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Explore timeless ideas in liberty, economics, policy, and human progress. Eight self-paced courses. Each one takes under an hour, costs nothing, and ends with a certificate you can share.

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8 coursesBuilt from Cato Institute scholarship
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Recommended first course

Start with the foundation.

New to these ideas? Begin with Free Markets, our foundational course on entrepreneurship, property rights, and economic freedom.

Four chapters · Under an hour · Certificate of completion

Free Markets

What’s the secret behind rising standards of living, global innovation, and millions lifted out of poverty? It’s not luck. It’s free markets.

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Your path through the course

  1. Chapter one

    Why did the world get rich?

    For most of human history, poverty was the norm. Then something changed.

  2. Chapter two

    What are free markets?

    A system built on private property, voluntary exchange, and the price mechanism.

  3. Chapter three

    What causes economic crisis?

    Recessions, financial panics, and inflation: what actually causes them?

  4. Chapter four

    Free markets and human flourishing

    Do free markets make us better off, not just materially, but as human beings?

  5. The finish

    Your certificate

    Finish all four chapters and download your personalized certificate of completion.

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    Four chapters

    Inside this course

    1. Why did the world get rich?
    2. What are free markets?
    3. What causes economic crisis?
    4. Free markets and human flourishing

    Free Markets

    Why did the world get rich?

    Learn how markets, entrepreneurship, property rights, and voluntary exchange helped lift billions from poverty and expand human freedom.

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    Four chapters

    Inside this course

    1. What are the causes of human progress?
    2. Progress is not limited by resource scarcity
    3. The West didn’t steal its way to wealth
    4. Progress and inequality

    Human Progress

    What are the causes of human progress?

    Despite the headlines, human life has improved dramatically. Learn what drives progress and why it matters.

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    Three chapters

    Inside this course

    1. The Founders’ immigration policy
    2. The period of free immigration
    3. The freedom to move

    Immigration

    What did the Founders think about immigration?

    Discover how immigration has helped build America, from the Founding era to today’s debates over freedom, opportunity, and reform.

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    Three chapters

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    1. Intro to criminal justice reform
    2. The jury trial
    3. Plea bargaining

    Criminal Justice

    Why do so few criminal cases ever reach a jury?

    Learn how America’s justice system works, where it falls short, and how reform can protect both safety and individual liberty.

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    Four chapters

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    1. The real faces of globalization
    2. From textile town to ghost town to car town
    3. More than just a cheap T-shirt
    4. The digital gaming economy

    Globalization

    What does your favorite video game have to do with global trade?

    Understand what globalization really means, why it matters, and how global trade and exchange have changed life for billions.

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    Five chapters

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    1. The case for educational freedom
    2. Unbundling education and unlocking innovation
    3. Education entrepreneurship
    4. Myths and realities of school choice
    5. Freedom and the future of school

    K–12 Education

    Could school be as flexible as your Netflix queue?

    Explore how education policy affects students, families, and schools, and why more options can lead to better outcomes.

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    Three chapters

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    1. What fiscal policy is and why it matters
    2. Why high debt has real consequences
    3. Taxes, rising debt, and the hard choices

    Fiscal Policy

    How much debt is too much?

    Understand US fiscal policy and why debt, taxes, and spending shape economic growth.

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    Three chapters

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    1. The democratization of speech
    2. Section 230 and why it matters
    3. Government pressure and the future of online speech

    Free Speech in the Digital Age

    Who decides what you see, share, and say online?

    The internet gave ordinary people an unprecedented ability to speak, create, and connect. Explore why that achievement is worth defending.

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