there is one issue where there is no room for debate. Once the pension plans run out of money, the payments will have to come out of general funds, meaning out of the pockets of taxpayers. If the states want to avoid this, they must push through reforms as soon as possible. A good first step would be to switch to accounting methods that show the true market value of their liabilities. Once those methods are in place, lawmakers should consider moving away from defined benefit pensions.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Approximately 6.47 minutes.

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Are We Broke Yet? Michael Moore Says No, Reality Begs to Differ

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST

"The nation is not broke, my friends," opines guerilla filmmaker and amateur accountant Michael Moore. "Wisconsin is not broke. Saying that the country is broke is repeating a Big Lie."

Relax, America, it turns out that all that talk about local, state, and federal government being broke is just total B.S. or, as The New York Times puts it, "obfuscating nonsense...a scare tactic employed for political ends."

Moore is a bit skimpy on evidence, simply asserting that all we need to do to make things right is to shake down rich people who "have diverted...wealth into a deep well that sits on their well-guarded estates." The Times' case isn't much more compelling. "A country with a deficit is not necessarily any more 'broke' than a family with a mortgage or a college loan," says the paper of record. "And states have to balance their budgets."

OK, but what should you call a family or a country that about 20 percent of GDP for each of the past 60 years while raising on less than 18 percent of GDP each year? And that is facing a massive balloon payment (let's call it entitlement spending on Medicare and Social Security) in the not-too-distant future? And has to keep borrowing money just to pay today's bills? And has no chance of increasing its take-home pay to cover its expenses?

It's a pretty safe bet that most of us would call that family or country broke. Or something along those lines.

Here are federal deficit projections from President Barack Obama's own proposed 2012 budget. He predicts that the red ink will continue to flow for as long he may be in office.

And what about the states? It's true that states have to balance their budgets each year by law. But that doesn't mean they don't spend more than they take in. Wisconsin alone is looking at a shortfall of $1.8 billion in the next year. Here's what the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says about the mismatch between spending and revenue: "2012 is shaping up as states’ most difficult budget year on record. Thus far some 45 states and the District of Columbia are projecting budget shortfalls totaling $125 billion for fiscal year 2012." Here's a picture that suggests broke is a pretty good description of state finances:

Then there's local government. The National League of Cities is estimating that aggregate revenue shortfalls between 2010 and 2012 will end up totaling somewhere between $56 billion and $83 billion.

As President Obama put it plainly in his State of the Union Address just a few weeks ago, "We have to confront the fact that our government spends more than it takes in. That is not sustainable."

So call us broke or call us flush with cash. Whatever. Unless you think our elected officials are like Charlie Sheen - able to cure our problems simply willing it - our fiscal reality isn't going to get better by pretending that we're not in deep trouble.

Maybe acknowledging that you've got a problem really is the first step to fixing it. If that's the case, we've still got a ways to go before we even start doing the hard work of cutting out of control spending at every level of government.

In the meantime, read "The 19 Percent: How to balance the budget without raising taxes," "Failed States: After a long spending binge, governors go begging for a handout. It won't be their last," and "How to Save Cleveland: Turning around America's dying cities is difficult, improbable, and necessary."

"Are we broke yet?" is written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie. About 1.30 minutes long. Go to Reason.tv for downloadable versions of our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Matt Welch Discusses Boehner's Attack on Social Security and Medicare on Freedom Watch

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch discusses if Boehner's will take on Social Security and Medicare next fiscal year and the continuous government intervention in the banking industry on Freedom Watch With Judge Napolitano. Air Date: March 4, 2011.

Approximately 8 minutes

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Veronique de Rugy Explains Fannie and Freddie's Role in the Housing Crisis on Bloomberg

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: The government-sponsored housing finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had nothing to do with the housing crisis. They were simply innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, for instance, has argued that Fannie and Freddie’s role in the housing market was insignificant between 2004 and 2006 because “they pulled back sharply after 2003, just when housing really got crazy.” According to Krugman, Fannie and Freddie “largely faded from the scene during the height of the housing bubble.”

Fact 1: Fannie and Freddie contributed to the housing crisis by making it easier for more people to take out loans for houses they could not afford. Beginning in 2000, Fannie and Freddie took on loans with low FICO scores, loans with low down payments, and loans with little or no documentation.

The federal government’s role in the housing market goes back at least to 1938, but that role changed fundamentally in the 1990s when the government made a push to increase homeownership in the United States. At that time, the federal government pursued several policies that were meant to encourage banks to lend money to lower income earners and to give incentives to low income earners to buy houses. The result, as we now know, was a gigantic amount of subprime mortgages at a time when house prices were starting to go down.

In 2010, Edward Pinto, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who has served as chief credit officer at Fannie Mae, issued a memorandum on the number of subprime and other high-risk mortgages in the financial system immediately before the financial crisis. In that memorandum, Pinto recorded that he had found over 25 million subprime mortgages (his later work showed that there were approximately 27 million). Since there are about 55 million total mortgages in the United States, it means that as the financial crisis began, half of all U.S. mortgages were of inferior quality and liable to default when housing prices stopped rising, as you can see in the chart below.

Freddie and Fannie were active players in this market.

For instance, as George Mason University economist Russ Roberts explains in his paper “Gambling with Other People’s Money”:

Fannie and Freddie bought 25.2% of the record $272.81 billion in subprime MBS [mortgage-backed securities] sold in the first half of 2006, according to Inside Mortgage Finance Publications, a Bethesda, MD-based publisher that covers the home loan industry.

In 2005, Fannie and Freddie purchased 35.3% of all subprime MBS, the publication estimated. The year before, the two purchased almost 44% of all subprime MBS sold.

In addition, lawmakers in both parties enacted policies directed at increasing home ownership rates, resulting in lower mortgage underwriting standards for Fannie and Freddie. Roberts notes that from 2000 on, Fannie and Freddie bought loans with low FICO scores, loans with very low down payments, and loans with little or no documentation. Contrary to Paul Krugman’s assertions, Fannie and Freddie did not “fade away” or “pull back sharply” between 2004 and 2006.

As the following chart from Roberts’ study shows, during that same time Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) bought near-record numbers of mortgages, including an ever-growing number of mortgages with low down payments.

Moreover, as the chart below shows, while private players bought many more subprime loans than Freddie and Fannie, GSEs purchased hundreds of billions of dollars worth of subprime mortgage-backed securities (MBS) from private issuers, holding these securities as investments.

The bottom line is that while Fannie and Freddie weren’t the only factor leading to the financial crisis, they played an important role in pushing up the demand for housing at the low end of the market, especially between 1998 and 2003. That in turn made subprime loans increasingly attractive to other financial institutions as housing prices rose steadily.

Myth 2: Fannie and Freddie’s role in the housing market increased homeownership, especially for first-time buyers and lower income earners.

Fact 2: The small increase in homeownership rates were temporary and artificial, driven by unsustainable incentives. In the best case scenario, Fannie and Freddie may have increased the homeownership rate from 63 percent to 69 percent, but the rate has now fallen back to 66 percent. Moreover, Fannie and Freddie did not make housing more affordable and even priced many first-time buyers out of the market.

When it was created in 1938 Fannie Mae’s mission was to stabilize the Great Depression’s battered home mortgage market by focusing on first-time homebuyers.

From 1940 to 1965, homeownership expanded from 44 to 63 percent. It’s debatable whether this increase in homeownership was good, bad, or even if it was the product of Fannie’s actions at all.

However, it is interesting to observe the role that government support has played in Fannie and Freddie’s actions. While Fannie and Freddie enjoy access to capital from the public equity market, they also benefit from exclusive privileges including a line of credit with the government, no oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a government guarantee that gives these entities a lower cost of funds than their private sector rivals.

As business journalist Bill Bonner explains in The Christian Science Monitor:

Armed with these advantages, GSEs increased their book of business from $13 billion in 1965 to $1 trillion by 1990 and $3.4 trillion in 2003. Once the great real estate bubble had concluded by year-end 2007, Freddie and Fannie combined had purchased $4.9 trillion of mortgages, repackaging 70 percent of these into guaranteed securities for the secondary market.

This (along with Ginnie Mae) gave the GSEs roughly half of the $11 trillion mortgage market, but their share of new originations has become near dominant.

Many sources peg this at 70 percent, but an interesting take from TIME magazine business and economics columnist Justin Fox takes into account the impact of refinancing into GSE-backed loans. Juxtaposing GSE total volume ($ 539 billion) against new originations ($313 billion), GSE market share was 172 percent for the first quarter of 2008.

As the chart below shows, while homeownership topped out at 69 percent in 2004 and stood at 66 percent in 2010, it hasn’t really increased from its 63 percent level nearly 50 years ago when the government restructured the agencies to promote their growth.

Unfortunately, we also know that many of the government’s policies ended up increasing housing prices dramatically by increasing demand, thus pricing many first-time buyers out of the market.

Myth 3: Fannie and Freddie are essential for maintaining a working mortgage market. Without them, interest rates will increase and homeownership will plummet as more people are priced out of the housing market.

Fact 3: Interest rates are likely to go up. Yet it is not clear what impact this will have on homeownership rates. In the 1980s, interest rates on the average 30-year mortgage were significantly higher, yet homeownership rates were almost the same as they are today. Besides, the alternative to homeownership is not living on the street.

President Barack Obama has proposed allowing Fannie and Freddie to slowly fade away. This would certainly have consequences. For one thing, without federal backing, a 30-year mortgage with a 5 percent interest rate is unlikely to be replicated by any bank. In addition to charging higher interest rates, banks would also likely require a larger down payment.

However, it is wrong to assume this will mean a severe decline in homeownership. First, as the following chart shows, in the last 30 years, interest paid by homeowners has fluctuated quite dramatically while the rate of homeownership has remained steady.

In 1981, for example, interest rates were at an all-time high of 16.6 percent and the homeownership rate was 65.4 percent. In 2009, interest rates were at a nearly record low of 5 percent but homeownership held steady at 67.4 percent. The last time we had that homeownership rate was in 2000, and at that point the interest rate was 8 percent.

Furthermore, low down payments are a relatively recent phenomenon. In the 1980s and most of the 1990s, down payments had to be roughly 20 percent of the value of your home.

Finally, higher interest rates and higher down payments are not necessarily a bad thing for homebuyers. Both will incentivize new owners to keep and maintain their new property. If we have learned anything in the last decade, it’s that redefining the American dream to mean homeownership for everyone is a very risky endeavor. Besides, the alternative to homeownership is not life on the streets, it is renting.

For more information go to reason.com and the orginal post.

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Tim Cavanaugh Discusses the Wisconsin's Crisis with MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason columnist Tim Cavanaugh debates the blame of Wisconsin's budget crisis should rest on government bank bailouts and public union pensions and discusses how federal spending on infrastructure does not boost the economy on MSNBC's The Dylan Ratigan Show.

Air Date: February 28, 2011.

Approximately 8.30 minutes

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Veronique de Rugy Debunks Obama's Budget Proposal on Bloomberg

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Last week the White House unveiled President Barack Obama’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Request. According to Budget Director Jack Lew, the administration has come up with a plan for a “sustainable” deficit. In her weekly appearance on Bloomberg TV, Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy explains the truth about Obama’ s budget by separating economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Under President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget, we will “live within our means”.

Fact 1: Debt and spending will continue to grow and deficits will continue to persist under the president’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Request.

Myth 2: The president’s budget reduces 2012 discretionary spending by 5 percent. This will bring domestic discretionary spending to the lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was president.

Fact 2: Domestic discretionary spending has been decreasing steadily as a proportion of total spending due the growth of mandatory entitlement spending. Moreover, many of the “cuts” in the president’s budget are actually just budgetary gimmicks.

Myth 3: The president’s budget accurately reflects economic and politic reality.

Fact 3: The president’s budget incorporates unrealistic assumptions about both the U.S. economy and the implications of the president’s policy choices. Our fiscal situation is far more dire than the president’s budget lets on.

Myth 4: Budget cuts proposed by Republicans will eviscerate the American middle class.

Fact 4: The Republican cuts may be bigger than the president’s cuts but they still barely scratch the surface of our overspending problem.

For additional information, see de Rugy’s article “The Truth About Obama’s 2012 Budget.”

Veronique de Rugy Debunks Housing Market Myths on Bloomberg

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

According to certain economists and political commentators, housing prices will have to reach pre-recession levels if the economy is going to recover. But as Reason economics columnist Veronique de Rugy explains, those pre-recession prices were a historic anomaly caused by easy credit and misguided government policy. In her weekly appearance on Bloomberg TV, Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy explains the truth about housing prices by separating economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: In order for the economy to recover, housing prices have to reach pre-recession levels. They cannot decline further. Therefore the government must continue to prop up housing prices or provide incentives to encourage people to buy homes.

Fact 1: Pre-recession housing prices were a historic anomaly based on easy credit caused in part by misguided government policy. Lower housing prices are not bad for everyone. They are also the only way to get rid of our bloated housing inventory.

Myth 2: We need a foreclosure moratorium to help those people drowning in debt who have had to default on their mortgages.

Fact 2: Defaulting on a mortgage does not necessarily reflect an inability to pay. The current crisis has produced a new phenomenon: homeowners who default by choice. A moratorium would eliminate the current penalty and thereby encourage more people who are still able to pay to walk away from their obligations.

Myth 3: There is a national foreclosure crisis.

Fact 3: It is a national problem, not a national crisis. It is a crisis in only a handful of states.
For additional information, see de Rugy’ s article “The Truth About Housing Prices.”

Approximately 6 minutes.

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Peter Suderman Discusses Net Neutrality with Stossel

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Peter Suderman appeared on Fox Business Network's Stossel to talk about the FCC's new net neutrality rules. Airdate: February 17, 2011.

Approximately 4.06 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Appears on Fox News Red Eye

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared Fox News' Red Eye to discuss various topics, including Wisconson's union protest, Middle East uprisings, Jeopardy's latest robotic-winner and a new beer marketed to the gay community. Airdate: February 18, 2011.

Approximately 40 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Debates Cutting Government Spending on Parker Spitzer

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie debates editor of The Nation Katrina vanden Heuvel about how to reduce the federal deficit and what exactly needs to be cut on CNN's Parker Spitzer. Air Date: February 16, 2011.

About 12 minutes.

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Shikha Dalmia Discusses the Overrated Threat of Al Qaeda on Freedom Watch

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Senior policy analyst at Reason Foundation Shikha Dalmia appeared on Jude Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss whether the threat of Al Qaeda is has real as the architects for the War on Terror say they are. Air Date: February 16, 2011.

Approximately 5 minutes.

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Michael Moynihan Discusses U.S. Foreign Aid to Egypt on Cavuto

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

On Fox Business Channel's Cavuto, Reason Senior Editor Michael Moynihan argues that foreign aid to Egypt bilks American taxpayers to fund Hosni Mubarak's lavish lifestyle and military dictatorship. Airdate: February 7, 2011.

Approximately 3.29 minutes.

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Michael Moynihan Discusses Government Shutdown and Social Programs on Freedom Watch

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Michael Moynihan on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch discusses America's love/hate relationship with government spending and were entitlements and overspending has gotten us. Airdate: February 3, 2011.

Approximately 8.32 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses the Marijuana Market in California on Varney & Co.

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation Adrian Moore discusses the surplus in the marijuana market and the future of the industry in California. Air date: February 3, 2010 on Fox Business' Varney & Co.

Approximately 3:47 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy on the Truth About the Debt Ceiling

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

The statutory debt limit, or debt ceiling, was designed to control congressional spending by limiting the amount of debt the federal government could accumulate. Clearly, it has not fulfilled its legislative purpose. In the last 10 years, Congress has increased the debt limit 10 times, raising the limit twice annually in 2008 and 2009. In her weekly appearance on Bloomberg TV, Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy explains the truth about the debt ceiling by separating economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: Failure to increase the debt ceiling is insanity. Unless we increase the debt ceiling, the U.S. government will default on its debt.

Fact 1: The federal government has other options. If the debt ceiling is not increased, the Treasury Department can make interest and debt payment its first priority to avoid a default. Then it can essentially put the government on a stringent pay-as-you-go basis.

Myth 2: These are extraordinary times. We have to increase the debt ceiling now and we will cut spending later.

Fact 2: In the last 10 years, Congress has raised the debt ceiling 10 times, sometimes twice in the same year. Congress has raised the debt ceiling 98 times since 1940. The government has lost its ability to monitor its spending. Having to raise the debt ceiling again is only a sign that Congress keeps failing to do what is necessary to get the nation’s finances in order.

Myth 3: Democrats are the big spenders and are the party of debt. We know this because they want to increase the debt ceiling while Republicans oppose the increase.

Fact 3: Historically, the party in power always wants to increase spending. As a result, lawmakers in power--regardless of party affiliation--overwhelmingly vote to increase the debt limit.

For additional information, see de Rugy’s article “The Truth About the Debt Limit.” http://reason.com/archives/2011/02/03/the-truth-about-the-debt-ceili

Approximately 6.30 minutes.

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Radley Balko Discusses Heated Rhetoric on RT's The Alyona Show

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Radley Balko appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to debate ThinkProgress blogger Alex Seitz-Wald on Travis Corcoran's comments and whether words can lead to violence. Airdate January 25, 2010.

Approximately 9.05 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Debates Security versus Freedom on RT's The Alyona Show

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie debates American Center for Law and Justice's Jordan Sekulow if public security takes precedence over personal freedom in an age of terrorist attacks on Russia Today's The Alyona Show . Airdate January 24, 2010.

Approximately 9.10 minutes.

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Matt Welch Responds to Obama's Speech on the Tucson Shooting on RT's The Alyona Show

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss Obama's unifying address to the nation after the Tuscon shooting and his avoidance in blaming "heated rhetoric." Airdate January 13, 2010.

Approximately 7.29 minutes.

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Jacob Sullum Discusses Drug Tests for Welfare on RT's Alyona Show

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss whether people accepting welfare should be subjected to random drug tests as proposed Kentucky State representative Lonnie Napier. Airdate January 20, 2010.

Approximately 7.05 minutes.

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Using Cameras to Fight Human Rights Abuses: Yvette Alberdingk Thijm of WITNESS

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

In 1988, musician and activist Peter Gabriel traveled the world with Amnesty International's "Human Rights Now!" tour. He brought a big, bulky camcorder with him and used it to interview victims of human rights abuses. Gabriel realized that capturing those stories made it harder for them to be forgotten, and that's what spurred him to found WITNESS, a Brooklyn-based human rights organization.

"The aim is always to turn a personal story of abuse into a powerful tool for justice," says Executive Director Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, who sat down with Reason.tv to discuss how WITNESS uses the power of video to fight human rights abuses around the world.

Approximately 6 minutes.

Interviewed by Hawk Jensen who also edited. Shot by Jim Epstein.

Additional footage provided by: WITNESS.ORG. Photo Credit: Kate Glicksberg

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Obamacare and Corporate Welfare with Judge Napolitano

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie appeared on Jude Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss the continual corporate exemptions to the health care reform's mandates and whether Obama's relationship with Wall Street means he's pro-market or pro-big business. Air Date: January 7, 2010.

Approximately 9 minutes.

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Michael Moynihan Discusses the Tucson Shooting on CBC

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Michael Moynihan on CBC's Power & Politics with Evan Solomon discussed whether the alleged politically motives behind the Tuscon shooting is a media creation and whether "toning down" heated rhetoric would have prevented the tragedy. Airdate: January 10, 2011.

Approximately 10 minutes.

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Radley Balko Discusses the Latest Tragedy in the Drug War on Russia Today

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Radley Balko on Russia Today's The Alyona Show discusses the murder of a 68 year old grandfather, Eurie Stamps, who was killed in a SWAT drug raid and the police secrecy behind the shooting. Airdate: January 7, 2010.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Four Loko Prohibition with Stossel

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie joined Stossel to discuss the FDA banning caffeine-infused alcoholic drinks and whether the government should limit choices in order protect the public. Air Date: January 6, 2010.

Approximately 6.19 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the GOP and the Debt Ceiling with Judge Napolitano

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie appeared on Jude Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss whether the new Congress will keep it's promises to the Tea Party and cut spending or will the GOP continue to resort to big government for solutions. Air Date: January 6, 2010.

Approximately 3.32 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie: "Enjoy Your Freedoms While You Still Can"

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST

On July 17, 2010, Reason's Nick Gillespie gave the keynote speech at the Independence Institute 's 8th Annual "Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms Party" in Colorado. He was asked to speak on the theme of "enjoying your freedoms while you still can."

The Denver Post's Chuck Plunkett wrote up the event, saying of Gillespie's appearance :

This year’s ATF featured Nick Gillespie, editor of Reason.com and Reason.TV, an urbane sophisticate who, until Saturday, had never fired a gun, and who failed to hit a single flying clay disk in the few rounds he attended before sneaking away to crib out his presentation on a hotel memo pad. (Note to politicians: Real thinkers write their own material.)
Gillespie is a true intellectual, who can, before finishing his lunch, discuss how “The Great Gatsby” might be written today, switch to a riff on free-market reasons for supporting a value-added tax, reference economic studies that detail the “self-correcting” tax distribution in European countries that have applied a VAT, chart from memory the nation’s deficit spending patterns since the Great Depression, and all while handling a pretend-I’m-interested discussion with a political candidate whose conversation is limited to repeating the phrase, “It’ll be a real dog-fight, in every sense of the word.”

Gillespie was introduced by the group's leader, Jon Caldara , who hosts the lively and entertaining public affairs show "The Devil's Advocate" on Colorado Public Television. (Gillespie appeared on the show during his visit. Go here to watch.)

Approximately 20 minutes. Scroll down for downloadable versions. Note: There are wind-related issues with audio throughout.

Radley Balko Discusses the Death Penalty in Texas on Russia Today

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Radley Balko appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to explain the Texas court hearing on the state constitutionality of the death penalty. Air date: December 7, 2010.

Approximately 6.26 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses UK Plans to Censor Pornographic Websites on Russia Today

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appears on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the British government's plans to regulate Internet pornography in the name of child protection and how critics challenge the regulation as censorship. Airdate: December 20, 2010.

About 8 minutes.

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Brian Doherty On The Annie Duke Show Discusses Pot Prohibition

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty appeared on The Annie Duke Show to discuss the how failure of Prop 19 in California has not stopped the increasing movement to decriminalize marijuana.

Air date: November 9, 2010.

Doherty appears at minute 34.

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A Joe Biden (War On) Christmas

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST

Why does Vice President Joe Biden hate Christmas? And why is he badgering one of the most beloved, kind-hearted cartoon characters in the world?

Has it really come to this?

Make your own Joe Biden holiday mashup. It's easy like Sunday morning talk shows.

1 part beloved animated Christmas special
1 part Joe Biden YouTube clips.
2 parts fever dream.
Mix until completely out of context.
Serve.

A Joe Biden (War on) Christmas is written by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie. Script consultant: Austin Bragg. Produced by Meredith Bragg.

Approximately 1.30 minutes. Not brought to you by Almost Home Cookies and Peter Paul Cadbury. Scroll down for for downloadable versions; subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Related video: Reason.tv Salutes Joe Biden, Real Man of Genius (original release date: February 24, 2009)

Michael Moynihan Discusses Time's Person of the Year Mark Zuckerberg on CBC

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Michael Moynihan discusses Time Magazine's Person of the Year Award 2010 winner Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and alternative choices such as Twitter or Julian Assange on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Airdate: December 15, 2010.

Approximately 3.50 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Wikileaks and Assange with Judge Napolitano

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward debates Leslie Marshall on the case for Wikileaks, Assange, and the cost for government transparency with Judge Napolitano substituting for Glenn Beck on Fox News. Airdate: December 16, 2010.

About 6.30 minutes.

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Jacob Sullum Discusses Synthetic Drugs on Phoenix's KSAZ News

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum discusses how the unintended consquences of the drug war has created a market for more dangerous synthetic drugs and advocates for drug legalization on KSAZ News, Phoenix's Fox affiliate. Air Date: December 15, 2010.

Approximately 3.47 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Talks Net Neutrality, Teen Mags, & More on TechCrunchTV

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST

Zivity's Cyan Banister recently interviewed Reason's Nick Gillespie for TechCrunch.

Click above to check out the five-minute conversation that covered topics ranging from Net Neutrality to cultural proliferation to writing to Gillespie's secret past ghostwriting a teen-mag advice column for Alyssa Milano and gas-station pump jockey.

Or click here.

Nick Gillespie Discusses Obama's Tax Cut Deals on CNN's Parker Spitzer

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Editor in chief of Reason.tv and Reason.com Nick Gillespie debates Mother Jones' David Corn about Obama's recent tax cut deal how the adminstration's role in the economy has made recovery all the more difficult on CNN's Parker Spitzer. Air date: December 9, 2010.

Approximately 6.08 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy Joins Parker Spitzer to Discuss Obama's Tax Cut Deal

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason monthly columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appeared on CNN's Parker Spitzer to discuss Obama's deal on tax cuts and how his presidency is continuing Bush-era policies. Airdate: December 8, 2010.

Approximately 8.23 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Bernake Controlling Inflation on Russia Today

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Foundation Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appears on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to take issue with Ben Bernake's confidence that the FED can control inflation while continuing quantitative easing. Airdate: December 6, 2010.

Approximately 7.48 minutes.

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Kurt Loder Discusses Congressional Gridlock and Censure on CNN's Parker Spitzer

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Magazine's contributing film critic Kurt Loder joins a panel on CNN's Parker Spitzer to discuss political deadlock and censure in the post-election Congress. Airdate: December 3, 2010.

About 7 minutes.

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The Power of Nazi Propaganda

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

From radio and film to newspapers and publishing, the Nazi regime controlled every aspect of German culture from 1933-1945. Through Josef Goebbels' Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, the German state tightly controlled political messaging, promoting deification of the leader—the Führerprinzip—and the demonization of the ubiquitous and duplicitious "racial enemy."

A new exhibit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., examines "how the Nazi Party used modern techniques as well as new technologies and carefully crafted messages to sway millions with its vision for a new Germany." Reason.tv's Michael C. Moynihan visited with museum historian and curator Steve Luckert to discuss the role and effectiveness of propaganda in the rise of fascism and what lessons can be drawn from the Nazi experiment in mass manipulation.

Approximately 6 minutes.

Produced by Jim Epstein and Michael C. Moynihan. Shot by Dan Hayes and Jim Epstein, with help from Joshua Swain.

To visit the exhibit website click here.

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Keith Olbermann Honors Radley Balko's Tweet about the TSA

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Keith Olbermann's "Tweet of the Day" is from Radley Balko expressing his thoughts on the TSA's airport screenings. Airdate: November 19, 2010.

Follow Balko on Twitter.

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Robert Poole Discusses Privatizing Airport Security on CNBC Power Lunch

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Foundation's Director of Transportation Policy Robert Poole appears on CNBC's Power Lunch to defend a "trusted-traveler" program that would allow customers to opt-out of TSA screenings without sacrificing airline safety. Airdate: 11/12/2010.

Approximately 6.46 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses GM's IPO and the Proposed Federal Sales Tax

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Reason Foundation's Adrian Moore appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the fallout from the General Motors bailout and a propoposed 6.5% value-added tax aimed at deficit reduction. Air date: November 17, 2010.

About 11 minutes.

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Michael Moynihan on The Alyona Show Discusses Sen. Demint's Anti-Libertarian Comment

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Appearing on Russia Today's The Alyona Show, Reason Senior Editor Michael Moynihan takes issue with Senator Jim Demint's comment that one "can't be a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative." Airdate 11/12/2010.

Approximately 6.46 minutes.

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Veronique de Rugy Discusses California's Deficit on Varney & Co.

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:50:00 EST

Reason monthly columnist Veronique de Rugy, an economist at the Mercatus Center, appeared on Varney & Co. to discuss California's growing deficits and whether this will lead to a federal bailout of the Golden State. Airdate: November 12, 2010.

Approximately 4.36 minutes.

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Help Reason Make More Politicians Cry

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:54:00 EST

Not enough politicians are crying. Please help us make more politicians weep.

Since 1968, our hardcore libertarian journalism, policy analysis, and commentary has exposed government waste, fraud, and corruption.

Your tax-deductible donation to Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that publishes Reason magazine, Reason.com, and Reason.tv will help us make more politicians cry.

For just $100 - far less than your share of the $1 million earmark for the Central Kitsap Wastewater Treatment Facility Methane Recapture Improvements in Washington state - you'll get a year's subscription to Reason magazine, one of six books, and your choice of a Reason t-shirt.

If you can't afford $100, then give what you can here.

Because not enough politicians are crying. Yet.

Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses New Tobacco Warnings on Seattle Tv

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward discusses the FDA's new graphic tobacco warnings and whether government should be deterring smokers at all on KING 5 News, Seattle's NBC affiliate. Airdate: November 10, 2010.

Approximately 2.06 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Mid-Term Elections and Campaigns on Al Jazeera

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appears in an Al Jazeera story discussing mid-term election strategies and how the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision reshaped the way campaigns were financed. Airdate: November 5, 2010.

Approximately 6.45 minutes.

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Jacob Sullum Discusses Drug Policy on Russia Today

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss a new British report that shows alcohol is more harmful than cocaine and heroin, and why governments often base drug classifications on cultural norms rather than science. Air date: November 1, 2010.

Approximately 7.07 minutes.

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Michael Moynihan Joins Stossel to Discuss the Media's Favorite Scare Stories

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Michael Moynihan appeared on Stossel to discuss how the media uses exaggerated claims and scare tactics as a way to drive up ratings. Airdate: October 29, 2010.

Approximately 11.23.

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Peter Suderman Debates Federal Regulations in Healthcare on CNBC

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Associate Editor of Reason Magazine Peter Suderman appeared on CNBC to debate Judy Feder of The Center for American Progess on the new federal regulations in the healthcare industry. Suderman argues governemnt intervention will only increase health care costs and burdern taxpayers. Air date: 11/01/10.

Run time approximately 7.05 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the Mid-Term Elections Impact on the Economy with Judge Napolitano

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss how the Tea Party put more fiscally responsible canidates on the ballot than the GOP ever could -- and why Vice-President Joe Biden just doesn't get it. Air Date: Oct. 30, 2010.

Approximately 8.23 minutes.

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What We Saw at the Stewart-Colbert Rally to Restore Sanity

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv was on hand for the Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert at the National Mall in Washington on Saturday, October 30, 2010.

The crowd was huge, the weather fine, the signs memorable, and the people...well, let's just say they were there too. Some were apolitical and just out for a fun day, some were big fans of Comedy Central's best-known personalities, some were inadvertent dadaists, and more than a few defined sanity strictly in terms of heartily agreeing with themselves.

Approximately 6 minutes long. Shot and edited by Jim Epstein and Meredith Bragg, with assistance from Josh Swain. Interviews by Michael C. Moynihan and Nick Gillespie. With help from June Arunga.

For Reason.tv coverage of other recent DC rallies (inlcuding Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally, the 9/12 Freedom Works Rally, and One Nation Working Together Rally), go here.

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Attack Ads, Circa 1800

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Have this year's negative political ads really "taken dirty to a whole new level, as CNN's Anderson Cooper frets? Is a "return to civility...a relic of a bygone era," as President Barack Obama laments?

Er, not exactly.

If anonymous political speech, the other widely decried villain of this political season, helped found the United States, attack ads are as American as apple pie. If you fancy yourself a patriot or a history buff, you will most certainly approve this message, which is taken from statements made by, for, and against the nation's founders. For historical sources, go here.

Approximately 1.45 minutes. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg. Voiced by Caleb Brown, Michael C. Moynihan, and Austin Bragg.

Check out "The Positives of Negative Campaigning," why "Attack Ads Are Good For You." and Reason's 2006 list of the "Top 10 Dirtiest Political Campaigns" in U.S. history.

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Matt Welch Discusses Anti-Prop 19 Mentality on Russia Today's The Alyona Show

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show discusses how Anti-Prop 19 advocates are using misinformation and fear-mongering to make their case. Air date: October 28, 2010.

Approximately 5.44 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the Relationship Between Government and Economy on Varney & Co.

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Editor in Chief, Nick Gillespie discusses how government hasn't helped in the economy's recovery on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: October 27, 2010.

Approximately 6.31 minutes.

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Michael Moynihan Discusses the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism in Europe on Russia Today

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine and Reason.com Senior Editor Michael Moynihan appears on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the rise of extreme right-wing parties in Europe and how they differ from the tea party movement in America. Airdate: October 20, 2010.

Approximately 6.22.

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Jacob Sullum Appears on MSNBC to Discuss NYC's Anti-Smoking Ads

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Senior editor at Reason magazine and Reason.com, Jacob Sullum appears on MSNBC to debate the constitutionality of New York City's mandate forcing store owners to place anti-smoking ads in their windows. Air date: October 14, 2010.

Approximately 5.23 minutes.

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Tim Cavanaugh Discusses the Pension Reform in California on Varney & Co.

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason columnist and Hit & Run contributor, Tim Cavanaugh, appeared on Fox Business's Varney & Co. to discuss California's recently passed budget and how public-sector unions continue to block meaningful pension reform.

Approximately 3.47 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie on Red Eye

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Nick Gillespie, editor in chief of Reason.tv and Reason.com, appeared on FOX News' Red Eye. Air date: Oct. 11, 2010.

Approximately 30 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Choosing Firefigther Protection on Russia Today

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward argues that people should be able to pick and choose (and pay for) the services they want, including fire protection, on Russia Today's The Alyona Show on October 5, 2010.

Approximately 9.16 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses All Things California on Varney & Co.

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses California's pension problems, the upcoming governer election, and a possible bailout for the Golden State on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: October 1, 2010.

Approximately 4.25 minutes.

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Learning from Allen Ginsberg

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT

Beat-icon Allen Ginsberg is getting a resurgence of attention, 13 years after his death at the age of 70. A movie based on the story behind Ginsberg’s signature poem, “Howl,” opens this Friday. It stars James Franco as the young poet embroiled in a 1957 obscenity trial over the poem, which ended in a landmark win for free speech. The movie is already garnering praise for animated sequences (made partially in Thailand) that put images to Howl’s words. Director Rob Epstein noted that Ginsberg, a fan of Eastern religions, “would appreciate us outsourcing to a Buddhist country.”

And an exhibition of Ginsberg’s photography, "Beat Memories," played to enthusiastic crowds all summer at Washington-D.C.’s National Gallery of Art. Ginsberg had both a unique eye and unique access to a generation of literary heroes, snapping classic portraits like Jack Kerouac smoking on a fire escape and William Burroughs standing next to a sphinx at the Museum of Natural History.

Reason.tv’s Nick Gillespie looks at why Ginsberg—a champion of gay rights, free speech, nonviolence, and drug legalization—still has a lot to teach us.

Approximately 2.30. Produced by Jim Epstein and Nick Gillespie

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Three Things Politicians Could Learn from the UFC: Lex McMahon on the rise of mixed martial arts

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EDT

In the mid-90s pundits and politicians had nearly forced mixed martial arts to tap out. Ardent boxing fan Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) led the charge against the new sport, slamming it as "human cockfighting." Cable companies shunned the sport and nearly 40 states banned it. And yet today, MMA has not only survived, it's become a global juggernaut, dominating pay-per-view events, and perhaps even proving safer than McCain's beloved sport of boxing.

Lex McMahon has witnessed the rise of mixed martial arts firsthand. McMahon runs Alchemist Management with CEO and three-time Grammy Award winner MC Hammer, and the two manage some of the best fighters in the world, including Nate Marquardt, who headlines Wednesday night's UFC Fight Night 22 and Brendan Schaub, who takes on Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 121 on October 23.

McMahon sat down with Reason.tv's Ted Balaker to weigh in on the improbable mainstreaming of MMA, how promoters learned that improving safety would attract more fans, and what this most cosmopolitan of sports does to foster an environment of innovation.

Approximately nine minutes.

Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Hawk Jensen, Alex Manning, and Paul Detrick. Edited by Balaker. Music by doublethink; available at Magnatune.

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What We Saw at the 9/12 Tea Party Rally in DC

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

On September 12, 2010 in Washington, D.C., FreedomWorks sponsored its second annual 9/12 rally, based on the theme of "Remember in November." Among the speakers were FreedomWorks' Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe (go here for Reason.tv's interview with them about their best-selling Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto); former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (go here for an interview about his Our America initiative); "Tito the Builder," a Colombian immigrant and contractor who is an outspoken defender of free enterprise; Deneen Borelli of Project 21 and Tom Borelli of the Free Enterprise Project; and new media impresario Andrew Breitbart of Big Government.

This year's event drew a smaller but arguably more intense crowd than last year's demonstration. Attendees' attitudes toward President Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress were sharply negative and sometimes strayed from the Tea Party's traditionally narrow focus on curbing federal spending to issues such as illegal immigration and race relations. Yet there was no mistaking the main thrust of the day's event, which was, as Matt Kibbe stressed, that "November 3 is even more important than November 2." As Andrew Breitbart put it, "The beauty of the Tea Party movement is watching it hold Republicans accountable...These people are not going to stop holding their government and elected officials accountable, especially those that claim to represent their values."

Approximately 5.30 minutes. Shot and edited by Dan Hayes and Jim Epstein. Interviews by Michael C. Moynihan and Nick Gillespie.

Watch Reason.tv's coverage of last year's 9/12 rally here and Glenn Beck's August 28, 2010 "Restoring Honor" rally here.

Tim Cavanaugh Discusses the Upcoming Election in California on Varney & Co.

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:00:00 EDT

Tim Cavanaugh, Reason columnist and Hit & Run contributor, discusses Meg Whitman's (R) lead on opponent Jerry Brown (D) in California's gubernatorial race between on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: August 30, 2010.

Approximately 3:13 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Baseball and Bailouts on Russia Today

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch discusses corporate welfare for lying billionaire baseball owners on The Alyona Show. Air date: August 27, 2010.

Length: 5.58 minutes.

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What We Saw at the Glenn Beck Rally in DC

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EDT

On August 28, 2010, Fox News host Glenn Beck held his "Restoring Honor" rally at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The aim of the event, explained the lachrymose TV personality, was to "come celebrate America by honoring our heroes, our heritage and our future."

As the Washington Post reports,

"For too long, this country has wandered in darkness, and we have wandered in darkness in periods from the beginning," Beck said, at times pacing at the memorial. "We have had moments of brilliance and moments of darkness. But this country has spent far too long worried about scars and thinking about the scars and concentrating on the scars.
"Today," he continued, "we are going to concentrate on the good things in America, the things that we have accomplished - and the things that we can do tomorrow. The story of America is the story of humankind."

Despite the presence of former Gov. Sarah Palin and many Tea Party trappings, the event was not political, or at least not in any conventional sense. Rather, the speakers called for bringing religion into the public square and using it as the guiding force in all aspects of American life.

Reason.tv was on hand to take in the day and talk with some of the thousands of people who showed up (crowd estimates were unavailable at the time of this writing, though the crowd felt thinner than the one at last year's Tea Party rally). Most of the people we talked to were openly skeptical of politicians of both major parties and agreed strongly with the religious bent of the rally, often arguing that some sort of religious orientation was necessary for what that saw as a return to national greatness.

"What We Saw at the Glenn Beck Rally in DC" was shot by Jim Epstein with help from Josh Swain. Edited by Epstein and Meredith Bragg. Hosted by Nick Gillespie.

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Adrian Moore Discusses California on Varney & Co.

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses exorbitant loans made in Bell, CA on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: August 18, 2010.

Approximately 4:40 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses For-Profit Schools and Debt-Burdened Students at the New America Foundation

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward joins a panel at the New America Foundation to discuss for-profit schools and new rules about who should be eligible for federal student aid on July 30, 2010. Approximately 35.48 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses Exorbitant Government Pay in California on Varney & Co.

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses the outlandish pay and pensions of some officials in municipalities across California on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: August 10, 2010.

Approximately 4.11 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses California's Overturn of Prop 8 and more on Varney & Co.

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses the potential economic consequences of the overturn of Prop. 8, the case for full disclosure of city official salaries and unsustainable retirement costs in Los Angeles on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: August 5, 2010.

Approximately 3.10 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses The Ripple Effect from Bell, CA on Varney & Co.

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses the high pay and pensions of the Bell, California public officials and how it will impact the future hiring of government officials on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: July 29, 2010.

Approximately 3.10 minutes.

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Leonard Gilroy on Fox 5 NY Debates Privatizing Parks

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Leonard Gilroy, Director of Government Reform at the Reason Foundation, discusses how privatization of public parks could help New York's budget crisis on Fox 5 New York. Air date: July 6, 2010.

Approximately 7.34 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Appears on Varney & Co. to Discuss City Officials High Salaries

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses how exorbitant salaries for city officials impacted the budget of Bell, California, on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: July 21, 2010.

Approximately 3.45 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses "Libertarian Vogue" with Judge Napolitano

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:15:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie joins an all-star libertarian panel with John Stossel and former Reason Editor in Chief Virginia Postrel on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss the libertarian influence on contemporary American politics, on July 17, 2010.

Approximately 6 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses the "Food Police" on Stossel

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward debates MeMe Roth on whether the government should ban toys in kids' meals, regulate bake sales, and tax candy with Stossel on July 15, 2010.

Approximately 5.35 minutes.

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Michael Moynihan Discusses New Threats to Freedom on Stossel

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Senior Editor Michael C. Moynihan discusses what new threats are threatening our freedom in a post-Cold War America with Adam Bellow on Stossel on July 15, 2010.

Approximately 6 minutes.

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Cory Doctorow on The War on Kids, Boing Boing, & His Next Novel

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT

As one of the editors of Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow runs one of the best-known blogs on the planet. As the author of best-selling young-adult novels such as Little Brother and the new For The Win, he has his pulse on what it is like to be growing up in the 21st century. As a writer who simultaneously publishes his work online for free and via a traditional bookseller (Tor), he is at the bleeding edge of creating what he calls 21st century art: "contemporary art that is made to be copied."

In July Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie talked with Doctorow about raising free-range children, the future of copyright, and what makes Boing Boing tick.

Approximately 5.26 minutes. Shot by Gillespie and edited by Josh Swain.

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Adrian Moore Discuss California's Vote on Pensions on Varney & Co.

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses California's pension costs and the upcoming public vote to roll them back on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: July 12, 2010.

Approximately 2.29 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie on Fox Business' Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EDT

On June 16, 2010 Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox News Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss estate taxes, Barack Obama's green-energy agenda, and the BP oil spill.

Approximately 11.30 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Congressional Conflicts of Interest & Transparency on CNBC's Power Lunch

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:40:00 EDT

Reason's Nick Gillespie appeared on CNBC's Power Lunch to discuss Congressional conflicts of interest and whether politicians should be allowed to invest in industries they regulate on June 16, 2010.

Approximately 4.23 minutes.

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Reason Weekend 2010: David Eagleman on How Neuroscience Will Transform Criminal Justice (Multimedia Presentation)

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EDT

"You are your brain," insists Baylor University neuroscientist and best-selling writer David Eagleman.

It's an insight that he argues should radically transform all aspects of our criminal justice system, from how laws are written to how punishments are levied to how juries are selected.

Reporting back from the bleeding edge of brain research, Eagleman takes viewers on a tour of the latest technological insights into how humans make decisions and whether free will exists anywhere but the pages of philosophy books.

The findings don't exculpate individuals from responsiibility for their actions, the libertarian author of Sum: 40 Tales From The Afterlives says, but they certainly complicate things. And they help to explain why governments double or triple down on failed policies such as drug prohibition.

Approximately 50 minutes. Scroll down for downloadable versions.

And go here for a 10-minute interview with Eagleman with Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie.

This discussion was part of Reason Weekend, an annual conference held by Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that publishes Reason.tv. This year's event took place in New Orleans from April 15-18 in New Orleans.

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Matt Welch Discusses California's Budget on Fox Business

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:43:00 EDT

On Fox Business' Varney & Co., Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch discusses the budget woes of the Golden State on May, 20 2010.

About 3 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses Growing State and Federal Debts on Varney & Co.

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:25:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses how growing concerns with state and federal debt are changing the course of elections on Fox Business' Varney & Co. Air date: June 9, 2010.

Approximately 2.09 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses the "Death of Decency" on CNBC's PowerLunch

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:30:00 EDT

Reason.tv 's Nick Gillespie appeared on CNBC's PowerLunch to discuss the "death of decency" and whether television is moving in the right direction, on June 8, 2010.

Approximately 3.25 minutes.

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Reason Weekend 2010: Nick Gillespie & Liz Williams Talk Culinary Freedom

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EDT

The forces of neo-Prohibitionism are afoot everywhere, seeking to minimize not just our choices when it comes to food and drink, but our very pleasure. In San Francisco, health officials have cracked down on high-end bars that make their own bitters. In New York, raw eggs have been banned from use in cocktails such as sloe gin fizzes. When will it ever stop?

To get a sense of the range and causes of the neo-Prohibitionist mind-set, Reason's Nick Gillespie talked with unabashed culinary freedom fighter Liz Williams, the founder and president of New Orleans' own Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

Williams believes we are what we eat, and we should be free to eat and drink what we want. She is a lawyer by training, has served as a Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Army, and is the author of the forthcoming book The Encyclopedia of Law and Food.

Approximately 44 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses the GOP Senate Race in California on Varney & Co.

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:00:00 EDT

On Fox Business' Varney & Co., Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch discussed the upcoming race for the Republican Nomination for California's Sentate seat on June, 8 2010.

Did he get his calls right?

About 3 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses the 'Fringe' Influence on Russia Today

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:48:00 EDT

Senior Editor of Reason Magazine Katherine Mangu-Ward talks Tea Parties, fringe candidates, and third-party candidates on Russia Today's The Alyona Show on May 25, 2010.

Approximately 5 minutes.

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Adrian Moore on Varney & Co. Discussing California's Budget Crisis

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 09:43:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, vice president of research at the Reason Foundation, discusses the Golden State's deficit fiasco and its effect on California's upcoming election with Varney & Co. on the Fox Business Network on May 12, 2010.

Approximately 3.11 minutes.

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Mickey Kaus on How Unions Killed the Democrats, Immigration, New Media, & Bringing the Velvet Underground to Beverly Hills High

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

The Kaus family was deeply intertwined with California politics and culture long before journalist/blogger Mickey Kaus started his longshot bid to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer in the 2010 Democratic primary.

Mickey’s father, the Viennese-born Otto Kaus, was a well-respected jurist who sat on the California Supreme Court from 1981 to 1985. His brother Stephen is a prominent Bay Area civil-litigation attorney and a commentator for The Huffington Post. Mickey’s maternal grandmother, Dorothy Huttenback, was a musical prodigy who headed up the Los Angeles Music Guild for three decades, and Dorothy’s son Robert served as chancellor of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Both sides of the family were part of the historic wave of German-speaking Jews who fled the Nazis for Southern California in and around the 1930s, injecting a distinctive, semi-alienated yet intensely patriotic intellectual style to the Golden State’s civic conversation.

Mickey Kaus’ position within the national public policy discussion has always been that of a tweak-your-own-side contrarian. He was part of the group of writers at the left-of-center Washington Monthly in the 1980s who hatched what they called “neoliberalism”—a qualified rejection of interest-group politics and Keynesian economics in favor of policies intended to harness rather than oppose market forces. That frame led him to The End of Equality, a seminal 1992 book that stressed opportunities over outcomes and took on the liberal sacred cow of welfare. Kaus certainly hadn’t abandoned the liberal fold—among other things, the book called for a federal jobs program, universal health coverage, and compulsory national service—but he wasn’t an ordinary Democrat either.

By the end of the 1990s Kaus’ name was synonymous with political blogging. He had launched one of the first and most influential journalist blogs, Kausfiles, which for most of its lifespan has been published by Slate. In 2005 he helped kick-start the video debate site Bloggingheads.tv with his friend and frequent sparring partner Robert Wright. There and elsewhere, Kaus has distanced himself from his own Democratic Party on unionism, health care reform, public sector pensions, and especially immigration.

In 2010 Kaus decided to put his money where his mouth is and run against Boxer, the powerful three-term senator, as a way to advance the discussion about modern Democratic priorities. Needless to say, Kaus has no chance of unseating Boxer in the California primary coming on June 8. Yet his insights on new media, unions, and politics more broadly are well worth hearing. And his story about bringing the Velvet Underground to perform at Beverly Hills High in the '60s is not to be missed.

Reason.tv Editor Nick Gillespie spoke with Kaus in May, just after Arizona passed a controversial law about checking the immigration status of anyone who comes into contact with law enforcement.

Look for a version of this exchange in the August/September print edition of Reason.

Anthony Randazzo on RT's Alyona Show Talks about the Euro's Troubles

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:10:00 EDT

Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses the rising pressures on the Euro from the Greek debt crisis and more on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show" on May 7, 2010.

Approximately 5 minutes.

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Adrian Moore on C-SPAN Discussing Economic Instablity of U.S. and Europe

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

On May 10, 2010, Vice President of Research at Reason Foundation Adrian Moore appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to talk about California and Greece's deficit and economic instablity.

Approximately 44 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discuss California's Proposed Tax Hike on Varney & Co.

Tue, 25 May 2010 12:20:00 EDT

On May 25, 2010, Adrian Moore, Vice President of Research at the Reason Foundation, discusses the newly proposed tax hike in California on Varney & Co.

Approximately 3.19 minutes.

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Adrian Moore Discusses Greece and California's Budget Woes on Fox Business' Varney & Co.

Tue, 11 May 2010 16:00:00 EDT

Adrian Moore, vice president of research at the Reason Foundation, discusses the economic collapse in Greece and how it may be similar to the deficit problems in California with Varney & Co. on the Fox Business Network on May 5, 2010.

Approximately 4 minutes.

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Matt Welch Talks with John Stossel on Airline and Internship Regulation

Mon, 10 May 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Editor in Chief of Reason Matt Welch discusses the recent push for new federal airline and internship regulations with John Stossel on May 6, 2010.

Approximately 9.35 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Appears on TVOntario to Debate the Case for an 'Open Government'

Wed, 05 May 2010 13:00:00 EDT

On April 14, 2010, Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on TVOntario as part of a panel to discuss whether an open government could lead to a more effective government.

Approximately 36 minutes.

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Radley Balko Discusses Asset Forfeiture on Stossel

Mon, 03 May 2010 13:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Radley Balko discusses the government's abuse of asset forfeitrue with John Stossel on April 22, 2010. Also appearing: Scott Bullock of the Institute for Justice.

Approximately 7 minutes.

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Adrian Moore on Fox Business Discussing California Public Unions

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EDT

On April 26, 2010, Vice President of Research at Reason Foundation Adrian Moore talked with Stuart Varney on Fox Business's Varney & Company about California's public sector unions.

Approximately 3 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo on RT's The Alyona Show Discusses Greek Debt

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EDT

The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses the Greek debt crisis and the similarities to the situation in California, on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show" on March 9, 2010.

Approximately 7.32 minutes.

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Matt Welch Discusses Bailouts on Fox Business Network

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EDT

On April 22, 2010, Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch, appeared on Fox Business' Bulls and Bears to discuss President Obama's new financial regulations and its effects on bailouts.

Approximately 4.15 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Potential FED Appointees on RT's Alyona Show

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EDT

The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses the difficult choices President Obama will make filling three empty seats in the Federal Reserve on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show" on March 3, 2010.

Approximately 6 minutes.

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And watch Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series.

Nick Gillespie Joins a Panel on Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:50:00 EDT

On February 26, 2010, Reason.tv 's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox's Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld to comment on current news, pop culture, and promote the upcoming "Reason Saves Cleveland" series, airing March 15th.

Approximately 44 minutes.

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And watch Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series.

Glenn Beck Cites Reason Magazine on Rising Public Employee Wages

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:45:00 EDT

On February 19, 2010, Glenn Beck cited Reason Magazine's February 2010's cover story Class War by Steven Greenhut on the ballooning cost of pensions and wages for public empolyees.

Approximately 5.22 minutes.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Whether President Obama is a Radical on Russia Today

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:30:00 EDT

On April 9, 2010, Reason senior editor Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show as part of a panel to discuss whether President Barack Obama is a radical and other political issues of the week.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Talks about the Citizen's United Case on Bill Moyers Journal

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:28:00 EDT

On February 15, 2010, Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Bill Moyers Journal to talk about the controversial Supreme Court ruling, Citizen's United v. Federal Election Commission.

Approximately 27 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses Obama's First Year in Office on RT's The Alyona Show

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research, Anthony Randazzo, joins a panel on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show" on February 21, 2010 to discuss President Obama's first year in office.

Approximately 13 minutes.

Radley Balko on Fox News Freedom Watch discussing Inner-City Policing

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:32:00 EDT

On March 9, 2010, Reason Senior Editor Radley Balko appeared on Fox News Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss inner-city policing strategies.

Approximately 10 minutes.

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Jesse Walker Discusses Paranoia and Extremism on RT's The Alyona Show

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EDT

On March 15, 2010, Reason Managing Editor Jesse Walker appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the paranoia of centrist politics in the U.S.

Approximately 6.30 minutes.

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John Stossel on Fox and Friends Talking about Cleveland

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:15:00 EDT

John Stossel appeared on Fox and Friends on Thursday March 18, 2010 to discuss the special episode of Stossel where he interviews Drew Carey and Reason.tv Editor in Chief Nick Gillespie about Reason Saves Cleveland. Approximately 3 minutes.

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Adrian Moore on CNN's America Mornings Talks About the New High Speed Rail

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

On March 18, 2010, Vice President of Research at Reason Foundation, Adrian Moore, talked with Casey Wian on CNN American Morning of the hidden high costs of the newly purposed high speed rail.

Approximately 3.14 minutes.

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Matt Welch Joins Judge Napolitano to Explain The Battle between The Tea Party and The GOP

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:02:00 EDT

On Fox News' Freedom Watch, Judge Napolitano asks Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch, if The Tea Party Movement is having an affect on The Republican Party on Feburary, 23 2010.

About 7 minutes.

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Matt Welch Talks About Ron Paul's Influence on CPAC on Russia Today

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

On February 22, 2010, Reason Editor in Chief, Matt Welch , appeared on Russia Today to discuss Ron Paul's win in the polls at CPAC and the future of libertariaism in the mainstream.

Approximately 6 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Jobs Bill on RT's Alyona Show

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:25:00 EDT

On March 18, 2010, The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses how the new jobs bill may actually leave college graduates without employment, on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show".

Approximately 7:18 minutes.

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Damon Root Discusses Libertarianism and Racial Equality on Freedom Watch

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

On March 17 2010, Reason Associate Editor Damon Root appeared on Fox News’ Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano to talk about libertarianism and the fight for racial equality.

Approximately 8.17 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses 2009's Economy and Beyond on RT's Alyona Show

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

On December 29, 2009, The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo appears on Russia Today's Alyona Show to review the economy of 2009 and discuss the future economy of 2010.

Approximately 5.45 minutes.

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And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through March 19 for the debut of Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series.

Ron Bailey Discusses Behavioral Genetics on FORA.tv

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EDT

On March 9 2010, Reason Science Correspondent Ron Bailey participated in "Hardwired for Life?," a panel discussion about behavioral genetics and biological determinism co-sponsored by The NY Salon and The Albert Ellis Institute. Also appearing were Stuart Derbyshire of the University of Birmingham (UK), David Shenk of The Atlantic, Kristene Doyle of The Albert Ellis Institute, and moderator Jean Smith of The NY Salon.

The panel was originally broadcast on FORA.tv. The full video is about 38 minutes long; Bailey appears at the 7.30 minute mark.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses the Backlash to Healthcare Reform on Russia Today

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EDT

On March 25, 2010, Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward joined a panel to discuss the backlash against the passage of the health care bill on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show."

Approximately 15:27 minutes.

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Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: The Outtake Reel

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:30:00 EDT

During the week of March 15 through March 19, Reason.tv debuted the six-part, hour-long documentary series Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to Fix The Mistake on the Lake And Other Once-Great American Cities. Each episode analyzes and suggests a solution (or solutions) for pressing urban problems ranging from education to depopulation to right-sizing government to creating a better climate for business.

Watch it as a single video or in individual episodes here.

And here, presented for your entertainment and our embarassment, are outtakes from the series. Approximately 2.45 minutes. Scroll down for iPod, HD, and audio versions.

Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey was written and produced by Paul Feine, shot and edited by Roger Richards and Alex Manning, and narrated by Nick Gillespie.

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Drew Carey and Nick Gillespie Take on Cleveland's Problems with John Stossel

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EDT

On March 18, 2010, Drew Carey and Reason.tv Editor in Chief, Nick Gillespie, appeared on Stossel to discuss what created 'the Mistake on the Lake' and what can be done to turn Cleveland's fortunes around.

Approximately 44:18 minutes.

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Watch Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey here.

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Adrian Moore Discusses California's Budget Woes on Varney & Co.

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EDT

On March 19, 2010, Reason's Adrian Moore discussed California's budget problems on Fox Business' Varney & Co.

Approximately 3 minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo on RT's The Alyona Show Discusses States' Rights

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EDT

On March 18, 2010, The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo joins a panel to discuss healthcare reform and the latest conflict between the Federal government and States rights, on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show".

Approx. 10 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Pet vs. Human Hospitals on Stossel

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EDT

On February 8, 2010, Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie talked with John Stossel on Fox News about state regulations, healthcare reform, and pet hospitals.

Approximately 5 minutes.

Watch the Reason.tv video, Treat Me Like a Dog, on which this segment was based.

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John Stossel on Fox Business Talks about Cleveland's Bad Rap

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EDT

On March 16, 2010, John Stossel appeared on Fox Business to promote his upcoming interview with Drew Carey and Reason.tv Editor in Chief, Nick Gillespie, on fixing 'the Mistake on the Lake.'

Approximately 5.20 minutes.

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Jacob Sullum, Virginia Postrel, & Nick Gillespie on Fox Business' Stossel

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST

On March 4, 2010, Jacob Sullum , Nick Gillespie and Virginia Postrel appeared on a special episode of Fox Business Network's Stossel devoted to prohibition to discuss drug laws, ridiculous media scare stories, and legalizing markets in human organs.

Approximately 30 minutes.

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Reason Foundation's Adrian Moore on Fox Business Discussing California Education Funding

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:51:00 EST

On March 8, 2010, Adrian Moore, vice president of research at Reason Foundation, appeared on Fox Business with Stuart Varney to comment on California's education funding.

Approximately 5 minutes.

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And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through 19 to watch the original documentary series Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey.

Anthony Randazzo Discusses Banking Reform and Regulation on Al Jazeera

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:59:00 EST

The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo joins a panel to discuss whether banking reform will avert another crisis on Al Jazeera on December 15, 2009.

Approximately 20 minutes.

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Len Gilroy Discusses Privatization of Public Works on CNBC's Power Lunch

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:22:00 EST

On March 11, 2010, Reason Foundation 's Director of Government Reform, Leonard Gilroy appeared on CNBC's Power Lunch to discuss the option of privatizing public works for cash-strapped cities.

Approximately 2 minutes.

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Adrian Moore on Fox Business Channel Talking State Pensions

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

On March 3, 2010, Adrian Moore , vice president of research at Reason Foundation , appeared on Fox Business with Stuart Varney to comment on California's prison guard pensions and the large issue of the Golden State's buget shortfalls.

Approximately 3.40 minutes.

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And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through March 19 for the debut of Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series.

Nick Gillespie on PBS's Two-Way Street

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST

On February 19, 2010, Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie made a special apperance via webcam on PBS's Two-Way Street to ask the panel of experts on whether America should look to Portugal's drug policies for its future.

Approximately 1.13 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie on Stossel Discussing The Food Police, Childhood Obesity & The Nanny State

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST

On January 29, 2010, Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox Business Channel's Stossel to talk about the "food police," childhood obesity, and the ever-growing nanny state. Featuring a legendary battle between Gillespie and junk-food prohibitionist MeMe Roth.

Approximately 8.30 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable iPod, HD, and audio versions. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Katherine Mangu-Ward Discusses Republicans and Democrats on Russia Today

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST

On February 4, 2010, Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on RT's The Alyona Show as part of a panel to discuss the marketing strategies of the Democratic and Republican parties. Approximately 13 minutes.

Eugene Volokh on Gun Rights, Free Expression, and the Nanny State

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST

Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Eugene Volokh, professor of law at the UCLA School of Law and founder of The Volokh Conspiracy, to discuss gun rights, free expression, and the Nanny State.

Find out what Volokh thinks the biggest threats to free expression are, and whether today's muzzlers come mostly from the left or right. Volokh also explains what the landmark Supreme Court case, DC vs. Heller, has done to gun control and whether he agrees with the "more guns, less crime" thesis.

Other topics include: media bias and gun rights, Alabama's prohibition on selling sex toys, and whether judges can be nannies.

Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Alex Manning and Hawk Jensen. Edited by Paul Detrick.

Approximately nine-and-a-half minutes.

Damon Root with Judge Andrew Napolitano on January 20, 2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

Reason's Damon W. Root appeared on Fox News’ Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano on January 20, 2010 to discuss the Second Amendment, federalism, and the Chicago gun case.

Matt Welch Discusses Financial Regulation on CNBC's Power Lunch

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

On March 1, 2010 R eason Editor in Chief, Matt Welch , appeared on CNBC's Power Lunch to discuss the Securities and Exchange Commission and whether financial regulation actually works.

Approximately 9 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses 'Reason Saves Cleveland' on Russia Today

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

On February 23, 2009, Reason.tv 's Nick Gillespie appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss the upcoming series, Reason Saves Cleveland.

Approximately 8 and a half minutes.

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Anthony Randazzo Discusses the Greek Debt Crisis on RT

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

The Reason Foundation's Director of Economic Research Anthony Randazzo discusses the Greek debt crisis and what it means for the E.U. and U.S. on Russia Today's Alyona Show, February 11, 2010.

Approximately 7 minutes.

Dramatic Olbermann vs. Dramatic Chipmunk

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

No one is more self-dramatizing on cable news than male hysteric, unsolicited janitor of Cooperstown, and Countdown host Keith Olbermann, who includes more special effects during his Castro-length "Special Comment" segments than Mikhail Kalatozov did in I Am Cuba (one cinematically exemplary rant remains Commandante O's multi-camera denouncement of Hillary Clinton during the 2008 campaign).

When Olbermann is not ripping "tea-baggers" (get it, har har har) or slagging honest reporters such as Miami Herald TV critic and Reason contributing editor Glenn Garvin (who committed the unpardonable crime of reporting that Olbermann donned a Bill O'Reilly mask and did Nazi salutes in front of a room full of TV critics), he is courageously taking a stand in favor of English-only at schools, judging Rupert Murdoch's Fox News as "worse than Al Qaeda," and extolling Sen. All Aboard Amtrak, Joe Biden, who embodies the Holy Trinity of Olbermannia: "passion, detail and eloquence."

Countdown—it's like Rupert Pupkin finally did get a talk show that could broadcast far past the paneled walls of Mom's basement and reach most of the neighborhood—is must-see TV, as riveting as a nail gun powered by nuclear energy on steroids, the sort of can't-turn-away-from-car-wreck-like commentary usually associated with CNN hosts who have actually been in car wrecks (like this guy and this one).

And yet, even (or perhaps especially) in Obama's America, where Dick Cheney is still making millions of ill-gotten gains by keeping unemployment high and sending troops to the Middle East and Central Asia to secure Haliburton's ultra-lucrative tapioca concessions, there are signs that this world was never meant for one as beautiful as Olbermann.

"Has the countdown begun for the end of 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann'?" asks The New York Post. "With his ratings in free-fall, and his hateful histrionics reaching new highs, even Olbermann's former supporters on the left are tuning out." Indeed, The Los Angeles Times reports, "In the most desirable TV demographic of 25-54, which Keith will soon outgrow himself, 'Countdown' lost 44% of its audience from the beginning of President Obama's term until this year."

As a public service, and before Keith Olbermann joins the likes of failed talk show hosts such as Jerry Lewis, Chevy Chase, J.D. Hayworth, and former ESPN colleague Craig Kilborn, it's worth remembering just how damn good Olbermann was before he lost the pop on his bat and could no longer backpedal with the sun in his eyes.

Like some small-screen, basic-cable Capt. Queeg without the strawberry fetish, Olbermann was staying up late and counting and recounting his vote for the Worst Person In The World (surprise! Bill O'Reilly won again!) while the rest of us were tearing it up on the playing fields of ~~Princeton~~ the Xbox version of NCAA Football. While the rest of us were arguing about politics, going to work every day, paying our taxes, protesting stupid policies...who was standing guard over this fat, dumb, happy country of ours, eh? Not us. Oh, no, we knew you couldn't make any money ~~in the service~~ in cable TV. So who did the dirty work for us? ~~Queeg~~ Olbermann did! And a lot of other guys. Tough, sharp guys who didn't crack up like ~~Queeg~~ Olbermann.

Before he descends to that green room below, the one where you have to do your own makeup and bring your own Evian (which is really tap water poured into a bottle you found behind the local 7-11) and use a Johnny-on-the-Spot (or better yet, just hold it until your 30-second spot is over and you can use the can in the nearby Waffle House, as gross as it is), gaze upon Olbermann throwing down against the single most dramatic figure on this damnable series of tubes we've come to rely on even more than latter-day Eric Sevareids and low-rated, histrionic opinion journalists.

And as Olbermann fades from memory even though he's still on the air, like Diagnosis: Murder or DeGrassi Junior High, The Joe Franklin Show, and Oliver North's War Stories, all of which may well be producing new episodes, ask yourself: Didn't he take it to the chipmunk (which is not really a chipmunk, we know) like a pro? Go tell the Spartans, or at least Roger Ailes, that this was one Cool Hand Luke who could really take a punch!

For downloadable iPod, HD, and audio versions of "Dramatic Olbermann vs. Dramatic Chipmunk" scroll down. Watch the video at Reason.tv YouTube channel (subscribe to it and you'll get automatic notificatins whenever new material goes live!). Approximately 13 seconds long; produced by Meredith Bragg and me.

Nick Gillespie is the editor in chief of Reason.tv and Reason.com.

Matt Welch on MSNBC with David Shuster

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST

On February 3, Reason's Matt Welch appeared on MSNBC to discuss President Obama's flagging support among the American people. Thrill to Matt being misidentified as a "Republican strategist" and be inspired when he points out that Obama's policies, many of which simply continue awful programs initiated by George W. Bush, are genuinely unpopular.

3 Reasons Not To Sweat The Citizens United Ruling

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST

No recent Supreme Court ruling have evoked more liberal fury than Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a campaign-finance case involving government censorship of a political documentary called Hillary: The Movie. The Federal Election Commission prevented the anti-Hillary Clinton film from being shown on television just before the 2008 Democratic primaries, a decision that was upheld by lower courts. Siding with The First Amendment, the Court struck down laws regulating independent political advertising by for-profit and non-profit corporations before an election even as they reaffirmed rules about disclosure and disclosures for ads and against direct corporate giving to candidates.

Critics fear that corporations will now overwhelm the political marketplace with commercials and advertisements that will program citizens to vote for whatever agenda "the corprations" want at a given moment.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann railed against the decision, calling it "a Supreme Court-sanctioned murder of what little democracy is left in this democracy" and comparing it to the notorious Dred Scott decision, which ruled that blacks had no rights under the Constitution. His fellow corporate media host at MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, exclaimed, "If you are a regular person who has ever made a campaign donation before, forget about ever having to do that again. What's the point?"

Cyberlaw theorist Lawrence Lessig has called for a consitutional amendment to roll back the Citizens United ruling and President Barack Obama called out the Supreme Court during his 2010 State of the Union address, proclaiming to a standing ovation:

The Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections.

Is there any truth to some hyperbolic, doomsday scenarios? In a word, no. The Citizens United ruling increases freedom of political speech, not simply for powerful, politically connected corporations like Citigroup, AIG, and the companies that run The New York Times and other media outlets, but for small-pocketed nonprofits such as Citizens United too. If you want to get bent out of shape about something, direct your ire at a massive and constantly growing government that has its hands in virtually every aspect of economic and social life in America.

"3 Reasons Not to Sweat The Citizens United Ruling" was written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts.

For Reason.com's archive on the Citizens United case, go here.

Approximately 3.30 minutes. Scroll down for downloadable versions.

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Anthony Randazzo on The Alyona Show on Russia Today - 01/07/10

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST

Reason Foundation Policy Analyst Anthony Randazzo talks about the problems the economy will face this year and offers some predictions for 2010. He appeared on Russia Today's "The Alyona Show" on January 7, 2010.

Matt Welch on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, December 12, 2009

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

On Saturday, December 12, 2009, Reason magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss his controversial article, "Why I Prefer French Health Care," from the January 2009 issue.

Approximately 30 minutes. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

Be Happy!: Why this is the best holiday season ever.

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

We're going through some tough economic times right now, but this holiday season, take a moment to appreciate how good we really have it.

Need proof? Just think about how much Christmas presents sucked in the 1970s compared to today.

Thanks to our market-based system, we're wealthier, we have more choices, and we enjoy more leisure time than ever before.

From all of us at Reason.tv, happy holidays!

Produced by Paul Feine and Hawk Jensen. Hosted by Nick Gillespie.

Approximately 1.45 minutes.

Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

To sign up for Reason.tv's YouTube page, go here.

Nick Gillespie on Fox News' Freedom Watch With Judge Andrew Napolitano, Dec. 9, 2009

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST

On December 9, Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox News' Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss auditing the Federal Reserve, health care reform, and the role of small-government libertarians in the Republican Party. Also appearing: Investment analyst and Senate candidate Peter Schiff.

This video is also available at Reason.tv's YouTube channel.

Barbara Branden on The Passion of Ayn Rand

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Arguably, no two people were closer to Ayn Rand than Barbara and Nathaniel Branden, whom Rand once named as her "intellectual heir." Indeed, when the Brandens married in 1953, the author served as bridesmaid (Rand had also urged the pair to wed).

A decade later, the Brandens would collaborate on the first biography of Rand, Who Is Ayn Rand? In 1986, Barbara published a second biography, The Passion of Ayn Rand, which eventually was made into an award-winning Showtime movie starring Helen Mirren.

Despite the ruinous and controversial romantic affair between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and her eventual ouster from Rand's inner circle, Barbara still feels fondly for the author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. As Branden, now 80, recalls in this Reason.tv interview, "I felt like she's answering questions that I've been looking for answers for, and nobody's been giving me any sort of answer until now."

Approximately seven minutes. Interview by Seth Goldin, camera by Alex Manning, and editing by Hawk Jensen.

This is part of the Reason.tv series Radicals For Capitalism: Celebrating the Ideas of Ayn Rand. Go here for more information, other videos, and related materials or scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

This video is also available on Reason.tv's YouTube channel. Go here to subscribe.

The Cold War Never Ended

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

On November 9, 2009, the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Reason senior editor Michael C. Moynihan discussed his article "The Cold War Never Ended" on the Kremlin-backed television station Russia Today and who—if anyone—deserves credit for killing off the evil empire.

Remembering the Victims of Communism

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST

Twenty years ago today, the Berlin Wall was breached and Soviet communism, at long last, entered its death spiral.

After claiming approximately 100 million victims in the 20th century, communism was dismissed to the ash heap of history. But those who suffered under its boot heel have largely been confined to the history books when not forgotten altogether.

Author and historian Lee Edwards set out to correct this oversight with the creation of the Victims of Communism memorial and online museum, dedicated to those who perished because of Communist regimes between 1917 and 1989.

Reason.tv spoke to Edwards about the importance of historical memory, plans for a forthcoming bricks-and-mortar museum in Washington, DC, and the paintings of Ukrainian gulag survivor Nikolai Gettman, currently on display at the Heritage Foundation, where Edwards is a "Distinguished Fellow in Conservative Thought."

Produced by Meredith Bragg and Michael C. Moynihan.

Interview by Moynihan. Shot and edited by Bragg. Approximately 4 minutes.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and embed code. This video is also available at YouTube. Subscribe to Reason.tv's channel now.

Reason Foundation Co-Founder Tibor Machan on Ayn Rand

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Tibor Machan was one of the founding partners in Reason Enterprises, which began publishing Reason magazine in 1971, three years after its creation. He became editor in the spring of 1971 and worked with the magazine through the '70s and '80s as an associate editor and senior editor. In 1978 he co-founded the Reason Foundation with Manny Klausner and Bob Poole. Today Machan holds the R. C. Hoiles Chair of Business Ethics and Free Enterprise at the Argyros School of Business & Economics at Chapman University in Orange, California.

"I think that for Ayn Rand to have survived and made a life for herself, she almost needed that edgy personality, otherwise she would have been destroyed," says Machan, who was born in Hungary in 1939. At 14 years of age, his father smuggled Machan out of the country, fearing the Hungarian communist government. His background helps give Machan insight into how the intellectual mind of Ayn Rand functioned. "Her unpleasantness," he says, "ultimately can be fully justified given the treatment she was given when she came out the Soviet Union, told the truth about that country, and nobody paid attention." In 2000, Machan wrote Ayn Rand exploring all the major themes of Ayn Rand's philosophical thought.

Approximately six minutes. Interview by David Nott, camera by Alex Manning, and editing by Hawk Jensen.

Reason Foundation Co-Founder Manny Klausner on Ayn Rand

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:49:00 EST

Manuel "Manny" Klausner was one of the founding partners in Reason Enterprises, which began publishing Reason magazine in 1971, three years after the publication's creation. He became editor in the summer of 1972 and a senior editor in June 1978. In 1978 he co-founded the Reason Foundation with Tibor Machan and Bob Poole. He remains on the board of the Reason Foundation today, is a stalwart supporter of the Federalist Society, and a libertarian lawyer extraordinaire.

"Rand is, I think, a very valuable resource in the movement for people who take liberty seriously," says Klausner. "When I was editor of Reason in the early 1970s, we got an article that was submitted that proposed a method for converting the world to libertarianism, and that was by going door-to-door and distributing to every household a copy of Atlas Shrugged. We rejected the article...but it was an example of the kind of impact Rand has had and continues to have on many many people."

Approximately six minutes. Interview by David Nott, camera by Alex Manning, and editing by Hawk Jensen.

This interview is part of the Reason.tv series Radicals For Capitalism: Celebrating the Ideas of Ayn Rand. Go here for more information, other videos, and related materials. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

Reason Foundation Co-Founder Bob Poole on Ayn Rand

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Robert W. Poole Jr. was one of the founders of Reason Enterprises, which began publishing Reason with its January 1971 issue (the magazine had started in 1968, under the direction of Lanny Friedlander). He co-founded the Reason Foundation in 1978 with Manny Klausner and Tibor Machan and has held many titles with the magazine, including editor, managing editor, executive editor, editor-in-chief, and publisher. He remains on the board of the Reason Foundation today and is the Searle Freedom Trust Transportation Fellow and Director of Transportation Policy.

"Rand really inspired a lot of people who otherwise might have become conservatives, like me," says Poole. "If you go back and look at surveys that were done of libertarians in the 1960s, '70s, and even the '80s, and asked what single book or thought leader most inspired you to become a libertarian, it was always Rand by a large large majority—always a plurality and usually a majority."

Approximately six minutes. Interview by Michael C. Moynihan, camera by Dan Hayes, and editing by Hawk Jensen.

This is part of the Reason.tv series Radicals For Capitalism: Celebrating the Ideas of Ayn Rand.

Go here for more information, other videos, and related materials. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

Rand-O-Rama: The Long Shelf Life of Ayn Rand's Legacy

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Few authors have ever achieved the popularity that the novelist and essayist Ayn Rand (1905-1982) did. With the publication of The Fountainhead in 1943 and Atlas Shrugged in 1958, Rand became a full-blown cultural phenomenon, selling millions of books and inspiring countless readers—ranging from former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner to actress Angelina Jolie—with her moral defense of capitalism. A refugee from Soviet Russia, Rand argued that capitalism was the best way of organizing society not simply because it was more efficient than communism but because it allowed the individual to fill his or her potential. A self-declared "radical for capitalism," Rand emphatically rejected collectivism of all stripes and embraced "man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."

Decades after her death, Rand's work is hotter than ever. In an age of massive government intervention into every aspect of the economy and personal lives, sales of her books are way up and a movie version of Atlas Shrugged is in the works. References to Rand are everywhere from Mad Men to The Colbert Report to The Simpsons and there's even a new critical appreciation, as evidenced by two new biographies, Ayn Rand And The World She Made and Goddess of The Right.

Approximately four minutes long and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, "Rand-O-Rama" analyzes the 21st-century Rand renaissance.

It is part of the Reason.tv series Radicals For Capitalism: Celebrating the Ideas of Ayn Rand. Go here for more information, other videos, and related materials.

Budget Deficits For Dummies: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love $1.4 Trillion

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EDT

The U.S. budget deficit for fiscal year 2009, which ended in September, was a record-shattering $1.4 trillion, equal to about 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product. In case you're wondering, the previous record had been set in...2008.

$1.4 trillion dollars is a lot of money and it's hard to get your mind around that figure. One way to appreciate the sum is to think of it in terms of all the things that you could buy with that dough. The budget deficit, for instance, would pay for more than 1.2 billion nights at Rep. Charles Rangel's vacation condo in the Dominican Republic. And that's just for starters.

Don't worry if you have trouble doing the math, because you'll get another chance next year. The Obama administration has just released its estimate for the fiscal year 2010 budget deficit. The number? Another $1.4 trillion.

Approximately 1.30 seconds. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie.

Cuban Punk Gorki Aguila on Music, Life, and Getting Led Zeppelin Records in Cuba

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:31:00 EDT

Gorki Águila is blunt in his assessment of Fidel Castro's half century of revolution: "Communism is a failure. A total failure. Please, leftists of the world-improve your capitalism! Don't choose communism!" Águila, a Havana resident, wears homemade anti-government t-shirts, frequently denounces the Castro brothers as geriatric tyrants, and heads up perhaps Cuba's only explicitly political punk band, Porno Para Ricardo. And because of his stubborn belief in free speech, he is routinely arrested on charges of "social dangerousness." Tired of his anti-regime music, Cuban authorities made the rare decision to grant Águila a visa to travel abroad, perhaps hoping that he wouldn't return.

In September, Reason.tv's Michael C. Moynihan caught up with Águila on the Washington, D.C. leg of his American promotional tour to talk about his music, the origins of Porno Para Ricardo, and how long it takes to get Led Zeppelin records in a totalitarian society.

Approximately 7 minutes. Shot by Meredith Bragg. Edited by Dan Hayes.

Barack Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize...

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EDT

If the world was stunned to learn that President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, it will be even more amazed by all the awards that are still coming his way.

A Reason.tv Rapid Response video. Approximately two minutes.

Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie.

Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel.

Nick Gillespie on Fox News' Freedom Watch

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox News' Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano on Wednesday, September 23 and discussed tea party protests, the death of conservativism, and the future of libertarian politics.

Approximately 10 minutes. Edited by Meredith Bragg.

Matt Welch on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EDT

On Wednesday, September 16, Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on PBS' The Newshour with Jim Lehrer to discuss whether criticism of Barack Obama's politicial agenda is, as former President Jimmy Carter has asserted, due to racial animosity.

Approximately 15 minutes. Edited by Meredith Bragg.

Nick Gillespie on Fox News' Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT

On Wednesday, September 9, Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox News' Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano (read his Reason archive here and watch his great talk from Reason in DC here).

Among the topics: Why Congress treats the Constitution like a pair of stretch pants, the real reasons health care reform is unpopular, and the power of dissent in a free society.

Approximately 12 minutes. Edited by Dan Hayes. Scroll down for downloadable versions and embed code.

Richard Viguerie on the Future of Conservatism

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Richard Viguerie is known as "the funding father" of conservatives for his pioneering use of computerized direct-mail fundraising campaigns. Lately, he's become a strong critic of the Republican Party, saying that they deserved to lose Congress after casting off any pretense to being the party of limited government. A strong Ron Paul supporter during the 2008 election season, Viguerie also runs the popular site Conservative HQ.

A former secretary of Young Americans for Freedom, Viguerie continues to challenge his long-held beliefs, writing an anti-death penalty story for the liberal religious journal Sojourners this past summer.

Viguerie sat down with Reason magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch at Freedom Fest in July to discuss what went wrong during the Bush years and what's going wrong under President Barack Obama.

Bjorn Lomborg & The Copenhagen Consensus: What's The Best Way to Live With Global Warming?

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EDT

What's the best way for humanity to reduce suffering from man-made global warming? No individual has been a stronger voice for rational cost-benefit analysis on this issue than Bjorn Lomborg, the head of Copenhagen Consensus Center, and author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool It! On Thursday, September 3, 2009, Lomborg stopped by Reason's DC HQ to discuss the latest iteration of his ongoing project with Reason magazine science correspondent Ronald Bailey.

The Copenhagen Consensus Center's expert panel of five top economists, including three Nobel laureates, has concluded that greater resources should be spent on research into climate engineering and green energy. They also concluded that the least cost-effective way to deal with climate change is carbon taxes. Such carbon taxes are the economic equivalent of cap-and-trade carbon rationing schemes like the Waxman-Markey bill being considered by Congress and which are being negotiated by the U.N.

The expert panel consisted of Nobel laureate economists Thomas Schelling, Vernon Smith, and Finn Kydland. They were joined by University of Chicago economist Nancy Stokey and Columbia University economist Jagdish Bhagwati. The panel considered and ranked 21 ground-breaking research proposals by top climate economists on the basis their benefits and costs in dealing with global warming. Ultimately they ranked only the 15 proposals below.

Approximatley four minutes. Shot by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg; edited by Dan Hayes.

Related video, from Reason's 40th anniversary gala in Fall 2008: Bjorn Lomborg Says Cool It!

Watch the full length interview below.

MythBusting with Adam Savage!

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EDT

At the Las Vegas-based Amazing Meeting, Reason magazine's Matt Welch recently sat down with Adam Savage, co-host of the enormously popular and captivating Discovery Channel series MythBusters.

Each week, Savage and Jamie Hyneman, aided by a crew of demolition experts and special effects whizzes, delve into mysteries of the moment: Does anything that happen in a James Bond movie have a basis in reality?; was the moon landing faked?; is there such a thing as "beer goggles"?; and much, more more. As important, they explain the science behind many complicated phenomena and rarely miss an opportunity blow things up real good.

Savage talks about the genesis and success of the show, now in its eighth season, and discusses whether people are becoming more or less skeptical in an increasingly interconnected world. Does the faster flow of information mean the bad crowds out the good?

Approximately 8 minutes. Shot and edited by Dan Hayes.

Scroll down for embed code, iPod, HD, and audio versions.

"This is an injustice and I think everyone has gotten the message."

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Charlie Lynch is the medical marijuana dispensary owner whose business, fully legal under California state law, was raided by federal agents in 2007. Lynch was charged with five counts of violating federal drug laws. He faced as many as 100 years in prison, but on his June 11, 2009 sentencing date many expected the mandatory-minimum five-year sentence.

Although the fact that Lynch was prosecuted at all is an affront to anyone who believes in the 10th Amendment or the efficacy of medical marijuana, Lynch and his attorneys were relieved with the 366-day sentence delivered by U.S. District Court Judge George Wu. Lynch is free pending appeal, and his attorneys are hopeful he can avoid prison entirely. If he is imprisoned, the actual time he would spend behind bars would likely be about four months.

Defense attorney Reuven Cohen expects that his client will be among the last dispensary owners prosecuted in our nation’s failed war on drugs. "I really think," says Cohen, "you're looking at, if not the last, then the penultimate or third to last medical marijuana dispensary prosecution in the United States....This is an injustice, and I think everyone has gotten the message."

This video update is approximately three minutes. Produced by Ted Balaker; shot by Alex Manning and Paul Detrick.

The reason.tv documentary short, "Raiding California," which brought the Lynch case to a national audience, is here.

Reason’s coverage of the Lynch saga is here.

All the President's Newsmen

Wed, 20 May 2009 06:00:00 EDT

With the proliferation of news on the Internet, Americans aren't supporting their local newspapers. Circulation and ad revenues are way down, while web readership—where the news is likely to be free and up-to-the-minute—is way up. Technology has changed the game. But for those who see a connection between American democracy and the demise of the newspaper industry, it's time to get the government involved to save the news business.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced the Newspaper Revitalization Act, a bill that would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) warns of the "serious consequences for our democracy" if his hometown paper, The Boston Globe, goes belly up. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has publicly argued for an antitrust exemption to save the San Francisco Chronicle, a paper that has long supported her political career. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) recently argued that "If Congress does not act...a major city in the United States will be without a newspaper in the fairly near future."

Washington can give newspapers tax breaks or generous subsides to keep them afloat. There are many ways of extending the life of a terminally-ill by forcing onto life support. But why should the government support an industry that consumers are rejecting?

"Most of those supporting a newspaper bailout were also critical of the media’s behavior in the run-up to the Iraq War," says Reason senior editor Michael Moynihan. "Now imagine the reaction if the very same journalists wrote the very same stories about Iraq in 2002 but were reliant upon the Bush administration for their survival."

Scroll down for embed code, an audio podcast, and iPod and HD versions.

For a YouTube version of this video, go here.

Correction: The amount of French tax subsidies to newspapers is misstated. The correct figure is $800 million.

Fox News' Jane Hall on Dirty Politics, Lazy Reporting, & Much More

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EDT

In conjunction with The Interactive Media Studies Program at Miami University of Ohio, reason's Nick Gillespie co-taught a class last fall called "Poltics, Culture, and New Media."

The course explored the theory and practice of new media, especially as it relates to cultural and political journalistic outlets. In alternating weeks, the course took place in classroom spaces on the Miami University campus and Reason's D.C. offices, where Gillespie, a Ph.D. in literature and a 20-year veteran of journalism, led web-based videoconferences with journalists, authors, and policy analysts.

On December 3, Gillespie hosted a videoconference with American University communications professor Jane Hall, a regular on Fox News Channel's "News Watch" and a veteran of The Los Angeles Times and other publications. A frequent commentator on radio and television, Hall has appeared on The Charlie Rose Show, CNN, NPR, C-SPAN, and many other places. Her 2005 research on media self-censorship during the first Gulf War was lauded by the Columbia Journalism Review as "an important new study."

Approximately one hour. Shot by Dan Hayes, edited by Roger Richards.

Go here for audio podcast.

Watch other discussions in this series:

Legendary political operative Roger Stone on new media and old campaign tricks (September 17, 2008).

reason Editor in Chief and McCain: The Myth of a Maverick author Matt Welch (October 1, 2008).

The Onion's Joe Garden on Bringing the Funny in the Age of Obama (October 15, 2008).

Andrew Ferguson on Abe Lincoln, Twits on Parade, and New Media (October 29, 2008).

The Business of Hollywood

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EDT

At Reason Goes Hollywood, our 40th anniversary bash held November 14-15, 2008 in Los Angeles, Reason.tv's Ted Balaker led a lively discussion on "The Business of Hollywood," especially as it pertains to creative work that challenges a stultifying left-liberal consenus in movie industry.

Panelists included Moving Picture Institute co-founder (and Reason Foundation supporter) Frayda Levy, Lionsgate Entertainment vice chairman Michael Burns, and Disney Channel co-founder Jim Jimirro. The conversation covered ground ranging from the Atlas Shrugged movie to Mad Men to the effect of popular culture on political attitudes.

Approximately 40 minutes.

For an audio podcast version, go here.

For more video from Reason Goes Hollywood, go here.

Nick Gillespie on Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST

On President's Day (Monday, February 16, 2009), Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on Fox News Channel's irreverent late-night show, Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld, to discuss the legacy of William Henry Harrison, the dreaded "octo-mom," Barack Obama, and other pressing topics of the day.

Approximately 50 minutes.

Other Red Eye appearances by Reason staffers here.

Andrew Ferguson on Abe Lincoln, Twits on Parade, and New Media

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST

In conjunction with The Interactive Media Studies Program at Miami University of Ohio, reason's Nick Gillespie co-taught a class last fall called "Poltics, Culture, and New Media."

On October 29, Gillespie and his class spoke with Andrew Ferguson, author of the highly praised books Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America and Fools' Names and Fools' Faces. He is senior editor of The Weekly Standard and a columnist for Bloomberg News based in Washington, D.C. Before joining the Standard at its founding in 1995, he was senior editor at the Washingtonian magazine. He has been a columnist for Fortune, TV Guide, and Forbes FYI, and a contributing editor to Time magazine. He has also written for the New Yorker, New York, The New Republic, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and other publications. In 1992, he was a White House speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush. Approximately 60 minutes.

Go here for audio podcast.

Watch other discussions in this series:

Legendary political operative Roger Stone on new media and old campaign tricks (September 17, 2008).

reason Editor in Chief and McCain: The Myth of a Maverick author Matt Welch (October 1, 2008).

The Onion's Joe Garden on Bringing the Funny in the Age of Obama (October 15, 2008).

Reason.tv at Sundance: Shouting Fire!

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:30:00 EST

Martin Garbus' client list spans from Nelson Mandela to Don Imus. He defended comedian Lenny Bruce against obscenity charges and argued for neo-Nazis' right to march in the predominantly Jewish town of Skokie, Illiniois.

Garbus is featured in the new documentary Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech. The film is directed by his daughter Liz Garbus, and screened at the Sundance Film Festival.

Reason.tv's Ted Balaker caught up with Martin Garbus at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

The Reason.tv Talk Show, Episode 7

dan.hayes@reason.org (Dan Hayes) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

On December 16, Reason's Nick Gillespie and Michael C. Moynihan sat down with the journalist Jon Utley, the subject of the excellent new documentary about his father's death in a Soviet labor camp, Return to the Gulag, and economist Michael Munger, head of Duke University's political science department and the surprisingly successful Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate in North Carolina.

The quartet spent about 25 minutes talking about the bailouts, how the Cold War still matters, whether libertarian ideas are on the march or in retreat, and much more.

For audio podcast, go here.

Killer Chic

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:29:00 EST

Gisele Bundchen wears him on the runway, Johnny Depp wears him around his neck, and Benicio Del Toro becomes him in the new, highly acclaimed, two-part epic film from Steven Soderbergh, Che. Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the revolutionary who helped found communist Cuba, is the celebrity that celebrities adore. And be it Madonna, Rage Against the Machine, or Jay-Z, musicians really dig Che.

It’s something that baffles Cuban jazz legend Paquito D’Rivera. “Che hated artists, so how is it possible that artists still today support the image of Che Guevara?” Turns out the rebellious icon that emblazons countless T-shirts actually enforced aesthetic and political conformity. D’Rivera explains that Che and other Cuban authorities sought to ban rock and roll and jazz.

“Che was an inspiration for me,” D’Rivera tells reason.tv. “I thought I have to get out of this island as soon as I can, because I am in the wrong place at the wrong time!” D’Rivera did escape Cuba, and so far he’s won nine Grammy awards playing the kind of music Che tried to silence. But D’Rivera says Che’s crimes didn’t end with censorship. “He ordered the execution of many people with no trial.” Che served as Castro’s chief executioner, presiding over the infamous La Cabana prison. D’Rivera says Che’s policy of killing innocents earned him the nickname—the Butcher of La Cabana.

“We’re rightly horrified by fascist murderers like Adolph Hitler,” says reason.tv’s Nick Gillespie. “Why aren’t we also horrified by communist killers?” Certainly, Che’s body count isn’t anywhere near Hitler’s. But what about someone Che idolized, someone whom he might have liked to wear on his chest?

“Che, Castro, all the communist regimes idolized only one thing that Mao personifies—violence.” Kai Chen grew up in China under the reign of Mao Zedong. Although he won gold medals for China’s national basketball team, Chen’s was far from the celebrity life of an NBA star. Says Chen, “You have no right to talk, and you have no right to think.”

The punishment for questioning Mao’s authority was often death. The Black Book of Communism estimates that Mao is responsible for the deaths of 65 million people—a figure that dwarfs even Hitler’s body count. “Mao is a murderer,” says Chen. “The biggest mass murderer in human history.”

And yet, like Che, Mao’s image is becoming an increasingly popular way to move merchandise. You can buy Mao t-shirts, mugs, caps—you name it. Near Chen’s Los Angeles home there’s even a restaurant called Mao’s Kitchen. “Can you imagine a restaurant called Hitler’s Kitchen?” asks Gillespie.

Neither D’Rivera nor Chen understands why communist killers are considered Chic, but each finds his own way to have the last laugh on these anti-capitalist icons.

"Killer Chic" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Director of Photography is Alex Manning.

Closing music, "Che Guevara T-Shirt Wearer," courtesy of The Clap. Listen to the whole song here.

Roger Stone on New Media and Old Campaign Tricks

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

In conjunction with The Interactive Media Studies Program at Miami University of Ohio, reason's Nick Gillespie is co-teaching a class called "Poltics, Culture, and New Media."

The course explores the theory and practice of new media, especially as it relates to cultural and political journalistic outlets. In alternating weeks, the course takes place in classroom spaces on the Miami University campus in Reason's DC-based offices, where Gillespie, a Ph.D. in literature and a 20-year veteran of journalism, leads Web-based videoconferences with journalists, authors, policy analysts.

On September 17, the class talked with legendary and notorious political operative, Roger Stone.

Click above to watch the hour-long conversation, which was filmed and edited by reason's Dan Hayes (himself a Miami alum).

For an audio podcast version of this conversation, go here.

Christopher Hitchens: How The New York Times Sets the Political Agenda

dan.hayes@reason.org (Dan Hayes) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:25:00 EST

On Wednesday, February 6, journalist and best-selling author Christopher Hitchens spoke to the students participating in the Washington Center for Politics & Journalism's "politics and journalism semester" in Washington, D.C.

Presented by the center's founder and executive director, Terry Michael, Hitchens' comments cover a lot of territory in his inimitable style. Watch the video to learn how The New York Times sets the political agenda, why The Washington Post still carries horoscopes, and how media bias really operates.

Discuss this video at reason's Hit & Run blog.

Kurt Loder on Technology and Freedom

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:04:00 EST

On Friday, October 26, reason Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie interviewed Kurt Loder for the conference Reason in DC.

A legend for his work in Rolling Stone and at MTV, Loder is an outspoken libertarian--and a harsh critic of the nanny state in all its manifestations.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Loder discusses technology, freedom, the coming collapse of traditional news media (and why that's a good thing), the misguided (and ultimately ineffective) attempt to shut down free expression, and much more.