EconTalk Podcast
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EconTalk is an award-winning weekly talk show about economics in daily life. Featured guests include renowned economics professors, Nobel Prize winners, and exciting speakers on all kinds of topical matters related to economic thought. Host Russ Roberts, of the Library of Economics and Liberty and George Mason U., draws you in with lively guests and creative repartee. Topics include health care, free trade, economic growth, education, finance, politics, sports, book reviews, and the curiosities of everyday decision-making. Look for related readings and the complete archive of previous shows at EconTalk.org, where you can also comment on the podcasts and ask questions.
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Kling on Hospitals and Health Care
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jun 30, 2008
Arnold Kling of EconLog talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the death of his father and the lessons to be learned for how hospitals treat patients and our health care system treats hospitals.
 Download File - 27.2 MB
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Munger on the Political Economy of Public Transportation
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jul 07, 2008
Michael Munger of Duke University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about Munger's recent trip to Chile and the changes Chile has made to Santiago's bus system. What was once a private decentralized system with differing levels of quality and price has been transformed into a system of uniform quality designed from the top down. How has the new system fared? Not particularly well according to Munger. Commuting times are up and the President of Chile has apologized to the Chilean people for the failures of the new system. Munger talks about why such changes take place and why they persist even when they seem inferior to the original system that was replaced.
Download File - 25.7 MB
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McKenzie on Prices
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jun 23, 2008
Richard McKenzie of the University California, Irvine and the author of Why Popcorn Costs So Much at the Movies and Other Pricing Puzzles, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about a wide range of pricing puzzles. They discuss why Southern California experiences frequent water crises, why price falls after Christmas, why popcorn seems so expensive at the movies, and the economics of price discrimination.
Download File - 34.7 MB
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Don Boudreaux on Energy Prices
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jun 16, 2008
Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the recent surge in energy prices. They talk about why prices have risen, the implications for America's standard of living and the implications for public policy.
Download File - 29.0 MB
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Cole on the Market for New Cars
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jun 09, 2008
Steve Cole, the Sales Manager at Ourisman Honda of Laurel in Laurel, Maryland talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the strange world of new car pricing. They talk about dealer markup, the role of information and the internet in bringing prices down, why haggling persists, how sales people are compensated, and the gray areas of buyer and seller integrity.
Download File - 33.0 MB
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Gene Epstein on Gold, the Fed, and Money
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jun 02, 2008
Gene Epstein, Barron's economics editor, talks to EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the virtues of the gold standard relative to fiat money. Epstein argues that privately issued money, backed by gold, would lead to an economy with much greater price stability and fewer and milder recessions.
Download File - 30.8 MB
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Hanson on Signalling
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, May 26, 2008
Robin Hanson of George Mason University talks about the phenomenon of signalling--the ways people spend resources to convey information about ourselves to others. It begins with Hanson revisiting his theory from an earlier podcast that we spend too much on medicine because we need to signal our concern for friends and family. The conversation then moves onto apply Hanson's model of signalling to other areas of human behavior. This is a wide-ranging discussion covering not just medicine, but real estate transactions, the wooing of a spouse, the role of education in the job market, parenting, the economics of self-deception, and Robin's argument that we spend too much time on admirable activities.
Download File - 39.1 MB
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Meltzer on the Fed, Money, and Gold
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, May 19, 2008
Allan Meltzer of Carnegie Mellon University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about what the Fed really does and the political pressures facing the Chair of the Fed. He describes and analyzes some fascinating episodes in U.S. monetary history, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the gold standard and ends the conversation with some insights into recent Fed moves to intervene with investment banks. This is a wonderful introduction to the political economy of the money supply and central banks.
Download File - 36.7 MB
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Chris Anderson on Free
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, May 12, 2008
Chris Anderson talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his next book project based on the idea that many delightful things in the world are increasingly free--internet-based email with infinite storage, on-line encyclopedias and even podcasts, to name just a few. Why is this trend happening? Is it restricted to the internet? Is there really any such thing as a free lunch? Is free a penny cheaper than a penny or a lot cheaper than that? The conversation also covers whether economics has anything to say about free.
Download File - 32.8 MB
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Nye on Wine, War and Trade
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, May 05, 2008
John Nye of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his book, War, Wine, and Taxes. The conversation covers the history of Britain and France's trade policy, why the British drink beer and why Ricardo's example of Britain trading wool for Portuguese wine is bizarre. Nye turns the traditional story on its head--he argues that France was more of a free trader than Britain and that the repeal of the Corn Laws was not the dividing line between Britain's protectionist past and free trade future. At the end of the discussion, Nye emphasizes the importance of domestic free trade for economic growth.
Download File - 29.5 MB
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Bernstein on the History of Trade
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Apr 28, 2008
William Bernstein talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the history of trade. Drawing on the insights from his recent book, A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World, Bernstein talks about the magic of spices, how trade in sugar explain why Jews ended up in Manhattan, the real political economy of the Boston Tea Party and the demise of the Corn Laws in England. The discussion closes with the political economy of trade today and the interaction between trade and income inequality.
Download File - 32.2 MB
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Roberts on the Least Pleasant Jobs
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Apr 21, 2008
EconTalk host Russ Roberts talks about the claim that for capitalism to succeed there have to be people at the bottom to do the unpleasant tasks and that the rich thrive because of the suffering of those at the bottom. He critiques the idea that capitalism is a zero sum game where to get ahead, someone has to fall back. He also looks at the evolution of the least pleasant jobs over time and how technology interacts with rising productivity to make the least pleasant jobs more pleasant.
Download File - 29.1 MB
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Coyle on the Soulful Science
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Apr 14, 2008
Diane Coyle talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the ideas in her new book, The Soulful Science: What Economists Really Do and Why it Matters. The discussions starts with the issue of growth--measurement issues and what economists have learned and have yet to learn about why some nations grow faster than others and some don't grow at all. Subsequent topics include happiness research, the politics and economics of inequality, the role of math in economics, and policy areas where economics has made the greatest contribution.
Download File - 29.4 MB
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Coyne on Exporting Democracy after War
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Apr 07, 2008
Christopher Coyne of West Virginia University and George Mason University's Mercatus Center talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his book, After War: The Political Economy of Exporting Democracy. They talk about the successes and failures of America's attempts to export democracy after a war. In some cases, Japan and Germany, for example, after World War II, American efforts have led to stability and democratic institutions. In many other cases, Cuba, Somalia, and Haiti, for example, and so far, Iraq, American efforts have failed, often repeatedly and have sometimes made things worse. Coyne tries to identify factors that lead to an improved likelihood of success or failure. Ultimately, he concludes that a non-interventionist posture accompanied by unilateral free trade is more likely to benefit citizens under repressive governments.
Download File - 36.5 MB
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McCloskey on Capitalism and the Bourgeois Virtues
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Mar 31, 2008
Deirdre McCloskey of the University of Illinois at Chicago and the author of The Bourgeois Virtues talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about capitalism and whether markets make people more ethical or less. They also discuss Adam Smith's world view, whether people were nicer in the Middle Ages, and the role of prudence and love.
Download File - 27.5 MB
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Munger on Subsidies and Externalities
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Mar 24, 2008
Mike Munger of Duke University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the economics of subsidies. What is the economic argument for subsidies? What is the history of the economic argument and what is its relevance today? Munger draws on his personal experience as a farmer to help listeners understand the pros and cons of using government-funded payments to encourage various activities deemed to be worth encouraging.
Download File - 28.5 MB
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Cowen on Monetary Policy
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Mar 17, 2008
Tyler Cowen of George Mason University and Marginal Revolution talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about money, inflation, the Federal Reserve and the gold standard. Cowen argues that alternatives to the current Federal Reserve system promise more risk than return.
Download File - 31.5 MB
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Marglin on Markets and Community
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Mar 10, 2008
Stephen Marglin of Harvard University and author of The Dismal Science: How Thinking Like an Economist Undermines Community talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the markets and community. Marglin argues that markets and commercial transactions undermine the connections between us. He wants people to pay more attention to what is lost and not just what is gained by the pursuit of material well-being. Topics discussed include the nature of community, the role that voluntary associations play in our lives, the costs and benefits of mobility, the role of insurance in reducing our dependence on each other, and the nature of knowledge.
Download File - 30.0 MB
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Vernon Smith on Rationality in Economics
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Mar 03, 2008
Nobel Laureate Vernon Smith of Chapman University and George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the ideas in his new book, Rationality in Economics: Constructivist and Ecological Forms. They discuss the social and human sides of exchange, the robust nature of equilibrium in experiments and the real world, the seeming contradiction between Adam Smith's two great works, the unpredictability of how innovation emerges and its rationality, what neuroscience might tell us about economic decision-making, and the challenges of small-group intimate exchange and our interactions with strangers in the extended order of the marketplace.
Download File - 27.9 MB
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Sowell on Economic Facts and Fallacies
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Feb 25, 2008
Thomas Sowell of Stanford University's Hoover Institution talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the ideas in his new book, Economic Facts and Fallacies. He discusses the misleading nature of measured income inequality, CEO pay, why nations grow or stay poor, the role of intellectuals and experts in designing public policy, and immigration.
Download File - 30.4 MB
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Brook on Vermeer's Hat and the Dawn of Global Trade
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Tue, Feb 19, 2008
Timothy Brook, professor of history at the University of British Columbia and author of Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the expansion of global trade between Europe and the rest of the world, and in particular, North American and China. He discusses the differences and similarities between Chinese and Western attitudes toward trade and exploration and the implications for innovation and knowledge.
Download File - 27.9 MB
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Easterly on Growth, Poverty, and Aid
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Feb 11, 2008
William Easterly of NYU talks about why some nations escape poverty while others do not, why aid almost always fails to create growth, and what can realistically be done to help the poorest people in the world.
Download File - 28.2 MB
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Dan Klein on Coordination and Cooperation
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Feb 04, 2008
Dan Klein of George Mason University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the marvel of economic coordination that takes place without a coordinator--the sequence of complex tasks done by individuals often separated by immense distances who unknowingly contribute to everyday products and services we enjoy. Klein also discusses what he calls "the people's romance"--the idea that the highest form of human cooperation is through government action.
Download File - 31.5 MB
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Collier on the Bottom Billion
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jan 28, 2008
Paul Collier of Oxford University talks about the ideas in his recent book, The Bottom Billion, an analysis of why the poorest countries in the world fail to grow. He talks about conflict, natural resources, being landlocked, and bad governance, four factors he identifies as causes of the desperate poverty and stagnation in the countries where 1/6 of the world's poorest peoples live.
Download File - 31.5 MB
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Don Boudreaux on Globalization and Trade Deficits
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jan 21, 2008
Don Boudreaux, of George Mason University, talks about the ideas in his book, Globalization. He discusses comparative advantage, the winners and losers from trade, trade deficits, and inequality with EconTalk host Russ Roberts.
Download File - 36.6 MB
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Munger on the Nature of the Firm
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jan 14, 2008
Mike Munger, of Duke University, talks about why firms exist. If prices and markets work so well (and they do) in steering economic resources, then why does so much economic activity take place within organizations that use command-and-control, top-down, centralized structures called firms? Within a firm, most of the goods and services that the workers use are given away rather than allocated by prices--computer services, legal services and almost everything else is not handed out by competition but by fiat, decided by a boss. A firm, the lynchpin of capitalism, is run like something akin to a centrally planned economy. Munger's answer, drawing on work of Ronald Coase, is a fascinating look at the often unseen costs of making various types of economic decisions. The result is a set of fascinating insights into why firms exist and why they do what they do.
Download File - 28.6 MB
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Edward Castronova on the Exodus to the Virtual World
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Jan 07, 2008
Edward Castronova, of Indiana University and author of Exodus to the Virtual World, talks about his provocative thesis that a growing number of people around the world will be spending more and more time playing multiplayer games in virtual reality both as a form of escape and as a search for meaning. He talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how this trend might affect government, religion, and our happiness.
Download File - 32.8 MB
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Duggan on Strategic Intuition
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Dec 24, 2007
William Duggan, professor of management at Columbia Business School at Columbia University, talks about his latest book, Strategic Intuition. Duggan critiques traditional methods of strategy and planning and suggests that the opportunism and adaptability are more productive detailed plans. He also discusses the nature of intuition and creativity along with insights into how the brain works to better understand problem-solving.
Download File - 25.4 MB
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Karol Boudreaux on Property Rights and Incentives in Africa
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Dec 17, 2007
Karol Boudreaux, Senior Research Fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about her field work and research in Rwanda and South Africa. In Rwanda, she studied how a change in incentives and property rights for coffee farmers has allowed the coffee bean growers to improve quality and prosper. In South Africa's Langa Township, she looked at how renters were allowed to become homeowners and how the ability to own changed their lives.
Download File - 27.7 MB
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Boettke on Austrian Economics
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Dec 10, 2007
Pete Boettke, of George Mason University, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the origins and tenets of Austrian economics. This is a wonderful introduction to how the so-called Austrian economists look at the world and how they continue to influence economics today.
Download File - 35.7 MB
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Munger on Fair Trade and Free Trade
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Dec 03, 2007
Mike Munger, frequent guest and longtime Econlib contributor, speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about fair trade coffee and free trade agreements. Does the premium for fair trade coffee end up in the hands of the grower? What economic forces might stop that from happening? They discuss the business strategy of using higher wages as a marketing strategy to attract concerned consumers. They turn to the issue of free trade agreements. If the ideal situation is open borders to foreign products, is it still worthwhile to negotiate bilateral and multilateral agreements that requires delays, exemptions and a bureaucracy to enforce? What is the cost of including environmental and various labor market regulations in these agreements?
Download File - 27.0 MB
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Romer on Growth
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Aug 27, 2007
Paul Romer, Stanford University professor and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about growth, China, innovation, and the role of human capital. Also discussed are ideas in creating growth, the idea that ideas allow for increasing returns, and intellectual property and how it should be treated. This 75 minute podcast is a wonderful introduction to thinking about what creates and sustains our standard of living in the modern world.
Download File - 35.3 MB
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Lucas on Growth and Poverty
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Feb 05, 2007
Bob Lucas, Nobel Laureate and professor of economics at the University of Chicago talks about wealth and poverty, what affects living standards around the world and over time, the causes of business cycles and the role of the money in our economy. Along the way, he talks about Jane Jacobs, immigration, and Milton Friedman's influence on his career.
Download File - 11.0 MB
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Friedman on Capitalism and Freedom
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Sep 4, 2006
Russ Roberts talks to Milton Friedman about the radical ideas he put forward almost 50 years ago in Capitalism and Freedom. Listen to the most influential economist of the past 50 years discuss the principles of liberty, social responsibility of business, the inertia behind bad legislation and his career as economist and public intellectual.
Download File - 9.9 MB
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Milton Friedman on Money
Author: EconTalk: Russ Robertswebmaster@econlib.org (EconTalk, Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty)
Mon, Aug 28, 2006
Russ Roberts talks with Milton Friedman about his research and views on inflation, the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke, and what the future holds.
Download File - 6.1 MB
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