Qualified Opinions

Is inflation really the product of greed? Do greater economic means equal less incentive for competition? What is the right approach to antitrust policy? Veronique de Rugy sits down with Brian Albrecht to discuss. Brian Albrecht is Chief Economist of the International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE), which he joined in February 2022. In his role, he is responsible for the application and integration of theoretical and empirical economic methodologies into ICLE's research.

America's economic dynamism attracts immigrants from all over the world and has served as a beacon of hope for decades—however, today, Americans are more pessimistic about the future than ever. What can be done about it? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with Jeremy Horpedahl to discuss. Dr. Horpedahl is the Director of ACRE and an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Arkansas. His research has been published in Econ Journal Watch, Constitutional Political Economy, the Atlantic Economic Journal, Public Choice, and Public Finance and Management.

The New Right and the Old Right are increasingly the major factions of conservatism today. Where do they diverge? And are there seldom spoken areas of convergence? Joining Veronique de Rugy is Charles Kesler, who will explore the landscape of American conservatism today. Charles Kesler is a Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute, Editor of the Claremont Review of Books, host of Claremont's The American Mind video series, and the Dengler-Dykema Distinguished Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College.

With Social Security and Medicare set to become insolvent in less than 10 years, the federal government is becoming increasingly desperate for new sources of revenue. The new big idea is to raise money by ending the tax treatment of 401k and other tax-deferred retirement plans. Veronique de Rugy sits down with Jason Fichtner to discuss the threat this poses to America's future retirement savings. Jason J. Fichtner is Chief Economist at the Bipartisan Policy Center and Executive Director of the Retirement Income Institute, Alliance for Lifetime Income.

How real is greedflation? Do women actually pay a pink tax? Do price controls actually help make things more affordable? These are the questions Ryan Bourne seeks to answer with Veronique de Rugy on this episode of Qualified Opinions. Ryan Bourne is the R. Evan Scharf Chair for the Public Understanding of Economics at Cato and is the author of several books, including Economics In One Virus and The War on Prices. He also writes in many notable publications on topics including fiscal policy, inequality, minimum wage, infrastructure spending, the cost of living, and rent control.

In a world increasingly tangled in regulatory red tape and bureaucratic inertia, many across the country have stood up to address the issue of housing shortages and affordability. The "Yes in My Back Yard" (YIMBY) movement is gaining momentum across the country, and Bryan Caplan's new book Build, Baby, Build captures its essence. Listen as Veronique de Rugy and Caplan discuss. Bryan Caplan is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and a professor of economics at George Mason University. Caplan is also the author of The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies, named "the best political book of the year" by the New York Times.

Being middle class in America used to mean something. It was something socially transformative and even revolutionary. What happened? These are the ideas Christine Rosen writes on in her recent article for Commentary, "The Elite War on the American Middle Class—and How to End It." Christine sits down with host Veronique de Rugy to discuss what has happened to America's middle class and how we can turn the tide. Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on American history, society and culture, technology, and feminism.

With the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio approaching 180%, Americans are getting increasingly concerned about the future of our economy. Strangely, however, Japan's debt-to-GDP ratio is over 250%, and it has not seen any inflationary crisis so far. What does this mean, and what should the takeaway be for America? In part two of his interview with host Veronique de Rugy, David Bahnsen delves deeper into Japan's historical economic landscape and what we can learn from it. David Bahnsen is the founder and managing partner of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing over $4 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. Bahnsen is also a contributor to several prominent outlets and a best-selling author.

Newspapers have been reporting on demographic challenges and birth declines in nations across the world. How hard will these problems hit the United States, and what can be done to counter them? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with social science trailblazer Dr. Catherine Pakaluk to discuss her research into the relationship between family structure and economic outcomes. Pakaluk is an Associate Professor at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, where she established the Social Research academic area. She is also the author of a forthcoming book, Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth.

Work-life balance has been in the news a lot in recent years. Young people have been quiet quitting. Bernie Sanders wants Americans to work only 32 hours per week. Gen Zers have surpassed Baby Boomers in the workforce and are demanding employers establish a company's purpose in a way that contributes to a better society. Veronique de Rugy sits down for a discussion with David Bahnsen to discuss these trends and cuts through the noise to pinpoint the true meaning of work. David Bahnsen is the founder and managing partner of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing over $4 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. Bahnsen is also a contributor to several prominent outlets and a best-selling author. Stay tuned for part 2 of this interview.