Voices of Liberty

Young Americans For Liberty
  • 4.6 (10)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

Voices of Liberty is a podcast powered by Young Americans for Liberty and hosted by Sean Themea. Each week, Voices of Liberty brings you the untold stories of the next generation of liberty leaders. These are the people fiercely defending America’s founding principles and proving that freedom is not just an idea, but a movement that is winning right now. Listeners hear from bold entrepreneurs showing that free markets work, principled elected officials pushing back against big government, and fearless student activists standing up for liberty on college campuses across the country. Through honest, human conversations, the podcast highlights how individuals are building momentum for freedom in government, culture, and their communities. Voices of Liberty puts the spotlight on the people making liberty win today and shows why liberty can, and will, be achieved in our lifetime. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts, and join the movement shaping the future of freedom in America. Check out YAL here: https://yaliberty.org/ 

  1. 19h ago

    Matt Cole: Bitcoin, the Future of Capitalism, and America's Financial Crisis

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. Is America's financial future at risk? With a growing national debt, a retirement crisis, rising housing costs, and artificial intelligence transforming the workforce, can free-market capitalism still deliver prosperity for the next generation? Sean sits down with Matt Cole, Chairman and CEO of Strive Asset Management, to explore the future of American capitalism, the rise of Bitcoin, and the economic policies shaping America's financial future. Cole shares how growing up in California and witnessing the financial challenges facing public pension systems led him to become a passionate defender of free markets. From managing investments at CalPERS to joining Strive, the company founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, Cole explains why he believes shareholder value, innovation, and financial responsibility are essential to America's long-term prosperity. The conversation explores the growing divide between shareholder capitalism and stakeholder capitalism, the impact of ESG investing, and why Cole believes government intervention has contributed to America's housing affordability crisis. He also examines how artificial intelligence could reshape the economy, why protecting existing jobs at the expense of innovation could backfire, and what lawmakers can do to keep America competitive. Cole also takes a deep dive into Bitcoin and America's national debt, explaining why Strive has adopted a Bitcoin-focused treasury strategy, how the company manages cryptocurrency volatility, and why he believes decentralized money could become increasingly important as governments continue borrowing and spending. Beyond economics, Cole offers advice for young investors, shares the career risks he took to pursue his convictions, and explains why following a meaningful professional mission can create opportunities that might otherwise seem impossible. Can America preserve its economic freedom, embrace the next generation of innovation, and secure prosperity for future generations? Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

  2. 4d ago

    Rob Chatfield: Why Milton Friedman's Ideas Matter More Than Ever

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. Are Americans losing sight of the principles that made the country prosperous and free? And can Milton Friedman's ideas about capitalism, individual responsibility, and limited government still change minds today? Sean sits down with Rob Chatfield, President and CEO of Free to Choose Network, at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to explore the future of economic freedom, the power of storytelling, and the challenge of introducing liberty to a new generation. Chatfield shares his unconventional journey from corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and teaching investment banking to leading the organization responsible for preserving and advancing Milton and Rose Friedman's legacy. He explains how a chance LinkedIn connection with Free to Choose founder Bob Chitester changed his career and why the original Free to Choose television series became such a powerful vehicle for communicating free-market economics. The conversation explores the growing appeal of government intervention on both the political left and right, the lessons behind Free to Choose documentaries about Sweden, Thomas Sowell, and America's defense spending, and why capitalism continues to face a public relations problem. Chatfield also discusses the Happy Hour Econ podcast, the importance of using humor and entertainment to make economics accessible, and the unique student seminars held at Milton and Rose Friedman's former summer home in Vermont. Beyond economics, Rob shares valuable lessons about leadership, fundraising, and building organizations that create lasting change. He explains why effective CEOs focus on helping their teams succeed, why ideas can take decades to produce results, and why reaching people outside the liberty movement is essential. Looking ahead to America's 300th anniversary, Chatfield offers a candid prediction about the future of American freedom—and where new opportunities for liberty might emerge around the world. Can the next generation rediscover the power of free markets before government becomes even more powerful? Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

  3. 6d ago

    John Hood: Is the Conservative Movement Abandoning Liberty?

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. For more than four decades, John Hood has been a leading voice for limited government, free markets, and individual liberty. As president of the John William Pope Foundation, co-founder of the John Locke Foundation, and a Duke University faculty member, Hood has spent his career building institutions and advancing the ideas of freedom. Now, he's raising concerns about the future of American conservatism—and whether parts of the political right are abandoning the very principles that once defined the movement. Hood shares how he helped launch the John Locke Foundation at just 25 years old, why state-level leadership can accomplish what Washington often cannot, and how North Carolina became a testing ground for tax reform, school choice, and economic freedom. The conversation takes a deeper turn as Hood challenges the rise of national conservatism, post-liberalism, political conspiracy theories, and the growing temptation to use government power to achieve political goals. He explains why skepticism is healthy but cynicism can be dangerous, and why he believes the freedom movement must maintain its commitment to constitutional government, free enterprise, religious liberty, and equal opportunity. Hood also discusses the Freedom Conservatism Project, the importance of building relationships and developing intellectual curiosity, and an unexpected connection between government taxation and the decline of tap dancing in America. Can the conservative movement remain committed to limited government while navigating growing divisions within its own ranks? And what will it take for the next generation to carry the principles of liberty forward? Learn more about the Freedom Conservatism Project at freedomconservatism.org. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more about Young Americans for Liberty at YALiberty.org.

  4. Oct 6

    Chris Rufer: The American Dream, Human Respect, and the Freedom to Choose

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. Chris Rufer went from hauling tomatoes in a rented truck while in college to building the largest tomato processing operation in the world. Along the way, he developed an unconventional approach to business built around self-management, individual responsibility, and putting decision-making power in the hands of the people actually doing the work. In this conversation, Sean and Chris explore the Philosophy of Human Respect and Chris’s argument that people should be free to live as they choose as long as they do not use violence against others or take their property. They discuss why voluntary cooperation works in business and everyday life, how government coercion changes incentives, and why persuasion is ultimately more powerful than force. Chris also explains why liberty is about more than limiting government. At its core, he believes liberty creates the environment where people are free to make their own choices, pursue their own values, and build lives that lead to greater happiness and human flourishing. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

  5. Oct 2

    Romina Boccia: America’s Debt Crisis Is a Threat to the American Dream

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute and author of Reimagining Social Security, has taken on one of Washington's most politically dangerous issues: America's growing national debt. Her interest in economic freedom began long before arriving in Washington. Growing up in Germany, visiting family in southern Italy, and learning about life in communist East Germany led her to ask why some societies create prosperity and opportunity while others struggle. Romina explains why she believes Social Security and Medicare are at the center of America's long-term fiscal challenge, what could happen as their trust funds face depletion, and why younger Americans will increasingly bear the cost if Washington refuses to act. She also breaks down how government borrowing affects mortgage rates, business investment, wages, inflation, and the ability of the next generation to build families and businesses. The conversation also tackles America's distorted health care system, defense spending, the dangers of putting federal spending on autopilot, and Romina's proposal for an independent fiscal commission capable of confronting entitlement reform that politicians are often reluctant to touch. She also offers practical advice for young Americans—from health savings accounts and entrepreneurship to becoming lifelong learners and building solutions in their own communities. The national debt may be measured in trillions, but its consequences are deeply personal. Romina's warning is that failing to confront it could weaken economic growth, national security, the stability of the dollar, and the opportunities available to generations of Americans who have yet to inherit the bill. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

  6. Sep 29

    Hannah Henriksen: Why Human Respect Is Essential to Liberty

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. Hannah Henriksen, president of Respect America, believes one of the biggest problems facing the country isn't a traditional political issue at all—it's the loss of genuine human connection. As politics becomes more tribal and technology makes it easier to avoid people who think differently, Hannah argues that liberty begins with something much simpler: seeing the individual before seeing the political label. Hannah shares her unexpected path into the liberty movement and explains why having friends across the political spectrum has strengthened rather than weakened her beliefs. She also takes Sean inside the work of Respect America, which tells the stories of real people harmed by government coercion—from families separated after false accusations of child abuse to an attorney jailed after simply asking a question. The goal is to move liberty beyond abstract policy debates and show the human consequences when institutions forget the dignity of the individual. At the center of Hannah's philosophy is a lesson simple enough to learn on the playground: don't hurt people, don't take their stuff, and don't force people to do things against their will. She explains why those principles should apply regardless of someone's politics, how Respect America is using films and storytelling to reach new audiences, and why each of us can make the world a little better by examining how we treat the people around us. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

  7. Sep 22

    George Washington in 2026: Winning Liberty Is Only the Beginning

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. Thanks to a convenient break in the time-space continuum, General George Washington has traveled from July 1776 to FreedomFest in 2026—and he has some thoughts about what America has become 250 years later. Sean sits down with the founding father to talk about taxation without representation, the fight for independence, political division, the responsibilities that come with self-government, and why winning liberty is only the beginning. Washington also explains why he would reject the opportunity to become king and why the willingness to voluntarily relinquish power may be one of the most important characteristics of a good leader. But it isn't all constitutional philosophy. Washington confronts the wooden-teeth rumors, learns what a podcast is, considers America's modern tax rates, and faces perhaps the most difficult military question of his career: one giant gorilla or 100 tiny ones? Funny, unexpected, and surprisingly relevant 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, this conversation asks a question every generation of Americans must answer: once you've won your freedom, what are you willing to do to preserve it? Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

  8. Sep 15

    Grover Norquist: Why the Fight for Lower Taxes Is Really a Fight for Liberty

    Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty. For more than four decades, Grover Norquist has been one of America's most influential advocates for lower taxes and smaller government. As founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, he created the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and has spent his career pushing elected officials to commit to never raising taxes. For Norquist, the issue goes far beyond economics—taxation defines how much of an individual's life and income government is allowed to control. In this conversation, Sean Themea and Grover discuss why government spending—not lower taxes—is at the heart of America's fiscal problem, which taxes do the most economic damage, and why competition among the 50 states is one of America's greatest defenses against bad policy. Grover also breaks down the growing push to phase state income taxes toward zero and how Americans for Tax Reform holds politicians accountable when they break their promises to taxpayers. They also look at Grover's long-term vision for dramatically reducing the size and scope of the federal government, expanding school choice, returning power to the states—and, in a change of pace, what more than a decade of attending Burning Man has taught him about spontaneous communities and liberty. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Voices of Liberty is a podcast powered by Young Americans for Liberty and hosted by Sean Themea. Each week, Voices of Liberty brings you the untold stories of the next generation of liberty leaders. These are the people fiercely defending America’s founding principles and proving that freedom is not just an idea, but a movement that is winning right now. Listeners hear from bold entrepreneurs showing that free markets work, principled elected officials pushing back against big government, and fearless student activists standing up for liberty on college campuses across the country. Through honest, human conversations, the podcast highlights how individuals are building momentum for freedom in government, culture, and their communities. Voices of Liberty puts the spotlight on the people making liberty win today and shows why liberty can, and will, be achieved in our lifetime. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts, and join the movement shaping the future of freedom in America. Check out YAL here: https://yaliberty.org/ 

Information

  • Creator
    Young Americans For Liberty
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © YAL Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Voices of Liberty

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