Podcast appearances and mentions of don boudreaux

Conventional wisdom is brimming with economic myths: the Industrial Revolution impoverished the masses; bobber barons were the scourge of the Gilded Age; the Great Recession was caused by irresponsible deregulation. Senator Phil Gramm and economist Don Boudreaux attempt to set the record straight in their new book, “The Triumph of Economic Freedom: Debunking the Seven Great Myths of American Capitalism.”

Matt Bufton speaks with Don Boudreaux about tariffs, free trade, and the economic misunderstandings that drive protectionist policies. Don critiques the balance of trade doctrine, drawing from historical examples and economic theory to explain why tariffs harm both consumers and producers. The discussion covers the impact of tariffs on the U.S. and Canada, how politicians exploit economic misconceptions, and why a policy of unilateral free trade would be the best path forward. References Globalization by Don Boudreaux Paperback: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/globalization-9780313342134/   The Essential Hayek by Don Boudreaux Free PDF: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/essential-hayek_0.pdf   "The Case for Free Trade" by Don Boudreaux (Mercatus Center) https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/boudreaux-benefits-free-trade-ep-v2.pdf  "Don't Get Played By Protectionists" (Cafe Hayek) https://cafehayek.com/2025/03/dont-get-played-by-protectionists.html  "On America's Trade Deficit With China" by Don Boudreaux https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/on-americas-trade-deficit-with-china/  "Adam Smith Doesn't Like U.S. Trade Policy" by Stuart Anderson https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2018/07/18/adam-smith-doesnt-like-u-s-trade-policy/  Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support the podcast, visit https://patreon.com/curioustask.

0:00 - Schumer and Waters rallying to the Marxist rabble: we will win… 13:43 - Shellenberger on USAID, CIA, Trump impeachment 29:30 - Trump signs EO banning men in women's sports 50:03 - American economist, author, professor, and co-director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Don Boudreaux, on Trump's tariffs and The Problem With Retaliatory Protectionism. Be sure to check Don’s blog cafehayek.com 01:04:22 - DOGE 01:25:30 - Eugene Kontorovich, professor at George Mason University Scalia Law School and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, believes Trump is “the first world leader who is trying to do something meaningful for the people of Gaza” Follow Eugene on X @EVKontorovich 01:41:14 - Acclaimed actor from “Bob’s Burgers,” “Better Call Saul,” and “Anchorman”, Jay Johnston, speaks on his actions Jan 6 that lead to a 1-year prison sentence and a spot on the Hollywood blacklist. 01:58:25 - Trump signs EO banning men in women's sportsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to the series, Perspectives on Peace, hosted by Chris Coyne. The first four episodes of this series will focus on The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus Center, 2024) and will feature a collection of short interviews with many of the chapter authors.This episode focuses on state power, peaceful cooperation, and the regime uncertainty of Robert Higgs, featuring authors Ed Stringham on “Two Paths toward Anarcho-pacifism: Lessons from Christianity and Modern Economics”, and Don Boudreaux on “Regime Uncertainty and Market Uncertainty.” In their conversations, the authors explain their motives for writing and summarize their respective chapters.Edward P. Stringham is the Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of American Business and Economic Enterprise at Trinity College. Ed is an alum of the Mercatus PhD Fellowship.Donald J. Boudreaux is a Senior Fellow at the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a Professor of Economics at George Mason University.Learn more about Chris Coyne's work as Director of the Initiative for the Study of a Stable Peace (ISSP).If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Virtual Sentiments, our new podcast series from the Hayek Program is streaming! Subscribe today and listen to seasons one and two.Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramLearn more about Academic & Student ProgramsFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

Send us a textIt'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!). Want to explore more?Don Boudreaux on the Essential Hayek, a Great Antidote podcast.Bruce Caldwell on Hayek, an EconTalk podcast.Rosolino Candela, Using Reason to Understand the Abuse and Decline of Reason, an Econlib Liberty Classic.Peter Boettke, Hayek's Nobel at 50, at EconLog.Peter Boettke, Hayek's Epistemic Liberalism, in Liberty Matters at the Online Library of Liberty.Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Welcome to the series, Perspectives on Peace, hosted by Chris Coyne. The first four episodes of this series will focus on The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus, 2024) and will feature a collection of short interviews with many of the chapter authors.On this episode, Chris Coyne and Don Boudreaux discuss the life and legacy of Robert Higgs as featured in the newly published edited volume, The Legacy of Robert Higgs (Mercatus Center, 2024). Coyne and Boudreaux emphasize Higgs' work as an economist and economic historian, especially his influence on understanding economic history and the relationship between markets and political systems.Boudreaux shares personal anecdotes about his friendship with Higgs and highlights the key works that have shaped Higgs' legacy, including Crisis and Leviathan and Competition and Coercion. They discuss his understanding of the 19th and 20th century American economy, his role in the development of “The Independent Review,” his arguments for maintaining skepticism about government power, and more.Donald J. Boudreaux is a Senior Fellow at the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a Professor of Economics at George Mason University.Learn more about Chris Coyne's work as Director of the Initiative for the Study of a Stable Peace (ISSP).If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Virtual Sentiments, our new podcast series from the Hayek Program is streaming! Subscribe today and listen to seasons one and two.Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramLearn more about Academic & Student ProgramsFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

Send us a textThe 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!Smith makes a big point of critiquing men of pride and vanity. What happens when those ultimately negative aspects of humanity go too far, into the territory of what he calls “domineering”? What happens when small acts of domination are aggregated throughout a society? 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. Want to explore more?Jacob Levy, Rationalism, Pluralism, and the History of Liberal Ideas, a Liberty Matters symposium at the Online Library of Liberty. Don Boudreaux on the Essential Hayek, a Great Antidote podcast.Steven Horwitz, Spontaneous Order in Adam Smith, at AdamSmithWorks.Dan Klein on Adam Smith's Justice, a Great Antidote podcast.Rosolino Candela, Private Property and Social Justice: Complements or Substitutes? at Econlib.Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Send us a textThe 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! Want to explore more?Profile in Liberty: Friedrich A. Hayek, at Econlib.Don Boudreaux on Reading Hayek, an EconTalk podcast.Elaine Sternberg, The Power and Pervasiveness of Spontaneous Order, at Econlib.Nicholas Wapshott on Keynes and Hayek, an EconTalk podcast.Hayek and Spontaneous Orders, at the Online Library of Liberty.Never miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

When politicians decry the production that's done overseas, it's a good time to take stock of a most basic economic concept: comparative advantage. Don Boudreaux discusses what it means. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The response to the pandemic will be more protectionism. Government wan tto bring "supply chains" back into the country. But this term is misleading because it suggests that goods, such as a pen, is at the end of a long chain of production that is stretched around the world, so if we want to produce more pens at home, we should just pull that chain in our direction - listen to the full talk with prof. Don Boudreaux from George Mason University and a host of cafehayek.com to know why it is a wrong idea.

Dr. Donald Boudreaux is an American economist, author and Senior Fellow of the F.A. Hayek Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Dr. Boudreaux is a senior scholar at TFAS where he teaches Economics for the Citizen for TFAS D.C. Summer Programs. He has authored several books including "Globalization," "Hypocrites and Half-Wits," and "The Essential Hayek." In addition to teaching at TFAS and Mason, he previously taught legal studies and economics at Clemson University, served as an Olin Visiting Fellow in Law and Economics at the Cornell Law School and was president of the Foundation for Economic Education. Dr. Boudreaux earned his Ph.D. in economics from Auburn University and J.D. from the University of Virginia. In this week's Liberty + Leadership Podcast, Roger and Don discuss the basic foundations of economics, the public choice theory, how there are no solutions – only trade-offs – in economics, the comparative advantage of free trade, and why good journalism unfortunately makes bad economics.  The Liberty + Leadership Podcast is hosted by TFAS President Roger Ream and produced by kglobal. If you have a comment or question for the show, please drop us an email at podcast@TFAS.org.Support the show

0:00 - Charles Thomas, filling in for Amy, shares his thoughts on the mayoral election results. He says he thought Chicago had turned a corner, but was wrong. Dan wants to know what corner Charles thought Chicago turned   11:14 - Dan & Charles react to Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson's interview with ABC 7's Craig Wall   31:19 - Dan & Charles continue to glean Brandon Johnson's plan for Chicago from his interview with Craig Wall and ask “are you taking a wait & see approach with Johnson?”   52:32 - Dan & Charles respond to Karine Jeanne-Pierre: “What Age You Can Begin Changing Gender Is "Something For A Child And Their Parents To Decide"   01:11:03 - American economist, author, professor, and co-director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Don Boudreaux, shares that although he would like to eliminate all government interventions there are “Some Buttons That I'd Not Push, and Some That I Would Push” For more from Don, check out his blog cafehayek.com   01:30:42 - Transgender Teacher and Journalist, Debbie Hayton, shares the story of her transition and points to Joe Biden's trans foolishness. For on Debbie and her work debbiehayton.com   01:47:33 - Fox News analyst, columnist for The Hill and author of What the Hell Do You Have to Lose?, Juan WIlliams, discusses Trump indictment and 2024 in this preview of Arpil 25th's main event. To purchase tickets to BEYOND THE TALKING POINTS  PRESENTED BY FOX VALLEY COINS visit 560theanswer.com/beyond   02:08:31 - Naperville-based financial advisor Josh McBroom explains the issues he's ready to take on as a newly elected Naperville City Councilman. For more on Josh and the rest of the Naperville City Council naperville.il.usSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I talk with Konrad, a New Zealand Economist. We cover a lot of topics, looking at Austrian economics and how it can be considered in a New Zealand context, the challenges and inherent biases with trying to measure an economy with things like GDP and CPI, and the difference between the science and practice of economics. Links: Cafe Hayek by Don Boudreaux - https://cafehayek.com/ Austrian School for Investors: Austrian Investing between Inflation and Deflation: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/29549969 The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class by Guy Standing: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/10696419 The Bitcoin Matrix by Cedric Youngelman: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-bitcoin-matrix/id1534519469

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Don Boudreaux & Rosolino Candela discuss the resurgence of intellectual interest in antitrust policy across the United States. They begin by recounting the history of antitrust policy in the US, beginning with the meatpacking industry in the 1880s and continuing to the modern day. Additionally, they consider the continuing relevance of the "structure-conduct-performance" paradigm and its hold on the contemporary debates surrounding monopoly power and antitrust policy. Later in the conversation, Rosolino and Don examine growing concerns over market concentration in platform economies. Finally, they include an analysis of the major contributions to antitrust policy and how they compare to the Austrian take.If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review for us on Apple Podcasts and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever else you get your podcasts.Do you have a question related to the podcast or maybe a show topic you'd like to suggest? Write to us at hayekprogram@mercatus.gmu.edu with your questions and suggestions.Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramLearn more about Academic & Student ProgramsFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

  0:00 - Dan Proft Roast (continued)    9:49 -Tera Myers (OH) and her son Samuel…the fight for school choice for kids with DD/ID (National Down Syndrome Day this week)   28:13 -Dan's quest to understand suburban women   48:36 - Donald J Boudreaux,  co-director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University:  The Public-Health Hazards Posed by Public-Health Paternalists. For more of Don Boudreaux' musings - cafehyek.com   01:02:38 -America's Got Talent?   01:19:30 - President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and foreign affairs columnist for The Washington Times, Clifford May, on The death of MAD. Follow Cliff May on twitter @CliffordDMay   01:35:54 - Ben Barton, Helen and Charles Lockett Distinguished Professor of Law at University of Tennessee, explains How the Supreme Court lost its real diversity. Check out one of Professor Barton's books   Fixing Law Schools: From Collapse to the Trump Bump and Beyond 01:49:02 - OPEN MIC FRIDAY!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life seems so fast-paced now with cell phone notifications every second, last minute school projects, and constant emails. It has a lot of people yearning for the simple life, the life people led decades ago. But what if we're living the simple life right now? Don Boudreaux from George Mason University talks with Boyd about his new piece outlining how easy our lives actually are compared to previous generations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we get to talk with George F. Will about his latest collection of essays, American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008-2020, and also about his magnum opus, The Conservative Sensibility.  Joining in on the conversation are John Tamny, Vice President of FreedomWorks, editor of RealClearMarkets, and author of When Politicians Panicked,  and Don Boudreaux, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, research scholar at Mercatus Center, who runs the go-to blog for free market economic thinking, Cafe Hayek. Always witty and erudite, George offers up his views on today's pressing concerns, queried, challenged and amplified by John and Don, two very smart men.  Among our questions: How and when do Americans recover the liberties lost from over two years of government  lockdowns and mandates?  Why did so many libertarians acquiesce? Public choice theory says that people in government are not any different than people in the private sector. Is this still true? A prosperous and free society depends on trust. Will America's government health establishment be able to recover the public's trust? Can woke progressivism's long march through American institutions be reversed? And more: on families, voting rights, campaign finance, college campus fragility, social media's power, judicial restraint, closed questions in an open society, majority rule, self-regarding versus other regarding acts, China's future … almost everything except baseball. We'll get to that next time. Definitely worth a listen.

Sometimes a policy proposal comes along that is so bad, it has to be intellectually dismantled before it ever sees the light of day. Senator Elizabeth Warren is famous for such plans. Remember her mantra in the 2020 presidential campaign, “I've got a plan for that”? Thankfully, her [Accountable Capitalism Act](https://www.warren.senate.gov/download/accountable-capitalism-act-one-pager) – which would have ended capitalism as we know it – was rejected, along with her candidacy.But now Senator Warren is at it again. This time she is suggesting that inflation, and higher food prices in particular, are a result of "price gouging" by large grocery store companies. Her solution is to crack down on “Big Grocery” with antitrust legislation, claiming that chains like Kroger are earning monopoly profits while ordinary Americans pay the price. There's just one problem: grocery stores operate on razor-thin profit margins, and represent one of the most competitive markets around.Don Boudreaux alerted me to this story on his blog, Cafe Hayek, where I always start my day. He returned to the show to expose the fallacies at the heart of her proposal. Putting aside the more nuanced issue of price gouging (a topic I've covered with Don in the past), I couldn't let Warren's farcical claims about grocery store monopolies go unchallenged. We discussed whether the idea is born of ignorance, mendacity, or some combination of the two.

Professor of economics and former economics department chair at George Mason University,  and senior fellow with the Fraser Institute, Don Boudreaux, joins me this week to discuss the minimum wage, the morality behind the concept, and both the intended and unintended consequences. We even discuss the differences between minimum wage in Canada and the US. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The reality is that when businesses respond to market prices and wages in ways that maximize share values they generally promote the welfare of a far larger number of stakeholders than when businesses discount the importance of share values in order to intentionally promote the welfare of stakeholders. Don Boudreaux joins the podcast to discuss the difference between stakeholder capitalism and shareholder capitalism and how they both relate to corporate responsibility.What are the differences between shareholders and stakeholders? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economist Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks about the pandemic with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Boudreaux argues that a perfect storm of factors created a huge overreaction, including unnecessary lockdowns that accomplished little at a very high cost in physical and emotional health. Instead, Boudreaux argues, we should have focused attention on the population most at risk of dying from COVID--the elderly and especially the elderly with co-morbidities. The conversation includes a discussion of externalities and the insights of Ronald Coase applied to the policies during the pandemic.

In this episode, economists Don Boudreaux, Steve Davies, Douglas Irwin, and Arvind Panagariya reflect on the legacy of Britain's Corn Laws 175 years after their repeal on June 25, 1846. They discuss the effects of the Corn Laws, the circumstances leading to the laws' repeal, the ensuing rise of free trade both in Britain and globally, and much more. Boudreaux is a professor of economics at George Mason University. Davies is the head of education at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. Douglas is the John French Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College. Panagariya is a professor of economics and the Jagdish N. Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University.Resources:The Wealth Explosion: The Nature and Origins of Modernity by Steve DaviesClashing Over Commerce by Doug IrwinFree Trade and Prosperity by Arvind PanagariyaFor more helpful links and resources from this conversation, please visit DiscourseMagazine.com.

In episode 25 of The Peace Radicals, Marc J. Victor converses with a special guest, Don Boudreaux. Don is an American economist, author, professor, and co-director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Marc begins the episode by explaining the movement and the Live and Let Live Principle. He describes the goals of the movement; which include calibrating the laws to the 3L Principle to gain freedom and inspiring people to voluntarily adopt the aspirational values of the movement which would help us gain peace. Marc and Don discuss capitalism vs. crony capitalism and explain how free trade promotes peace. Then, they talk about socialism; they converse about how voluntary socialism wouldn't violate the 3LP. Don explains that if an idea is good, people will be compelled to voluntarily join. They ponder on how socialism has become so popular recently considering world history, and conclude that the k-12 system is a large part of the problem. They finish the conversation by elaborating on how the pandemic has caused so many people to think differently. Marc optimistically explains that we have to succeed in this peace movement if we want our species to succeed.

The response to the pandemic will be more protectionism. Government wan tto bring "supply chains" back into the country. But this term is misleading because it suggests that goods, such as a pen, is at the end of a long chain of production that is stretched around the world, so if we want to produce more pens at home, we should just pull that chain in our direction - listen to the full talk with prof. Don Boudreaux from George Mason University and a host of cafehayek.com to know why it is a wrong idea.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sebastianstodolak)

Don Boudreaux is the perfect person to address the "you don't have a right to infect others" argument. Don is a professor of economics (among many other accomplishments), and he also has a law degree. So he has quite a lot to say about the nature of "externalities", both from an economic perspective and one grounded in law, and in common-law principles in particular.We also address the question of whether the perpetrators of the devastating lockdowns and other restrictions should be held accountable for the harm they have done via something similar to the Nuremberg trials.And in the end, I think I even manage to cheer him up a little regarding humanity's prospects for the future. Don writes about externalities here....and you can find more of his writings here, or on Cafe Hayek where he blogs regularly.Some of the LA fireworks videos we talk about are posted here.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on Antitrust. Antitrust and other regulatory authorities around the world are busily assessing potential enforcement actions against big digital platforms, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon, among others. The panel addresses the following questions: Should governments establish regulations that sets clear rules of conduct for digital platforms? Can existing “consumer welfare” standards guiding antitrust enforcement effectively curb abuses by digital platforms? Are proposals to heighten antitrust prohibitions and reverse antitrust burdens of proof de facto regulation?   If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Don Boudreaux, Senior Fellow in the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics here at Mercatus will be moderating this panel of leading antitrust scholars, regulators, and practitioners to address these timely questions about digital platforms. Meet the panel: Alden Abbott, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University Scott Hemphill, Moses H. Grossman Professor of Law at New York University John Yun, Associate Professor of Law, Scalia Law School at George Mason University Nicolas Petit, Joint Chair in Competition Law at the Robert Schumann Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute Aurelien Portuese, Director of Antitrust and Innovation Policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Trade is innately human. Whether it’s baseball cards, lunchbox items or recipes, people have been exchanging goods, services, practices, and ideas since prehistoric times. Driven by curiosity and power, or most commonly money, trade has created the modern, globalized world we know today. To better understand the past, present, and future of trade’s huge web of interconnectivity, we’re traveling back in time with Meat and Three’s first ever 4-part mini-series. We first look at history's most significant trade route: The Silk Road. We explore how the expansive caravan and maritime routes marked the first period of vast global interchange with Najmieh Batmanglij. We then dig into economics with Don Boudreaux to explain the implications of free trade and some central characteristics of our current globalized model. And don’t forget to stick around for the next three episodes as we take a deeper dive into the ingredients that make these routes so delicious. Subscribe to Meat and Three on your favorite podcast app.Further Reading:Get your own copy of “Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey” by Najmieh Batmanglij hereKeep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

Economist and author Don Boudreaux of George Mason University discusses the life and work of the economist James Buchanan with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Buchanan received the Nobel Prize in 1986 for his work creating and developing public choice--the field which applies the tools of economics to politicians and political behavior. After discussing the importance of public choice, Boudreaux and Roberts focus on two contrarian articles of Buchanan's where he argues for the importance of markets and life as processes rather than problems to be solved analytically.

I ask economics professor and columnist Don Boudreaux what the Hell is going on. He doesn't know either. We commiserate.You can find Don at Cafe Hayek.His article "Why so Gullible About Government in the Face of Covid-19?" is here....and his other recent article, "Covid Collectivism" is here.

Nate interviews Dr. Don Boudreaux, a Professor of Economics and former Economics Department Chair at George Mason University. Dr. Boudreaux has a PhD in Economics from Auburn University and a law degree from the University of Virginia and has many more accomplishments as well as published literature. Show Notes:0:00 Intro and how Dr. Boudreaux got started in economics4:30 Life as an academic coming from a blue collar background6:40 Intro to economics10:30 What do economists do?12:35 Specialization and division of labor21:15 How does outsourcing affect our economy?27:35 Economic improvements and quality of life35:35 The most important economic principle to understand39:07 Our economic outlook for the future41:35 Socialism, Karl Marx and communism45:18 Where can I learn more about economics? https://cafehayek.com/ Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt https://amzn.to/34Ah4Fi https://www.econlib.org/ Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell https://amzn.to/34CzxRz Fredrick Bastait books:Economic Sophisms https://amzn.to/3mAVozb The Bastait Collection https://amzn.to/3kGBhiy The Law https://amzn.to/3jE8r0T

Don Boudreaux, GMU economics professor and blogger at Cafe Hayek, talks to us about the origins, purpose, and effects of antitrust laws in this two-part series about antitrust.

Economist Donald J. Boudreaux joined host Ben Domenech to discuss the long-lasting economic impact of the government shutdown. Boudreaux is a Professor of Economics at George Washington University, and serves as a Senior Fellow at the Mercatus Center and The Fund for American Studies. Boudreaux wrote an article earlier this week titled “Who is Making […]Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/federalist-radio-hour/economist-don-boudreaux-on-incompetence-of-the-government-amid-lockdown/.Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing: https://ricochet.com/membership/.Subscribe to Federalist Radio Hour in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.

In this interview with Don Boudreaux, GMU economics professor and blogger at Cafe Hayek, we explore policies that are loved by the public but are actually bad: price gouging, rent control, minimum wage, and tariffs. 

Last week I shared my curated COVID-19 reading list, which is keeping me relaxed and confident in my belief that we are overreacting. While we should worry about the incursions of civil and economic freedoms being brought about in response, people like Jacob Sullum of Reason and Jeffrey Tucker of AIER are doing a service by calming people down about the virus itself.Don Boudreaux over at Cafe Hayek also deserves special mention for leading me to most of my trusted sources with his blog's daily links. It's hard to keep up with all of the outstanding writing he's highlighted over the past weeks, including his own increasingly relevant review of Robert Higgs's Crisis and Leviathan for the American Institute for Economic Research, and a must-read article for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Essential Questions about Essential Medicine.Twitter has reportedly begun to censor non-certified-expert advice on matters related to the coronavirus, so I will limit this Sunday's show to the subject of economics and politics where we are still free to opine (for now). I predict that future economics and political science students will look back in horror at this period – not for the mortality rate, which appears to be marginally higher than an average flu season – but for the acquiescence to draconian restrictions, unprecedented spending, and enlargement of state, local and federal bureaucracy (not to mention the failure of basic functions by the existing apparatus, i.e., FDA).Most media analysis misses what Frédéric Bastiat called “that which is unseen.” Dead bodies being carted away by truck to the morgue is a striking image, and is seen by millions on media loop. Business closures, economic hardship, and looming inflation are harder to see and thus get downplayed in the calculus.Trump's “VERY BIG & BOLD” $2 trillion stimulus produces highly visible benefits in the short-term, but the costs are unseen – postponed to be paid by future generations.Don returned to the show to help me settle the question on all thinking people's minds: is it worth it?Is it worth the loss of liberty?Is it worth trillions in damage to the economy?Is it worth the separation from friends, family, and the myriad economic relationships that have been severed?For the sake of argument, Don and I will assume that the more dire predictions about mortality are true.Join us in asking the hard but important questions on the show of idea - not attitude.

Don Boudreaux channels Robert Higgs and Friedrich Bastiat on the economic and political errors being rushed through the Coronavirus pandemic.

Don Boudreaux is an economist at George Mason University who blogs at Cafe Hayek. He has a long history with the Austrian and Public Choice schools, and is in the trenches daily making the case for free trade. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: The YouTube video (https://youtu.be/yBWDFK-EBIU) of this interview. Don's blog, Cafe Hayek (https://cafehayek.com/) . Don's book, The Essential Hayek (https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/essential-hayek.pdf) . Help support (http://bobmurphyshow.com/contribute)  the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by  Podsworth Media (http://podsworth.com/) .

In a rare point of agreement, both the New York Times Editorial Board and the Libertarian Party are criticizing Trump's tariffs.“Tariffs are Taxes that Americans Pay” reads the LP's new bumper sticker slogan.“Trump's Tariffs Are a New Tax on Americans” say the NYT editorial board.Put simply, a tariff is just a tax on imports. There's no getting around the cost to Americans, leading free market economists to observe that imposing tariffs is like poking ourselves in the eye to punish our trading partners.But it goes beyond this. Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary unintentionally made the point about the destructive nature of trade wars during an interview with Nick Gillespie for Reason TV:It's not an understatement when Don Boudreaux calls the trade war a “War on Trade.” O'Leary calls it a “brilliant” move by Trump to pressure Canada to arrest a powerful Chinese national's daughter in Canada to poison relations between the two countries.It was intended, O'Leary suspects, to prevent China from shifting its imports of raw materials from the U.S. to Canada, and it worked.China did halt imports from Canada, but it also retaliated by threatening to KILL two Canadian prisoners.Treachery breeds treachery. This won't end well.What's Wrong with Trumponomics?According to economists like Steve Moore, however, Trump's tariffs could effectively pressure countries like China to stop manipulating their currency. The long-term devaluation of the Yuan has helped spur the domestic economy — especially manufacturing — in China, and some credit the policy with China's overall growth and low unemployment (and simultaneous loss of manufacturing output in the U.S.).Listening to Moore, one can easily get the impression that we are merely experiencing a bump in the road en route to globally free trade.Not everyone is buying it, though.Boudreaux — a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center, GMU economics professor, and curator of the eminently readable Cafe Hayek—doesn't accept the argument that Trump's trade war will lead to “zero-zero” tariffs in the long run.Why not? First, because Trump doesn't indicate any understanding of free trade.Trump exalts “jobs” above the broader metric of prosperity. Boudreaux maintains that exports are costs Americans pay to receive the benefits of imports. In his view, there is no net benefit to having more jobs or industries in areas in which the Chinese have developed a comparative advantage. As he explained to John Stossel, the result of China's currency manipulation is an opportunity for Americans to specialize in more rewarding jobs in the service sector.Don Boudreaux explains the harms of a War on Trade and the benefits to Americans of trade with China.The ironclad Bob Zadek rule of Government intervention holds that whenever government declares “war” to solve a problem, the problem gets worse.The President has somewhat backed off of his tweet “hereby ordering” U.S. companies to stop doing business in China, but he seems stuck in the zero-sum thinking of his economic advisor Peter Navarro, who insists that the U.S. must mirror the mercantilist approach China has chosen to our own destruction.What John Bolton's advice is to foreign policy, Peter Navarro's advice is to trade — a misguided American exceptionalism that puts us a great risk of losing the traditions of peace and free markets that made us great.We also discuss the wisdom (folly?) and (un)constitutionality of executive orders regulating trade under The International Emergency Economic Powers Act.Lastly, I ask Don why conservatives are suddenly embracing a more powerful executive, and aligning themselves with Elizabeth Warren's “economic patriotism.”Do Trump's tax cuts and deregulation measures redeem his economic nationalism?

Don Boudreaux on the War on Trade

Don Boudreaux is a professor of economics at George Mason University as well as the co-director of the Program on the American Economy and Globalization at the Mercatus Center. He joins the show today to talk about the future of trade and globalization. David and Don also discuss the history of protectionism in the US, President Trump’s trade policies, and why the China Shock thesis may signal bad economics. Don’s blog: https://cafehayek.com/ Don’s Mercatus Profile: https://www.mercatus.org/donald-j-boudreaux Related Links: *Clashing over Commerce: A History of U.S. Trade Policy* by Doug Irwin https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo24475328.html *Tariffs, Immigration, and Economic Insulation: A New View of the U.S. Post-Civil War Era*by Cecil Bohanon and Norman Van Cott https://www.jstor.org/stable/24562083?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents *The China Shock: Learning from Labor Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade* by David Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon Hanson https://www.nber.org/papers/w21906 David’s blog: macromarketmusings.blogspot.com David’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth

Ever since Francis Bacon's The New Atlantis, men have dreamed of using science to advance empirical knowledge and bring relief to the human condition. But in the area of law and governance in particular, some countries have tried to apply rational principles (i.e., Marx's supposedly scientific laws of history) with disastrous consequences. The common law tradition — with its protections of private property and individual liberty, plus stable rule of law — has proved the best system so far, despite being an emergent, system rather than the creation of an all-wise leader or bureaucracy.Ironically, the countries that have tried the hardest to engineer social outcomes are now implementing special zones where more organically-evolved legal systems are the law of the land. China's SEZs — free trade zones modeled on western governance — are credited with bringing close to a billion people out of poverty. This economic miracle has spawned copy-cat experiments around the world, but they are not necessarily the end-all-be-all of good governance. Newer concepts like charter cities, technological zones, and startup cities have been proposed to jumpstart growth in dysfunctional jurisdictions around the world.A few years ago, before a series of high profile failures in places like Honduras and Madagascar, these ideas seemed to be gaining traction. There was cross-spectrum support, ranging from “crazy utopian techno-libertarians” (like the “seasteaders”) to establishment-types like former World Bank Chief Economist Paul Romer.Mark Lutter straddles these two worlds. He knows what drives libertarian aspirations for free cities, having recently received his PhD from George Mason University (under Don Boudreaux, no less). But Lutter also knows what it takes for radical ideas to get a hearing with the people with the authority to implement it. He recently founded the Center for Innovative Governance, a new think tank, to fill the vacuum in credible academic literature and guide pragmatic policy-makers who see the potential for more innovative governance.Although it has become a cliche in some circles, governance matters — more than many realize. Writing for Jacobite Magazine, Lutter notes that a practical approach must convince the ruling elites. Our empirical knowledge of what works (rule of law, property rights, etc.) needs to be transmitted to the parts of the world where darkness, superstition, and authoritarianism still reign.Why City States?Nation-states have been the default configuration for governance for 400 years. Static in their geographic boundaries, and sclerotic in their administration, nation-states are like lumbering giants that frequently start wars against other countries and shackle their own citizens with one-size-fits-all laws. When it comes to economic activity, however, cities are by far the more dynamic relevant unit. They are also where most of the problems requiring government need to be solved. As Richard Florida, founder of CityLabs, recently wrote:“Local governments tend to be less ideological and more focused on problem-solving, and they know intimately which problems actually need to be solved. They are more accountable to the people they represent, because they interact with them every day. And because people pick where they live by “voting with their feet,” constituents tend to share the same values as their leaders.”The push for more innovative governance builds on the on-going devolution of power from dysfunctional nation-states to cities and neighborhoods. Where this devolution is stalled, we see widespread human misery: Honduras, Venezuela, and much of Africa.This brings up the possibility of cities wresting even more autonomy from their Federal counterparts, and implementing best practices or trying out new ones in the competition for tax-paying constituents. Florida and Lutter suspect that cities that are most attractive to knowledge workers — and those that innovate — are most likely to win.Lutter is also working on a narrative that will make it easier for policy-makers to implement the changes that will help cities evolve into hubs of next-generation governance. He returns to the show this Sunday to talk about his new organization's work on this crucial dimension. As a think tank, the Center for Innovative Governance Research aims to provide a menu of policy options, and even more importantly, to cast these options in a compelling light that captures people's imaginations. He and Bob discuss some of these options, and the surprising places where innovative governance is taking off.

The confusion over trade that continues to infect the White House has real consequences. Don Boudreaux discusses the latest round of errors following the G-7 talks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do felt hats, flamethrowers, soybeans, and aluminum all have in common? They're all potential targets for new tariffs in the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China. For some time, the US has been trending towards freer and more open trade, culminating the North American Free Trade Agreement and efforts to finalize the Trans‑Pacific Partnership. But that trend may have come to an abrupt halt under an administration that has famously said, "Trade wars are good and easy to win." Here to explain whether or not we're in a trade war already, what that means for the US and China, and what US policy makers should do going forward, are three experts in the field: Caroline Baum, regular contributor to Market Watch Dan Griswold, and Don Boudreaux, co-directors of the Mercatus Center's Program on the American Economy and Globalization Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadMReese.

Why is it that people in large cities like Paris or New York City people sleep peacefully, unworried about whether there will be enough bread or other necessities available for purchase the next morning? No one is in charge--no bread czar. No flour czar. And yet it seems to work remarkably well. Don Boudreaux of George Mason University and Michael Munger of Duke University join EconTalk host Russ Roberts to discuss emergent order and markets. The conversation includes a reading of Roberts's poem, "It's a Wonderful Loaf."

Don Boudreaux, professor of economics at George Mason University, joins me to review some of the more common complaints against markets, as reflected in recent books by well-known authors.

Is our modern world the product of changing institutions or the result of shifting opinions about them? At a recent event hosted by the Hayek Program, Don Boudreaux and Deidre McCloskey explored this question in a fascinating discussion on the latest installment of Professor McCloskey’s Bourgeois Era Trilogy, 'Bourgeois Equality: How Ideas, Not Capital or Institutions, Enriched the World' (University of Chicago Press, 2016). This new volume challenges conventional wisdom about the causes of the wealth of nations and builds a powerful case for the initiating role of ideas – the liberal ideas of equal liberty and dignity for ordinary folk – in creating the Great Enrichment from 1800 to today.

Most people tune out when academics speak in terms of regression analysis and ?agent-based modeling.? Nonetheless, we want to understand the long-term economic trends that these methods seek to illuminate in order to plan for the future. Don Boudreaux is a master of making complex economic ideas comprehensible to the layperson. He provides this service free of charge every day for the thousands of visitors to his blog, Cafe Hayek (currently down due to a malicious hacking attack). Boudreaux?s short but powerful letters to the editor are the stuff of any libertarian?s dreams ? the equivalent of a Total Knock Out in boxing. The larger battle for economic freedom is not fought solely in public discussion forums like the WSJ editorial page ? it?s being waged in academic journals and in the academic marketplace of ideas. Boudreaux recently edited the Fraser Institute?s *What America?s Decline in Economic Freedom Means for Entrepreneurship and Prosperity,* a volume of five essays, each thick with research that Don discusses with Bob and his audience. Find out whether it?s too late for America to change course.

Don Boudreaux is a professor of economics at George Mason University. He blogs at Café Hayek. I invited him to discuss civil asset forfeiture on the podcast because of a conversation we had about it at a recent Mercatus Center colloquium. Civil asset forfeiture is the practice of the state taking someone’s property on suspicion that the property has been used for wrongdoing, without having to charge the owner with a crime. Civil asset forfeiture had its origins in British maritime law. The British had difficulties with pirates along the Barbary Coast. When the pirates were apprehended and their ships brought back to London, British courts had difficulty deciding what to do with these ships. The ships’ owners were outside the jurisdiction of British law, so the courts couldn’t try and convict them, but they couldn’t send the ships back to them either only to have them return to the seas with a fresh pirate crew! Parliament thus passed a law allowing the courts to charge the property itself with the crime if and only if the property’s owner was outside the jurisdiction of British law. Civil asset forfeiture, in this very limited form, was part of American law from the beginning. In the late 19th century, when alcohol was prohibited in some states, law enforcers started using civil asset forfeiture to confiscate the property of those suspected of producing, trafficking, and selling alcohol. This allowed them to circumvent due process, as American law only guarantees due process rights (such as the right to a trial by jury, the right to an attorney, the presumption of innocence, etc.) to human beings, and an alcohol still is not a human. The US Supreme Court ruled on civil asset forfeiture in the case of Bennis v. Michigan (which Don wrote about in a 1996 article coauthored with A. C. Pritchard). John Bennis was caught with a prostitute in the 1977 Dodge Dart he co-owned with his wife, Tina Bennis. As a result, the state confiscated the car. Tina Bennis, however, had no knowledge of her husband’s wrongdoing, and argued that she should at least be entitled to her half of the proceeds from the sale of the car. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, where then-Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote the majority opinion in favour of the State of Michigan. Rehnquist argued that civil asset forfeiture was constitutional since it had been a part of British law when the Constitution was adopted. Rehnquist neglected the fact that the civil asset forfeiture law at that time had only applied when the property owner was outside the legal jurisdiction of the court. John and Tina Bennis were both within the legal jurisdiction of Wayne County, Michigan where the car was seized. Police usually seize the assets of those groups in American society that have little political clout. A young black man driving in an expensive car and carrying a lot of cash can be pulled over and have his car and cash seized on suspicion that he might be a drug dealer. White, middle-class Americans rarely face the blatant, unjust seizure of their assets. However, in a recent case, the City of Philadelphia seized the white, middle-class Sourovelis family’s home after their son sold $40 of heroin on the front lawn. The Sourovelis family is now suing the City of Brotherly Love in a class-action suit with others whose property the city has seized (see Sourovelis v. City of Philadelphia). This case has drawn more public attention to the injustice of civil asset forfeiture, though still less attention than the issue deserves. For more information on civil asset forfeiture, you can learn about it from the Institute for Justice, a DC-based public-interest law firm that works against civil asset forfeiture.

Public choice economics came at a critical time, when trust in government was increasing. The insights of that field should make us all less trusting of broad governmental solutions, according to Don Boudreaux."Why Government Fails and Why Ideas Matter," Cato Policy Report, November/December 2014 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century provides a wealth of data, but the book's underlying assumptions may complicate its policy prescriptions, according to Don Boudreaux. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University and Cafe Hayek talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the intellectual legacy of Ronald Coase. The conversation centers on Coase's four most important academic articles. Most of the discussion is on two of those articles, "The Nature of the Firm," which continues to influence how economists think of firms and transaction costs, and "The Problem of Social Cost," Coase's pathbreaking work on externalities.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University and Cafe Hayek talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the intellectual legacy of Ronald Coase. The conversation centers on Coase's four most important academic articles. Most of the discussion is on two of those articles, "The Nature of the Firm," which continues to influence how economists think of firms and transaction costs, and "The Problem of Social Cost," Coase's pathbreaking work on externalities.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University and Cafe Hayek talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the intellectual legacy of Ronald Coase. The conversation centers on Coase's four most important academic articles. Most of the discussion is on two of those articles, "The Nature of the Firm," which continues to influence how economists think of firms and transaction costs, and "The Problem of Social Cost," Coase's pathbreaking work on externalities.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the work of F. A. Hayek, particularly his writings on philosophy and political economy. Boudreaux provides an audio annotated bibliography of Hayek's most important books and essays and gives suggestions on where to start and how to proceed through Hayek's works if you are a beginner.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the work of F. A. Hayek, particularly his writings on philosophy and political economy. Boudreaux provides an audio annotated bibliography of Hayek's most important books and essays and gives suggestions on where to start and how to proceed through Hayek's works if you are a beginner.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the work of F. A. Hayek, particularly his writings on philosophy and political economy. Boudreaux provides an audio annotated bibliography of Hayek's most important books and essays and gives suggestions on where to start and how to proceed through Hayek's works if you are a beginner.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the nature of public debt. One view is that there is no burden of the public debt as long as the purchasers of U.S. debt are fellow Americans. In that case, the argument goes, we owe it to ourselves. Drawing on the work of James Buchanan, particularly his book Public Principles of Public Debt: A Defense and Restatement, Boudreaux argues that there is a burden of the debt and it is borne by future taxpayers. Boudreaux argues that all public expenditures have a cost--the different financing mechanisms simply determine who bears the burden of that cost. Boudreaux discusses the political attractiveness of debt finance because the taxes lie in the future and those who will pay for them may not be clearly identified. The conversation closes with a discussion of the role of expectations in both politics and economics of debt finance.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the nature of public debt. One view is that there is no burden of the public debt as long as the purchasers of U.S. debt are fellow Americans. In that case, the argument goes, we owe it to ourselves. Drawing on the work of James Buchanan, particularly his book Public Principles of Public Debt: A Defense and Restatement, Boudreaux argues that there is a burden of the debt and it is borne by future taxpayers. Boudreaux argues that all public expenditures have a cost--the different financing mechanisms simply determine who bears the burden of that cost. Boudreaux discusses the political attractiveness of debt finance because the taxes lie in the future and those who will pay for them may not be clearly identified. The conversation closes with a discussion of the role of expectations in both politics and economics of debt finance.

The current budget/deficit/spending fight among the President, the House and the Senate is setting the stage for the election of 2012. The Jefferson/Adams election contest of 1800 affected the size and reach of the federal government. 2012 will be a rerun, but the stakes are even higher. What is the current battle really all about? Money? Yes, but only to a point. Please join Bob Zadek and Libertarian economics professor and prolific blogger, as well as frequent media guest Don Boudreaux in this episode, when the answer to the key question is demystified. ?Do we look to Modern Europe Government for guidance, or to the Enlightenment? Sarkozy or Locke??

The current budget/deficit/spending fight among the President, the House and the Senate is setting the stage for the election of 2012. The Jefferson/Adams election contest of 1800 affected the size and reach of the federal government. 2012 will be a rerun, but the stakes are even higher. What is the current battle really all about? Money? Yes, but only to a point. Please join Bob Zadek and Libertarian economics professor and prolific blogger, as well as frequent media guest Don Boudreaux tomorrow in this episode, when the answer to the key question is demystified. “Do we look to Modern Europe Government for guidance, or to the Enlightenment? Sarkozy or Locke?”

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts on some of the common misunderstandings people have about prices, money, inflation and deflation. They discuss what is harmful about inflation and deflation, the importance of expectations and the implications for interest rates and financial institutions.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts on some of the common misunderstandings people have about prices, money, inflation and deflation. They discuss what is harmful about inflation and deflation, the importance of expectations and the implications for interest rates and financial institutions.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about Chinese exchange rate policy and the claim that China keeps the value of its currency artificially low in order to boost exports to the United States and reduce U.S. exports. Boudreaux argues that regardless of whether China is manipulating its currency, inexpensive Chinese imports are generally good for the United States. He also points out that manufacturing output in the United States has been thriving despite claims that the United States is being "hollowed out." The conversation also includes a discussion of whether Chinese holdings of U.S. Treasuries threaten the United States.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about Chinese exchange rate policy and the claim that China keeps the value of its currency artificially low in order to boost exports to the United States and reduce U.S. exports. Boudreaux argues that regardless of whether China is manipulating its currency, inexpensive Chinese imports are generally good for the United States. He also points out that manufacturing output in the United States has been thriving despite claims that the United States is being "hollowed out." The conversation also includes a discussion of whether Chinese holdings of U.S. Treasuries threaten the United States.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about public choice: the application of economics to the political process. Boudreaux argues that political competition is a blunt instrument that works less effectively than economic competition. One reason for this bluntness is the voting process itself--where intensity does not matter, only whether a voter prefers one candidate to the other. A second reason is that political outcomes tend to be one-size-fits-all, which often leads to dissatisfaction. Boudreaux defends the morality of not voting, while Roberts, who does vote from time to time, concedes that one's vote is almost always irrelevant in determining the outcome.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about public choice: the application of economics to the political process. Boudreaux argues that political competition is a blunt instrument that works less effectively than economic competition. One reason for this bluntness is the voting process itself--where intensity does not matter, only whether a voter prefers one candidate to the other. A second reason is that political outcomes tend to be one-size-fits-all, which often leads to dissatisfaction. Boudreaux defends the morality of not voting, while Roberts, who does vote from time to time, concedes that one's vote is almost always irrelevant in determining the outcome.

Legalize Insider Trading ? Bob is joined by Don Boudreaux, an economics professor at George Mason University. They discuss why they believe insider trading should be legalized. If investing were based on real numbers rather than pure speculation the system would work more efficiently. Let?s even the playing field and allow everyone to have access to the same information.

Legalize Insider Trading – Bob is joined by Don Boudreaux, an economics professor at George Mason University. They discuss why they believe insider trading should be legalized. If investing were based on real numbers rather than pure speculation the system would work more efficiently. Let's even the playing field and allow everyone to have access to the same information.

Don Boudreaux, of George Mason University, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the microfoundations of macroeconomics and the Austrian theory of business cycles. Boudreaux draws on Erik Lindahl's distinction between microeconomics and macroeconomics, emphasizing the difference between individual choices and the coordination of economic activity. Other topics include the Austrian view of capital and investment, the Austrian view of monetary policy, the issue of aggregation, and the intellectual successes of the Keynesians.

Don Boudreaux, of George Mason University, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the microfoundations of macroeconomics and the Austrian theory of business cycles. Boudreaux draws on Erik Lindahl's distinction between microeconomics and macroeconomics, emphasizing the difference between individual choices and the coordination of economic activity. Other topics include the Austrian view of capital and investment, the Austrian view of monetary policy, the issue of aggregation, and the intellectual successes of the Keynesians.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the recent surge in energy prices. They talk about why prices have risen, the implications for America's standard of living and the implications for public policy.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the recent surge in energy prices. They talk about why prices have risen, the implications for America's standard of living and the implications for public policy.

Don Boudreaux, of George Mason University, talks about the ideas in his book, Globalization. He discusses comparative advantage, the winners and losers from trade, trade deficits, and inequality with EconTalk host Russ Roberts.

Don Boudreaux, of George Mason University, talks about the ideas in his book, Globalization. He discusses comparative advantage, the winners and losers from trade, trade deficits, and inequality with EconTalk host Russ Roberts.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about when market failure can be improved by government intervention. After discussing the evolution of economic thinking about externalities and public goods, the conversation turns to the case for government's role in promoting competition via antitrust regulation. Boudreaux argues that the origins of antitrust had nothing to do with protecting consumers from greedy monopolists. The source of political demand for antitrust regulation came from competitors looking for relief from more successful rivals.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about when market failure can be improved by government intervention. After discussing the evolution of economic thinking about externalities and public goods, the conversation turns to the case for government's role in promoting competition via antitrust regulation. Boudreaux argues that the origins of antitrust had nothing to do with protecting consumers from greedy monopolists. The source of political demand for antitrust regulation came from competitors looking for relief from more successful rivals.

Proponents of buying local argue that it is better to buy from the local hardware store owner and nearby farmer than from the Big Box chain store or the grocery store headquartered out of town because the money from the purchase is more likely to "stay in the local economy." Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the economics of this idea. Is it better to buy local than from a seller based out of town? Is it better to buy American than to buy foreign products? Does the money matter? In this conversation, Boudreaux and Roberts pierce through the veil of money to expose what trade, whether local, national, or international, really accomplishes.

Proponents of buying local argue that it is better to buy from the local hardware store owner and nearby farmer than from the Big Box chain store or the grocery store headquartered out of town because the money from the purchase is more likely to "stay in the local economy." Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the economics of this idea. Is it better to buy local than from a seller based out of town? Is it better to buy American than to buy foreign products? Does the money matter? In this conversation, Boudreaux and Roberts pierce through the veil of money to expose what trade, whether local, national, or international, really accomplishes.

Proponents of buying local argue that it is better to buy from the local hardware store owner and nearby farmer than from the Big Box chain store or the grocery store headquartered out of town because the money from the purchase is more likely to "stay in the local economy." Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the economics of this idea. Is it better to buy local than from a seller based out of town? Is it better to buy American than to buy foreign products? Does the money matter? In this conversation, Boudreaux and Roberts pierce through the veil of money to expose what trade, whether local, national, or international, really accomplishes.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks about the fundamental principles of economics and civilization: spontaneous order and law. Drawing on volume one of Friedrich Hayek's classic, Law, Legislation and Liberty, Boudreaux talks about the distinction between law and legislation, the appropriate role of judges, and how the fulfillment of our expectations allows us to pursue our goals and dreams.

Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks about the fundamental principles of economics and civilization: spontaneous order and law. Drawing on volume one of Friedrich Hayek's classic, Law, Legislation and Liberty, Boudreaux talks about the distinction between law and legislation, the appropriate role of judges, and how the fulfillment of our expectations allows us to pursue our goals and dreams.