The New Bazaar

Arpit Gupta, an NYU finance professor who studies housing, remote work, AI, and finance. He explores reform ideas beyond zoning like property tax changes, accelerated depreciation, and scaling factory‑built housing. He also discusses using AI to map regulations, the impact of remote work on firms and cities, and the risks and benefits of AI for careers and finance.

Stefanie Stantcheva, Harvard economist who leads the Social Economics Lab, explores zero-sum thinking and its roots. She discusses how lived experience, intergenerational mobility, immigration history, and slavery shape views. Conversations cover generational shifts, geographic patterns, links to anger in politics, policy preferences around redistribution and immigration, and upcoming work on AI and collaboration.

Adam Ozimek, chief economist at the Economic Innovation Group and commentator on automation, discusses AI’s economic tradeoffs and why some work resists automation. He explores the persistence of live service and caregiving, the Olive Garden as a model for task division, AI companions and misuse, and policy and personal strategies for adapting to AI-driven change.

Jennifer Doleac, an economist and director of the Criminal Justice program at Arnold Ventures, dives into her book on criminal justice reform. She reveals how small-scale reforms can significantly reduce recidivism, emphasizing that leniency can actually enhance public safety. The discussion covers the surprising benefits of dismissing misdemeanor cases, the pitfalls of harsh probation conditions, and how evidence-based policies can reshape the system. Doleac argues for a scientific approach to policy, advocating for trial-and-error methods to foster effective change.

Rebecca Hall Allensworth, a Vanderbilt Law professor and author of "The Licensing Racket," sheds light on the often-overlooked world of occupational licensing. With nearly 30 million workers affected, she reveals how licensing boards create barriers that restrict access and inflate costs. The conversation touches on egregious cases, like addiction counseling and hair braiding, illustrating how these regulations disproportionately harm marginalized communities. Allensworth argues for narrowing licensure to protect jobs while fostering innovation and access to essential services.

Mike Bird, Wall Street editor at The Economist and author of The Land Trap, dives into the pivotal economics of land ownership. He discusses how rising land prices channel credit away from innovation, harming productivity. Bird explores the concept of the 'land trap,' where booming land values lead to economic stagnation. He highlights the unique land histories of nations like Japan and Singapore, examining how these factors affect corporate productivity and societal mobility. It's a thought-provoking look at the world's oldest asset and its ever-evolving impact.

Arnab Datta, Director of Infrastructure Policy at the Institute for Progress, dives into the U.S.-China rare earths showdown. He discusses how China gained leverage by dominating rare earth production and what this means for U.S. economic security. Datta highlights missed opportunities in market infrastructure and the need for urgent action to embrace competition and innovation. He proposes creating a Strategic Resilience Reserve (SRR) to stabilize markets and deepen alliances, emphasizing the importance of responding to supply chain vulnerabilities.

What accounts for the astonishing streak of YIMBY wins this year — and which concessions, if any, should they consider offering to the NIMBYs? Should the center-left Abundance faction be trying to persuade conservatives and not just progressives? Do struggling places need more market-based solutions (high-skilled immigration, tax incentives for investing in low-income communities) or more straightforward redistribution and pubic investment (in infrastructure, job training, internet access)? Are liberals ceding too much ground to anti-immigrant sentiment? And should the most famous museums in the world stop hoarding their artwork? Live on stage at the Economic Innovation Group’s annual Power of Place Conference in Washington, DC, Cardiff spoke with Slow Boring author Matt Yglesias about these topics and more. Matt also reflects on how things have changed since his two books, The Rent is Too Damn High and One Billion Americans, were released. They close with their respective picks for best movie of 2025 and the likely winner of the NBA Finals. Related links: Slow Boring The Rent is Too Damn HighOne Billion Americans Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jerusalem Demsas, a journalist and founder/editor of The Argument, dives into the complexities of liberalism and its relevance today. She explores the art of persuasion and its impact on politics, especially around immigration issues. Jerusalem shares her journey of launching her magazine to challenge illiberal trends. The conversation also touches on the risks of short-form video addiction and the need for nuanced interactions in a digital age. She emphasizes how real experiences shape political narratives and urges a balanced approach to engaging diverse opinions.

In this discussion, Alex Armlovich, a Senior Housing Analyst at the Niskanen Center, dives into the groundbreaking ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill poised to tackle America's housing crisis. He highlights its focus on regulatory reform and innovative financing to enhance housing supply. The conversation explores the evolution of housing policy alliances, as well as successful and failed housing experiments. They also reflect on the challenges of urban transformation, the role of local governance, and the nostalgia of living in New York City.