Topic
Politics
Published on
July 18, 2025
Civitas
Conversations
Michael Toth on Zohran Mamdani and the Future of Progressivism

The Cost of Conflict: White House and Human Rights

February 18, 2026
About this episode

Policies proposed by socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani—like rent freezes and profit caps—could accelerate the exodus.

Civitas Outlook editor-in-chief Richard M. Reinsch II interviews Michael Toth about his recent Outlook piece titled "Escape from New York," which explores how high taxes and heavy regulation are pushing companies and residents out of New York.

Toth's article warns that policies proposed by socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani—like rent freezes and profit caps—could accelerate the exodus. In contrast, cities like Austin and states like Texas are attracting growth by reducing red tape, adding to the housing supply, and creating business-friendly environments.

Michael Toth is director of research at the Civitas Institute and a seasoned tech general counsel with over fifteen years of corporate counsel and litigation experience. He has served as a lawyer in the Marine Corps and a senior counsel at the Texas Office of Attorney General.

Civitas Conversations features leading scholars, commentators, and thought leaders for in-depth discussions of the latest essays in Civitas Outlook—and the ideas behind them.

A production of the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

All other episodes on

Civitas Conversations

Lina Khan's Continued Influence on the FTC

Ep16
April 8, 2026

Return to the Filibuster?

Following a rule change in the 1970s, the minority is now incentivized to use the filibuster more frequently.

Ep15
March 31, 2026

California Eats the Rich

History has a very clear answer to what "one-time" and "only the wealthy" mean in the long run.

Ep14
March 12, 2026

The Truth About Higher Education

Civitas Institute senior fellow Pano Kanelos joins host Richard Reinsch to discuss the truth about higher education.

Ep13
February 26, 2026

Join the newsletter

Receive new publications, news, and updates from the Civitas Institute.

Sign up

Ideas for
Prosperity

Tomorrow’s leaders need better, bolder ideas about how to make our society freer and more prosperous. That’s why the Civitas Institute exists, plain and simple.
Discover more at Civitas