Economics Explored

Economics Explored host Gene Tunny discusses saving and investing for retirement with Sarah Holden, Senior Director of Retirement & Investor Research at the Investment Company Institute (ICI). ICI is the leading association representing regulated funds globally, including US mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Sarah has a Ph.D. in economics and has studied retirement trends and policy, as well as the behavior of investors, for decades. She uses humor and plain English to make retirement and investment concepts clear. Sarah is based in Washington, DC and Gene spoke with her over Zoom on 12 May 2021. Please send through any questions, comments or suggestions to contact@economicsexplored.com and Gene will aim to address them in a future episode. Links relevant to the conversation include:http://icief.org/https://www.ici.org/401khttps://www.ici.org/irahttp://icief.org/investing/index.htmlA Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful InvestingAustralia vs US: A scorecard on the Australian and US Defined Contribution Systems

Economics Explored host Gene Tunny talks about the big challenge of decarbonizing economies to respond to climate change. Among other issues he considers the uncertainty around the impacts of climate change, the future of coal, and optimal policy responses to climate change. Relevant links include:A Study of Long-term Global Coal Demand by Queensland TreasuryStructural Adjustment Policies Becoming Increasingly ImportantApocalypse NeverUnsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It MattersHow to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill GatesThe Spirit of Green by William Nordhaus

Discusses the requirements and process for the development of public infrastructure business cases in Australia, with a case study of a current business case process relating to an irrigation dam which program host Gene Tunny is involved in. While Australian examples are used, the insights and lessons are relevant internationally. In many respects, Australian processes and requirements for developing public infrastructure business cases are world-leading. Links relevant to the conversation:Business Case Development Framework of Building QueenslandParadise Dam Improvement Project$2.4 billion cost to economy if Paradise Dam not fixedAustralian lungfish 

A conversation on economics and religion, including on whether Jesus was a socialist and whether religion influences economic growth. Economics Explored host Gene Tunny speaks with Darren Brady Nelson, Chief Economist of LibertyWorks, an Australian libertarian think tank, and a policy advisor to the Heartland Institute.Links related to the conversationDarren's articles on religion and economics:Murray Rothbard on Christianity, Catholicism, and theologyChristian liberty: are you serious??Other material:HuffPo article: Jesus was a SocialistRendering Unto Caesar: Was Jesus A Socialist?The Tribute Money (Titian)Is 'Render unto Caesar' really about taxes?Religion and Economic GrowthWhy is the Lord’s Day celebrated on Sunday instead of Saturday?

Cities such as Portland, USA are pushing back against NIMBYism and embracing medium-density development, the so-called Missing Middle Housing, while others such as Brisbane, Australia, are discouraging it. Economics Explored host Gene Tunny speaks with Australian urban planning expert Natalie Rayment about the economic and social costs and benefits of urban planning/zoning rules. About this episode's guest - Natalie Rayment, Executive Director of Wolter ConsultingNatalie has built a career in town planning over the last 25 years. Her experience in both the private and public sector has culminated in her role as Executive Director of Wolter Consulting Group. Natalie is a Registered Planner with the Planning Institute of Australia, a recognised expert town planning witness to the Court and specialises in statutory planning and development facilitation. Natalie is also a Member of the Property Council 2019/2020 Retirement Living Committee and Deputy Chair of the HIA Qld Planning Committee.In early 2016, Natalie co-founded YIMBY Qld, a not-for-profit public interest organisation, saying yes in my back yard to good development that makes for better living. And in 2019, she joined the Board of Beddown as Deputy Chair. Beddown is a charitable organisation providing pop-up accommodation hubs for those who are most vulnerable.Relevant linksNatalie's LinkedIn post on Missing Middle HousingThe Economist on House prices are going ballisticThe Effect of Zoning on Housing Prices5 Things You Should Know About Portland's New Housing ReformThe High Cost of Free ParkingCutters Landing History

Economics Explored host Gene Tunny speaks with Professor Gigi Foster of the University of NSW about her research on female breadwinning, where a woman earns more than her male partner.  What does female breadwinning mean for relationship satisfaction and longevity? Does thinking about partnership formation as taking place in a market help us understand relationship choices and dynamics?About this episode's guest - Professor Gigi FosterGigi Foster is one of Australia’s leading economics communicators and a Professor at the UNSW School of Economics. She was named 2019 Young Economist of the Year by the Economic Society of Australia.A Professor in the School of Economics at the University of New South Wales, she was awarded a national Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2017. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States, she received her BA from Yale (majoring in Ethics, Politics, and Economics), and her PhD in economics from the University of Maryland.Relevant linksDoes Female Breadwinning Make Partnerships Less Healthy or Less Stable?An Economic Theory of Greed Love Groups and Networks

In a March 2021 Financial Times article Dr Nicholas Gruen proposed an independent fiscal policy advisory body so that fiscal policy is freed from political tinkering. Economics Explored host Gene Tunny speaks with Dr Gruen about his proposal in this episode. Dr Gruen is CEO of Lateral Economics and a Visiting Professor at King's College, London.  He has advised Australian Government Ministers, including an Australian Treasurer, and is a renowned angel investor (e.g. in Kaggle which was acquired by Google). Dr Gruen blogs regularly at Club Troppo.Links relevant to the conversation include:Dr Gruen's FT article:Fiscal policy should be freed of political tinkeringDr Gruen's 2001 OECD Journal of Budgeting paper:Greater Independence for Fiscal InstitutionsEdmund Burke quote

Brisbane, Australia looks set to host the 2032 Olympics. It's claimed there's a new model for delivering Olympics which will mean the host city will actually benefit from it. But can the claims be believed particularly given the experience of previous host cities such as Montreal and London, and when there are secret meetings of the City Council to finalise the bid? Economics Explored host Gene Tunny discusses the economics of the Olympics with Dr Alistair Robson, who is an adjunct senior lecturer with the University of NSW. Links relevant to the conversation include:Councillors to be briefed on secret Olympic bid details before voteJames Gieseke and John Madden study of Sydney Olympics in 20004 legacies of the 1976 Montreal Olympics you probably didn't know about | CBC NewsAustralia's Queensland state will bid for 2032 Olympics (re. KPMG's economic impact estimates)2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Value Proposition Assessment 

One year on from when many countries started imposing tough COVID-19 control measures, Economics Explored host Gene Tunny asks eminent Australian finance Professor Peter Swan whether lockdowns pass a cost-benefit analysis test. Professor Swan says he stands by his view expressed last year that they do not. Listen to this episode to hear why Prof. Swan believes this is so.About this episode's guest - Professor Peter SwanProfessor Peter Swan AO FRSN FASSA is currently in Banking and Finance, UNSW-Sydney Business School. Peter completed his Honours Economics Degree at ANU, his PhD at Monash and after a visiting position at the University of Chicago, joined the Economics faculty at ANU, then to a chair at AGSM (UNSW), and was foundation professor in the Finance Department at the University of Sydney prior to returning to UNSW in 2002 with a Scientia Professorial Award in 2003.He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 1997 and gained recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honours lists in 2003 and 2016 with the Order of Australia (AM) and (AO), respectively. In 2018 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales (FRSN). His Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) Citation states: “For distinguished service to finance and commerce as a leading academic, journalist, and commentator on domestic investment, and on a range of political and economic issues.” His Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Citation states: “For services to academia as a scholar and researcher and through contributions to public policy in the fields of economics and finance”.Links relevant to this episodeProf. Swan's Quadrant article Run the Numbers, Survey the FollyOpen letter from 122 Australian economists: don't sacrifice health for 'the economy' (which Prof. Swan critiques in his Quadrant article and in this episode)COVID-19 deaths worldwide per million population as of March 19, 2021

What is Anarcho-capitalism? And what would a libertarian analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic tell us? Economics Explored host Gene Tunny has a thought-provoking conversation with Loyola University's Professor Walter Block, whose Wikipedia entry describes him as "an American Austrian School economist and anarcho-capitalist theorist." Regarding anarcho-capitalism check out Walter's books:The Privatization of Roads and HighwaysDefending the UndefendableMentioned in the discussion is the Homestead principle associated with John Locke. Regarding COVID-19, check out Walter's 2020 paper:A Libertarian Analysis of the COVID-19 PandemicAlso on COVID-19, check out this podcast discussion mentioned by Gene in his conversation with Walter:Lord Sumption: mass civil disobedience has begun