EconTalk
Russ Roberts
EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious is an award-winning weekly podcast hosted by Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford's Hoover Institution. The eclectic guest list includes authors, doctors, psychologists, historians, philosophers, economists, and more. Learn how the health care system really works, the serenity that comes from humility, the challenge of interpreting data, how potato chips are made, what it's like to run an upscale Manhattan restaurant, what caused the 2008 financial crisis, the nature of consciousness, the conflicts and history of the Middle East, and more. EconTalk has been taking the Monday out of Mondays since 2006. All 1000+ episodes are available in the archive. Go to EconTalk.org for transcripts, related resources, and comments.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 11, 2006 • 44min
Richard Epstein on Legislators vs. Wal-Mart
Russ Roberts and Richard Epstein discuss the attempts to use legislation to handicap Wal-Mart. They also discuss the evolution of the union movement and the constitutionality of various legislative attacks on Wal-Mart.
Sep 4, 2006 • 43min
Milton Friedman on Capitalism and Freedom
Russ Roberts talks to Milton Friedman about the radical ideas he put forward almost 50 years ago in Capitalism and Freedom. Listen to the most influential economist of the past 50 years discuss the principles of liberty, social responsibility of business, the inertia behind bad legislation and his career as economist and public intellectual.
11 snips
Aug 28, 2006 • 27min
Milton Friedman on Money
Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize–winning economist and Stanford Hoover fellow, reflects on monetary history and the Fed. He discusses why the 1970s shifted views on inflation, the Fed's role in the Great Depression, interest rates as a tool to control money, and the appeal of steady money rules like New Zealand’s approach. He warns of political pressures that can undo monetary stability.
16 snips
Aug 14, 2006 • 1h 28min
The Political Economy of Power
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, NYU and Hoover political scientist and co-author of The Logic of Political Survival, explores why leaders cling to power. He gets into selectorate theory, loyalty buying, foreign aid propping up bad governments, why autocrats may prefer corruption to growth, King Leopold’s contrasting rule, and how term limits can backfire.
22 snips
Aug 7, 2006 • 53min
Chris Anderson and the Long Tail
Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail, discusses the weird world of internet distribution, the economics of choice and the role of filters, and the challenges of wrapping our minds around emergent phenomena. He explores the concept of the long tail in digital marketplaces and the power of niche content. They also delve into the limitations imposed by scarcity and the expansion of consumer choice. The conversation highlights the paradox of choice, the power of relevance, and the diffusion of power in mainstream media and the blogosphere. They also touch on the influence of the internet on politics and the lack of diversity in the political landscape.
10 snips
Jul 31, 2006 • 53min
John Cogan on Improving the Health Care System
John Cogan, a Stanford public policy scholar and Hoover fellow focused on health policy, digs into why American health care gets so expensive. He explores how insurance dulls price awareness. The conversation looks at defensive medicine, tax rules that built employer coverage, RAND findings on deductibles, and how mandates and state barriers can drive up premiums.
13 snips
Jul 24, 2006 • 34min
Making Schools Better: A Conversation with Rick Hanushek
Rick Hanushek, a Stanford economist focused on education policy, digs into why school spending soared while test scores barely moved. He explores class size, teacher credentials, and why they often miss the mark. The conversation turns to teacher quality, merit pay, principal accountability, union rules, school choice, charters, and better testing.
22 snips
Jul 17, 2006 • 47min
Robert Barro on Growth
Russ Roberts interviews Robert Barro, Harvard University Professor and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow, on the economics of growth, what the developed world can do to help poor people around the world, and the role of US assets and the dollar in world finance.
13 snips
Jul 10, 2006 • 30min
An Interview with Gary Becker
Russ Roberts interviews Gary Becker, of the University of Chicago, on the challenges of being an intellectual maverick, the economic approach to human behavior, the influences of Adam Smith and Alfred Marshall on Becker's work and Becker's optimism for the future of economics.
9 snips
Jun 23, 2006 • 29min
Michael Munger on Giving Away Money: An Economist's Guide to Political Life
Michael Munger, Duke economist and political scientist, dives into why politics rewards promises of free money. He explores rent-seeking, lobbying, and defensive spending against regulation. The conversation looks at grant competitions, K Street bidding wars, and why small groups sometimes curb waste while large systems magnify it.
