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The Libertarian: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin
The inimitable Richard Epstein offers his unique perspective on national developments in public policy and the law. The Libertarian is a podcast of the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.
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- Oct 8, 202617 min
Diesel Shock: The High Cost of Energy Isolation
Why are diesel prices soaring, and why doesn’t American energy independence shield consumers from global shocks? Richard Epstein discusses how war, restrictions on pipelines, and strained international relationships affect energy supplies. He also looks at the limits of energy self-sufficiency, the risks of disrupting global trade, and why expanding supply is essential to easing pressure on farmers, businesses, and households.
- Oct 3, 202620 min
Trump’s $5,000 Promise and the Limits of Presidential Power
Richard Epstein examines Trump’s proposal to send Americans $5,000 checks, questioning who would pay, whether the giveaway makes economic sense, and what congressional approval it would require. He discusses the difference between political promises and bribery, the constitutional limits on presidential spending, and the electoral risks of sweeping cash giveaways and whether a constitutional amendment should impose an upper age limit on presidents.
- Aug 24, 202620 min
Can Trump Still Win the War With Iran?
Richard Epstein takes a look at Trump’s war with Iran and a strategy Epstein sees as dangerously muddled. From the Strait of Hormuz and soaring geopolitical stakes to Trump’s faith in dealmaking, Epstein argues that half-measures have turned a potentially decisive conflict into a grinding war of attrition—with consequences that could reshape America’s alliances and the global balance of power.
- Aug 20, 202621 min
Will a Mega-Merger Save or Destroy Hollywood?
Richard Epstein unpacks the antitrust battle over the proposed Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger—and what it reveals about the changing economics of Hollywood. From AI and labor unrest to regulatory overreach and interstate competition, Epstein argues that the industry’s real threat isn’t consolidation but rapid technological and economic disruption, making the case that blocking the deal could do more harm than good.
- Aug 10, 202621 min
Zeus's Law: What The Odyssey Gets Right—and Wrong
Richard Epstein and Charles C. W. Cooke discuss Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—its departures from Homer, its moral themes, and its spectacular scale. They also explore aesthetics, virtue, Greek and Roman law, and the relationship between ordinary moral intuition and formal legal reasoning.
- Jul 21, 202634 min
Richard Epstein Fixes Soccer
Can the world's most popular sport be improved? Richard Epstein thinks so, and argues that soccer's rules are overdue for reform. From red cards and penalty kicks to VAR, substitutions, stoppage time, and overtime, Epstein applies the principles of law, economics, and institutional design to the beautiful game. The result is a lively conversation about whether smarter rules could make soccer fairer, faster, and even more exciting.
- Jun 29, 202622 min
Roundup at The Supreme Court
Charles C. W. Cooke and Richard Epstein break down the Supreme Court’s Roundup v. Monsanto decision, arguing that the case was widely miscast as a simple fight between big business and cancer victims. Epstein explains why the real issue was federal preemption under FIFRA, the limits of state-law warning-label lawsuits, and the danger of letting juries override regulatory judgments on complex scientific questions. Along the way, he surveys the evolution of product liability law, the risks of over-litigation, and why different products—from pesticides to vaccines—may require very different legal treatment.
- Jun 22, 202627 min
Elon Musk, Inequality, and the Politics of Envy
Richard Epstein takes on the growing obsession with billionaires, wealth taxes, and economic “justice,” arguing that making the rich poorer will not make the poor richer. Using Elon Musk’s hypothetical trillionaire status as a jumping-off point, Epstein explains why great fortunes are usually tied up in productive enterprises, not bank vaults, and why efforts to confiscate or redistribute them often destroy wealth, drive capital out of high-tax states, and leave everyone worse off. From California’s tax experiments to New York estate taxes to the politics of envy, Epstein makes the case that prosperity—not punishment—is the better path to helping the poor.
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About The Libertarian
The inimitable Richard Epstein offers his unique perspective on national developments in public policy and the law. The Libertarian is a podcast of the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.
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