Advertise on podcast: The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Economist Jennifer Doleac discusses why long sentences don’t reduce crime, how first-time defendants benefit from leniency, and why clearance rates are key to crime reduction.

Afroman discusses his free speech court victory, why he thinks he could unite America, and whether he feels pressure to always be high.

Emma Ashford discusses Trump’s incoherent Iran strategy, the failures of post–Cold War foreign policy, and why a multipolar world limits American power.

Jacob Siegel discusses how the internet reshaped political power, the rise of technocratic rule, and why information control keeps failing.

The California congressman discusses the Iran war, unchecked executive power, California’s wealth tax debate, and the search for a shared American identity.

Brink Lindsey discusses the gap between mass prosperity and mass flourishing, capitalism’s crisis of inclusion, and the implications of falling fertility.

Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz discusses the Meta trial, the moral panic around social media, and the risks of regulating online speech.

Comedian Adam Carolla discusses how soft journalism destroys media credibility, why California is losing residents, and the importance of meritocracy.

Whole Earth Catalog creator Stewart Brand discusses maintaining complex systems, the importance of stewardship, and how technological optimism shapes the future.

Mark Chenoweth discusses the SEC’s gag rule, the power of the administrative state, and the legal battle over whether regulators can silence their critics.

Jonah Goldberg discusses the Iran war, Trump’s governing style, the rise of the populist right, and why he believes the GOP is drifting away from conservatism.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg discusses immigration enforcement, the role of government, and why federal agencies are losing public trust.

Michael Shermer examines the psychology behind pattern seeking, the limits of suspicion, and how the Epstein files fuel conspiracy thinking.

Exiled journalist Fardad Farahzad discusses how Iranians get uncensored news, the state of the protest movement, and whether the Islamic Republic is losing its grip on power.

Rep. Thomas Massie explains why he is risking his political career over the Epstein files, details what he saw in the unredacted documents, and argues that the scandal reveals a bipartisan failure of accountability stretching across multiple administrations.