Econception

What is the state pension fund crisis? Why are government subsidies for internet service a bad idea? Did tariffs cause the Great Depression? Dominic Pino and Thomas Savidge sit down to discuss these questions and more.  Thomas Savidge is a Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. He earned his Master in Public Policy from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from SUNY New Paltz.

How does the tax code screw up healthcare?  On the latest episode of Econception, Theo Merkel sits down with Dominic to discuss how healthcare and health insurance are closely tied to tax policy, and how the tax code can be changed to address some of our healthcare system’s biggest problems. Theo Merkel is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on improving the sustainability of U.S. entitlement programs, the effectiveness of our safety net, the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, the balance between the federal government and the states, and the transition from policy development to implementation.

Does worker pay track with worker productivity? Do bureaucrats represent the American people? What does smuggling alcohol have to do with supporting tariffs? Scott Winship sits down with Dominic Pino to discuss these questions and more on this episode of Econception. Scott Winship is the Director of the Center for Social Mobility and Opportunity at the American Enterprise Institute.  

Tariffs are one of those economic topics that never seem to go away. With new tariffs from the Biden Administration and a proposed 10% universal tariff for President Trump’s potential second term, we have to ask: What’s the real story behind them? Are they rightfully understood in our discourse today? What would the impact of more tariffs be? To discuss these questions, host Dominic Pino sat down with tax policy expert Erica York. Erica York is Senior Economist and Research Director with Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy. Her analysis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, and other national and international media outlets.

Why is 2025 an important year for government spending? Does the rise of China mean free trade no longer applies? Is it a good idea to devalue the U.S. dollar? Paul Winfree sits down with host Dominic Pino to discuss these questions. Dr. Paul Winfree is an economist and a trusted public policy advisor. He has served in top management and policy roles in the White House, the US Senate, and in think tanks. Currently, he serves as President and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center in Washington, DC.

Join Dr. Samuel Gregg, the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and a political economy expert from Oxford, as he unpacks the complexities of industrial policy. He challenges misconceptions about taxation and the so-called 'China shock,' arguing that job losses are often overstated. Gregg emphasizes the importance of deregulation for the semiconductor industry and critiques the failures of industrial policies in various regions. He also stresses the critical role of price theory in economic education and its impact on inflation and taxation.

How does trade policy actually get made? Does steel need protectionism? And what is the planner mindset? Dominic Pino sits down with Ed Gresser to discuss these questions and more. Ed Gresser is Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets at the Progressive Policy Institute. Previously, he worked at the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office during both the Barack Obama Administration and the Donald Trump Administration.

Do we live in a market economy? Why should politicians stay away from monetary policy? And why is the chicken a good mascot for free markets? Host Dominic Pino sits down with Daniel Hannan to discuss these questions and more. Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is an author and columnist, and is a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. Lord Hannan also serves on the UK Board of Trade, one of the British government’s highest-profile advisory bodies on trade and economic matters.

Are stadium subsidies worth it? How about steel and aluminum tariffs? And what even is a grocery store? On this episode of Econception, an AIER podcast, host Dominic Pino is joined by John Mozena to discuss why stadium subsidies fail to produce a return for taxpayers and rarely generate expected economic growth for communities. A leading critic of stadium subsidies, John Mozena is the President of The Center for Economic Accountability, an organization that advocates for free-market reforms to local and state economic development across the country. 

Are two thirds of Americans living paycheck to paycheck? Is a proposed airline merger really a threat to competition? Why is the U.S. national debt a problem? In the first episode of Econception, a new production of the American Institute for Economic Research, host Dominic Pino looks through these questions and more.