Should We Abolish the Federal Reserve?
Economists Lawrence H. White and Frederic Mishkin debate whether the Federal Reserve should be replaced with free market institutions.
Podcast: The Soho Forum Debates
Reason presents a libertarian-themed debate series recorded monthly before a live audience in New York City. Moderated by former Barron's Economics Editor Gene Epstein, the Soho Forum features Nobel prize winners, radical thinkers, and other public intellectuals facing off over the future of bitcoin, electric vehicles, government debt, illegal drugs, robotics, sex work, and other controversial topics.
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Should Americans Value Nationalism?
National Review's Rich Lowry debates the Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh.
Never Lock Down Again? Jay Bhattacharya vs. Sten Vermund
Stanford's Jay Bhattacharya debates Yale's Sten Vermund on COVID-19 lockdowns, focused protection, and the Great Barrington Declaration.
Is Free Market Ideology Hurting the Economy?
A livestreamed debate between Binyamin Appelbaum and Gene Epstein
Is It Time to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons?
Author Ward Wilson advocates eliminating nuclear weapons. Defense consultant Peter Huessy says that's unrealistic.
Does Climate Science Really Compel Us Toward Urgent Action?
Climate scientist Andrew Dessler of Texas A&M University defends urgent action on climate against scientist and author Steven Koonin.
Will Bitcoin Demonetize Gold?
Monetary Metals CEO Keith Weiner defends the future of gold against bitcoin podcaster Pierre Rochard.
Should the U.S. Be Arming Ukraine Against Russia?
Scott Horton vs. Cathy Young in a live debate at PorcFest, in Lancaster, New Hampshire.
Did Prescription Opioids Cause The Overdose Epidemic?
Doctors Adriane Fugh-Berman and Jeffrey Singer debate the harms of prescription opioids
A Feminist Debate on Sex Work
Reason's Elizabeth Nolan Brown makes the case for legalizing sex work. Author Julie Bindel wants customers to be held criminally liable.
Send The U.S. Military to Taiwan?
Brookings Institution senior fellow William Galston debates former State Department diplomat Peter Van Buren
Regulate Social Media? Jonathan Haidt Debates Robby Soave
Professor Jonathan Haidt of NYU and Reason's Robby Soave debate the harms of social media and what the government should do about it.
Two Libertarians Debate Vaccine Mandates
George Mason University Law Professor Ilya Somin debates Libertarian Party activist Angela McArdle
Abolish Intellectual Property Rights?
Patent lawyer Stephan Kinsella debates Law Professor Richard Epstein
U.S. Foreign Policy: Bill Kristol vs. Scott Horton
Antiwar.com's Scott Horton takes on The Weekly Standard's founding editor, Bill Kristol
Do Voter ID Laws Undermine the Democratic Process or Ensure Trustworthy Elections?
NYU's Eliza Sweren-Becker debates Hans von Spakovsky of The Heritage Foundation
Is the Free State Project a Better Idea than the Libertarian Party?
The Free State Project's Jeremy Kauffmann debates the L.P.'s Angela McArdle in a Soho Forum debate.
Does Bitcoin Have the Potential to Become a Generally Accepted Medium of Exchange?
Financial consultant John Vallis vs. George Mason University economist Lawrence H. White
Socialism or Capitalism? A Soho Forum Debate
Jacobin's Ben Burgis and Soho Forum's Gene Epstein debate which system better promotes freedom, equality, and prosperity.
Is More Presidential Power Necessary in the Modern World? A Soho Forum Debate
Stanford University's Terry Moe and the Cato Institute's Gene Healy debate giving fast-track authority to U.S. presidents.
Should Businesses Only Focus on Shareholder Value? A Soho Forum Debate
Ayn Rand Institute's Yaron Brook says yes, Whole Foods' John Mackey says no.
Should the U.S. Government Adopt an Industrial Policy? A Soho Forum Debate
American Compass Executive Director Oren Cass vs. the Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome on whether the U.S. should increase its intervention in the manufacturing industry.
End the COVID-19 Lockdowns? Two Epidemiologists Debate
Harvard's Martin Kulldorff vs. Andrew Noymer of UC Irvine
The Electoral College: Keep or Replace? A Soho Forum Debate
Richard Epstein vs. Lawrence Lessig
Completely Replace Fossil Fuels Within 20 Years? A Soho Forum Debate
Jeff Nesbit and Bjorn Lomborg on the threat of climate change and what should be done about it
Who Should Libertarians Vote for in 2020? A Soho Forum Update
Ilya Somin, Angela McArdle, and Francis Menton refresh their cases for Biden, Jorgensen, and Trump.
Could All Parents Have 'Pandemic Pods' If There Were More School Choice? A Soho Forum Debate
As K–12 education goes remote, groups of parents are hiring teachers to teach their kids in person. Is that wrong?
Does COVID-19 Strengthen the Case for Medicare for All? A Soho Forum Debate
Gerald Friedman of the University of Massachusetts says yes, while the Pacific Research Institute's Sally Pipes says no.
Who Should Libertarians Vote For in 2020? A Soho Forum Debate
Ilya Somin, Angela McArdle, and Francis Menton debate whether libertarians should vote for Joe Biden, Jo Jorgensen, or Donald Trump.
Radley Balko and Rafael Mangual Debate Systemic Racism
The Washington Post's Radley Balko vs. The Manhattan Institute's Rafael Mangual on whether or not "there is overwhelming evidence that the criminal justice system is racist."
Were the Lockdowns a Mistake? A Soho Forum Debate
Physician Marty Makary vs. epidemiologist Knut Wittkowski on whether "the lockdown saved hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives."
Does COVID-19 Make Immigration Restrictions Necessary? A Soho Forum Debate
The Center for Immigration Studies' Mark Krikorian vs. George Mason University economist Bryan Caplan
Is It Time to End the Coronavirus Lockdowns? A Soho Forum Debate
Economists David Henderson and Justin Wolfers debate whether the coronavirus lockdowns are doing more harm than good.
Should the Government Break Up Companies Like Amazon and Facebook? A Soho Forum Debate
Law professors Tim Wu and Richard Epstein went head to head at a live event.
Is Donald Trump's Trade Policy with China Good for Americans? A Soho Forum Debate
Stephen Moore and Gene Epstein debate whether or not President Trump's Chinese trade policy deserves broad public support.
Will Robots Lead to Widespread Joblessness and Economic Inequality?
Martin Ford and Antony Sammeroff debate the future of robotics and its potential economic impacts at the Soho Forum.
Libertarian History/Philosophy
Libertarianism and Abortion: A Debate
Walter Block and Kerry Baldwin debate whether women should have the legal right to terminate their pregnancies.
Is Socialism Preferable To Capitalism? A Soho Forum Debate
Richard D. Wolff squares off against Gene Epstein on which system better promotes freedom, equality, and prosperity.
Should Adults Be Allowed to Use Any Drug They Choose? A Soho Forum Debate
Reason's Jacob Sullum and former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson debate eliminating laws that prohibit the use and sale of narcotics.
How Can The Libertarian Party Effect Real Change? A Soho Forum Debate
Dave Smith and Nicholas Sarwark debate the 2016 Libertarian Party ballot, what constitutes success in an election, and how to effectively share libertarian principles.
Can Bitcoin Replace Central Banking? A Debate
Listen to economists Saifedean Ammous and George Selgin face off at the Soho Forum.
Is Postmodernism Marxist or Libertarian? A Soho Forum Debate
Thaddeus Russell and Stephen Hicks debate human nature, moral relativism, and the nature of truth.
How Secure is Social Security? A Debate
Gene Epstein and Teresa Ghilarducci debate whether the social security trust fund exists or is merely an accounting fiction.
Vegetarians vs. Omnivores: A Soho Forum Debate
Listen to journalist Nina Teicholz face off against David L. Katz, MD, the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, at an event in New York City.
Does Middle East Peace Require a Two-State Solution or a Palestinian Defeat? A Debate
Should Israel negotiate with Hamas and Fatah, or are they unwavering enemies in a protracted struggle?
What Caused the 2008 Financial Crisis: Market Distortions or Market Failure? A Debate
Former BB&T Bank CEO John Allison vs. Moody's Mark Zandi
Government Caused Housing Segregation. Do We Need More Government to Fix the Problem?
The Manhattan Institute's Howard Husock debates Economic Policy Institute's Richard Rothstein at the Soho Forum.
A Crackdown on Cash and Bitcoin? Curbing Crime vs. Empowering the Surveillance State
Economists Kenneth Rogoff and Lawrence H. White face off over what the impact would be of a ban on cryptocurrency and phaseout of the $100 bill.