The Curious Task

Alex Aragona chats with Ross Emmett and Steve Slivinski as they explore the policies that can hurt businesses, and their work on the Doing Business North America index. References from Episode 80 with Ross Emmett and Steve Slivinski Ross Emmett and Stephen Slivinski are directors of the Doing Business North America project. Their 2020 report forms the basis of this episode and can be found at their website at this link. Here is a link to the Doing Business Report by the World Bank that was briefly mentioned in the podcast.  You can read the Philadelphia Inquirer’s article on the barriers of doing business in Philadelphia here. An in-depth explanation of the DBNA’s methodology and business categories is available for reading at this link. The DBNA Land Use index was inspired by The Wharton Residential Land Use Regulatory Index, which can be accessed here.  Here are the recent rankings of the DBNA report, which includes a comparison of the performance in cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States (including the top five and five lowest-performing cities). You can interact with the data collected by DBNA at this link. Virginia Postrel’s book, The Future and its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress, can be purchased on Amazon Canada at this link. Here is an article on the Bootleggers and Baptists problem coined by Bruce Yandle.

Alex Aragona speaks with Peter Jaworski as he explores his definition of libertarianism, and how different kinds of morality can lead to certain conclusions about libertarian institutions. References from Episode 79 with Peter Jaworski Peter Jaworski is the co-author of the book, Markets without Limits: Moral Virtues and Commercial Interests, which is available for purchase on Amazon Canada at this link. Peter mentions B. van der Vossen’s article on self-ownership published on Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, which can be read here. The general article on libertarianism starts at this link. You can read more about Jonathan Haidt’s moral foundations theory on the website, moralfoundations.org. Peter mentions the three-way division between people cited in Jason Brennan’s book, Against Democracy, which is also available on Amazon Canada at this link.  This article on libertarianism.org captures David Hume’s is-ought dichotomy that was briefly mentioned by Peter during the podcast.  The Acton Institute publishes many articles that demonstrate how their theological views endorse libertarian institutions on their website, acton.org. You can read John Stuart Mill’s libertarian conclusions in On Liberty at this link. Peter mentions Chris Freiman during the episode, who has published blogposts on learnliberty.org.    You can read more about the natural rights argument of Thomas Jefferson’s famous quote, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in this article on libertarianism.org.  The Lockean-Nozick justification of property rights has also been written about in this article on libertarianism.org. Here is the link to Ayn Rand’s book, The Virtue of Selfishness, that explores the concept of ethical egoism. Michael L. Frazer has a book on Adam Smith’s theory of sentimentalism and how it departs from that of David Hume, which can be accessed here. You can purchase Michael Huemer’s book, Ethical Institutionalism, that was recommended by Peter at this link. Jan Narveson makes a contractarian case for libertarianism in this article on libertarianism.org. Here is Roderick Long’s article, Eudaimonist Libertarianism, that was published on bleedingheartlibertarians.org. Dan Sanchez published an article called, In Defense of Mises’s Utilitarianism, through the Mises Institute and is available for reading here. Here is Kevin Vallier’s article, A Rawlisan Case for Libertarianism, which also draws parallels to F. A. Hayek.  You can explore Milton Friedman’s natural rights-oriented political philosophy in his book, Capitalism and Freedom, which can be purchased from Amazon Canada at this link. Here is a joint article by John Tomasi and Matt Zwolinski called, A Bleeding Heart History of Libertarianism, which was published in Cato Unbound and can be read at this link.  This is a link to the Libertarian Party of the United States. Deirdre McCloskey elaborated on her idea of The Great Enrichment in this article published on the Foundation for Economic Education.

Alex Aragona speaks with Sandra Peart as she traces the life of John Stuart Mill and explores some of the key pillars of his thinking. References from Episode 78 with Sandra Peart Sandra Peart is the author of Towards an Economics of Natural Equals: A Documentary History of the Early Virginia School, Escape from Democracy: The Role of Experts and the Public in Economic Policy, and the Essential John Stuart Mill, some of which are available for purchase on Amazon Canada (titles hyperlinked). The liberal themes of social tyranny, expression, and democracy were drawn from John Stuart Mill’s works, On Liberty (Batoche Books), and Utilitarianism (McMaster, Batoche Books) which are available for reading online (titles hyperlinked).  David Ricardo’s book, On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, can be read online on McMaster University’s Faculty of Social Sciences website at this link.  You can read The Later Letters of John Stuart Mill (1849-1873) that were referenced by Sandra throughout the podcast on Liberty Fund’s website here.  Here is one journal article on Wordsworth’s influence on Mill by Liz McKinnell.  The United Kingdom Parliament has published the following websites on the reformative legislative legacy of John Stuart Mill while he was an MP: John Start Mill Amendment and John Stuart Mill and the 1866 Petition. This is a link to the cartoon ridiculing John Stuart Mill’s franchise for women as “persons” published by Punch Magazine.  This is the harsher cartoon, “Miss Mill Joins the Ladies,” published by Judy. Here is a link to Hayek on Mill, which was edited by Sandra and features Hayek’s skepticism of Mill’s originality and the Taylor-Mill correspondence that was published by Hayek.

Alex Aragona speaks with James Tooley as he retells some of his experiences discovering quality private education solutions in poorer communities, and how they compared to the government's offerings. References from Episode 77 with James Tooley The E. G. West Centre at Newcastle University is the namesake of economist E. G. West. This page will direct listeners to his various articles and reports. James’ book, The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World’s Poorest People are Educating Themselves is the basis of today’s discussion and can be purchased from Amazon Canada here.  You can read more about the John Templeton Foundation’s work at this link.  Here is a link to James’ case study research about for-profit private education in India. This is The Economist article about Indian private schools educating 50% of the population that James mentions briefly on the podcast. Here is a synopsis of The Elementary Education Act of 1870 which mandated public education for schoolchildren between five to thirteen years of age. James’ book with the Independent Institute, Really Good Schools is set for release in March 2021 and can be preordered here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Steve Horwitz as he explores what drives human progress, and why the market is so crucial to that. References from Episode 76 with Steve Horwitz Steve Horwitz is the author of Austrian Economics: An Introduction; Microfoundations and Macroeconomics: An Austrian Perspective; Monetary Evolution, Free Banking, and Economic Order; and Hayek’s Modern Family: Classical Liberalism and the Evolution of Social Institutions which are available for purchase on Amazon Canada (titles hyperlinked). This article entitled Persistent Fallacies by Vuk Vukovic recounts the misconceptions surrounding growth and is a response to the book, Why Nations Fail, featuring an anecdote on Paul Samuelson’s forecast of the USSR overtaking the US economy that was referenced by Steve in the episode.    In case you missed Virginia Postrel’s episode on The Curious Task and wish to catch up with her research, her book, The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, can be purchased on Amazon Canada at this link. The Cato Institute published an article by Adam D. Thierer on permissionless innovation, which also provides an overview of Deidre McCloskey’s contributions to the theory. It can be read here.   You can read Steve’s article, Privilege and the Liberal Tradition, on libertarianism.org. Here is an excerpt on Ludwig’s von Mises’ concept of peaceful transference from his book, Liberalism: In the Classical Tradition.  You can learn more about Robert Higgs’ concept of regime uncertainty through this downloadable PDF published by the Independent Institute.  This article by Gerald P. O’Driscoll, Jr. is an introduction to “sound money” that Steve also talks about during the podcast.  You can watch Hans Rosling’s TED video on The Magic Washing Machine at this link.  The joint research on inequality published by Steve and Vincent Geloso is available for reading here.  Here is the article written by Steve on Tyler Cowen’s joint article on The Great Stagnation, which is also available for reading online at this link. Here is some more background on precision medicine that Steve mentions briefly on the podcast. Here is the link to the 2007 panel discussion with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates that Alex mentions in the podcast.   The Back to the Future trilogy and Demolition Man can be purchased and/or streamed from Amazon Canada.  You can read more about John Stuart Mill’s “experiments of living” at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s website (Chapter 4.6).

Alex Aragona speaks with Clark Neily as he explores the causes of America's policing problems, and policies that may fix them. References 1. “Terms of Engagement: How Our Courts Should Enforce the Constitution’s Promise of Limited Government” by Clark M. Neily Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Terms-Engagement-Enforce-Constitutions-Government/dp/1594036969  2. “A Libertarian Vision for Criminal Justice” by Clark Neily  Link: https://www.libertarianism.org/essays/libertarian-vision-for-criminal-justice  3. “Sagging Pants and the Long History of ‘Dangerous’ Street Fashion” by Gene Demby  Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/09/11/347143588/sagging-pants-and-the-long-history-of-dangerous-street-fashion  4. “America’s Criminal Justice System is Rotten to the Core” by Clark Neily Link: https://www.cato.org/blog/americas-criminal-justice-system-rotten-core 5. “Varsity Blues Scandal Explained” by BC Law Link: https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2023/12/varsity-blues-sandal-explained/ 6. “Qualified Immunity FAQ” by Legal Defense Fund Link: https://www.naacpldf.org/qualified-immunity/#:~:text=The%20doctrine%20of%20qualified%20immunity,engaging%20in%20violent%20and%20abusive 7. “Cop Who Accidentally Shot 10-Year-Old When Aiming For Family Dog Can’t Be Sued, Federal Court Rules” by Nick Sibilla Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicksibilla/2019/07/18/cop-who-accidentally-shot-10-year-old-when-aiming-for-family-dog-cant-be-sued-federal-court-rules/ 8. “Ferguson Riot and Ferguson Unrest (2014-2015)” by BlackPast Link: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/ferguson-riot-and-ferguson-unrest-2014-2015/

It's our 2020 roundup episode! Alex Aragona chats with Matt Bufton and Sabine El-Chidiac about topics and ideas surrounding liberalism in the past year, and choose their favourite Curious Task episodes from 2020. References from Episode 74 with Sabine El-Chidiac and Matt Bufton Matt mentions the 1992 Los Angeles riots stemming from the police brutality against Rodney King. An article on these incidents can be found on National Public Radio’s website at this link.  You can learn more about the international movement to defund the police here.  Matt briefly talks about polls coming from the United States on whether parents would mind their children marrying across party lines. One such poll was conducted by YouGov and can be accessed here.  You can register for Stephen Davies’ upcoming online lecture with the Institute for Liberal Studies (Friday, January 15 at 12:00 PM) here! If you need a refresher on Steve Davies’ episode with The Curious Task, consider giving it a relisten at this link.  Sabine reference’s Steve Horowitz’s book Hayek’s Modern Family: Classical Liberalism and the Evolution of Social Institutions as well as a previous Curious Task episode with him (titles hyperlinked). Matt notes that fusionism was at its peak during the Reagan era. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has an article recounting the relationship between Reagan and libertarians in this article.    Mises Wire has an article about Murray Rothbard and War and his effort to unite anti-Vietnam war sentiment in the United States. This work is available for viewing here.  Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine design occurred over two days and can be read in detail in this article by Business Insider.  If you are interested in Maude Barlow’s criticisms of economic globalization and trade, visit this page on The Council of Canadians’ website that recaps Barlow’s interview with CBC Radio.To delve deeper into the discussions on educational alternatives and belief in experts, Episode 53 and Episode 65 of The Curious Task provides a holistic overview. The Curious Task in Review: Our Producers’ Favourite Episodes From 2020!  Matt recommended Episode 40 with Pete Boettke: “What Is The Curious Task of Economics?”  A great primer for the rest of this podcast  Sabine recommended Episode 29 with Jacob Levy: “How Should Liberals Think of Civil Society?” Explores the greater themes in liberalism, such as tensions between pluralism and rationalization and in-group and out-group oppression Alex recommended Episode 60 with Eric Schliesser: “What Is Neoliberalism?”  May be a part of the project of rehabilitating the connotations of neoliberalism and other permanent frustrations with the term

Alex Aragona speaks with Mike Tanner as he explores the factors that contribute to the persistence of poverty, and different policy recommendations that can help alleviate it. References from Episode 73 with Mike Tanner Mike Tanner is the author of Going for Broke: Deficits, Debt, and the Entitlement Crisis, Leviathan on the Right: How the Rise of Big Government Conservatism Threatens Our Freedom and Our Future, and The Inclusive Economy: How to Bring Wealth to America’s Poor. All titles are hyperlinked and available for purchase on Amazon Canada. You can read more about the United States’ government spending on anti-poverty policies and programs at the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions website here.   Mike likens the final step of self-actualization in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to the policy goal of self-sufficiency for welfare programs. An explanation of the Hierarchy can be accessed here in a study by Robert J. Taormina and Jennifer H. Gao.  Articles by the Cato Institute and the Foundation for Economic Education discuss how poverty traps are a fixture of the welfare system (organizations hyperlinked).   Here is a study by Elaine Maag, C. Eugene Steuerle, Ritadhi Chakravarti, and Caleb Quakenbush on how marginal tax rates are at a high point for those who leave welfare and take their first job.  Mike references a poll conducted by the Cato Institute on whether the government should prioritize welfare spending or economic growth, which can be found at this link.  This article by the Foundation for Economic Education on the Davis-Bacon Act features Walter Williams’ congressional opinion on the union labour as well as Miles Allgood’s sponsorship of Act, both of which were quoted in the podcast.  Mike looks to William Julius Wilson’s theory on “marrigiablility” and how that may be impacted by criminal convictions. This theory was developed in his work, The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy, and is available for purchase on Amazon Canada here.  Here is an investigation by the United States Department of Justice into the Ferguson Police Department following the murder of Michael Brown. The report investigates topics Mike touches on in the podcast, including how fines from parking violations can be a large source of revenue for the police. Here is the Wikipedia article on the murder of Eric Garner that was mentioned by Mike during the episode. Here is a link to an education watchdog’s cross-sectional study of the mathematical and reading proficiencies of students hailing from different neighbourhoods in Oakland that Mike mentions briefly this episode.  To complement Mike’s discussion on zoning, The Local Government Commission released a report on single-family zoning and affordable housing supply in California and can be accessed through this link. A local news release on Former Labour Secretary Robert Reich’s preventative housing development efforts in Berkeley can be found here. Here is an entry by Dean Karlan, Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan, and Jonathan Zinman in The Review of Income and Wealth on how inaccessible banking may be a barrier to reducing poverty. 

Alex Aragona speaks with Janet Bufton as she explores where and how the tenets of classical liberalism come into play for those who call themselves libertarians. References from Episode 72 with Janet Bufton Janet Bufton manages the Liberal Studies Guides project and is a consultant at Adam Smith Works, whose websites have been hyperlinked. You can read more about Adam Smith’s thoughts on a system of natural liberty, the rules of commercial society, and the decisions people make at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy at this link. Follow this link to learn more about the non-aggression principle as libertarian philosophy. In the podcast, Janet mentions Adam Smith’s caution against business people who can turn economic power into political power to harm consumers. His argument against monopolies was summarized by Heinz D. Kurz in the article, Adam Smith on markets, competition, and violations of natural liberty, available here. Alex and Janet discuss how Milton Friedman identified differently overtime: early into his career he described himself as a neoliberal, which is evident in his essay, Neo-Liberalism and its Prospects, (The Curious Task also dedicated Episode 60 with Eric Schliesser to discussing neoliberalism) and later as a “liberal without adjectives” on The Donahue Show, and towards the end of life, he advocates for consequentialist freedom (all references hyperlinked). Like Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard strongly identified as a libertarian (as evident in his work, For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, which can be accessed at this link) but along with Rockwell was a pioneer of the paleo-libertarianism movement which aimed to unite traditional conservatives. Its origin story first featured in Rothbard’s essay, Right-Wing Populism: A Strategy for the Paleo Movement, which available for reading at this link. Here is the Wikipedia article for Ron Paul’s 2012 Presidential Campaign, where he ran with the Republican Party on principles such as anti-war but economic freedom. Robert Nozick coined the term “nightwatchman state” in his work, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, which can be purchased on Amazon Canada at this link. The Freeman was a libertarian magazine by the Foundation for Economic Education that was consulted by Ronald Reagan. Archives of the magazine can be accessed on the FEE’s website at this link. This link will direct you to a historical run-down of fusionism by Libertarianism.org. Janet references Steve Davies’s appearance to discuss the pandemic on Episode 45 of The Curious Task. If you would like a refresher on the topics covered in that episode, here is the link. More readings on cosmopolitanism are available at this link.

Alex Aragona speaks with David Skarbek as he explores the different governance structures that prisoners live under and create in prisons around the world. References from The Curious Task Episode 71 with David Skarbek You can purchase The Puzzle of Prison Order by David Skarbek He looks specifically at the American prison system in his earlier book The Social Order of the Underworld, which is available for purchase here.