Podcast Episodes

America’s Hidden Duopoly (Ep. 356 Rebroadcast)

We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Republicans and Democrats constitute a wildly successful industry that has colluded to kill off competition, s…

Published on 5 years, 3 months ago

430. Will a Covid-19 Vaccine Change the Future of Medical Research?

Episode 430

We explore the science, scalability, and (of course) economics surrounding the global vaccine race. Guests include the chief medical officer of the first U.S. firm to go to Phase 3 trials with a vacc…

Published on 5 years, 4 months ago

Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire"

A new interview show with host Steve Levitt. Today he speaks with the Harvard psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker. By cataloging the steady march of human progress, the self-declared “polite Cana…

Published on 5 years, 4 months ago

The Economics of Sports Gambling (Ep. 388 Rebroadcast)

What happens when tens of millions of fantasy-sports players are suddenly able to bet real money on real games? We’re about to find out. A recent Supreme Court decision has cleared the way to bring a…

Published on 5 years, 4 months ago

429. Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal?

Episode 429

The endless pursuit of G.D.P., argues the economist Kate Raworth, shortchanges too many people and also trashes the planet. Economic theory, she says, “needs to be rewritten” — and Raworth has tried,…

Published on 5 years, 4 months ago

How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Ep. 386 Rebroadcast)

Aisle upon aisle of fresh produce, cheap meat, and sugary cereal — a delicious embodiment of free-market capitalism, right? Not quite. The supermarket was in fact the endpoint of the U.S. government’…

Published on 5 years, 4 months ago

428. The Simple Economics of Saving the Amazon Rain Forest

Episode 428

Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard solutions — scolding the Brazilians, invoking universal morality — ignore the one solution that might…

Published on 5 years, 5 months ago

427. The Pros and Cons of Reparations

Episode 427

Most Americans agree that racial discrimination has been, and remains, a big problem. But that is where the agreement ends.

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Published on 5 years, 5 months ago

426. Should America (and FIFA) Pay Reparations?

Episode 426

The racial wealth gap in the U.S. is massive. We explore the causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Also: another story of discrimination and economic disparity, this one perpetrated by an in…

Published on 5 years, 5 months ago

425. Remembrance of Economic Crises Past

Episode 425

Christina Romer was a top White House economist during the Great Recession. As a researcher, she specializes in the Great Depression. She tells us what those disasters can (and can’t) teach us about …

Published on 5 years, 5 months ago