May 18, 2022

Most of what the public knows about economics is really macroeconomics - the field of economics that deals with interest rates, inflation, unemployment, and GDP. Economics is really about human behavior, and there’s a lot more to it than simply macroeconomics. Economist Matt Ryan joins us this week to talk about his...

May 11, 2022

The Congressional Budget Office is the government entity that produces forecasts about the effects of new taxes and spending on the economy and the federal budget. Four years ago, we did an episode in which we showed that the CBO had a track record of under-estimating future spending and over-estimating future tax...

May 4, 2022

There are some things that people have an emotional reaction to buying and selling: sex, body parts, votes. There are other things whose quality people aren’t able to judge. Is it possible that markets shouldn’t or can’t handle these things? Philosopher James Stacey Taylor joins us to discuss his latest book,...

Apr 27, 2022

There are some things that people have an emotional reaction to buying and selling: sex, body parts, votes. There are other things whose quality people aren’t able to judge. Is it possible that markets shouldn’t or can’t handle these things? Philosopher James Stacey Taylor joins us to discuss his latest book,...

Apr 20, 2022

Humans have dual natures. We are, simultaneously, individuals and members of a shared society. That each of us should be free arises from our status as individuals. But, what arises from our status as members of a shared society are obligations to one another. What economists call “economic freedom” is really the...