Hayek Program Podcast

Welcome to the series, Women and Policy, where Jessica Carges will interview women who work on policy research related to women.On this episode, Jessica Carges chats with Diana Thomas on why childcare is so expensive and what can we do to improve it. They discuss key points on how changes of regulation in the childcare industry impact women in the labor force.Diana Thomas is an Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for Economic Inquiry at the Heider College of Business at Creighton University. A German native, she earned her Diploma in Business Administration from Fachhochschule Aachen and her BS in Finance from George Mason University. After gaining some experience as a junior portfolio manager at a mutual fund management company in Frankfurt, Germany, Dr. Thomas returned to George Mason University to complete her MA and PhD in Economics. Diana is an alum of the Mercatus PhD Fellowship.Listen to Diana's episode on the regressive effect of regulation.Learn more about Jessica Carges' w

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Nathan Goodman chats with Anthony Gregory on his latest book, New Deal Law and Order: How the War on Crime Built the Modern Liberal State. Most Americans remember the New Deal as the crucible of modern liberalism. But while it is most closely associated with Roosevelt’s efforts to end the Depression and provide social security for the elderly, we have failed to acknowledge one of its most enduring legacies: its war on crime. The book reassesses the political importance of the 1930s by highlighting the general crisis of lawlessness, arguing that the Roosevelt administration’s criminal justice policies transformed liberalism and the constitutional order. They also helped legitimate government itself, transcending the institutional, jurisdictional, partisan, racial, and social divisions that had previously frustrated national enforcement authority.Anthony Gregory is a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace at Stanford University. Anthon

Welcome back to the Environmental Economics series, hosted by Jordan Lofthouse. On this episode, Jordan converses with Mikayla Novak and Nathan Goodman on their paper, "Militarized Climate Planning: What is Left?", co-authored by Lofthouse, Novak and Goodman. Their paper is influenced by Don Lavoie's critiques of central planning laid out in his book, National Economic Planning: What is Left?, applied to today's issue of militarized climate planning or "war footing." Instead of using climate planning to solve climate change, they advocate for a peaceful, polycentric approach that is more adaptive to local knowledge. Mikayla Novak is senior fellow with the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Associate Director of the Entangled Political Economy Research Network. Learn more about her work with EPERN here.Nathan Goodman is a senior research fellow and senior fellow at the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Ph

Welcome back to the Environmental Economics series, hosted by Jordan Lofthouse. On this episode, Jordan interviews Justus Enninga on the intersection of economics, environmentalism and urbanism. In this conversation, Justus speaks on his PPE beginnings spawned from his time spent in Southeast India as well as on Tocqueville, city planning, climate migration, agglomeration effects in cities, immigrant influxes, and more.Justus Enninga is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Economy at King’s College London, where his research focuses on the intersection of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) as well as on the question of how different institutional arrangements help citizens to adapt to environmental challenges. In addition to being a PhD candidate, he also works as a director at the Prometheus Institut, a classical liberal think tank in Berlin, as well as an economic policy editor for The Pioneer. He is an alum of the Mercatus Adam Smith Fellowship.Check out Jordan Lofthouse's work.If you like

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Bobbi Herzberg interviews Matt Mitchell on Certificate of Need (CON) laws, what change in healthcare looks like, and socialized healthcare. Matthew Mitchell is a Senior Affiliated Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a Senior Fellow in the Centre for Economic Freedom at the Fraser Institute.Read Matt's book, co-authored with Peter Boettke, Applied Mainline Economics: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Public Policy and check out his work on the Realities of Socialism.If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Virtual Sentiments, our new podcast series from the Hayek Program is now streaming! Subscribe today and listen to seasons one and two!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramLearn more about Academic & Student ProgramsFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Tw

On this episode of the podcast, Peter Boettke interviews Chris Coyne on his latest book, How to Run Wars: A Confidential Playbook for the National Security Elite, co-authored with Abigail R. Hall. How to Run Wars provides a satirical take on the logistics and ethical considerations involved in conducting wars, drawing inspiration from Bruce Winton Knight's How to Run a War. Chris discusses his motivations for writing the book, its contents, and his research agenda.To learn more about Chris’s research that aims to better understand stable peace and conflict, check out his Initiative for the Study of a Stable Peace (ISSP).Christopher Coyne is a Professor of Economics at George Mason University, the associate director of the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and Director of the Initiative for the Study of a Stable Peace (ISSP) through the Hayek Program.If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and t

This is the second episode of a three-part miniseries on entangled political economy (EPE), hosted by Mikayla Novak. Entangled political economy is a sub-discipline of political economy that explicitly views individuals and the private and public sectors as being intertwined in overlapping exchange relationships along competitive and collaborative dimensions.On this episode, Mikayla Novak is joined by David Hebert who details his time working with Richard Wagner, discusses his work on public finance and political parties viewed through the lens of entangled political economy, and explains his view of the future direction of EPE research.David Hebert is a Senior Research Fellow with the American Institute for Economic Research and an Associate Director of EPERN. Previously, he was the chair of the Department of Economics and an Associate Professor of Economics at Aquinas College.If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spo

On this episode, we’ll hear a book panel discussion on Peter Boettke’s book, The Struggle for a Better World (Mercatus Center at George Mason University, 2021). In his comments, Boettke provides an overview of his book, emphasizes the role that institutions play in human societies, and discusses his focus on improving the human condition by lifting up those who are least prosperous in our world. The panel is moderated by Stefanie Haeffele, and they are joined on the panel by:Emily Chamlee-Wright, President and CEO of the Institute for Humane Studies, and co-author of How We Came Back: Voices from Post-Katrina New Orleans (2015)Alain Marciano, Professor of Economics and Statistics at the University of Turin, distinguished affiliated fellow with the Hayek Program, and author of James Buchanan and Peaceful Cooperation: From Public Finance to a Theory of Collective Action (2024)Mark Pennington, Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy and Director of the Center for the Study of Governance and Society at K

This is the first episode of a three-part miniseries on entangled political economy (EPE), hosted by Mikayla Novak. Entangled political economy is a sub-discipline of political economy that explicitly views individuals and the private and public sectors as being intertwined in overlapping exchange relationships along competitive and collaborative dimensions.On this episode, Mikayla Novak interviews Richard Wagner on entangled political economy. Wagner discusses the framework’s origins, influenced by James Buchanan, and critiques governmental inefficiency, advocating for privately ordered governance. Wagner reflects on his teaching experiences which integrated anthropology, sociology, and other social sciences, and how these shaped his understanding of economics as a broad social science encompassing various forms of exchange and societal interactions. He highlights Vincent Ostrom's work on the limitations of government, and considers the future directions of EPE.Richard Wagner is Emeritus Professor of Economi

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, we continue the Living Better Together miniseries, featuring select authors of Living Better Together: Social Relations and Economic Governance in the Work of Ostrom and Zelizer (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) and hosted by its coeditor, Stefanie Haeffele.Joining us today are Carolina Dalla Chiesa and Crystal Dozier. Together, they mesh Ostrom and Zelizer’s approaches and highlight the importance of using interdisciplinary methods to better understand economic exchanges. Carolina focuses on the symbolic meanings of money and economic governance, while Crystal explores archaeological studies of non-market societies. They both articulate how their unique backgrounds and research focus contribute to a richer dialogue between economic sociology and institutional economics.Carolina Dalla Chiesa is Assistant Professor of Cultural Economics and Organizations in the Department of Arts and Culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam. She is currently a Mercatus James Buchanan fello

On this episode, we’ll hear a book panel discussion on Timur Kuran’s book, Freedoms Delayed: Political Legacies of Islamic Law in the Middle East (Cambridge University Press, 2023). In his comments, Timur provides an overview of his book, highlighting the Middle East's struggle with repressiveness, the challenges of fostering a liberal civil society, and the historical role of Islamic legal institutions. The panel is moderated by Peter J. Boettke, and they are joined on the panel by:Mark Koyama,* Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University, Senior Fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center, and co-author of How the World Became Rich (2022) and Persecution and Toleration (2019).James Robinson, Professor of Political Science at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, The Reverend Dr. Richard L. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies, Institute Director at the Pearson Institute for the Study an

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, we continue the Living Better Together miniseries, featuring select authors of Living Better Together: Social Relations and Economic Governance in the Work of Ostrom and Zelizer (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) and hosted by its coeditor, Stefanie Haeffele.Joining us today are Anne Hobson and Laura Grube. Together they explore the complexities of institutional diversity, community recovery, and crisis resilience through the lenses of Ostrom and Zelizer. Laura’s chapter focuses on community recovery following Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy and emphasizes the importance of local, community-driven solutions following disasters. Anne’s chapter explores the role of remittances in Cuba and how these financial supports act as economic circuits that maintain and strengthen familial and social bonds across geographical distances. Both emphasize the importance of social relations in community resilience.Laura Grube is an Associate Professor of Economics at Beloit College.

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke chats with David Beito on his latest book, The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights: The Untold Story of FDR’s Concentration Camps, Censorship, and Mass Surveillance (Independent Institute, 2023). Beito begins by recounting his early interests in classical liberalism, his association with then fellow student, Nancy MacLean, and his work on tax revolts and mutual aid societies. He then discusses FDR’s ideological motivations and his pragmatic approach to politics, critiques FDR’s encroachment on civil rights, including his approval of Japanese concentration camps, and explains the contrast between FDR’s legacy amongst historians and economists.David T. Beito is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Alabama and a Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute in California. He is the author of five books including From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967 (The University of North Carolina Press, 2

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, we kickoff the Living Better Together miniseries, featuring select authors of Living Better Together: Social Relations and Economic Governance in the Work of Ostrom and Zelizer (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) and hosted by its coeditor, Stefanie Haeffele.Joining us today are Bri Wolf and Jayme Lemke. Starting the discussion, they reflect on their path to joining the book project and elaborate on the insights they provide in their chapters. Together, they explore how Ostrom and Zelizer's approaches illuminate the complex relationships between societal norms, family dynamics, and broader social systems, advocating for a multidisciplinary and global perspective on these themes.Bri Wolf is an Assistant Professor of Political Theory at James Madison College at Michigan State University. She is an alum of the Mercatus Adam Smith Fellowship. Learn more about her experience as a fellow here, and check out her chapter, "Bringing the Family Back In: Political Economy and the Fam

Welcome back to the Environmental Economics series, hosted by Jordan Lofthouse. On this episode, Jordan interviews Pablo Paniagua Prieto and Veeshan Rayamajhee on their co-authored work, "Governing the Global Fisheries Commons." On this episode and in their article, they address the challenges of overfishing and the depletion of global fisheries. They critique one-size-fits-all solutions, advocating for an approach that recognizes overfishing as a complex set of interconnected problems across various jurisdictions. Drawing from Elinor Ostrom's insights, they propose combining market-based strategies, such as individual transferable quotas, with government interventions like removing harmful subsidies, and highlight the importance of local knowledge, community participation, and multi-layered solutions to effectively govern the global fisheries commons.Pablo Paniagua Prieto is an economist and engineer from Politecnico di Milano and Professor of Political Economy at Universidad del Desarrollo in Santiago, Chil

On this episode, we’ll hear a book panel discussion on Lawrence H. White’s book, Better Money: Gold, Fiat, or Bitcoin? (Cambridge University Press, 2023). In his opening remarks, Larry gives an overview of his book which details the history of money, explains how the gold, fiat, and bitcoin standards work, and aims to bridge the gap between the gold standard and cryptocurrency advocates. He covers issues of supply constraints, volatility, inflation, and common misconceptions for each of the standards. Moving forward, he explores potential forms for better monetary standards including non-governmental monetary systems. The panel is moderated by Peter J. Boettke, and they are joined on the panel by:Joshua Hendrickson, Associate Professor of Economics and Chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Mississippi, and author of numerous publications including “The Political Economy of Bitcoin” (Economic Inquiry, 2015)Nicolás Cachanosky, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for F

Mikayla Novak interviews author Seth Kaplan on his latest book, Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time. In this book, he addresses the decline in American neighborhoods characterized by rising crime, school violence, family disintegration, addiction, alienation, and despair. Kaplan applies his insights to the American context, emphasizing the importance of relationships and social dynamics in building healthy societies. He advocates for neighborhood-based solutions, highlighting the role of 'community quarterbacks' or social entrepreneurs in organizing local improvements. In this conversation, Kaplan also touches on the impacts of migration, the importance of practical approaches, the characteristics of robust neighborhoods, and emphasizes the need for more intentional community-building efforts to improve societal health and individual well-being.Seth D. Kaplan is a leading expert on fragile states. He is a Professorial Lecturer in the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Inter

On this episode, we’ll hear a book panel discussion on Christopher J. Coyne’s book,In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace (Independent Institute, 2023). In his comments, Coyne challenges the notion that the US military is necessary for global order, explaining that without the US as the global police force chaos will not overtake the world, and questions the efficacy and morality of a militaristic, top-down approach to global conflict. Coyne breaks down the history of the American empires into three phases: continental expansion, overseas imperialism, and global hegemony, and describes the features of the present-day American empire and the interventionist mindset. He argues that foreign intervention and the effort to export democracy to other nations by illiberal means can only lead to illiberal ends. A liberal empire is ultimately illiberal. He calls for reimagining our understanding of peace as a community-driven process, emphasizing the role of human imaginat

Peter Boettke sits down with Bryan Cheang, discussing unveiling liberalism in Southeast Asia. In this conversation, Bryan begins with discourse on the synthesis of different schools of thought in economic growth and development, stressing the importance of considering the relationship between cultural differences, classical liberalism, and economic development. He points out that in Asia, many countries adopted capitalist practices but remained authoritarian, challenging the notion that capitalism and freedom always go hand in hand. Bryan also argues for a broadening of methodological approaches in economics to include cultural and historical contexts of individuals.Bryan Cheang is the Assistant Director of the Centre for the Study of Governance & Society. He received his PhD and MA in Political Economy from King’s College London and is a graduate of the National University of Singapore. He has authored three books including Economic Liberalism and the Developmental State: Hong Kong and Singapore’s Post-w

On this episode, we’ll hear a book panel discussion on David Schmidtz’s book, Living Together: Inventing Moral Science (Oxford University Press, 2023). In his comments, Schmidtz discusses his academic journey and the reshaping of his philosophical views, emphasizing real-world observations over theoretical debates, and comments on the work of Adam Smith and David Hume. He stresses the necessary role of humility in sciences and highlights how game theory has challenged the pre-existing theoretical frameworks of human behavior, underscoring the limitations of theories in explaining complex, human interactions. The panel is moderated by Peter J. Boettke, and they are joined on the panel by:Ryan Muldoon, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Philosophy, and the Director of the Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics Program at the University at Buffalo, and author of Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond ToleranceMargaret Schabas, Canadian Phil