Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Today, Peter M. Robinson speaks with Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett about her life, career, and her view of her time on the Supreme Court bench. John H. Cochrane describes how governments can raise revenue efficiently with as little distortion as possible. And Steven J. Davis speaks to a researcher working to find out why some highly educated women opt to buck today’s trend and have large families.

The Supreme Court

Listening to the Law: How Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Does Her Job

On the latest episode of Uncommon Knowledge, Distinguished Policy Fellow Peter M. Robinson speaks with Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett about her new book, Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution. Barrett explains the principles behind originalism, the court’s reasoning in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and how the court reached a decision in landmark cases like CASA de Maryland v. United States and handled a debate over the major questions doctrine. She also opens up about her clerkship with Justice Antonin Scalia, how the court builds consensus, why stare decisis matters, and how her faith and family life shape her character—but not her judicial reasoning. Watch or listen to the conversation here.

The Economy

Taxes Without Distortion

In this inaugural episode of The Grumpy Economist Weekly Rant for Freedom Frequency, Senior Fellow John H. Cochrane explains how governments can efficiently raise revenue with minimal economic distortion. He shows that taxing individual goods leads people to substitute toward untaxed alternatives, reducing revenue. The solution, he argues, is broad-based, small taxes on all consumption to avoid distortions. He also extends the principle to consumption over time: taxing consumption evenly today and in the future. Further he advocates for no taxes on investment, as well as abolishing income, corporate, and estate taxes. Watch or listen here.

Why Do Some Highly Educated Women Choose to Have Many Children?

On the latest episode of Economics, Applied, Senior Fellow Steven J. Davis speaks to Catherine Pakaluk of Catholic University, author of an audacious book on highly educated American women who choose to have many children. How do these women explain and understand their choices to have large families? What do their stories say about the broader forces that influence fertility decisions? What are the lessons for families and communities? Pakaluk says her approach was informed by observing the power of directly interviewing subjects during research to understand them, as opposed to relying on theory or models. Watch or listen to the conversation here.

Signs of Cyclical Weakness in Part-Time Employment

In a letter published by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Visiting Fellow Marianna Kudlyak and coauthors explore the concerning increase over the past two years in the number of US workers who work 35 hours or less, but indicate a desire and availability to move up to full-time work. This trend contrasts from earlier recoveries from recessions, where the number of people who sought full-time work but could not secure it declined steadily over time. “Though levels remain only slightly elevated, this pattern may hint at emerging cyclical weakness in the labor market,” the authors write. Read more here.

Determining America’s Role in the World

How to Win the War in the Next Decade, Part I: The Problem

Decrying what he describes as “the road to national suicide,” Military History in Contemporary Conflict contributor Bing West writes of how since the Second World War, America has demonstrated the military capability, but not the political will, to see conflicts to a positive conclusion. In Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, “our enemies proved more determined than did a succession of American presidents and their advisors,” West writes. As a result, domestic trust in the military as an institution waned, falling from 70 percent to 50 percent between 2018 and 2024. The other side of this equation today is that sustained deficit spending is now keeping us from adequately funding our military. West argues our debt and military weakness are now tied together. Read more here.