Hayek Program Podcast Abigail Hall on "How to Run Wars" and Reaching New Audiences
Jun 11, 2025
Abigail R. Hall, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Tampa and co-author of the satirical book *How to Run Wars*, discusses her unique perspective on U.S. defense policy. She explores her use of satire to critique military practices and shares how her research on surveillance and militarism evolved. Hall emphasizes the importance of humility in academia and offers insights on communicating complex ideas to diverse audiences. She also reflects on her journey through academia and the role of teaching in shaping new research questions.
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From War Studies To Peace Transitions
- Abigail Hall frames her research as a broad defense policy program focused on U.S. foreign policy and transitions to peace.
- She expands from war topics to studying how states move from conflict to durable peace.
Analytical Narratives For Peace Research
- Hall argues economists rarely study peace because standard statistical tools often don't apply to historical and qualitative questions.
- She uses analytical narratives to apply economic thinking where data is limited.
Drones Sparked A Whole Research Thread
- Hall describes discovering drone use domestically while researching police militarization as a graduate student.
- That observation became three dissertation papers and seeded later books on militarization.
