Econception

What's going on with the tariff deals? How free trade really is the United States? And what have the Popes taught about socialism? Dave Hebert joins Econception to discuss these questions and more with Dominic Pino. Dave Hebert, Ph.D, is a senior research fellow at AIER. Dr. Hebert's research has been published in academic journals such as Public Choice, Constitutional Political Economy, and The Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice and popular outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Investor's Business Daily, RealClearPolicy, RealClearMarkets, The Hill, and The Daily Caller. 

What's the matter with Medicaid? Have Germany's manufacturing policies been successful? And are Greece and Argentina the new role models for fiscal responsibility? We look through those questions today with Brian Blase and Paul Winfree. Brian Blase, Ph.D., is the President of Paragon Health Institute. Brian was Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the White House's National Economic Council (NEC) from 2017-2019, where he coordinated the development and execution of numerous health policies and advised the President, NEC director, and senior officials. After leaving the White House, Brian founded Blase Policy Strategies and served as its CEO. Dr. Paul Winfree is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center in Washington, D.C. He is also a Research Affiliate at the Queen's University Centre for Economic History (Queen's University Belfast), and an Advisor at the Centre for Economics, Policy and History (Trinity College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast). His research focuses on public finance, the political economy, and U.S. economic history.

What's the case for free trade? What's the history of free trade in the United States? And is undoing free trade a sound grand strategy for the United States? Dominic Pino looks through these questions on the latest episode of Econception.

How can government policy be more family-friendly? Can socialism exist without coercion? How did bad monetary policy encourage DEI and ESG? Susannah Petitt joins Dominic to discuss. Susannah Petitt is a Social Mobility Fellow at Young Voices and Programs Manager at the Mercatus Center.

Why does public transit keep costing the government more money? Why is cheaper goods the same thing as higher pay? And why don't most people have pensions anymore? Dominic Pino sits down with Marc Scribner to look through these questions on this episode of Econception. Marc Scribner is a Senior Transportation Policy Analyst at Reason Foundation.

Do Europeans work hard enough? Why do you pay higher interest rates than banks? And can a Hawaiian rum company end one of our worst protectionist laws? Garett Jones joins Dominic Pino to discuss these questions on the latest episode of Econception. Garett Jones is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

What does "GDP" actually mean? Are European value-added taxes really tariffs on America? Does the US need a sovereign wealth fund? Dominic Pino discusses these questions and more on the latest episode of Econception.

With Donald Trump's return to the White House, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been established in partnership with Elon Musk and is getting to work. What is going on with DOGE so far, and what changes have already happened? Joining Econception today to discuss this is Dr. James Broughel.  Dr. James Broughel is a Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Dr. Broughel is an accomplished economist whose expertise lies in regulatory institutions and the impact of regulations on economic growth. He is the author of the book Regulation and Economic Growth: Applying Economic Theory to Public Policy and is a regular columnist at Forbes, where he writes on topics such as energy and cryptocurrency.

How should free market supporters think about welfare programs? Is road congestion pricing a good idea? And what's the matter with the Endangered Species Act? Dominic Pino discusses this on the latest episode of Econception.

How are local governments blocking churches from caring for the homeless? What's the difference between a government shutdown and hitting the debt ceiling? And how do markets work to get Christmas presents on time? Christian Britschgi joins the show to discuss. Christian Britschgi is a reporter at Reason who covers property rights, housing policy, transportation policy, and regulation.

What is financialization? What do people think of healthcare in the United States? And what is the relationship between socialism and violence? David Bahnsen joins Dominic today to discuss. David Bahnsen is the founder and managing partner of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing over $4 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. Bahnsen is also a contributor to several prominent outlets and a best-selling author.

How to special interests influence trade policy? Is Milton Friedman making a comeback? And why is milk never on sale? Scott Lincicome joins Econception with Dominic Pino to discuss. Scott Lincicome is the vice president of general economics and Cato Institutes's Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. He writes on international and domestic economic issues, including international trade; subsidies and industrial policy; manufacturing and global supply chains; and economic dynamism.

What are the economics of podcasts? Is the CHIPS Act working? And are China's corporate tax rates better than ours? Emily Jashinsky joins Dominic today to discuss. Emily Jashinsky is UnHerd's Washington D.C. Correspondent and a writer at several outlets, including The Federalist.

Why is the government spending so much more money than it was five years ago? How do tariffs hurt the people they're supposed to help? And is Canada poor? Matthew Dickerson joins the podcast today to discuss. Matthew D. Dickerson is the Director of Budget Policy at the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC). Dickerson is recognized as an expert on fiscal policy issues, including the budget, appropriations, and entitlement reform.

What is the impact of immigration on the federal budget? How does the East Coast Dockworker's Union work? And are union bosses paid too much? Daniel Di Martino joins Dominic Pino to discuss. 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. 

What are popular economic fallacies, and why are they wrong? What is holding Africa back from economic development? And Cuba still has bread rations? Dominic breaks these questions down on today's episode of Econception.

Why is the national accounting system so valuable? Can we trust economic data not to be politically biased? And what does it mean to say that complexity is a subsidy? Joining Dominic today is William Beach to discuss. Dr. Beach is a Senior Fellow at the Economic Policy Innovation Center and the former Commisioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Why is the national debt a bigger issue now than it was in the past? Is it a problem that people making minimum wage can't afford a two-bedroom apartment? What is the economic rationale behind gift cards? Brian Riedl joins Dominic Pino to discuss. Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic policy. A prolific researcher, Riedl has published nearly 600 studies and articles since 2001 on federal spending, taxes, deficits, and economic policy, and has assisted in the writing of several New York Times best-selling books.

How should we think about the relationship between free trade and national security? How did economists come to think of free trade as a good thing? Did Paris make good use of $1.5 billion to clean up the Seine River for the Olympics? Samuel Gregg joins Econception today to discuss. Samuel Gregg is the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He has a D.Phil. in moral philosophy and political economy from Oxford University, and an M.A. in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne.

Do we still need to create jobs? What are labor unions, and how do they actually work? Scott Lincicome joins host Dominic Pino to discuss all things labor market. Scott Lincicome is the Cato Institute's vice president of general economics and Cato's Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. He writes on international and domestic economic issues, including international trade; subsidies and industrial policy; manufacturing and global supply chains; and economic dynamism.

Why does the money supply matter? Do most Americans hate their jobs? And how can it make sense to spend millions of dollars on an election you'll win anyway? Joining the show today is Patrick Horan to discuss.  Patrick Horan is a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he focuses on monetary policy and the Federal Reserve System. His writings have been published in Barron's, The Hill, City Journal, National Review Online, US News & World Report, Discourse, and InsideSources.

What is the state pension fund crisis? Why are government subsidies for internet service a bad idea? Did tariffs cause the Great Depression? Dominic Pino and Thomas Savidge sit down to discuss these questions and more.  Thomas Savidge is a Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. He earned his Master in Public Policy from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from SUNY New Paltz.

How does the tax code screw up healthcare?  On the latest episode of Econception, Theo Merkel sits down with Dominic to discuss how healthcare and health insurance are closely tied to tax policy, and how the tax code can be changed to address some of our healthcare system's biggest problems. Theo Merkel is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on improving the sustainability of U.S. entitlement programs, the effectiveness of our safety net, the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, the balance between the federal government and the states, and the transition from policy development to implementation.

Does worker pay track with worker productivity? Do bureaucrats represent the American people? What does smuggling alcohol have to do with supporting tariffs? Scott Winship sits down with Dominic Pino to discuss these questions and more on this episode of Econception. Scott Winship is the Director of the Center for Social Mobility and Opportunity at the American Enterprise Institute.  

Tariffs are one of those economic topics that never seem to go away. With new tariffs from the Biden Administration and a proposed 10% universal tariff for President Trump's potential second term, we have to ask: What's the real story behind them? Are they rightfully understood in our discourse today? What would the impact of more tariffs be? To discuss these questions, host Dominic Pino sat down with tax policy expert Erica York. Erica York is Senior Economist and Research Director with Tax Foundation's Center for Federal Tax Policy. Her analysis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, and other national and international media outlets.

Why is 2025 an important year for government spending? Does the rise of China mean free trade no longer applies? Is it a good idea to devalue the U.S. dollar? Paul Winfree sits down with host Dominic Pino to discuss these questions. Dr. Paul Winfree is an economist and a trusted public policy advisor. He has served in top management and policy roles in the White House, the US Senate, and in think tanks. Currently, he serves as President and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center in Washington, DC.

What is industrial policy, and does it work? What really is the “China shock”? Do the rich pay their fair share? Dr. Samuel Gregg sits down with host Dominic Pino to discuss these questions. Samuel Gregg is the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He has a Doctorate in moral philosophy and political economy from Oxford University, and an M.A. in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne.

How does trade policy actually get made? Does steel need protectionism? And what is the planner mindset? Dominic Pino sits down with Ed Gresser to discuss these questions and more. Ed Gresser is Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets at the Progressive Policy Institute. Previously, he worked at the U.S. Trade Representative's Office during both the Barack Obama Administration and the Donald Trump Administration.

Do we live in a market economy? Why should politicians stay away from monetary policy? And why is the chicken a good mascot for free markets? Host Dominic Pino sits down with Daniel Hannan to discuss these questions and more. Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is an author and columnist, and is a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. Lord Hannan also serves on the UK Board of Trade, one of the British government's highest-profile advisory bodies on trade and economic matters.

Are stadium subsidies worth it? How about steel and aluminum tariffs? And what even is a grocery store? On this episode of Econception, an AIER podcast, host Dominic Pino is joined by John Mozena to discuss why stadium subsidies fail to produce a return for taxpayers and rarely generate expected economic growth for communities. A leading critic of stadium subsidies, John Mozena is the President of The Center for Economic Accountability, an organization that advocates for free-market reforms to local and state economic development across the country. 

Are two thirds of Americans living paycheck to paycheck? Is a proposed airline merger really a threat to competition? Why is the U.S. national debt a problem? In the first episode of Econception, a new production of the American Institute for Economic Research, host Dominic Pino looks through these questions and more.