Podcasts about Mercatus Center

Sign up for the Chicago CWT Listener Meetup. Henry Oliver is the preeminent literary critic for non-literary nerds. His Substack, The Common Reader, has thousands of subscribers drawn in by Henry's conviction that great literature is where ideas "walk and talk amongst the mess of the real world" in a way no other discipline can match. Tyler, who has called Henry's book Second Act "one of the very best books written on talent," sat down with him to compare readings of Measure for Measure and range across English literature more broadly. Tyler and Henry trade rival readings of the play, debate whether Isabella secretly seduces Angelo, argue over whether the Duke's proposal is closer to liberation or enslavement, trace the play's connections to The Merchant of Venice and The Rape of Lucrece, assess the parallels to James I, weigh whether it's a Girardian play (Oliver: emphatically not), and parse exactly what Isabella means when she says "I did yield to him," before turning to the best way to consume Shakespeare, what Jane Austen took from Adam Smith, why Swift may be the most practically intelligent writer in English, how advertising really works and why most of it doesn't, which works in English literature are under- and overrated, what makes someone a late bloomer, whether fiction will deal seriously with religion again, whether Ayn Rand's villains are more relevant now than ever, and much more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded January 12th, 2026. This episode was made possible through the support of the John Templeton Foundation. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Henry on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:40 - What Shakespeare is really saying in Measure for Measure 00:29:17 - The best way to consume Shakespeare 00:32:26 - Jane Austen, Adam Smith, and Jonathan Swift 00:39:29 - Advertising that works 00:44:37 - Things that are under- and overrated in literature 00:51:24 - Late bloomers 00:58:36 - Outro  Image Credit: Sam Alburger

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke speaks with historian David T. Beito about his new biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. They discuss FDR's record on civil liberties, including government surveillance and efforts to police speech; the administration's approach to refugees and antisemitism; and early-career episodes like the Newport Sex Scandal. The conversation also covers how progressive-era ideas shaped FDR's political instincts, how New Deal programs like the NRA and AAA cartelized industries, and why key wartime choices, such as unconditional surrender and “rescue through victory,” may have prolonged World War II. They close with lessons for today: the dangers of malleable legal categories and the need for durable institutional guardrails against executive abuse.Dr. David T. Beito is a Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and Professor Emeritus at the University of Alabama. He is the author of many books, including FDR: A New Political Life (Carus Books, 2025), The New Deal's War on the Bill of Rights: The Untold Story of FDR's Concentration Camps, Censorship, and Mass Surveillance (Independent Institute, 2025), and T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, and Civil Rights Pioneer (Independent Institute, 2018), coauthored with Linda Royster Beito.**This episode was recorded December 8, 2025.Show Notes:Presidential Greatness ProjectThomas C. Loenard's book, Illiberal Reformers: Race, Eugenics, and American Economics in the Progressive Era (Princeton University Press, 2016)Herbert Croly's book, The Promise of American Life: Updated Edition (Princeton University Press, 2014)Murray Rothbard's book, America's Great Depression (Mises Institute, 2000) David Michaelis' book, Eleanor (Simon & Schuster, 2021)Daniel T. Rodgers' book, Atlantic Crossings: Social Politics in a Progressive Age (Harvard University Press, 2000)David Hackett Fischer's book, Liberty and Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2004)George Selgin's book, False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery, 1933–1947 (University of Chicago Press, 2025)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.Check out our other podcast from the Hayek Program! Virtual Sentiments is a podcast in which political theorist Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with pressing problems in political economy with an eye to the past. Subscribe today!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center explains how bipartisan spending on entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare drives national debt, arguing that American consumers, not foreign nations, primarily bear the economic burden of tariffs. 141908 NYSE

1.Jeff Bliss reports a deadly avalanche in Lake Tahoe claimed nine lives due to dry uncompacted snow, severe storms are causing heavy snowfall at Donner Pass and flooding the Los Angeles River, while Las Vegas faces declining foot traffic and Los Angeles battles rampant copper wire theft. 12.Jeff Bliss covers California's upcoming gubernatorial jungle primary with Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Steve Hilton as early frontrunners, Spencer Pratt challenging Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles, and Governor Gavin Newsom positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run on an anti-Trump platform. 23.Gene Marks reports that despite a disappointing fourth-quarter GDP growth rate of 1.4 percent and sluggishness in shipping and chemical sectors, small businesses remain surprisingly resilient with optimism above average and continued hiring plans even as AI integration remains limited. 34.Gene Marks discusses the Supreme Court ruling the administration's April 2025 emergency tariffs unconstitutional, leaving billions in collected funds in limbo, though the administration will likely utilize the Trade Acts of 1962 and 1974 to continue imposing targeted tariffs without congressional approval. 45.Jim McTague reports Lancaster County reflects the national 1.4 percent GDP slowdown with flat retail, consumer price fatigue, and plummeting restaurant traffic due to rising costs and weight-loss drugs, while Washington DC lobbying and local health and construction sectors remain strong. 56.Lorenzo Fiori reports the Milan Winter Olympics are proceeding successfully amidst beautiful snow with rumors of a Donald Trump visit for the hockey finals, while extreme weather has caused dangerous Alpine avalanches and the tragic collapse of the historic Lover's Arch on the Adriatic coast. 67.Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black reports NASA successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis IImission targeting a March 6th launch, while a NASA report classified Boeing's Starliner failure as a severe Type A emergency prompting tighter control as SpaceX competition thrives. 78.Bob Zimmerman reports Japanese private space startup ispace is struggling with severe engine development problems for its lunar landers, while archival images from New Horizons reveal Pluto's bizarre splotched surface and floating ice mountains, and a newly discovered dim galaxy hints at dark matter's vastness. 89.Sir Max Hastings details the daring glider assault to capture the Orne River bridge, where Major John Howard'stroops achieved total surprise, securing a vital link for British airborne and seaborne forces on D-Day itself. 910.Sir Max Hastings discusses General Montgomery's expanded vision for D-Day and the initial chaos of the airborne landings, noting that despite the shambles at Merville battery, paratroopers' bravery confused German defenders and secured the mission's early vital stages. 1011.Sir Max Hastings highlights Major General Richard Gale's calm leadership during the chaotic airborne drops, with success relying on British deception plans and Rommel's absence preventing early German counterattacks against the beaches on D-Day. 1112.Sir Max Hastings describes specialized armored funnies that supported British landings on Sword Beach, noting that while technically successful, heavy traffic and Montgomery's overly ambitious objectives prevented the Allies from capturing Caen on D-Day. 1213.Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center critiques the inconsistency of threatening war against Iran over its nuclear program while simultaneously considering a deal to allow Saudi Arabia uranium enrichment capabilities under less stringent international oversight. 1314.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center explains how bipartisan spending on entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare drives national debt, arguing that American consumers, not foreign nations, primarily bear the economic burden of tariffs. 1415.Professor Richard Epstein of the Hoover Institution analyzes constitutional limits of presidential authority to fire independent agency officials, discussing historical precedents like Humphrey's Executor and critiquing legal reasoning behind maintaining quasi-judicial independence within the executive branch. 1516.Professor Richard Epstein predicts the Supreme Court may strike down tariffs, arguing that trade deficits do not constitute legal emergencies, while also discussing the potential for the Court to preserve the Federal Reserve'sindependence from executive control. 16

Newt talks with Liya Palagashvili, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University about the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the labor market. Their conversation highlights the transformative potential of AI in reorganizing work, potentially leading to a shift towards self-employment and independent entrepreneurship. Liya emphasizes that AI can empower workers by automating mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on more valuable activities, and suggests that AI might change how work is organized rather than simply replacing jobs. Their discussion also touches on the historical context of technological advancements, noting that while some jobs are lost, new markets and occupations emerge, leading to overall job growth. They conclude with a discussion on the role of education in preparing for an AI-driven future, considering different approaches to integrating AI into learning environments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Tyler called Joe Studwell's How Asia Works "perhaps my favorite economics book of the year" back in 2013, he wasn't alone: it became one of the most influential treatments of industrial policy ever written. Now Studwell has turned his attention to Africa with How Africa Works. Tyler calls it excellent, extremely well-researched, and essential reading, but does Studwell's optimism about the continent hold up under scrutiny? Tyler and Joe explore whether population density actually solves development, which African countries are likely to achieve stable growth, whether Africa has a manufacturing future, why state infrastructure projects decay while farmer-led irrigation thrives, what progress looks like in education and public health, whether charter cities or special economic zones can work, and how permanent Africa's colonial borders really are. After testing Joe's optimism about Africa, Tyler shifts back to Asia: what Japan and South Korea will do about depopulation, why industrial policy worked in East Asia but failed in India and Brazil, what went wrong in Thailand, and what Joe will tackle next. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded January 23rd, 2026. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Image Credit: Nick J.B. Moore

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Chris Coyne talks with Abigail Hall and Jayme Lemke about Kenneth and Elise Boulding's insights into what it means to build and sustain peace. Drawing on her paper “In Search of Stable Peace,” Hall explores Kenneth Boulding's framework for understanding peace and war, focusing on the roles of strain and strength and the shifting taboo lines that shape movement between stable and unstable peace. Lemke then turns to Elise Boulding's vision of peace as an active, everyday practice, emphasizing the often-overlooked forms of peacebuilding embedded in ordinary social relationships and institutions. Together, the conversations emphasize peace as a process shaped by ideas, institutions, and imagination.Dr. Abigail R. Hall is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Tampa and a Senior Affiliated Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She has published numerous books, including her most recent satirical book, How to Run Wars: A Confidential Playbook for the National Security Elite co-authored with Christopher J. Coyne (2024). She holds a PhD in Economics from George Mason University and is an alum of the Mercatus PhD Fellowship.Dr. Jayme Lemke is a Senior Research Fellow and a Senior Fellow with the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She is co-editor of Economy, Polity, and Society, an Associate Editor for the Review of Behavioral Economics, and Secretary of the Society for the Development of Austrian Economics.Show Notes:The Journal of Conflict ResolutionKenneth Boulding's book, Stable Peace (University of Texas Press, 1978)Robert Higgs's book, Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government (Independent Institute, 2025)Elise Boulding's book, Cultures of Peace (Syracuse University Press, 2000)Kenneth Boulding's book, The Image: Knowledge in Life and Society (University of Michigan Press, 1956).Elise Boulding's book, The Underside of History: A View of Women Through Time (SAGE Publications, 1992)Julian Simon's book, The Ultimate Resource 2 (Princeton University Press, 1998)**This episode was recorded September 15, 2025 and December 29, 2025.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.Check out our other podcast from the Hayek Program! Virtual Sentiments is a podcast in which political theorist Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with pressing problems in political economy with an eye to the past. Subscribe today!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-13-20261909 BENGAL1.Jeff Bliss discusses Governor Newsom's mixed popularity in California, highlighting failures in housing affordability, rising homelessness, and the costly, delayed high-speed rail project undermining his national ambitions.2.Jeff Bliss reports on Las Vegas's growth as Californians relocate there, the continued success of In-N-Out Burger, and the irony of California's beautiful weather amidst persistent economic troubles.3.Jeff Bliss and Brandon Weichert debate the AI boom, predicting a market correction followed by a second wave where robotics and AI integration fundamentally transform the global economy.4.Conrad Black reflects on former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's conservative achievements and analyzes current leader Pierre Poilievre's similar but more comprehensive vision to rescue Canada's stagnating economy.5.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center analyzes tensions between the President and the Federal Reserve, warning against fiscal dominance where political pressure regarding debt forces the Fed to lower rates.6.Jim McTague describes Lancaster County's freezing tundra weather, inflation impacting Valentine's Day sales, and a significant financial windfall for local government from a new data center.7.Michael Munger reviews George Selgin's book False Dawn, arguing that regime uncertainty from FDR's arbitrary New Deal policies hindered investment and actually prolonged the Great Depression.8.Michael Munger explains how post-WWII economic recovery defied Keynesian predictions of doom due to the removal of government controls and a massive release of pent-up consumer demand.9.Josh Rogin discusses the trade conflict between the US and India, noting that tariffs were used as leverage regarding Russian oil and Modi's diplomatic de-risking from Washington.10.Josh Rogin analyzes the reopening of trade between Washington and Delhi, suggesting India is returning to a non-aligned strategy despite improved relations and adjusted tariff rates.11.Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss of the Long War Journal discuss a sophisticated Islamic State drone attack on an airfield in Niger, highlighting security failures by the Russian Africa Corps that replaced US forces.12.Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss provide updates on Somalia including relative success against Al-Shabaab leadership, while reports confirm Russian deceptive recruitment of Africans for the war in Ukraine.13.Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center analyzes the crumbling Non-Proliferation Treaty, citing Iran's inspection violations and China's nuclear expansion as critical challenges for the upcoming international review conference.14.Henry Sokolski critiques the chaotic government response to a balloon over El Paso, arguing the incident exposes dangerous coordination flaws in America's homeland security apparatus and interagency communication.15.Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black contrasts SpaceX's routine success with ULA's technical struggles, attributing the booming private space sector and massive investments to a shift toward capitalist models.16.Bob Zimmerman covers ESA's fast-tracked Apophis asteroid mission, a commercial attempt to resÅcue a NASAtelescope, and the contrasting regulatory environments of the UK and New Zealand for space launches.Å

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center discusses Kevin Warsh's potential Fed chairmanship, highlighting his focus on price stability and a proposed accord to reduce Treasury pressure on the central bank.1903

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center analyzes tensions between the President and the Federal Reserve, warning against fiscal dominance where political pressure regarding debt forces the Fed to lower rates.1930 FDR AND SARA

Washington never runs out of ideas for spending money it doesn't have.This episode of the Let People Prosper Show takes on one of the latest examples: so-called “Trump Accounts.” Marketed as a pro-family, pro-capitalism idea, they're actually another case of federal social engineering through the tax code—layered on top of an already broken fiscal foundation.To unpack it all, I sat down with Veronique de Rugy, one of the sharpest and most honest fiscal minds in America. She's the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy at the Mercatus Center and a nationally syndicated columnist who has spent her career calling out budget gimmicks, cronyism, and policies that trade long-term prosperity for short-term politics.She was last on the show in Episode 102, discussing immigration and American values. This time, we dive into deficits, tariffs, inflation, entitlement pressure, and why Washington's obsession with using the tax code to “fix” social problems often makes things worse.

2-5-261900 SINGAPORESHOW SCHEDULE2-5-2026SINGAPORE 19401Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.2.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.3.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.4.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.5.Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.6.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.7.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.8.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.9.Professor Eve McDonald discusses Dido's legendary founding of Carthage, the city's strategic Mediterraneangeography, and its origins as a wealthy Phoenician trade hub connecting ancient civilizations.10.Professor Eve McDonald covers Carthaginian religion, including the controversial Tophet child sacrifices, and Hanno the Navigator's legendary exploration of the African coast expanding Punic knowledge of the world.11.Professor Eve McDonald explains how the First Punic War erupted over Sicily, transforming former allies Rome and Carthage into bitter enemies competing for Mediterranean dominance and trade supremacy.12.Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hamilcar Barca expands Carthaginian power into Spain to secure silver mines, raising his son Hannibal with military training to eventually fight Rome.13.Anatol Lieven critiques US hypocrisy regarding spheres of influence, comparing the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America to Russia's geopolitical stance toward Ukraine and its near abroad.14.Anatol Lieven discusses Estonia's call for dialogue with Moscow and the need for Europe to develop realistic defense and negotiation strategies regarding Russia rather than relying solely on American protection.15.Professor John Yoo of Berkeley Law compares actions against Venezuela to Jefferson's Barbary pirate war, arguing the executive has broad authority to initiate conflict without prior congressional approval.16.Professor John Yoo cites Hamilton to argue the president is constitutionally designed to act decisively against hemispheric threats like Venezuela, while Congress retains control over funding military operations

Was the 2008 Housing Crisis Misdiagnosed? Kevin Erdmann on Supply, Policy, and the Myths We Still BelieveYou don't have to agree with every conclusion—but you do need to understand the argument.What if the biggest mistake of the 2008 financial crisis wasn't reckless lending or mass overbuilding—but a fundamental misdiagnosis of the problem itself?In this episode, we speak with Kevin Erdmann, senior scholar at the Mercatus Center and author of Shut Out, whose research challenges the mainstream narrative of the Great Financial Crisis.___________________________________________________Subscribe to Do You Ever Wonder for deep, non-consensus conversations on housing, real estate, policy, capital markets, and much more!Like, comment, and share if this episode challenges your assumptions.____________________________________________________Erdmann argues that the U.S. did not suffer from a nationwide housing oversupply in the 2000s. Instead, America entered the crisis with too few homes in the places people most wanted to live—and policymakers responded to the crash by tightening credit and regulation in ways that deepened the downturn and locked in today's housing shortages.This is a calm, data-driven conversation—not a hot take—about how housing supply, migration, zoning, and financial policy interacted in ways we still misunderstand.Topics discussed:Why Erdmann believes the U.S. never had a classic national housing bubbleThe difference between “closed-access” cities (NYC, SF, LA) and “contagion” cities (Phoenix, Florida markets)How migration and regional price signals distorted national narrativesWhy post-2008 credit tightening and regulation worsened the recessionWhat policymakers got wrong about housing risk and financial stabilityHow zoning laws and NIMBYism turned housing scarcity into a long-term crisisWhether today's housing market resembles 2006–2007—or something entirely differentWho bore the real costs of housing shortages—and who benefitedWhat investors, homebuyers, and policymakers are still misunderstanding todayWhy this matters nowWith housing affordability stretched, supply constrained, and rates reshaping demand, Erdmann's framework offers a critical lens for understanding:Why prices remain highWhy building hasn't kept up with demandWhy repeating old policy assumptions could make today's crisis worseYou don't have to agree with every conclusion—but you do need to understand the argument.Subscribe to Do You Ever Wonder for deep, non-consensus conversations on housing, real estate, policy, capital markets, and much more!Like, comment, and share if this episode challenges your assumptions.___________________________________________________Please subscribe to Do You Ever Wonder using the two links below, and don't be shy about sharing the podcast with your friends.Subscribe to Do You Ever Wonder on YouTube here:    / @doyoueverwonder943  Subscribe on your favorite streaming platform here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1862986 _______________________________________________Hallmark Abstract Service...You Buy Real Estate, We Protect It!Questions about the podcast, NY title insurance, or the RE transaction process? Let us know at (646) 741-6101 or at info@hallmarkabstract

SHOW SCHEDULE 1-5-261Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.2.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.3.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.4.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.5.Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.6.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.7.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.8.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.9.Professor Eve McDonald discusses Dido's legendary founding of Carthage, the city's strategic Mediterraneangeography, and its origins as a wealthy Phoenician trade hub connecting ancient civilizations.10.Professor Eve McDonald covers Carthaginian religion, including the controversial Tophet child sacrifices, and Hanno the Navigator's legendary exploration of the African coast expanding Punic knowledge of the world.11.Professor Eve McDonald explains how the First Punic War erupted over Sicily, transforming former allies Rome and Carthage into bitter enemies competing for Mediterranean dominance and trade supremacy.12.Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hamilcar Barca expands Carthaginian power into Spain to secure silver mines, raising his son Hannibal with military training to eventually fight Rome.13.Anatol Lieven critiques US hypocrisy regarding spheres of influence, comparing the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America to Russia's geopolitical stance toward Ukraine and its near abroad.14.Anatol Lieven discusses Estonia's call for dialogue with Moscow and the need for Europe to develop realistic defense and negotiation strategies regarding Russia rather than relying solely on American protection.15.Professor John Yoo of Berkeley Law compares actions against Venezuela to Jefferson's Barbary pirate war, arguing the executive has broad authority to initiate conflict without prior congressional approval.16.Professor John Yoo cites Hamilton to argue the president is constitutionally designed to act decisively against hemispheric threats like Venezuela, while Congress retains control over funding military operations.

If you want to understand food – and eat better – economics is a good place to start. How do immigration patterns shape a country's cuisine? How do labour laws make our working lunches worse? And why do strip malls serve such good grub? To find out, Soumaya Keynes talks to Tyler Cowen, economics professor at George Mason University and chair of the Mercatus Center think-tank. Cowen has written about food for more than two decades, including in his 2012 book An Economist Gets Lunch.Read Soumaya's columns here: https://www.ft.com/soumaya-keynesSubscribe to The Economics Show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen. Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Cheryl Brumley is the FT's global head of audio. Original music and sound design by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Newt talks with Thomas Hoenig, a former Federal Reserve official and Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Mercatus Center, about the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve. President Trump’s decision has sparked discussion on Warsh's economic policies. Warsh, known for his hawkish views, is concerned about national debt and quantitative easing, which may lead to tighter policies than President Trump desires. Hoenig believes Warsh is a good choice due to his understanding of markets and fiscal policies, although he will face pressure to implement rate cuts. The independence of the Federal Reserve is emphasized, with Warsh expected to maintain a balance between being friendly to the President and upholding the Fed's independence. His nomination has influenced market behavior, with significant drops in gold and silver prices, reflecting expectations of tighter monetary policy under Warsh. The political landscape is also affected, with discussions on the potential challenges Warsh might face in the Senate confirmation process and the implications of ongoing legal cases involving Federal Reserve officials. The role of the Federal Reserve in the economy is highlighted, with its policies significantly impacting inflation, interest rates, and overall economic stability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.1859 FIVE POINTS

Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues tariffs act as taxes on Americans, criticizing the administration's erratic implementation for creating damaging business uncertainty that undermines economic planning.1955

Fixed-rate mortgages are expensive, but adjustable-rate mortgages are volatile — but do they have to be? Kevin Erdmann pitches an alternative that captures the best qualities of both. This is part 9 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy.Show notes:Erdmann, K. (2021). A Suggested Mortgage Amortization Structure: Fixed Amortization, Adjustable Principal. Mercatus Center.UCLA Housing Voice episode 106: Mortgage Lending Standards with Kevin Erdmann.

Andrew Ross Sorkin sees the crash of 1929 as a tale of excessive leverage and irrational speculation, but Tyler wonders: maybe those sky-high 1929 prices were actually justified given America's remarkable century ahead. Maybe the real problem was the "Negative Nellies" who panicked afterward rather than the speculators everyone blamed. For that matter, isn't 2008 looking less and less like a bubble with each passing year? Tyler and Andrew debate whether those 1929 stock prices were justified, what Fed and policy choices might have prevented the Depression, whether Glass-Steagall was built on a flawed premises, what surprised Andrew most about the 1920s beyond the crash itself, how business leaders then would compare to today's CEOs, whether US banks should consolidate, how Andrew would reform US banking regulation, what to make of narrow banking proposals and stablecoins, whether retail investors should get access to private equity and venture capital, why sports gambling and new financial regulations won't make us much safer, how Andrew broke into the New York Times at age 18, how he manages his information diet, what he learned co-creating Billions, what he plans on learning about next, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 30th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Andrew on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Image Credit: Mike Cohen

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Chris Coyne delivers a keynote lecture at the 2023 Markets & Society conference on the foundations of peace. He contrasts “top-down” peacemaking driven by elites with “bottom-up” peacemaking that emerges from the everyday practices of ordinary people.Coyne argues that much of the social-scientific and policy conversation treats peace as a public good best supplied through state-intervention. He develops an alternative framework—pax hominem—that treats peace as an emergent, learned, and constantly renewed process. Drawing on mainline political economy and the work of Kenneth Boulding, Coyne shows how peaceful cooperation depends on local knowledge, social norms, and institutions that help people navigate conflict without violence across families, communities, and markets. Together, these insights point toward a research and policy agenda focused less on imposing order and more on creating space for self-governance and the bottom-up cultivation of peace.Dr. Christopher J. Coyne is Associate Director of the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center and Professor of Economics at George Mason University. He has published numerous books, including How to Run Wars: A Confidential Playbook for the National Security Elite (Independent Institute, 2024), In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace (Independent Institute, 2022), and Doing Bad by Doing Good: Why Humanitarian Action Fails (Stanford University Press, 2013).**This episode was recorded October 20, 2024.Show Notes:Kenneth Boulding's book, Stable Peace (University of Texas Press, 1978)Elise Boulding's book, Cultures of Peace(Syracuse University Press, 2000)James C. Scott's book, Seeing Like a State (Yale University Press, 1999)Caroline Elkin's book, Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire (Penguin Random House, 2023)James M. Buchanan's Nobel Prize LectureElinor Ostrom et. al's paper, “Covenants with and without a Sword: Self-Governance Is Possible” (APSR, 2013)Virgil storr et. al's book, Community Revival in the Wake of Disaster: Lessons in Local Entrepreneurship (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015)Mikayla Novak's book, Freedom in Contention: Social Movements and Liberal Political Economy (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021)Virgil Storr and Ginny Choi's book, Do Markets Corrupt Our Morals? (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019)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.Check out our other podcast from the Hayek Program! Virtual Sentiments is a podcast in which political theorist Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with pressing problems in political economy with an eye to the past. Subscribe today!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

In a world of exhaustive binary thinking sometimes complexity offers relief.  Lauren Hall joins the show to offer her alternative living in 4D she calls "radical moderation".  In the latter half of the conversation Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis happily takes Lauren up on her offer to geek out on Edmund Burke.   About Lauren Hall Excerpts from laurenkhall.com   Lauren Hall is an author and professor helping people combat overwhelm in an age of extremes. Her writing rejects binary and black-and-white thinking to help people lead more balanced lives, build stronger relationships, and restore individual and civic well-being.   Hall is a 2024 Pluralism Fellow with the Mercatus Center's Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Prohuman Foundation. Her Substack and speaking spread the message of radical moderation to new audiences via public writing, speaking, and podcast interviews.   Hall has presented her work on radical moderation at conferences including the Heterodox Academy Conference, the State Policy Network Conference, the Mercatus Center's Pluralism Summit, and various political science and related conferences and has a range of talks and podcast interviews available on radical moderation and other topics.   In her "real" job, she is a Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and author of the books Family and the Politics of Moderation (Baylor U. Press, 2014) and The Medicalization of Birth and Death (Johns Hopkins U. Press, 2019).   Hall has a PhD in Political Science from Northern Illinois University (2007) and a BA in Philosophy from Binghamton University (2002).   Introducing Conservative Cagematches One of the most invigorating and interesting aspects of conservative history is how often luminaries on the Right disagreed and fought one another.  From Strauss' take down on Burke to Frank Meyer defending his fusionist views from the likes of Brent Bozell and Murray Rothbard to Harry Jaffa fighting just about everyone, the Right has gained vitality and endurance through the process of disagreeing well (and sometimes not so well).   In that same spirit, Saving Elephants will soon launch a new venture: Conservative Cagematches.  These livestream events will feature experts and acolytes from differing schools of thought on the Right to engage in their differences.  We're working now to put together the first panel for an Edmund Burke vs. Leo Strauss debate and can't wait to share the august line-up we have so far.  More to come soon!  

Guest: Veronique de Rugy. De Rugy of the Mercatus Center examines the failure of Georgia's film tax credits, noting that productions eventually moved to cheaper locations despite billions in subsidies. She compares this to federal industrial policies like tariffs and Intel subsidies, arguing that government attempts to "pick winners" rarely produce sustainable economic results.1951 JACK DEMPSEY AND MAMIE VAN DOREN

SHOW SCHEDULE1-29-20261942 LANCASTER PA, ARMISTICE DAY IN WARTIME Guest: Anatol Lieven. Lieven of the Quincy Institute discusses breaking news that Vladimir Putin has agreed to a one-week ceasefire on Ukrainian cities following a request from Donald Trump. Lieven views this as a significant positive signal of Putin's desire to maintain good standing with the incoming administration, though he notes that major territorial disagreements remain unresolved. Guest: Anatol Lieven. The conversation turns to the $300 billion in suspended Russian assets. Lieven outlines Russia's proposal to use these funds for reconstruction or a joint investment fund to avoid confiscation, suggesting that suspending rather than lifting sanctions could be a political compromise to secure U.S. Senate approval. Guest: Chris Riegel. Riegel, CEO of Stratology, analyzes Elon Musk's pivot to manufacturing "Optimus" androids, arguing that California's restrictive tax and labor costs are driving the need for automation. He suggests that major retailers like Walmart are poised to replace significant portions of their workforce with robotics to maintain profitability amid rising economic pressures. Guest: Mariam Wahba. Wahba from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies reports on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria by jihadists and Fulani militants. She details a newly established White House working group designed to help the Nigerian government fix security gaps and enforce laws against the perpetrators of this religiously motivated violence. Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady. O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal critiques the Trump administration's engagement with Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez. O'Grady warns that while Rodriguez is cooperating on oil exports, she remains a "vice dictator" managing rival factions to ensure the regime's survival while stalling on the release of political prisoners. Guest: Veronique de Rugy. De Rugy of the Mercatus Center examines the failure of Georgia's film tax credits, noting that productions eventually moved to cheaper locations despite billions in subsidies. She compares this to federal industrial policies like tariffs and Intel subsidies, arguing that government attempts to "pick winners" rarely produce sustainable economic results. Guest: Michael Toth. Toth of the Civitas Institute warns against new "climate superfund" legislation in states like New York, which seeks to retroactively tax fossil fuel companies for global warming. He characterizes these funds as unconstitutional attempts to regulate global emissions at the state level, arguing they will function as slush funds that drive up energy costs. Guest: Michael Toth. The segment focuses on California's strategy to empower the Attorney General to sue fossil fuel companies for rising insurance premiums. Toth argues these lawsuits are politically motivated and legally weak, noting that even insurance companies refuse to sue because attributing specific damages or deaths to corporate emissions is factually difficult. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis of the U.S. Army War College reports that Cuba is facing a catastrophic energy collapse, with only days of oil remaining after Mexico and Venezuela cut supplies. He predicts this crisis will likely trigger a massive wave of migration as the island's power grid and economy face a near-total shutdown. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis discusses the Costa Rican election, where center-right candidate Laura Fernandez holds a commanding lead. He describes her as a technocrat focused on combating drug-fueled crime and continuing pro-business policies, noting she is on track to potentially win the presidency in the first round. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis evaluates Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, praising her pragmatic management of relations with the U.S. despite her leftist ideology. He notes she has navigated threats of tariffs and military intervention by cooperating on border security and extradition, while maintaining political dominance through her predecessor's powerful movement. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis describes the unstable power dynamics in Venezuela, where the Rodriguezfaction cooperates with the U.S. on oil to prevent economic collapse. He warns that rival criminal factions, including the ELN and military figures, may sabotage this arrangement if they fear being betrayed or marginalized by the current leadership. Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan, author of Rot, introduces the history of the Irish Famine by recounting a folk story about Queen Victoria visiting the devastated village of Skibbereen. He sets the context by explaining how the pre-famine Irish economy relied entirely on the high-yield potato, which allowed landlords to pay incredibly low wages to a capital-poor population. Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan discusses the structure of Irish land ownership, using Shirley Castle as an example of the disconnect between landlords and tenants. He explains that while the landscape looked ancient, landlords were actually modern, sophisticated merchants who extracted rent from a tenant class living on small, unimproved plots known as "conacres." Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan explains the Victorian view of the famine through the lens of economist Thomas Malthus, who believed the "generous" potato encouraged overpopulation. He notes that Britishpolicymakers viewed the famine as a natural, inevitable correction and feared that providing aid would discourage the Irish poor from developing a "civilized" work ethic. Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan details the biological cause of the famine: Phytophthora infestans, a water mold that originated in Mexico. He explains that because Irish potatoes were genetically identical clones grown from cuttings, they had zero resistance to the pathogen, which destroyed both growing crops and stored food, leaving the population with no buffer against starvation.

This is the shortened "highlights" version of episode 106. You can listen to the full interview here.Was the housing market really oversupplied in the mid-2000s? Kevin Erdmann says no, and he explains how this misunderstanding is at the root of present-day affordability problems. This is part 8 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy.Show notes:Erdmann, K. (2018). Housing Was Undersupplied during the Great Housing Bubble. Mercatus Center.Erdmann, K. (2024). Getting Corporate Money Out of Single-Family Homes Won't Help the Housing Affordability Crisis. Mercatus Center.Erdmann Housing Tracker: Mortgages Outstanding by Credit ScoreErdmann Housing Tracker: Follow-Up: Mortgages by Credit ScoreErdmann, K. (2021). A Suggested Mortgage Amortization Structure: Fixed Amortization, Adjustable Principal. Mercatus Center.

Today, we have Editor-in-Chief Shikha Dalmia in conversation with two of the foremost thinkers of our time, Frank Fukuyama, an American political theorist and public intellectual best known for The End of History and the Last Man who is now a senior fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute, where his work focuses on political order, governance, and democratic backsliding. And Tyler Cowen, an economist, author, and public intellectual who has written books on innovation, talent and cultural change. A professor at George Mason University and director of the Mercatus Center, he writes the highly influential blog Marginal Revolution and hosts the long-running podcast Conversations with Tyler.One reason for the populist revolt in America is the notion of the “deep state”—that an unaccountable bureaucracy is secretly ruling the country. Frank and Tyler come from very different intellectual traditions. Frank, a centrist, is a student of Max Weber and Tyler is a limited government libertarian. Yet they have both argued that liberal states in complex modern societies need a functional bureaucracy— aka state capacity—to deliver public goods and solve collective action problems. But they also have a ton of disagreements, especially on just how broken American governance is—and they duke it out in a spirited discussion.We hope you enjoy.***Thanks for checking out The UnPopulist! Subscribe to support our project.Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.© The UnPopulist, 2026 Get full access to The UnPopulist at www.theunpopulist.net/subscribe

Tyler considers Diarmaid MacCulloch one of those rare historians whose entire body of work rewards reading. This work includes his award-winning Cranmer biography, his sweeping histories of Christianity and the Reformation, and his latest on sex and the church, which demonstrates what MacCulloch calls the historian's true vocation: unsettling settled facts to keep humanity sane. Tyler and Diarmaid explore whether monotheism correlates with monogamy, Christianity's early instinct towards egalitarianism, what the Eucharistic revolution reveals about the cathedral building boom, the role of Mary in Christianity and Islam, where Michel Foucault went wrong on sexuality, the significance of the clerical family replacing the celibate monk, why Elizabeth I—not Henry VIII—mattered most for the English Reformation, why English Renaissance music began so brilliantly but then needed to start importing Germans, whether Christianity needs hell to survive, what MacCulloch plans to do next, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 29th, 2025. This episode was made possible through the support of the John Templeton Foundation. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Image Credit: Barry Jones

Was the housing market really oversupplied in the mid-2000s? Kevin Erdmann says no, and he explains how this misunderstanding is at the root of present-day affordability problems. This is part 8 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy.Show notes:Erdmann, K. (2018). Housing Was Undersupplied during the Great Housing Bubble. Mercatus Center.Erdmann, K. (2024). Getting Corporate Money Out of Single-Family Homes Won't Help the Housing Affordability Crisis. Mercatus Center.Erdmann Housing Tracker: Mortgages Outstanding by Credit ScoreErdmann Housing Tracker: Follow-Up: Mortgages by Credit ScoreErdmann, K. (2021). A Suggested Mortgage Amortization Structure: Fixed Amortization, Adjustable Principal. Mercatus Center.

**This episode was recorded September 29, 2025.On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Chris Coyne speaks with Amy Crockett and Erwin Dekker about how economics shapes our understanding of peace, conflict, and cooperation, drawing on the work of Kenneth Boulding and James Buchanan.First, Coyne speaks with Amy Crockett about her upcoming paper, “Addressing Peace in Undergraduate Economics Textbooks.” Crockett examines how peace is often treated as a background assumption in economics education and presents evidence from introductory and upper-level textbooks on how war, conflict, and policy responses are typically framed, highlighting missed opportunities to emphasize bottom-up, cooperative solutions.Coyne then speaks with Erwin Dekker about his paper, “Kenneth Boulding and James Buchanan on the Public Function of Economics.” Decker discusses how both thinkers understood economics as shaping the public “image” of social life, emphasizing exchange, moral foundations, and the importance of economists addressing citizens rather than policymakers.Together, these conversations show how economic ideas—whether taught in classrooms or communicated to the public—can either reinforce conflict-centered narratives or help sustain cultures of peace and cooperation.This is the fourth episode in a short series of episodes that will feature a collection of authors who contributed to the volume 1, issue 2 of the Markets & Society Journal or to a forthcoming special issue from The Review of Austrian Economics.Dr. Erwin Dekker is Senior Fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He has published numerous books, including Realizing the Values of Art (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023), Jan Tinbergen (1903-1994) and the Rise of Economic Expertise (Cambridge University Press, 2021), and The Viennese Students of Civilization: The Meaning and Context of Austrian Economics Reconsidered (Cambridge University Press, 2016).Dr. Amy Crockett is a Senior Lecturer at Vanderbilt University. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from George Mason University, an M.A. in teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education, and a B.S. in systems engineering & economics from George Mason University. She is an Alum of the Mercatus PhD Fellowship.Show Notes: Tensions in Political Economy SeriesKenneth Boulding's book, The Image: Knowledge in Life and Society (University of Michigan Press, 1956).Robert Higgs' paper, “Wartime Prosperity? A Reassessment of the U.S. Economy in the 1940s” (The Journal of Economic History, 2009).James Buchanan's paper, “Positive Economics, Welfare Economics, and Political Economy” (The Journal of Law & Economics, 1959).James M. Buchanan's Nobel Prize LectureIf 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.Check out our other podcast from the Hayek Program! Virtual Sentiments is a podcast in which political theorist Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with pressing problems in political economy with an eye to the past. Subscribe today!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

If you've ever wondered why so many people assume progress is automatic, why trillion-dollar deficits barely raise eyebrows anymore, or why “economic planning” keeps making a comeback despite its long record of failure—this episode gets to the heart of the issue.Prosperity doesn't happen by accident. Freedom doesn't sustain itself. And history doesn't bend toward progress unless the rules of the game allow it to.That's why this conversation matters.My guest is Dr. Peter Boettke, Distinguished University Professor of Economics at George Mason University and Director of the F.A. Hayek Program at the Mercatus Center. This is Peter's third appearance (episodes 10 and 119) on the Let People Prosper Show, and every time he joins, he brings clarity to questions most policymakers avoid.Today's discussion centers on his new book, The Historical Path to Liberty and Human Progress, which makes a simple but uncomfortable point: human flourishing depends on institutions—and bad institutions destroy progress faster than good intentions can save it.At a time of runaway federal spending, renewed industrial policy, and bipartisan refusal to confront tradeoffs, this conversation couldn't be more timely.

At 22, Brendan Foody is both the youngest Conversations with Tyler guest ever and the youngest unicorn founder on record. His company Mercor hires the experts who train frontier AI models—from poets grading verse to economists building evaluation frameworks—and has become one of the fastest-growing startups in history. Tyler and Brendan discuss why Mercor pays poets $150 an hour, why AI labs need rubrics more than raw text, whether we should enshrine the aesthetic standards of past eras rather than current ones, how quickly models are improving at economically valuable tasks, how long until AI can stump Cass Sunstein, the coming shift toward knowledge workers building RL environments instead of doing repetitive analysis, how to interview without falling for vibes, why nepotism might make a comeback as AI optimizes everyone's cover letters, scaling the Thiel Fellowship 100,000X, what his 8th-grade donut empire taught him about driving out competition, the link between dyslexia and entrepreneurship, dining out and dating in San Francisco, Mercor's next steps, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 16th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Brendan on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Hiring poets to teach AI 00:05:29 - Measuring real-world AI progress  00:13:25 - Why rubrics are the new oil  00:18:44 - Enshrining taste in LLMs 00:22:38 - Turning society into one giant RL machine 00:26:37 - When AI will stump experts 00:30:46 - AI and employment 00:35:05 - Why vibes-based hiring fails 00:39:55 - Solving labor market matching problems  00:45:01 - Scaling the Thiel Fellowship  00:48:11 - A hypothetical gap year 00:50:31 - Donuts, debates, and dyslexia 00:56:15 - Dating and dining out 00:59:01 - Mercor's next steps

Help us keep the conversations going in 2026. Donate to Conversations with Tyler today. On this special year-in-review episode, Tyler and producer Jeff Holmes look back on the past year on CWT and more, including covering the most popular and underrated episodes, why single-subject deep dives made for some of the best conversations this year, the biggest AI surprises and how LLMs changed the show's production function, what happened with the Magnus Carlsen episode, listener questions on everything from hotel selection to AI x-risk discourse, Tyler's serene acknowledgment that uncontrollable laughter is something he has neither experienced nor desires, reviewing his pop culture picks from 2015, and a dispatch from Muscat, Oman. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded November 5th and December 15th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Jeff on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Favorite episodes of the year 00:12:08 - AI's impact on the show 00:15:05 - The lost Magnus episode  00:17:13 - Tyler's #1 hotel amenity  00:18:40 - Tyler's growing influence and thoughts on tariffs  00:21:15 - AI x-risk discourse 00:26:22 – Copying Tyler's interview style  00:28:50 - Tyler's lack of joy 00:32:55 - How well ChatGPT answers as Tyler 00:35:15 - Tyler's 2015 movie picks 00:40:44 - Tyler's 2015 book picks 00:45:00 - Tyler's 2015 music picks 00:48:16 - Most popular episodes and thoughts on Oman Photo Credit: Kevin Trimmer

Veronique de Rugy is the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. In Veronique's first appearance on Macro Musings she discusses her career as a think tanker's think tanker, what the difference is between classical liberals and libertarians, how America's mindset has shifted on trade and immigration, the fiscal health of the United States, the US's impending debt crises, solutions for fixing the fiscal health of the United States, and much more. Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on November 18th, 2025 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow Veronique on X: @VerodeRugy Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel  Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:18 - Vero's Career 00:17:35 - Vero's Career 00:24:32 - Fiscal Policy at Mercatus 00:40:59 - Steps Toward a Sustainable Fiscal Path  00:48:34 - Flattening the Debt Curve 00:59:13- Outro

THE URGENCY OF SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM Colleague Veronique de Rugy, Mercatus Center. Veronique de Rugy argues Social Security must be reformed before trust funds run dry in the 2030s. She contends the system unfairly redistributes wealth from young workers to increasingly wealthy seniors and advocates for capping benefits or means-testing rather than raising taxes or allowing across-the-board cuts. NUMBER 6

SHOW 12-19-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUTGAVIN NNEWSOM  ON THE AMPAIGN TRAIL FOR 2028... LA 1900 WEST COAST WEATHER AND PORTLAND'S DECLINE Colleague Jeff Bliss, Pacific Watch. Jeff Bliss reports that Nordstrom Rack is leaving downtown Portland, citing high vacancy rates, crime, and homelessness. He also details a massive atmospheric river bringing heavy rain to the West Coast and dangerous Tule fog in California, while analyzing Gavin Newsom's presidential prospects amidst state economic struggles. NUMBER 1 CHINA'S CHIP THEFT AND AI WARFARE RISKS Colleague Brandon Weichert, The National Interest. Weichert discusses China's attempts to upgrade older ASML machines and reverse-engineer chips to bypass sanctions. They also review 2025 lessons, noting that AI in military war games tends to escalate conflicts aggressively toward nuclear options, warning that China may fuse AI with its nuclear command systems. NUMBER 2 ITALY'S ECONOMIC STABILITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS Colleague Lorenzo Fiori, Il Giornale. Lorenzo Fiori reports that Italy's economy is stabilizing, with debt under control and bond spreads narrowing close to Germany's levels. While northern Italy remains industrialized, the south suffers from depopulation and climate change. Fiori emphasizes the urgent need for government policies to boost Italy's declining birth rate. NUMBER 3 NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION AND RUSSIAN SANCTIONS Colleague Henry Sokolski, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Sokolski criticizes the lifting of sanctions on Russian banks for nuclear projects and highlights the dangers at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant. He warns against potential deals allowing Saudi Arabia and South Korea to enrich uranium, arguing this brings them dangerously close to bomb-making capabilities. NUMBER 4 LANCASTER COUNTY AND A HOLIDAY SPENDING SLUMP Colleague Jim McTague, Author and Journalist. Reporting from Lancaster County, Jim McTague observes a sluggish Christmas shopping season, with consumers buying practical items like gloves rather than expensive packages. While tourist venues like Sight & Sound Theaterremain busy, he predicts a mild recession in 2026 due to rising local taxes and utility costs. NUMBER 5 THE URGENCY OF SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM Colleague Veronique de Rugy, Mercatus Center. Veronique de Rugy argues Social Security must be reformed before trust funds run dry in the 2030s. She contends the system unfairly redistributes wealth from young workers to increasingly wealthy seniors and advocates for capping benefits or means-testing rather than raising taxes or allowing across-the-board cuts. NUMBER 6 NASA'S NEW LEADERSHIP AND PRIVATE SPACE Colleague Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com. Bob Zimmerman discusses Jared Isaacman's confirmation as NASA administrator and an executive order prioritizing commercial space. Zimmerman predicts Isaacman might cancel the crewed Artemis II mission due to safety concerns with the Orion capsule, signaling a shift away from government-run programs like SLS toward private enterprise. NUMBER 7 SPACE BRIEFS: ROCKET LAB AND MARS RIVERS Colleague Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com. Zimmerman highlights Rocket Lab's record launches and Max Space's new inflatable station module. He notes a European satellite report on sea levels omitted "global warming" references. Additionally, he describes Martian drainage features that resemble rivers and cites a study claiming AI algorithms are exposing children to harmful content. NUMBER 8 THE FALL OF THE REPUBLIC: SULLA TO CAESAR Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts, University of California at San Diego. Watts traces the Republic's fall, starting with the rivalry between Marius and Sulla. Sulla'sbrutal proscriptions and dictatorship traumatized a young Julius Caesar. Watts explains that Caesar eventually concluded the Republic's structures were broken, leading him to seize power to enforce rights, which his assassins misinterpreted as kingship. NUMBER 9 NERO, AGRIPPINA, AND THE MATRICIDE Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts, University of California at San Diego. Professor Watts details the pathology of the Roman emperorship, focusing on Agrippina's maneuvering to install her son Nero. Watts describes Nero's eventual assassination of his mother using a collapsible ship and his pivot to seeking popularity through rigged Olympic victories in Greece before losing control of Rome. NUMBER 10 THE YEAR OF FOUR EMPERORS AND FLAVIAN RULE Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts, University of California at San Diego. Watts analyzes the chaos following Nero's death, where Vespasian seized power after a brutal civil war that burned Capitoline Hill. The segment covers the Flavian dynasty, Titus's destruction of Jerusalem, and Domitian's vilification, concluding with Nerva's coup and the adoption of Trajan to stabilize the succession. NUMBER 11 THE BARRACKS EMPERORS AND THE ANTONINE PLAGUE Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts, University of California at San Diego. The discussion turns to the "barracks emperors," highlighting Trajan's expansion into Dacia and Hadrian's infrastructure focus. Watts describes Marcus Aurelius's Stoic governance during constant warfare and a devastating smallpox pandemic, which forced Rome to settle German immigrants to repopulate the empire. NUMBER 12 SUPREME COURT CHALLENGES TO TARIFF POWERS Colleague Professor Richard Epstein, Hoover Institution. Professor Epstein analyzes potential Supreme Court rulings on the President's use of emergency powers for broad tariffs. He predicts the Court may find the interpretation unconstitutional, creating a logistical nightmare regarding the refund of billions in collected revenues and addressing the complexity of overturning Article I court precedents. NUMBER 13 EXECUTIVE POWER AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES Colleague Professor Richard Epstein, Hoover Institution. Epstein discusses a Supreme Court case regarding the President's power to fire members of independent boards like the FTC. He fears Chief Justice Roberts will side with executive power, a move Epstein views as an "unmitigated disaster" that undermines the necessary independence of agencies like the Federal Reserve. NUMBER 14 ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN AND CONSUMER SPENDING Colleague Gene Marks, The Guardian. Gene Marksreports on a US economic slowdown, citing contracting architectural billings and falling hotel occupancy. He notes that while the wealthy continue spending, the middle class is cutting back on dining out. Marks attributes inflation to government money circulation and discusses proposals for mandated retirement contributions. NUMBER 15 AI ADOPTION IN BUSINESS AND CONSTRUCTION Colleague Gene Marks, The Guardian. Marks argues that AI is enhancing productivity rather than replacing humans, despite accuracy issues. He highlights AI adoption in construction, including drones and augmented reality for safety. Marks notes that small businesses are eager for these technologies to improve efficiency, while displaced tech workers find roles in smaller firms. NUMBER 16

Send us a textIn 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)).Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Help us keep the conversations going in 2026. Donate to Conversations with Tyler today. Alison Gopnik is both a psychologist and philosopher at Berkeley, studying how children construct theories of the world from limited data. Her central insight is that babies learn like scientists, running experiments and updating beliefs based on evidence. But Tyler wonders: are scientists actually good learners? It's a question that leads them into a wide-ranging conversation about what we've been systematically underestimating in young minds, what's wrong with simple nature-versus-nurture frameworks, and whether AI represents genuine intelligence or just a very sophisticated library. Tyler and Alison cover how children systematically experiment on the world and what study she'd run with $100 million, why babies are more conscious than adults and what consciousness even means, episodic memory and aphantasia, whether Freud got anything right about childhood and what's held up best from Piaget, how we should teach young children versus school-age kids, how AI should change K-12 education and Gopnik's case that it's a cultural technology rather than intelligence, whether the enterprise of twin studies makes sense and why she sees nature versus nurture as the wrong framework entirely, autism and ADHD as diagnostic categories, whether the success of her siblings belies her skepticism about genetic inheritance, her new project on the economics and philosophy of caregiving, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 30th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Alison on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps 00:00:00 - How children—and scientists—learn 00:14:35 - Consciousness, episodic memories, and aphantasia 00:23:06 - Freud's and Piaget's theories about childhood 00:27:49 - Twin studies and nature vs. nurture 00:39:33 - Teaching strategies for younger vs. older children 00:44:07 - AI's ability to generate novel insights 00:53:57 - What Autism and ADHD diagnoses do and don't reveal 00:58:02 - The success of the Gopnik siblings Photo Credit: Rod Searcey

Help us keep the conversations going in 2026. Donate to Conversations with Tyler today. Gaurav Kapadia has deliberately avoided publicity throughout his career in investing, which makes this conversation a rare window into how he thinks. He now runs XN, a firm built around concentrated bets on a small number of companies with long holding periods. However, his education in judgment began much earlier, in a two-family house in Flushing that his parents converted into a four-family house. It was there where a young Gaurav served as de facto landlord, collecting rent and negotiating late payments at age 10. That grounding now expresses itself across an unusual range of domains: Tyler invited him on the show not just as an investor, but as someone with a rare ability to judge quality in cities, talent, art, and more with equal fluency.  Tyler and Gaurav discuss how Queens has thrived without new infrastructure, what he'd change as "dictator" of Flushing, whether Robert Moses should rise or fall in status, who's the most underrated NYC mayor, what's needed to attract better mayoral candidates, the weirdest place in NYC, why he initially turned down opportunities in investment banking for consulting, bonding with Rishi Sunak over railroads, XN's investment philosophy, maintaining founder energy in investment firms and how he hires to prevent complacency, AI's impact on investing, the differences between New York and London finance, the most common fundraising mistake art museums make, why he collects only American artists within 20 years of his own age, what makes Kara Walker and Rashid Johnson and Salman Toor special, whether buying art makes you a better investor, his new magazine Totei celebrating craft and craftsmanship, and much more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 8th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Gaurav on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:32 - Queens and NYC's geography 00:08:36 - New York City mayors and electoral politics 00:13:22 - Building a career in investing 00:18:50 - XN's investment philosophy 00:24:35 - Maintaining founder energy in investment firms 00:30:45 - The sociology of finance in NYC, London, and UAE  00:32:21 - How AI is reshaping investing 00:36:53 - Museum operations 00:42:21 - Favorite artists 00:50:39 - Tastes in art and how the canon will evolve 00:57:22 - Totei, a new venture

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Peter J. Boettke, Distinguished University Professor of Economics at George Mason University, as well as the director of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, about the importance of the history of economic thought […]

On this episode, Chris Coyne speaks with Brigitta Jones, Nathan Goodman, and Karla Segovia about Kenneth Boulding's insights on war, peace, and the political economy of conflict applied to contemporary questions about military organization and the dynamics of civil conflict.First, Jones discusses her coauthored paper with Coyne, “The Political Economy of Milorg,” which uses Boulding's concept of Milorg to examine the entanglement of public agencies and private firms in the military sector. She highlights how knowledge problems, incentives, and political processes shape what the military produces and how those decisions affect the broader economy. Goodman and Segovia then join Coyne to discuss their paper, “Unstable Peace in El Salvador,” coauthored with Abby Hall. Drawing on Boulding's framework, they examine how shifting expectations, beliefs, and “taboo lines” eroded the country's fragile peace, highlighting how strains such as land concentration, poverty, repression, and escalating violence contributed to the outbreak of civil war.Together, these conversations illustrate how Boulding's insights illuminate both the functioning of the modern military-industrial landscape and the complex processes through which societies move between peace and war. This is the third episode in a short series of episodes that will feature a collection of authors who contributed to the volume 1, issue 2 of the Markets & Society Journal or to a forthcoming special issue from The Review of Austrian Economics.Brigitta Jones is a PhD student in Economics at George Mason University. Her research interests include the welfare state of the United States.Dr. Nathan P. Goodman is a Senior Research Fellow and Senior Fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research broadly focuses on political economy, public choice, market process economics, New Institutional Economics, and defense economics.Dr. Karla Segovia is a program manager for Research & Programs and a Research Fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where she works on the Markets & Society conference and journal. She is also an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College.Show Notes:Kenneth Boulding's book, Stable Peace (University of Texas Press, 1978)Kenneth Boulding's book, The Image: Knowledge in Life and Society (University of Michigan Press, 1956).U.S. Congressional Testimony by Kenneth Boulding (1969)**This episode was recorded October 27, 2025.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.Check out our other podcast from the Hayek Program! Virtual Sentiments is a podcast in which political theorist Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with pressing problems in political economy with an eye to the past. Subscribe today!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

A very specific housing related bet.How did we go from The Big Short... to a housing shortage in such a short time?Governments in seemingly disparate places are having to take drastic measures to enable more housing development.  This episode is about how those conditions materialized in the United States, and also whether anything can be done to ameliorate the situation.Kevin Erdmann is a Senior Affiliated Scholar at the Mercatus Center.Kevin's SubstackFollow Kevin on TwitterBen Bear is the CEO of BuildCasa.BuildCasa websiteFollow Ben on TwitterCody is a homebuilder in Oregon.Show resources:It's Time to Build - Marc AndreessenBut not in Atherton - Marc AndreessenInstitutional SFR landlord on ResiClub podcastSupport the show: Subscribe to the Premium SubstackEmail me: riskofruinpod at gmailFollow me on Twitter: @halfkelly

Help us keep the conversations going in 2026. Donate to Conversations with Tyler today. Dan Wang argues that China is a nation of engineers while America is a nation of lawyers, and this distinction explains everything from subway construction to pandemic response to why Chinese citizens will never have yards with dogs. His prescription: America should become 20% more engineering-minded to fix its broken infrastructure, while China needs to be 50% more lawyerly so the Communist Party can stop strangling individual rights and the creative impulses of its people. But would a more lawyerly China constrain state power, or just create new tools for oppression? And aren't the American suburbs actually sterling achievements where the infrastructure works quite well? Tyler and Dan debate whether American infrastructure is actually broken or just differently optimized, why health care spending should reach 35% of GDP, how lawyerly influences shaped East Asian development differently than China, China's lack of a liberal tradition and why it won't democratize like South Korea or Taiwan did, its economic dysfunction despite its manufacturing superstars, Chinese pragmatism and bureaucratic incentives, a 10-day itinerary for Yunnan,  James C. Scott's work on Zomia, whether Beijing or Shanghai is the better city, Liu Cixin and why volume one of The Three-Body Problem is the best, why contemporary Chinese music and film have declined under Xi, Chinese marriage markets and what it's like to be elderly in China, the Dan Wang production function, why Stendhal is his favorite novelist and Rossini's Comte Ory moves him, what Dan wants to learn next, whether LLMs will make Tyler's hyper-specific podcast questions obsolete, what flavor of drama their conversation turned out to be, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 31st, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Dan on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps 00:00:00 - American infrastructure and suburban life 00:05:18 - American vs. Chinese infrastructure buildouts... 00:12:25 - And health care investment 00:17:52 - Chinese suburbs 00:20:10 - The existing lawyerly influence in East Asia  00:25:12 - China's lack of a liberal tradition 00:29:35 - Why China's won't democratize 00:33:49 - China's economic disfunction  00:38:44 - China's expansionism  00:41:55 - Chinese pragmatism and bureaucratic incentives 00:46:50 - Chinese cities and regional culture 00:59:44 - James C. Scott, Zomia, and elite culture 01:06:27 - A 10-day Yunnan itinerary 01:11:57 - On Chinese arts, literature, and cultural expression 01:18:23 - The Dan Wang production function 01:30:34 - Tyler's grand strategy, or lack thereof  

Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates when it meets again in two weeks?Wall Street has been whipsawing the odds back & forth over the past few weeks.To address that question, plus the even larger one of who is likely to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell when his tenure ends in the Spring, we're fortunate to welcome back to the program Dr Thomas Hoenig, former CEO of the Kansas City Fed, former voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee, a former director of the FDIC, and now a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Mercatus Center.Follow Dr Hoenig at https://www.finregrag.com/ and https://www.mercatus.org/WORRIED ABOUT THE MARKET? SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW with Thoughtful Money's endorsed financial advisors at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com#federalreserve #QE #moneyprinting _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It's important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer's unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security's or a firm's past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2025 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

Cass Sunstein is one of the most widely cited legal scholars of all time and among the most prolific writers working today. This year alone he has five books out, including Imperfect Oracle on the strengths and limits of AI and On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom. In his second appearance on the show, he brings his characteristic intellectual range to exploring liberalism's present precariousness and AI's implications for law and speech. Tyler and Cass discuss whether liberalism is self-undermining or simply vulnerable to illiberal forces, the tensions in how a liberal immigration regime would work, whether new generations of liberal thinkers are emerging, if Derek Parfit counts as a liberal, Mill's liberal wokeism, the allure of Mises' "cranky enthusiasm for freedom," whether the central claim of The Road to Serfdom holds up, how to blend indigenous rights with liberal thought, whether AIs should have First Amendment protections, the argument for establishing a right not to be manipulated, better remedies for low-grade libel, whether we should have trials run by AI, how Bob Dylan embodies liberal freedom, Cass' next book about animal rights, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 10th, 2025. This episode was made possible through the support of the John Templeton Foundation. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Cass on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here.

Blake Scholl is one of the leading figures working to bring back civilian supersonic flight. As the founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, he's building a new generation of supersonic aircraft and pushing for the policies needed to make commercial supersonic travel viable again. But he's equally as impressive as someone who thinks systematically about improving dysfunction—whether it's airport design, traffic congestion, or defense procurement—and sees creative solutions to problems everyone else has learned to accept.  Tyler and Blake discuss why airport terminals should be underground, why every road needs a toll, what's wrong with how we board planes, the contrasting cultures of Amazon and Groupon, why Concorde and Apollo were impressive tech demos but terrible products, what Ayn Rand understood about supersonic transport in 1957, what's wrong with aerospace manufacturing, his heuristic when confronting evident stupidity, his technique for mastering new domains, how LLMs are revolutionizing regulatory paperwork, and much more. Recorded live at the Progress Conference, hosted by the Roots of Progress Institute. Special thanks to Big Think for the video production. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 18th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Blake on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Photo Credit: Jeremi Rebecca

Register for the Austin listener meetup Donald S. Lopez Jr. is among the foremost scholars of Buddhism, whose work consistently distinguishes Buddhist reality from Western fantasy. A professor at the University of Michigan and author of numerous essential books on Buddhist thought and practice, he's spent decades studying Sanskrit and Tibetan texts, including a formative year spent living in a Tibetan monastery in India. His latest book, The Buddha: Biography of a Myth, tackles the formidable challenge of understanding what we can actually know about the historical Buddha. Tyler and Donald discuss the Buddha's 32 bodily marks, whether he died of dysentery, what sets the limits of the Buddha's omniscience, the theological puzzle of sacred power in an atheistic religion, Buddhism's elaborate system of hells and hungry ghosts, how 19th-century European atheists invented the "peaceful" Buddhism we know today, whether the axial age theory holds up, what happened to the Buddha's son Rahula, Buddhism's global decline, the evidently effective succession process for Dalai Lamas, how a guy from New Jersey created the Tibetan Book of the Dead, what makes Zen Buddhism theologically unique, why Thailand is the wealthiest Buddhist country, where to go on a three-week Buddhist pilgrimage, how Donald became a scholar of Buddhism after abandoning his plans to study Shakespeare, his dream of translating Buddhist stories into new dramatic forms, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 6th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here.

Register for the Austin listener meetup Sam Altman makes his second appearance on the show to discuss how he's managing OpenAI's explosive growth, what he's learned about hiring hardware people, what makes roon special, how far they are from an AI-driven replacement to Slack, what GPT-6 might enable for scientific research, when we'll see entire divisions of companies run mostly by AI, what he looks for in hires to gauge their AI-resistance, how OpenAI is thinking about commerce, whether GPT-6 will write great poetry, why energy is the binding constraint to chip-building and where it'll come from, his updated plan for how he'd revitalize St. Louis, why he's not worried about teaching normies to use AI, what will happen to the price of healthcare and hosing, his evolving views on freedom of expression, why accidental AI persuasion worries him more than intentional takeover, the question he posed to the Dalai Lama about superintelligence, and more. Recorded live at the Progress Conference, hosted by the Roots of Progress Institute. Special thanks to Big Think for the video production. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 17th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Sam on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Photo Credit: Jeremi Rebecca

Tyler considers Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage one of the best books of the last decade, and its author Jonny Steinberg one of the most underrated writers and thinkers—in North America, at least. Steinberg's particular genius lies in getting uncomfortably close to difficult truths through immersive research—spending 350 hours in police ride-alongs, years studying prison gangs and their century-old oral histories, following a Somali refugee's journey across East Africa—and then rendering what he finds with a novelist's emotional insight. Tyler and Jonny discuss why South African police only feel comfortable responding to domestic violence calls, how to fix policing, the ghettoization of crime, how prison gangs regulate behavior through century-old rituals, how apartheid led to mass incarceration and how it manifested in prisons, why Nelson Mandela never really knew his wife Winnie and the many masks they each wore, what went wrong with the ANC, why the judiciary maintained its independence but not its quality, whether Tyler should buy land in Durban, the art scene in Johannesburg, how COVID gave statism a new lease on life, why the best South African novels may still be ahead, his forthcoming biography of Cecil Rhodes, why English families weren't foolish to move to Rhodesia in the 1920s, where to take an ideal two-week trip around South Africa, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded September 29th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps: 00:00:40 – Policing and crime in South Africa 00:11:15 – Prison culture 00:22:04 – Nelson and Winnie Mandela's marriage 00:24:47 – Was Winnie Mandela just a bad person? 00:29:20 – Nelson Mandela's masks 00:32:04 – Mandela's legacy and the ANC 00:36:51 – Reasons for optimism in South Africa 00:50:58 – His forthcoming biography of Cecil Rhodes 00:55:15 – Where to visit in South Africa

George Selgin has spent over four decades thinking about money, banking, and economic history, and Tyler has known him for nearly all of it. Selgin's new book False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery, 1933–1947 examines what the New Deal actually accomplished—and failed to accomplish—in confronting the Great Depression.  Tyler and George discuss the surprising lack of fiscal and monetary stimulus in the New Deal, whether revaluing gold was really the best path to economic reflation, how much Glass-Steagall and other individual parts of the New Deal mattered, Keynes' "very sound" advice to Roosevelt, why Hayek's analysis fell short, whether America would've done better with a more concentrated banking sector, how well the quantity theory of money holds up, his vision for a "night watchman" Fed, how many countries should dollarize, whether stablecoins should be allowed to pay interest, his stake in a fractional-reserve Andalusian donkey ownership scheme, why his Spanish vocabulary is particularly strong on plumbing, his ambivalence about the eurozone, what really got America out of the Great Depression, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded September 26th, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow George on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Photo Credit: Richie Downs

CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE HAMAS DEAL... BARCELONA 1899 10-9-25 FIRST HOUR 9-915 The Genesis of Hamas, the Failure of "Land for Peace," and Theological Jihad Cliff May discussed the failure of the "land for peace" policy following Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza and the violent takeover by Hamas. Hamas, representing the Muslim Brotherhood and born from theological jihad, views its mission as the destruction of Israel to establish an emirate. May emphasized that any cessation of hostilities is merely a hudna (truce), used by Hamas to rebuild for future battles, not a lasting peace. 915-930 Javier Milei's Dilemma: Midterms, the Wobbling Peso, and the Push for Dollarization Mary Anastasia O'Grady analyzed Argentinian President Javier Milei's economic and political dilemma as he faces midterms with a wobbling peso leading up to the October 26th elections. The peso is suffering due to fears that the opposition Peronist coalition will block Milei's reforms. O'Grady advocated for dollarization as the solution to stabilize the currency, reduce interest rates, and impose fiscal discipline on reckless spending. Powerful financial special interests prefer the status quo of an unanchored peso. 930-945 The Valdai Conference, Russia's Global South Strategy, and Warnings to the West Anatol Lieven discussed the Valdai conference in Sochi, where President Putin projected confidence but issued stark warnings against the US providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and Europeans committing "piracy" by seizing Russian cargos. Attendees focused on the BRICS group and the Global South as Russia pursues alternative alliances. Russians express disappointment in Donald Trump's failure to deliver peace and worry about the war's slow progress. The conflict is fundamentally viewed by Russians as a struggle with NATO. 945-1000 The Valdai Conference, Russia's Global South Strategy, and Warnings to the West Anatol Lieven discussed the Valdai conference in Sochi, where President Putin projected confidence but issued stark warnings against the US providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and Europeans committing "piracy" by seizing Russian cargos. Attendees focused on the BRICS group and the Global South as Russia pursues alternative alliances. Russians express disappointment in Donald Trump's failure to deliver peace and worry about the war's slow progress. The conflict is fundamentally viewed by Russians as a struggle with NATO. SECOND HOUR 10-1015   US Military Posturing, Venezuela's Cartel de Los Soles, and Instability in the Americas Professor Evan Ellis analyzed President Trump's escalating military posturing and actions against drug cartels, particularly impacting the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and the Cartel de Los Soles. Senate members raised constitutional concerns over the use of military force. Ellis also examined political resistance to Argentinian President Javier Milei's austerity measures amid broader instability in the Americas, and noted positive strategic movements toward improved relationships with Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil's Lula da Silva. 1015-1030 US Military Posturing, Venezuela's Cartel de Los Soles, and Instability in the Americas Professor Evan Ellis analyzed President Trump's escalating military posturing and actions against drug cartels, particularly impacting the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and the Cartel de Los Soles. Senate members raised constitutional concerns over the use of military force. Ellis also examined political resistance to Argentinian President Javier Milei's austerity measures amid broader instability in the Americas, and noted positive strategic movements toward improved relationships with Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil's Lula da Silva. 1030-1045 US Military Posturing, Venezuela's Cartel de Los Soles, and Instability in the Americas Professor Evan Ellis analyzed President Trump's escalating military posturing and actions against drug cartels, particularly impacting the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and the Cartel de Los Soles. Senate members raised constitutional concerns over the use of military force. Ellis also examined political resistance to Argentinian President Javier Milei's austerity measures amid broader instability in the Americas, and noted positive strategic movements toward improved relationships with Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil's Lula da Silva. 1045-1100 US Military Posturing, Venezuela's Cartel de Los Soles, and Instability in the Americas Professor Evan Ellis analyzed President Trump's escalating military posturing and actions against drug cartels, particularly impacting the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and the Cartel de Los Soles. Senate members raised constitutional concerns over the use of military force. Ellis also examined political resistance to Argentinian President Javier Milei's austerity measures amid broader instability in the Americas, and noted positive strategic movements toward improved relationships with Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil's Lula da Silva. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 Marcus Tullius Cicero's Rise, Corruption Trials, and the Catiline Conspiracy Professor Josiah Osgood profiled the Roman "new man" orator Marcus Tullius Cicero and his dramatic rise through corruption trials and political intrigue. Cicero established his career by solving the murder case of Roscius and prosecuting corrupt Sicilian governor Verres for theft. His career climaxed with the suppression of the Catiline Conspiracy, elevating him as a patriot. However, Cicero made a grave political error by executing conspirators without trial, a move opposed by Julius Caesar. 1115-1130 Marcus Tullius Cicero's Rise, Corruption Trials, and the Catiline Conspiracy Professor Josiah Osgood profiled the Roman "new man" orator Marcus Tullius Cicero and his dramatic rise through corruption trials and political intrigue. Cicero established his career by solving the murder case of Roscius and prosecuting corrupt Sicilian governor Verres for theft. His career climaxed with the suppression of the Catiline Conspiracy, elevating him as a patriot. However, Cicero made a grave political error by executing conspirators without trial, a move opposed by Julius Caesar. 1130-1145 Marcus Tullius Cicero's Rise, Corruption Trials, and the Catiline Conspiracy Professor Josiah Osgood profiled the Roman "new man" orator Marcus Tullius Cicero and his dramatic rise through corruption trials and political intrigue. Cicero established his career by solving the murder case of Roscius and prosecuting corrupt Sicilian governor Verres for theft. His career climaxed with the suppression of the Catiline Conspiracy, elevating him as a patriot. However, Cicero made a grave political error by executing conspirators without trial, a move opposed by Julius Caesar. 1145-1200 Marcus Tullius Cicero's Rise, Corruption Trials, and the Catiline Conspiracy Professor Josiah Osgood profiled the Roman "new man" orator Marcus Tullius Cicero and his dramatic rise through corruption trials and political intrigue. Cicero established his career by solving the murder case of Roscius and prosecuting corrupt Sicilian governor Verres for theft. His career climaxed with the suppression of the Catiline Conspiracy, elevating him as a patriot. However, Cicero made a grave political error by executing conspirators without trial, a move opposed by Julius Caesar. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Fiscal Irresponsibility, the Cost of Debt, and the Loss of Welfare Reform Lessons Veronique De Rugy of the Mercatus Center criticized Washington's fiscal irresponsibility and the mounting cost of debt, arguing that enormous deficits create an anti-growth drag on the economy. She noted that failing to cut spending is a future tax hike. De Rugy lamented the loss of lessons from the 1996 welfare reform, which showed that work requirements reduced poverty, as politicians now prioritize spending checks over fiscal prudence.D 1215-1230 Deepseek's AI Claims, Huawei's Chip Ambitions, and US/China Tech Competition Chris Riegel analyzed the escalating tech competition between the US and China, focusing on Chinese AI firm Deepseek and noting its claims of superiority were potentially misleading due to non-transparency and reliance on Nvidia technology. He discussed Huawei's chip fabrication efforts and ambitions, concluding that US sanctions, particularly restricting ASML tools, keep China one to one and a half generations behind. The US scale advantage, exemplified by investments like Colossus, remains significant in the AI competition. 1230-1245 The Artemis Program, the New Space Race with China, and the Role of Elon Musk Mark Whittington discussed the Artemis program and the new space race with China, emphasizing that the US is driven back to the moon by competition with the People's Republic of China. The moon is viewed as a source for mining and a refueling stepping stone to Mars, with Elon Musk's SpaceX playing a central role. Co-host David Livingston questioned the engineering challenge of SpaceX's Starship and life support systems for Mars. The program's sustainability depends on phasing out the costly, expendable Space Launch System (SLS). 1245-100 AM The Artemis Program, the New Space Race with China, and the Role of Elon Musk Mark Whittington discussed the Artemis program and the new space race with China, emphasizing that the US is driven back to the moon by competition with the People's Republic of China. The moon is viewed as a source for mining and a refueling stepping stone to Mars, with Elon Musk's SpaceX playing a central role. Co-host David Livingston questioned the engineering challenge of SpaceX's Starship and life support systems for Mars. The program's sustainability depends on phasing out the costly, expendable Space Launch System (SLS).