Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Great Antidote
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Story of The Great Antidote: A Conversation with Veronique de Rugy | 19 Dec 2025 | 00:36:33 | |
In this final episode of The Great Antidote, I sit down with my mom, Veronique de Rugy (does this feel like a Mr. Big name reveal for some of you?!), to reflect on the podcast and the remarkable journey of the past five years. Together, we revisit how the show started, the ideas that shaped it, the moments that changed me, and the people whose support made everything possible. This episode is a reflection on learning, growth, and gratitude—and a thank-you to everyone who has been part of this project. Veronique de Rugy is the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She is also an incredible mother (just ask me (if you don't trust me, you can ask my sister)). Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| How Definitions Change Debates: Freedom, Rights, and Equality with Rebecca Lowe | 05 Dec 2025 | 00:49:37 | |
Philosopher Rebecca Lowe (Mercatus Center) joins me to do an ideas-only deep dive: what freedom really is, why it matters, how it intersects with equality, and how to tell coercion from choice. We talk charitable argument (steelmanning), the social value of clear definitions, and Rebecca’s agent-focused view of freedom—plus why doing something freely can have value even when the act is bad. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Innovation on Trial: Jack Nicastro on Empower’s Fight to Exist | 21 Nov 2025 | 00:54:08 | |
Why is D.C. trying to shut down a rideshare app that pays drivers more and charges riders less? Jack Nicastro of Reason joins to unpack Empower’s battle with regulators, what “innovation vs. permission” means in real life, and how markets—not mandates—keep people safe. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Tech Panic, Then and Now: Judge Glock on AI, Regulation, and Real Harms | 07 Nov 2025 | 00:51:55 | |
Is tech panic new—or just history on repeat? Judge Glock (Manhattan Institute) walks through what past tech scares (lead gasoline, CFCs, TV) got right and wrong, why “externalities” matter more than vibes, and how to think about AI regulation today—transparency mandates, liability vs. preclearance, “AI pauses,” and realistic optimism. We end with his own journey from socialism to markets. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Why Markets Run on Trust: Tawni Ferrarini on Honesty, Reputation, and Decentralization in the Information Age | 24 Oct 2025 | 00:47:17 | |
Markets don’t work without trust. Tawni Ferrarini joins Juliette Sellgren to explore how honesty and reputation make exchange possible — from medieval trade networks to blockchain and Amazon reviews — and why decentralized trust systems matter in today’s economy of polarization, misinformation, and weak institutions. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Is China Really a Threat? Derek Scissors on China’s Economic Reality | 10 Oct 2025 | 00:57:04 | |
AEI Economist Derek Scissors joins Juliette Sellgren to unpack the reality of China’s economy, U.S.–China relations, and whether China is truly a threat. From demographics to debt and political control, Scissors explains what’s really driving China’s trajectory, and why it matters for America’s future. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Empowering the Next Generation: Economics Olympiad & Common Sense Economics | 26 Sep 2025 | 00:47:02 | |
This week, Juliette Sellgren sits down with Martina Bacik, the 21-year-old founder of the Economics Olympiad that has grown to 120,000 students in 35+ countries, and Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, coauthor of Common Sense Economics. Together they explore why teaching economics early matters, how competitions and books ignite curiosity, and what inspiring young people can teach us about building a hopeful, prosperous future. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Why Freedom Matters: Tom Palmer on Authoritarianism and January 6th | 12 Sep 2025 | 00:51:10 | |
Why does freedom matter? How can we defend it in an age of rising authoritarianism? In this episode, I sit down with Tom Palmer to explore the ideas, virtues, and strategies that keep liberty alive. We cover: · The rise of authoritarian movements and global threats to liberty · The morality of freedom: how to know what to fight for and when · January 6th as a failure of duty, and what true constitutional leadership requires · Trump, responsibility in office, and the role of virtue in political life · How persuasion, clarity, and even humor (à la Bastiat) can advance freedom Palmer draws on decades of experience—from supporting dissidents in the USSR before the Berlin Wall fell to working in Ukraine’s struggle against Russia today, and fighting for self-defense rights, marriage equality, and freedom from conscription in the U.S. The through line is clear: defending freedom takes more than theory—it requires virtue, duty, and clarity of purpose to make liberty resilient and worth fighting for. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| It’s Not Goodbye, It’s See You in September with Amy Willis | 23 May 2025 | 00:34:29 | |
In this special episode of The Great Antidote, Amy Willis of Liberty Fund takes the mic to interview Juliette Sellgren, the voice behind the show. Together, they reflect on the evolution of the podcast—from its early days to the hundreds of guests it has featured—and how Juliette herself has grown in the process. They talk about what it means to foster curiosity, how Juliette approaches reading (and recommends you do, too), and what makes for a great question. They also discuss the future of the podcast, the future of Juliette, and how The Great Antidote continues to explore the ideas of liberty and flourishing through meaningful conversation. We explore questions like:
Juliette Sellgren is the creator and host of The Great Antidote, a podcast by Liberty Fund that explores the ideas, institutions, and people behind a free society. She’s a researcher, writer, and lover of questions whose work bridges classical liberal ideas and public conversation. Whether you're a longtime listener or just tuning in, this behind-the-scenes episode offers an honest, reflective look at the voice behind the mic—and what’s next. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| The Limits of Liberty: Buchanan’s Case for Constitutional Rules with Edward Lopez | 16 May 2025 | 00:47:32 | |
What happens when people stop trusting rules—and start rewriting them? In this episode, we are joined by economist Edward Lopez about the life and legacy of James M. Buchanan, the Nobel Prize-winning founder of public choice economics. We begin by unpacking Buchanan’s biography and intellectual roots: what shaped his worldview, who influenced his thinking, and why his work remains foundational to understanding government, rules, and freedom. From there, we dive into the rich ideas in The Limits of Liberty—a dense but powerful book in which Buchanan asks: How can free individuals live together without descending into chaos or coercion? Lopez shares with us Buchanan’s key questions, his analytical framework, and the underlying principles that guide his work—especially his emphasis on rules, consent, and the boundaries of state power. We explore questions like:
Edward Lopez is a professor of economics and the BB&T Distinguished Professor of Capitalism at Western Carolina University. He directs the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise and is the past president of the Public Choice Society. His work focuses on the intersection of law, economics, and political processes, especially in the tradition of public choice and constitutional political economy. If you’ve ever wondered what holds free societies together—or what happens when the rules start to break—this episode is for you. Want to explore more?
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| Why Some States Succeed: Mobility, Markets, and the Freedom to Flourish with Justin Callais | 09 May 2025 | 01:02:35 | |
What makes some states thrive while others trap people in place? And what does it really mean to be free to move, grow, and flourish? In this episode, I talk with economist Justin Callais about the deep connections between personal fulfillment, economic mobility, and institutional quality. We begin with the personal: why real change starts internally, and how self-mastery and agency are prerequisites for meaningful, external progress. Then, we zoom out to ask: what kinds of systems make it easier for people to rise? We explore questions like:
Justin Callais is the chief economist at the Archbridge Institute. He studies development economics, polycentric governance, and the institutional roots of freedom and flourishing. If you’ve ever wondered why where you live matters—or what it takes to build a society where people can truly move up in life—this conversation is for you. Want to explore more?
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| Targeted Incentives: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why It Persists with Peter Calcagno | 02 May 2025 | 00:53:56 | |
Remember the Amazon HQ2 frenzy? When nearly every U.S. state competed to become Amazon’s next home, offering billions in tax breaks and incentives? I do — I grew up right next door to Crystal City, Virginia, the site Amazon ultimately chose. In this episode, I talk with economist Peter Calcagno about targeted economic incentives—the controversial policy tool that fueled the Amazon HQ2 bidding war and countless other corporate deals. We explore questions like:
Peter Calcagno is a professor of economics at the College of Charleston and director of the Center for Public Choice and Market Process. He’s also a fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, where he studies public choice theory and fiscal policy. If you’ve ever wondered whether government subsidies for big business pay off—or if they just create unfair advantages—this conversation is for you. Want to explore more?
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| What Monkeys Teach Us About Economics with Bart Wilson | 25 Apr 2025 | 00:51:27 | |
What if modern economics has overlooked what truly makes us human? In this episode, Bart Wilson joins us to explore humanomics—an approach to economics that reintroduces meaning, culture, and moral judgment into how we understand economic behavior. We talk about how economists miss the mark by assuming too much about how rational we really are—and too little about what it means to be human. Wilson shares insights from his experimental work with non-human primates, showing how comparing monkey behavior to human decision-making can reveal deep truths about markets, cooperation, and fairness. We explore big questions all economists should grapple with: What is humanomics, and how does it challenge traditional models? What makes human goals different from animal instincts? Can monkeys and other animals help us understand moral behavior in economics? Bart Wilson is a professor of Economics and Law at Chapman University and the Director of the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy. He is the co-author (with Vernon Smith) of Humanomics and the author of Meaningful Economics. His research spans experimental economics, moral philosophy, and decision-making in both humans and non-human primates. Join us for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation about the future of economics, human nature, and what monkeys can teach us about meaning. Want to explore more?
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| The Dissident Project: Firsthand Stories of Life Without Freedom with Grace Bydalek | 18 Apr 2025 | 00:37:36 | |
What is it like to grow up under a dictatorship? The speakers of The Dissident Project don’t have to wonder — they’ve lived it. And they’ve escaped. In this episode, Grace Bydalek joins us this week to discuss her work with The Dissident Project, which brings survivors of authoritarian regimes into American high schools to share their powerful, firsthand stories. From Cuba and Venezuela to Russia and beyond, these voices bring the reality of life without freedom into the classroom. We talk about why these stories matter — especially for students who may never have questioned their own liberties. Why high schoolers? Why now? And does this kind of civic education actually make a difference? Join us for a moving and timely conversation about freedom, resilience, and the importance of living for something larger than yourself. Grace Bydalek is the Director of The Dissident Project, an initiative of the nonprofit Young Voices dedicated to educating American students about the dangers of authoritarianism. She is also a visiting fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum, a ministry apprentice at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, and is currently pursuing a master’s in theology. Oh — and she’s also an actor. Want to explore more?
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| Ryan Streeter on the Civitas Institute and Cultural Communities | 11 Apr 2025 | 00:54:23 | |
Ryan Streeter is the executive director of the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. Today, he tells us about his time in the intersection of think tanks, government, and academic communities. We talk about cities, the importance of mobility and growth, how to foster those characteristics, skepticism of government, and living in and creating a community that fosters social cohesion and critical thinking. Want to explore more?
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| Douglas Den Uyl and Douglas Rasmussen on Ayn Rand: What She Gets Right and Where She Goes Too Far | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:51:35 | |
We’ve talked about objectivism before on the podcast, but that was fairly introductory. Today, for the first time ever, I host two guests on the podcast to discuss the limitations of objectivism and where it fails to depict the good life. We talk about how they got interested in Rand’s thought, how they philosophically dealt with works that were mostly fiction, and where their philosophy, individualistic perfectionism, diverges from Rand’s and fills in some important blanks. Den Uyl is a resident scholar at Liberty Fund, and Rasmussen is a professor emeritus in philosophy at St. John’s University and senior affiliated scholar at the Center for Economic Inquiry at Creighton University. Together, they have written extensively on the subject, including editing a collection called The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand. They’ve written a lot on the topic at the Journal for Ayn Rand Studies. Den Uyl has a book on the subject, titled The Fountainhead: An American Novel. Want to explore more?
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| Daniel Hannan on Executive and Legislative Power | 28 Mar 2025 | 00:56:52 | |
Join us today for a fun conversation about all things government, UK and US, with Lord Daniel Hannan of Kingsclere! Lord Hannan is a member of the House of Lords. Today, we talk about how the U.K.’s legislative is structured, what is up with executive power, the importance of the West and cohesion on the freedom front, and the idiocy of tariffs. Want to explore more?
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| Bob Ewing on Personal and Professional Success | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:59:22 | |
Bob Ewing is the founder of the Ewing School and hosts a Substack called Talking Big Ideas (go check it out). He has also gifted me most of the great books that I’ve read. Today, we talk about how he got started and how many of the great lessons in life are learned. We talk about counter-intuitive ideas, how to find the answers to them, and how to effectively communicate them. He talks to us about kettle bells and quotes (almost) every great author under the sun. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Rachel Ferguson on Neighborhood Stabilization and Civil Society | 14 Mar 2025 | 00:54:40 | |
We talk a lot about civil society and the importance of local, communal networks which hold us up when we’re down and inspire us to be good, striving members of society. But what does that actually look like? How do civil institutions get built, and what does it take? Today, I’m excited to welcome Rachel Ferguson to the podcast. She is the director of the Free Enterprise Center at Concordia University in Chicago and an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute. She is the president of the board at Love the Lou, a neighborhood stabilization project which we are talking about today. Join us for an honest and inspiring conversation about why civil society matters, how it is built, what threatens it, and what the implications of civil society (or the lack thereof) are on the ground. How do institutions we speak of conceptually actually change people’s lives, in real and concrete ways? Tune in to find out. Want to explore more?
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| Jo Jensen on Anxiety, Audiences, and Action | 07 Mar 2025 | 01:04:03 | |
Jo Jensen is the founder of MovieGoer and she’s currently the SVP of Digital and Entertainment Strategy at Touchdown Strategies, a PR firm. and is an Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow. Since all fellows have ventures over there, she’s currently writing a book called “America Has a Girlfriend Problem.”
Today, we talk about the anxiety of my generation and how to unplug, attempting to grow comfortable with discomfort. We talk about how things have changed and how we can become more active, willing to take leaps that will either succeed or teach us fundamentally important lessons.
We also talk about her work with growing audiences and relationships. The first step is always caring about others and seeing their potential. Then we move on to talk about America’s Girlfriend Problem, addressing the issues which disproportionately affect single women in America today. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Peter Van Doren on Universal Basic Income | 28 Feb 2025 | 00:45:44 | |
What is Universal Basic Income (UBI) and why is it so popular among economists and freedom lovers relative to other types of poverty policy solutions? What does it even mean to “solve a problem” or to “learn” in the social sciences? Want to explore more?
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| Charlotte Thomas on Learning and the Liberal Arts | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:51:43 | |
Welcome back. Continuing our ongoing exploration of what it means to be an individual living in a liberal society, today I am happy to host Charlotte Thomas to talk to us about what it means to learn and the importance of the liberal arts.
Join us to find out what it truly means to be “educated” and how to do it. A mix of personal, inspirational, and relatable, Professor Thomas brings her knowledge of teaching in the classroom into our conversation. Of course, rather than simply lecturing, teaching and learning in the liberal arts context means discussing, connecting, and questioning.
Charlotte Thomas is a professor of philosophy and Great Books at Mercer University. She also runs the Association for Core Texts and Courses. She is also the author of “The Female Drama: The Philosophical Feminine in the Soul of Plato’s Republic.” Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Brad Wilcox on Get Married | 14 Feb 2025 | 00:50:10 | |
The most common statistic cited regarding marriage and relationships in the United States is that the 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Another one that is gaining traction is that more Americans than ever before will end up unmarried and alone. Nobody likes these statistics. How did we get from the 60s, hairdos and stay at home moms, to a 50% divorce rate and a high probability of dying alone? Should we care? How do we balance the benefits of modernity – women in the workplace, higher incomes, more interesting jobs – with the benefits of structured families, love, and children? Today, UVA Professor Brad Wilcox is here to explain to us how we can have both: better economic status and better family life. After all, the highest indicator of long-term happiness, meaning, and satisfaction is close relationships. He is the director of The National Marriage Project and the author of Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization.
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| Cara Rogers Stevens on Thomas Jefferson and Slavery | 07 Feb 2025 | 00:50:34 | |
Thomas Jefferson was a complicated figure. Essential to the start of our country and the university I attend, he is impossible to ignore. Yet, he held slaves, and at the same time said “all men are created equal.” What’s up with that?! Yet, we need to be able to talk about him. We also need to be able to acknowledge the contributions he has made to the world, while also acknowledging the flaws in his character and behavior. His legacy is complicated, and he was a complicated person. We all are. So how do we reconcile these parts of him? Join us in our attempt to understand this. Today, we talk about Thomas Jefferson and his complicated relationship with slavery. Cara Rogers Stevens, professor of history at Ashland University and codirector of the Ashbrook Scholars Program, joins us to talk about this. She is also the author of Thomas Jefferson and The First Against Slavery, which informs much of our conversation. Want to explore more:
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| Douglas Irwin on Talking about Trade and Commerce | 31 Jan 2025 | 00:51:45 | |
Trade is all the rage these days. Or, at least, raging about trade is. Today, we unpack what trade and free trade are, and how to talk about it. We also address the abundance of lawyers in trade policy. Douglas Irwin is a professor of economics at Dartmouth College and the author of several books including Clashing Over Commerce and Against the Tide: An Intellectual History of Free Trade.
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| Anna Claire Flowers on F. A. Hayek and Social Structures | 24 Jan 2025 | 00:50:17 | |
Today, I am excited to host Anna Claire Flowers to discuss F. A. Hayek and the mesocosmos. The mesocosmos is a fancy way to describe all the social groupings on the spectrum between the extremes of individualism and society. Think families, neighborhoods, farmers markets, firms, and universities. We talk about the importance of characterizing this missing middle piece of social organization and how it can resolve issues than a single individual or government can. She characterizes some of the important aspects of these associations for us. We talk about the family's role in particular, and what benefits it brings to individuals and society. Anna Claire Flowers is pursuing a PhD in Economics from George Mason University. She is a PhD Fellow with the Mercatus Center and a Graduate Fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics for 2024-2025.
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| Eric Leeper on Volcker, Friedman, and the Fiscal Theory of the Price Level | 17 Jan 2025 | 00:55:26 | |
Welcome back! Happy New Year! Glad to be back! Come one, come all!
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| David Beito on Rose Lane Says: Thoughts on Race, Liberty, and Equality | 22 Nov 2024 | 00:45:30 | |
Not often do we find people who make the case for how race, liberty, and equality belong together. Even less often do we find them making arguments in the height of racially and economically troubled times. And EVEN LESS do we find audio clips of them doing so. These people are inspiring. They stand up against the currents of the time to speak their minds, for the benefit of everyone. In doing so, they garner respect and build coalitions across ideological lines, because they have to. We can learn from them and aspire to be like them today. In a really unique episode, I am excited to welcome David Beito to the podcast to talk about Rose Wilder Lane’s column, "Rose Lane Says," and how she brought together these three concepts of race, liberty, and equality to make an appealing case for freedom. He shares with us a clip of Lane herself, speaking on these issues.
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| Sarah Skwire on Adam Smith and Grief | 15 Nov 2024 | 00:55:42 | |
Adam Smith was a man who read the Stoics. He liked them, too, talking them up in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, particularly in the section on grief. Then he lost two of his closest relations (old timey, right?), David Hume and his mother. These world-shaking events caused him to reevaluate what he said about grief in TMS and change our interpretation of his commentary on grief. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| David Henderson on the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics | 08 Nov 2024 | 00:46:20 | |
This year’s Nobel Prize winners in economics are Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson, who wrote on the importance of inclusive institutions to economic growth. But what on earth are ‘inclusive institutions’ and how do they differ from exclusive ones? Inclusive institutions are norms, either written or unwritten, about things like property rights, democracy, and the rule of law. But what other institutions are important to economic growth, if there are others? Some of this year’s winners endorse a strong antitrust regime. How do you reconcile the importance of property rights to growth with a desire to limit and take down companies built upon those rights? At the time this episode was recorded, everyone in economics was talking about the Nobel Prize, both this year’s winners and their research. But what other economists (and their work) should we be looking to? Today, I am excited to welcome David Henderson back to the podcast. Henderson is the Wall Street Journal’s go-to writer when it comes to the Nobel in economics and an Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Naval Postgraduate School and a research fellow with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. His substack is titled I Blog to Differ, so go check it out! He answers questions just like these in our interview, so tune in to hear the answers!! Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Samuel Gregg on National Security and Industrial Policy | 01 Nov 2024 | 00:54:58 | |
Picture a policy conversation, perhaps in Washington, about national security. Who’s sitting around the table? It might be the President, national security advisors, military personnel, or generals, but not economists. And yet, national security is often used as a reason to intervene into the economy. At the mention of national security, it seems economists often shut their mouths and run away (or hide under a rock, or something). But why? How should economists think about and engage with concerns about national security? Today, the wonderful Sam Gregg joins us to talk to us about industrial policy and national security. He is the author of The Next American Economy and he is the Frederick Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He explains how national security is often used as a justification for industrial policy, and how industrial policy actually harms both national security and economic strength. Join us to hear about the economic policy that improves national security!! Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Tawni Hunt Ferrarini on Teaching Hayek | 25 Oct 2024 | 00:44:56 | |
How do you teach about a man who does not fit neatly into a box? Hayek is one such man, and today, we tackle the difficult task of putting him in a box. We conclude that we cannot put someone like F. A. Hayek into boxes such as “economist” or “philosopher” or “political theorist”, because he did it all. How and when do you teach the ideas of a man who did it all? I’m excited to welcome Tawni Hunt Ferrarini to the podcast today to talk to us about teaching Hayek and his most important ideas. Ferrarini is a co-author of Common Sense Economics and an economic educator worldwide. We go through multiple ideas of in-class examples and places his thought could be applied in the context of modern education. Keep listening to hear me talk about how I, Pencil is scary.
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| Bruce Caldwell on Hayek: A Life | 18 Oct 2024 | 00:55:08 | |
It’s often said that if you want to get to know someone, you should look through their garbage. Now, I don’t recommend this method of getting to know someone (it’s kind of gross). But biographers often have the luck of getting to know the people they study by looking through their stuff- that stuff not being actual garbage. For example, Bruce Caldwell spent time with Hayek’s skis and botanical photographs. You might be thinking, why do I care? Why does anyone care? Hayek didn’t even write about skiing or photography! That’s exactly the point: the minutia of life, those characteristics that are seemingly irrelevant to the output of an academic can give insight into their uniqueness. Hayek’s context, his family, and youth and involvement in certain political parties, shines a light on what, why, and how he thought, which helps us to better understand him and his ideas. Join me today in conversation with Bruce Caldwell, one of Hayek’s biographers, to explore the context of Hayek and what it means to be a biographer. Caldwell is a research professor of economics at Duke where he is the Director of the Center for the History of Political Economy. He is also the co-author of the book Hayek: A Life, among other works. He also believes Santa Claus exists (stay tuned to hear why!).
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| Jacob Levy on Smith, Hayek, and Social Justice | 11 Oct 2024 | 01:04:47 | |
The title of this episode might confuse you: what on earth do Adam Smith and F. A. Hayek have to say about social justice? A surprising amount, given how much we talk about it!
So here we are, talking about slavery, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement, through the lens of Hayek and Adam Smith. Our tour guide on this perilous journey towards the implementation and understanding of justice is the wonderful Jacob Levy. Levy is the Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory at McGill University. He is also the coordinator of the research group on Constitutional Studies at McGill.
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| Don Boudreaux on The Essential Hayek | 04 Oct 2024 | 00:52:42 | |
The month of October 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of F. A. Hayek winning the Nobel Prize. Winning such a prize is obviously a big deal, but someone wins one every year, so what’s the big deal about this guy? Well. Hayek’s contributions to the field of economics are significant because they spoke to more than simply economics. Spontaneous order, price signals as information, and the pretense of knowledge all might come to mind, but they might not. (Maybe you’re new to this! If so, helloooo there!) These concepts branch into philosophy, social structure, and the nature of the human mind. Stick with us to learn the depths and beauty of Hayekian thought, in the first of this series!
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| Nicholas Snow on Prohibition | 27 Sep 2024 | 00:56:58 | |
Do you ever take a moment to think about the fact that Americans, the people of the land of the free, spent 13 years under Prohibition? Did you know that Americans used to seriously “drink like a fish”? And no, I’m not talking about fraternity men in college. I’m talking about everyone, everywhere, from George Washington’s parties to lunchtimes in the manufacturing factories (until Henry Ford put a stop to it, you know, for efficiency purposes). Then Prohibition happened. What were the forces that drove Prohibition into existence? Our first and only constitutional amendment to be repealed, what was so severe about America under prohibition that it only lasted 13 years? How did a guy smuggle whiskey into America in an egg carton? All that and more on this episode with Wabash College Professor Nicholas Snow. Tune in!
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| Robert Doar on Think Tanks and Scholarship | 20 Sep 2024 | 00:52:09 | |
What does it actually mean to run a think tank, to create harmony within an office building full of idea-confident folk? Some have called the think tank a monastery, some have called it an academic social club, and some have even called it a policy incubator. What truly is it and how on earth do you lead one? Leading a think tank is a multifaceted job, because you have your own scholarship to do too. Today, I’m excited to welcome the president of AEI, Robert Doar, to the podcast for a similarly multifaceted conversation. Doar talks to us about his work on poverty and, more recently, the Nixon impeachment, as well as his job as the president of AEI. Stay with us till the end to hear us talking about our favorite books!
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| Yuval Levin on The American Covenant | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:50:10 | |
Even though I hope you’ve been avoiding the election news like I have (as you would the plague), admittedly, it’s hard to do. It’s like someone is blasting it outside your window at 5 AM. Or like a billboard outside your front door that you can’t help but see every time you step outside. Bummer. Fortunately, AEI’s wonderful Yuval Levin joins us today to talk about the remedy to the plight of election season and America’s recent malaise (not to echo Jimmy Carter…): the American constitution. Now, I know, you might be rolling your eyes and thinking “Those classical liberals are at it again, always talking about the founding…” But seriously. Remembering and embracing the spirit upon which America was founded—one of intellectual and political dynamism—is key to striking the balance between life, politics, and disagreement that has felt so off-kilter recently.
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| Henry C. Clark on Growth | 06 Sep 2024 | 01:19:33 | |
Growth is essential to human life. Always has been, always will be. From the moment we are born, we grow, and we continue to throughout our lives, whether that is physically, mentally, or otherwise. Societies grow too. But what is growth? Real growth is replicable, durable, and sustainable (and not in the sense that immediately comes to mind). Your seven-year-old doesn’t shrink back down after she grows an inch. It might happen when she’s ninety, but that’s gravity (and don’t you think she’s had a good run at this point? We should accept that it’s ok to have a growth recession every now and again). So how have intellectuals conceptualized the growth of societies, environments, and economies over time? And how should we think about growth? The wonderful Henry C. Clark joins us on the podcast today to answer these questions and more. He is the program director of the Political Economy Project at Dartmouth College and the author of several books including the newly released The Moral Economy We Have Lost: Life Before Mass Abundance. Go check it out!
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| Candace Smith on Etiquette | 30 Aug 2024 | 00:57:55 | |
Some questions are hard to ask. Some questions you don’t want to ask. Some questions are hard for you to hear the answers to. Like, how do you tell someone, politely, that they eat with their mouth open? Between a rock and a hard place, you know you gotta do it. You really don’t want to, but you know you can’t stand to watch it anymore either. Candace Smith is a wonderful teacher of etiquette and the creator of the Etiquette: For the Business of Life blog. Her philosophy on the importance of etiquette is that if the world was a little more polite, that we’d live in a much kinder world. Join us today for a conversation about how to make that change in your life and community today!
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| Paul Mueller on ESG | 23 Aug 2024 | 00:57:37 | |
What does it mean for something to be ESG when two of those words are adjectives and one is a noun? I mean think about it. “Environmental, social, and governance” doesn’t really describe anything. It’s also a good example of cacophony. So can someone please explain what it means? Today, luckily, Paul Mueller, senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, comes to my rescue. He explains what ESG means and how it relates to CSR (corporate social responsibility, ESG’s more comprehensible predecessor). He answers a question that’s been plaguing me forever, which is, why are free marketeers generally against these types of movements, even though they are private endeavors?
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| Ryan Bourne on The War on Prices | 16 Aug 2024 | 00:48:39 | |
What’s in a price? Good question. How can you be “enslaved” to something like a price, to something that doesn’t eat, sleep, or breathe? Good question. What does it mean to wage a war against this inanimate enslaver? Good question. Join me today with Ryan Bourne, the R. Evan Scharf Chair for the Public Understanding of Economics at the Cato institute. Bourne paints a picture of a bloodless yet economically catastrophic war. It's one which leaves us vulnerable as the weapons of the market (dollars) diminish in our pockets (inflation) and the state of war (price controls) depletes the quality and quantity of our conquests (market interactions) until they are vastly inferior to the opposition’s (free markets).
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| Michael Cannon on Prices and Health | 09 Aug 2024 | 01:02:53 | |
Michael Cannon is the Cato Institute’s director of health policy studies and it is his third time on the podcast. He has been on The Washingtonian’s list of most influential people for four years in a row. Today, we talk about why people think the American healthcare system is “free market” and the role of prices in determining health outcomes--- and how unfettered markets improve the lives of everyone in need of healthcare. He tells us about the ways government intervention, like patchwork, distorts and attempts to undistort prices, and how it leaves us all worse off. He leaves us with a bit of hope though, so tune in for a sunbeam of optimism in the thundering sky of our health policy landscape!
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| Charles Noussair on Experimental Economics and Testing Institutions | 02 Aug 2024 | 00:52:24 | |
Charles Noussair is the Eller Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona and the Director of the Economic Science Laboratory. He also serves as the President of the Economic Science Association. Today, we talk about experimental economics, how it complements other types of economic research, and how economic experiments are conducted. He tells us about a recent macro experiment that tests institutions for growth and welfare, such as electoral systems, political speech, and corruption. He explains the difference between extractive and inclusive economic institutions. Finally, he explains how experimental economics applies to everyone’s lives, not just to economists. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Sandra Peart on Ethical Quandaries and Politics Without Romance | 28 Jun 2024 | 01:11:35 | |
Sandra Peart is a Distinguished Professor of Leadership Studies and the President of the Jepson Scholars Foundation at the University of Richmond, as well as a coauthor of Towards an Economics of Natural Equals: A Documentary History of the Early Virginia School, with David Levy. She is also a distinguished fellow of the history of economics society.
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| Daniel Di Martino on Life in Venezuela and Immigration | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:48:43 | |
Daniel Di Martino is a PhD candidate in Economics at Columbia University and a graduate fellow at the Manhattan Institute—where he focuses on high-skill immigration policy. He also founded the Dissident Project to teach high school students about the evils of socialist regimes.
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| Anne Bradley on the Political Economy of Terrorism | 14 Jun 2024 | 00:59:24 | |
Anne Bradley is an economics professor at the Institute of World Politics and the Vice President of Academic Affairs at The Fund for American Studies. Today, we talk about the political economy of terrorism: what terrorism is, what makes a terrorist, and what the war on terror does to attempt to prevent terrorism. We talk about how economics is uniquely positioned to pose questions and find answers about this area usually dominated by those studying defense and international relations, and how the human element of economics informs her framing of the issue.
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| Craig Richardson on Storytelling, Economics, and Magic | 07 Jun 2024 | 01:08:55 | |
Craig Richardson is a professor of economics at Winston-Salem State University, and the director of the Center for the Study of Economic Mobility there. Today, we talk about a ton of things, from a breakdown of compelling narratives to magic. He tells us why Elizabeth Warren is more interesting to listen to than economists, although she doesn’t understand economics as well as economists do. We talk about the importance of relationships and trust in society, from multinational corporations and small towns to the communication of big ideas. We talk about the lack of awe and magic in economics and communication, and he explains why bringing back the *wow* factor will help us personally and professionally.
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| Dan Klein on Smith: Self-Command, Pride, and Vanity | 31 May 2024 | 01:03:46 | |
Dan Klein is a professor of economics at George Mason University. Today, He talks to us about another of Smith’s great ideas: self-command. We discuss what the difference between command and control is, and how its important in today’s society. He describes the prideful man and the vain man, including details such as their reactions to unwanted estimation (usually bad, not valuing them as they value themselves or want you to value them). We discuss whether Adam Smith is a reason-oriented philosopher. This episode is jam-packed, so check it out! Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||
| Katherine Mangu-Ward on AI: Reality, Concerns, and Optimism | 24 May 2024 | 00:56:06 | |
Katherine Mangu-Ward is the editor-in-chief of Reason: the Magazine for Free Minds and Free Markets. Today, we talk about what it is like to be an editor-in-chief and what that job description actually entails. She talks to us about the recent AI issue of Reason, in which they grapple with the big questions regarding the future of AI, what the valid concerns are, and what the less valid concerns are. We talk about how "tech bros" are responding to AI fears and whether being optimistic for the future has a place in this discussion. Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update. | |||