RTP's Fourth Branch Podcast

Gig-economy companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and others have disrupted sectors across the economy. They’ve done so in part by using new technology to tap a large pool of independent workers. This approach has not only proven to be a winning business model, it has also created a way back into the workforce for millions of people. Students, ex-offenders, single parents, and others excluded from traditional employment have found, in gig work, a new way to earn a living.

Despite this, gig companies have drawn fire from many quarters, including academics, labor unions, and most importantly state legislators. Some state legislators have proposed new regulations that, while potentially improving gig workers’ compensation and benefits, could threaten the very business models that allow for this independent work in the first place. Indeed, some states, most notably California, have even proposed converting all gig workers into traditional employees.

Alex MacDonald discusses their implications for the future of gig work and, perhaps, a better way forward.

Featuring:
- Alexander MacDonald, Littler Mendelson PC

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In this episode, Adam Thierer and Caleb Watney discuss the emerging questions surrounding the progress of driverless car technology and its regulation.

Featuring:
- Adam Thierer, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University
- Caleb Watney, Fellow, Technology and Innovation, R Street Institute

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Do recent state privacy rules, like California's CCPA, impinge on free speech, violate the dormant commerce clause, or are they preempted by other federal laws? Ian Adams and Jennifer Huddleston discuss.

Featuring:
- Ian Adams, Vice President of Policy, TechFreedom
- Jennifer Huddleston, Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

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In Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard, it is alleged that Harvard admissions discriminated against Asian applicants. In this episode, Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Wen Fa discusses the case, the legal context in which the case was brought, and the case’s potential implications.
Featuring:

Wen Fa, Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation

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The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) oversees the administration of both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. What's next for the agency? What are the priorities that the agency should be pursuing? This episode features remarks from FHFA Director Mark Calabria and a discussion of the issues with reform by our panelists.

Featuring:
- Mark Calabria, Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency
- Edward Pinto, Resident Fellow and Director, AEI Housing Center, American Enterprise Institute
- Peter Wallison, Senior Fellow, Arthur F. Burns Fellow in Financial Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
- [Moderator] Alex J. Pollock, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Financial Research, U.S. Department of Treasury

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In this episode, experts discuss Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects platforms from liability for the content produced by users. Some legislators have recently floated the idea of enforcing 'platform neutrality' in a way that, according to critics, threatens the sort of free speech Section 230 is meant to protect. The experts featured in this episode have a lively discussion on these and other topics.

Featuring:
- Diane Katz, Senior Research Fellow in Regulatory Policy, The Heritage Foundation
- Jeff Kosseff, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity Law, United States Naval Academy
- [Moderator] Ashkhen Kazaryan, Director of Civil Liberties, TechFreedom

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This episode explores the implications of private rights of action under laws like Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act. Are the parameters around these private rights of action too vague and susceptible to abuse? Experts discuss this question and more.

Featuring:
- Ashley Baker, Director of Public Policy, Committee for Justice
- Jennifer Huddleston, Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

Visit our website – www.RegProject.org – to learn more, view all of our content, and connect with us on social media.

Passed in 1977, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was intended to encourage banks and other financial institutions to lend to lower-income individuals in their communities. Has the CRA succeeded in this goal or is there room for improvement? Aaron Klein and Diego Zuluaga weigh in on this important question.

Featuring:
- Aaron Klein, Fellow in Economic Studies and Policy Director, Center on Regulation and Markets, Brookings Institution
- Diego Zuluaga, Policy Analyst, Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, Cato Institute

Additional Resources:

- "The Community Reinvestment Act in the Age of Fintech and Bank Competition" (https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/community-reinvestment-act-age-fintech-bank-competition)
- "Bank-like credit unions should follow bank rules" (https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/bank-like-credit-unions-should-follow-bank-rules/)
- "A tool meant to help minorities buy homes is instead speeding up gentrification in D.C." (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/a-tool-that-helps-minorities-buy-homes-is-speeding-up-gentrification-in-the-district/2019/08/09/10c08366-a744-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html)

Visit our website – www.RegProject.org – to learn more, view all of our content, and connect with us on social media.

In this episode, Roger Klein and Adam Broad debate the merits of the increasingly prominent "Medicare for All" proposal for healthcare. The discussion is moderated by Courtney Hughes.

Featuring:
- Roger Klein, Faculty Fellow, Center for Law, Science & Innovation at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
- Adam Broad, Organizer, Illinois Single Payer Coalition
- [Moderator] Courtney Hughes, Associate Professor, Northern Illinois University’s College of Health and Human Sciences

Visit our website – www.RegProject.org – to learn more, view all of our content, and connect with us on social media.

In this episode, Ashley Baker and Jennifer Huddleston discuss the implications of the famous privacy case, in which the Supreme Court decided that the warrant-less seizure of the plaintiff's cell phone records violated his Fourth Amendment rights.
Featuring:

Ashley Baker, Director of Public Policy, Committee for Justice
Jennifer Huddleston, Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

Visit our website – RegProject.org – to learn more, view all of our content, and connect with us on social media.