Charter Cities Podcast

Today we sit with Judd Devermont, Director of the Africa Program at CSIS, to find out Africa’s current global position. In our conversation, Judd reveals the continent’s shortcomings and touches on foreign policy and local democracy before pulling the curtain back on the many things that Africa can be hopeful for. The show opens with Judd telling us what inspired him to become an expert in his field. We find out about his mission to provide a fairer perspective of the continent that is oftentimes missing by Washington and American media. Judd goes on to tell listeners about the many misconceptions of Africa, and shares some of the top African news stories that have not been reported by western media; namely flourishing democracy and peaceful transitions of power in many of its nations. As the US makes its own transition of power, Judd gives his predictions for African policy under the Biden administration. We then dig into some of Africa’s bigger contemporary struggles like urbanization, revenue mobilization and the need to create better social contracts, and why COVID-19 has been a catalyst for action for many African countries. In the latter half of the show, Judd explores topics like knowledge creation and the difficulties that returning African expats face. We then take a look at how global powers have been involved with the continent, as Judd comments on the Trump administration and China’s heavy involvement. To conclude the show, Judd talks about why Africa has coped well amid the COVID-19 pandemic, oddly thanks due to its disconnected nature. Be sure to tune in today! Key Points From This Episode:●     Introducing today’s guest, Judd Devermont.●     Judd tells us how he got him interested in Africa and what he does as CSIS.●     Hear about some of the biggest misconceptions of Africa.●     Some of the top African news stories that have not been reported.●     Evidence that democracy is flourishing in many parts of Africa.●     Judd’s predictions for African foreign policy under the Biden administration.●     Urbanization trends currently seen in Africa.●     Why domestic revenue mobilization is a sticky issue in African countries.●     How COVID-19 has been a wake-up call for health policy in some African states.●     Judd touches on trickle-down knowledge and returning African expats.●     We hear Judd’s opinion on Trump’s African foreign policy.●     Judd touches on the Trump Administration recognizing Western Sahara’s political status.●     How the world is becoming more transactional and multipolar.●     Judd takes a look at China’s involvement in Africa.●     How Africa can ramp up its industrialization.●     How Africa has been affected by COVID-19.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Judd Devermont on LinkedInJudd Devermont on TwitterCSISBarack ObamaPresident MuseveniBobi WineOmar al-BashirNatalie BrownPresident Joe BidenLinda Thomas-GreenfieldSamantha PowerUSAIDJake SullivanNoah NathanRobert MugabeMuhammadu BuhariJomo KenyattaProsper AfricaDevelopment Finance CorporationEXIM BankUnited NationsPresident XiAbiy AhmedTPLFCenter of Global DevelopmentBoston UniversityPresident KagamePrime Minister MelesAfrican Continental Free Trade AgreementECOWASNew York TimesPresident RamaphosaMacky SallWHO

Vox co-founder, policy writer, and celebrated journalist Matthew Yglesias knows what would actually make America great: more people. Today we speak with Matthew to discuss this idea as captured in his book One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger. After introducing him, we dive straight into the topic and ask Matthew to unpack how population growth will benefit the US. He then shares how his book appeals to both sides of the political spectrum, despite the backlash that his ideas have received. We compare historical US immigration with the current economic climate before looking into why immigration doesn’t necessarily lead to infrastructural challenges, as is often argued. While reflecting on how policy choices impact public projects, we touch on the COVID vaccine rollout and explore issues within America’s political culture. Later, we hear Matthew’s take on whether an ascendant China will forge a stronger America, the positive effects of inclusive American nationalism, and how giving people access to opportunity fosters innovations. Near the end of the episode, we chat about how policy affects birth rates, how zoning reforms might inspire stronger agglomeration, and why Matthew left Vox. Matthew presents a clear vision for how we can increase national prosperity. Tune to hear more of his insights.  Key Points From This Episode: •   Introducing today’s guest, Vox co-founder and journalist Matthew Yglesias.•   Exploring the premise of Matthew’s book, One Billion Americans.•   The benefits of immigration and how it has led to American greatness.•   Why Matthew received more support from conservative readers than he had anticipated.•   Comparing early US immigration with the current economic climate.•   The challenge of building new infrastructure and the case against immigration.•   How policy choices impact the effectiveness of large public projects.•   The dangers of caring more about your political side than solving problems.•   Examining how different nations have responded to COVID.•   From seeing China as a threat to being more proud of the US, Matthew shares factors that could lead to a stronger America.•   Why access to opportunity leads to innovation and growth.•   Ways that policy can increase national birth rates.•   How the conversation around birth rates has become controversial.•   Zoning laws and the impact they have on agglomeration.•   Hear why Matthew now publishes on Substack and not Vox.•   Why don't we get a billion Americans by creating charter cities. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Matthew Yglesias on LinkedInMatthew Yglesias on TwitterOne Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger on AmazonSlow BoringKurtis LockhartCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterVoxThe Weeds PodcastSubstackDoug SaundersMaximum Canada on AmazonKamala HarrisProfessor Michael ClementsEric GoldwynAlon LevyThe Washington PostLarry HoganAndrew M. CuomoGavin NewsomBill de BlasioCharlie BakerTyler CowenMorgan StanleyJ.P. MorganSteve JobsBenjamin NetanyahuTanner GreerBioNTechLee Kuan YewFrom First World to Third on AmazonSherrod BrownMichael BennetLyman StoneViktor OrbánMatt BruenigElizabeth BruenigThe Handmaid's TaleScott WienerDr. Ibraheem SamiraEzra KleinBen SmithBuzzFeedViceCNNFox NewsThe Wall Street JournalNetflixWorld BankThe United Nations

From fleeing Benin for his pro-democracy activism to becoming a renowned Princeton professor and founding one of Africa’s most prestigious universities, Leonard Wantchekon’s life is as impressive as his economic and political research. Today we speak with Leonard and explore his story, academic work, and how he founded the African School of Economics (ASE). After sharing details about his early life in Benin, including how he escaped his unjust imprisonment, Leonard discusses how his personal life has informed his research. We then dive into his research into clientelism and voting behavior, slavery’s prevailing influence on Benin culture, and how environmental factors can drive achievement within a community of learners. A key theme in this episode, we then ask Leonard about how he founded ASE. His answers highlight practical steps that he took along with the challenges that he overcame. Later, we talk about why he uses ASE’s reputation as the benchmark for its success, his aim to link the disparate African academic community, and his plans to create a curriculum that he can export to other universities. Near the end of our conversation, we touch on Leonard’s other influences and passions. Tune in for insights on what it takes to build a top university and to hear Leonard’s incredible story. Key Points From This Episode:•   Introducing today’s guest, economics and politics professor Leonard Wantchekon.•   Leonard shares his story from growing up in Benin to becoming a Princeton professor.•   Hear about what motivated Leonard to become so politically active.•   Exploring what Benin was like under the dictatorship of Mathieu Kérékou.•   How Lenin escaped from prison and ultimately from Benin.•   Why Leonard turned his back on socialist-leaning ideologies.•   How Leonard’s personal life has shaped his research.•   Leonard’s research into clientelism and voting behavior in Benin.•   How aspiration can help people overcome their circumstances.•   The importance of social environments in driving aspiration.•   Why Leonard founded the prestigious African School of Economics in Benin.•   Exploring what’s needed to found a leading university.•   Why Leonard uses academic reputation as the benchmark for his institution’s success.•   Hear about the Pan-African Research Council and how Leonard sees the future of his institute.•   Where on the economics spectrum Leonard’s research lies.•   How the Nobel prize-winning economist Arthur Lewis inspires Leonard.•   Leonard shares details about his support of African history. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Leonard WantchekonLeonard Wantchekon on TwitterKurtis LockhartCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterThe African School of EconomicsNathan NunnEpisode with Nathan NunnMathieu KérékouLaval UniversityThe University of British ColumbiaNorthwestern UniversityKarl MarxDas KapitalNelson MandelaLong Walk to Freedom on Amazon‘The Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in Africa’Donald GreeneNOVAFRICAWorld BankAfrican Development BankBocconi UniversityThe Pennsylvania State UniversityDellThe Pan-African Research CouncilJoe HenrichJeffrey SachsJared DiamondDaron AcemoğluJames RobinsonPaul RomerEdward GlaeserArthur LewisOtto von Bismarck

Today we sit with Sebastian Mallaby, a successful author and esteemed Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council of Foreign Relations. He has also been a contributing columnist for The Washington Post and previously served on the editorial board. To open the show, we put Sebastian’s career into a nutshell before asking him to expand on his background. He tells us about some of his earliest memories as a young roving correspondent in Africa, cutting his teeth in journalism for The Economist. We go on to talk to Sebastian about the World Bank and discover facts about its inception and the evolution of its role since 1944. He discusses some of the World Bank’s constraints before turning his attention to former president of the World Bank, Jim Wolfensohn. Listeners will learn about the life and times of Jim as a human being and as a global leader. Dissecting Jim’s achievements, Sebastian analyses Jim’s structural adjustment programs and comments on the American-Australian’s charisma and knack for communication. In the latter half of the show, we talk about the benefits of the Ease of Doing Business Index and find out Sebastian’s stance on the matter. We continue our conversation and hear from Sebastian on how the world has changed since he published his book in 2004, as he contrasts between the classical left-vs.-right and modern populist-vs.-technocratic divisions. To find out more from Sebastian, his thoughts on Jim Wolfensohn, and the position of the World Bank, be sure to join us today.Key Points From This Episode:●     Introducing today’s guest, Sebastian Mallaby.●     We take a look at some of Sebastian’s career highlights before we begin.●     Sebastian reminisces when he covered Nelson Mandela’s 1990 release for The Economist.●     Hear about the motives behind establishing the World Bank’s.●     Sebastian elaborates on the constraints of the World Bank.●     Hear about Jim Wolfensohn’s private and public life.●     Sebastian’s answers to: Is the World Bank due for a shakeup?●     Hear Sebastian’s thoughts on the Ease of Doing Business Index and its efficacy.●     We cover the changes since Sebastian published his book in 2004.●     Sebastian’s opinion on Charter Cities, and whether or not it has changed.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Sebastian Mallaby on TwitterSebastian Mallaby on LinkedInJim WolfensohnThe World BankCarnegie HallAsian Infrastructure Investment BankIMFRobert McNamaraRobert ZoellickPaul RomerStanford UniversityAlan GreenspanTyler CowenMore Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of the New EliteThe Man Who Knew: The Life & Times of Alan GreenspanThe Washington PostThe Economist

Creating and enforcing a watertight contract between two global parties is a challenging task. For starters, the world is rapidly evolving, and as a result, many contracts are in dispute. Though not unheard of, contract disputes are becoming commonplace and there is an increasing need to evolve systems. Today we talk with Mark Beer, a world-renowned buyer and once Chief Executive of the Dubai International Financial Centre’s Dispute Resolution Authority. We open the episode by taking a peek at the process behind setting up and running the Dubai International Financial Center. Mark tells us about customer segments, their habitual trust, and how to create trust in new systems. We then turn our eyes toward the future and dissect what a de-globalized world looks like. Mark touches on democracies, autocracies, and the rise in nationalism, as well as how new systems can and have been built without civil resistance. Stay tuned and you will hear Mark’s thoughts on the Belt and Road development project and the changing scope of global commerce systems. In the latter half of the episode, Mark describes oracles, their uses, and why digitization is a major catalyst for change. After hearing about AI-based judgment, we talk to Mark about the transsystemic system and dive into its characteristics before finding out how new, neutral financial systems are created. Toward the end of the show, we take a deeper look at these systems and uncover their favorable and less favorable characteristics. Be sure to tune in with us today!Key Points From This Episode:•   Introducing today’s guest, Mark Beer.•   Mark tells us about the process behind setting up and running the Dubai International Financial Center.•   The secret behind designing new systems that people will trust.•   Why reforming a judiciary can take up to 14 years.•   How the Belt and Road development project is altering the global scope of commerce.•   Mark’s predictions for Belt and Road moving toward a smart contract landscape.•   The need to build a court based on blockchain.•   Why people are using oracles to help solve disputes.•   Smart contracts cover many question marks before the fact.•   Digitization as a way forward for many countries.•   How AI-based judges are starting to make better decisions than human judges.•   Hear why common law disputes take so much longer than civil law disputes.•   The transsystemic legal system has been pioneered in Canada.•   Mark tells us about the new financial center in Kazakhstan.•   How neutral financial systems are created.•   Why enforcement is at the heart of financial centers.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mark BeerMark Beer on LinkedInMark Beer on TwitterDIFC/DRAJebel Ali Free ZoneEmirates AirlinesADGMAbu Dhabi Judicial DepartmentAIFC CourtOxford UniversityGnosisAugerEtheriumLord Denning

Cities may have seemed more fragile during the global COVID-19 lockdowns but, as Greg Woolf’s impressive studies of early urbanism show, cities have been re-invented many times. In today’s episode, listeners hear from Greg, who is an historian and archaeologist, specializing in the late Iron Age and the Roman Empire. Greg is currently the Director of the Institute of Classical Studies and a Professor of Classics at the University of London. His research concerns the history and archaeology of the ancient world at a very large scale, and he has published on literacy, on cultural change in the provinces, on identities in the ancient world, and also on libraries and knowledge cultures. He is currently researching urban resilience, mobility, and migration in the ancient world, and his latest book, The Life and Death of Ancient Cities, was published in 2020. In this episode, Greg talks about the ancient city of Göbekli Tepe and how it has influenced the way we think about city creation. He explains the common traditions that create a city, how those essential precursors have influenced human behavior, and how language and resources have travelled across the globe since ancient times. Greg also covers the collapse of the Bronze Age, the following urbanization in the Mediterranean, and some key factors that influenced the locations of ancient cities, and he ponders on the comparative advantage that Rome had over its neighbors. Finally, Greg shares his opinions on governance and the role it plays in the evolution of cities, and he offers some core lessons from what led to a successful versus an unsuccessful ancient city. Tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:•   Greg shares the premise of his latest book and explains why it’s no accident we live in cities.•   Why Greg chose to study classical history – a fascination with the ancient world and an interest in digging came together.•   The ancient city, Göbekli Tepe, and how it influences the way we think about city creation.•   There are two traditions to a city – agricultural intensification and collective activity.•   The essential precursor for urbanism is agriculture – Greg explains how it impacts behavior.•   How Greg believes we’re getting better at discovering and understanding new sites.•   As archeological technology evolves, Greg thinks there are indefinite discoveries to be made.•   Thinking about the Bronze Age in a broader context, how language and resources spread.•   The collapse of the Bronze Age – how long it took, and why Greg suspects it happened.•   The Bronze Age collapsing versus the collapse of the Roman Empire, for example.•   Preserving literacy and Roman tax systems while the churches went on undisturbed.•   What happens with urbanization in the Mediterranean following the Bronze Age collapse.•   Greg says key factors for the locations of ancient cities were connect-ability and fertility.•   What comparative advantage did cities that asserted themselves have over their neighbors? Greg says it could be luck, location, or strategy.•   How the governance of ancient Mediterranean cities played or didn’t play into their evolution.•   Greg asserts why he believes that governance makes no difference to the rise and fall of individual cities.•   What was different about Rome that led it to the Mediterranean empire, like its geopolitics.•   It’s tempting to look back at history like a straight line, but it’s a curve with many possibilities.•   Core lessons from what led to a successful versus an unsuccessful ancient city. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Greg Woolf on TwitterGreg Woolf at University of LondonInstitute of Classical StudiesThe Life and Death of Ancient Cities

There is a growing body of empirical evidence that points toward the important, long-term effects that historic events can have on economic development, and today’s guest, Dr. Nathan Nunn, is major player in this area of research. Dr. Nunn is a Professor of Economics at Harvard University, and his research ranges across development economics, political economy, economic history, and other areas, especially focusing on the long-term impact of historical processes on economic development today, often mediated through factors like culture, social structures, norms, and institutions. In this episode, Dr. Nunn shares his views on Canada’s response to COVID, his critique of foreign aid tied to the strategic interests of the donor country, and shares the case for unconditional cash transfers or universal basic income instead of foreign aid. He explains the link between food aid and civil conflict, the benefits of industrial policy, and his thoughts on a devolution of authority, as well as urbanization in Africa, the correlation between the slave trade and mistrust in Africa, and the effect of corruption on culture. Dr. Nunn also takes a deep-dive into group level selection and competition, the long-term impacts of mining versus plantation farming in Africa, and why he believes that it’s impossible to understand development without history, and he also includes some suggested reading for grad students outside of economics. Tune in today to find out more!Key Points From This Episode:•   The current projects Dr. Nunn is working on, specifically a review called History as Evolution.•   Why Dr. Nunn believes Canada’s response to COVID has been better than that of the US.•   Dr. Nunn’s critique of foreign aid when it’s tied to the strategic interests of the donor country.•   The case for unconditional cash transfers or universal basic income – low overheads, simplicity, it allows people the most choice.•   Some issues and concerns when aid or food aid is tied to politics, like increased civil conflict.•   Thoughts on industrial policy and its benefits, such as alleviating the poverty trap.•   Dr. Nunn shares his take on the benefits of the devolution of authority to a local or city level.•   When smaller units have autonomy, through trial and error, it results in positive externalities.•   Dr. Nunn comments on ruggedness and rapid urbanization versus economic rationale in Africa in response to the slave trade.•   Why Africa isn’t seeing the same improvements that accompany urbanization elsewhere.•   Dr. Nunn describes the paper he coauthored with Leonard Wantchekon on the correlation between the slave trade and mistrust in Africa.•   How correlations between trust and urbanization or education have not been proven.•   Dr. Nunn’s predictions for trust levels in the US, based on contact hypothesis and immigration.•   How cultural norms are shaped in individuals from countries with higher or lower corruption.•   Dr. Nunn talks about some of his colleagues, like Leonard Wantchekon and Melissa Dell.•   The long-term impacts of mining versus plantation farming in Africa.•   Why Dr. Nunn strongly believes that it’s impossible to understand development without history.•   Anthropologists or sociologists that have informed Dr. Nunn’s work or been impactful and how.•   Dr. Nunn explains how learning about anthropology and evolutionary anthropology benefitted his research in development economics.•   Some valuable lessons that Dr. Nunn learned from the late, great institutional and political economist, Alberto Alesina.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Dr. Nathan Nunn on TwitterDr. Nathan Nunn EmailDr. Nathan Nunn HarvardHistory as EvolutionThe Top Doctor Who Aced the Coronavirus TestDani RodrikLeonard WantchekonU.S. Food Aid and Civil ConflictThe Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in AfricaCultures of CorruptionMelissa DellAfrican School of EconomicsThe Secret of Our SuccessAfricans and the Industrial Revolution in EnglandAlberto Alesina

Today’s guest is Mark Koyama, Economic Historian at George Mason University. Mark recently co-authored Persecution & Toleration: The Long Road to Religious Freedom with Noel Johnson, and in this episode, we talk to Mark about some of its big themes – state capacity, religious toleration, and political competition. We begin by hearing Mark’s ideas about a key argument in his book, the connection between religious freedom and the development of liberal societies. From there, we unpack the meaning of the idea of state capacity which springboards a discussion on the relationship between strong states and the treatment of religious minorities. To flesh out some of the nuances of this idea, our discussion hones in on the treatment of Jews during the Black Death during the Holy Roman Empire. On the topic of state-building, we look at some examples of small city-states versus medium states in Europe, hearing Mark’s ideas on why the latter had more lasting power. We also speak about the role of weaponry in state-building. Our conversation moves to focus on the idea of shocks to a local labor pool and how these forces affect wages and markets in different ways. Following this, Mark talks about the persecution of Christian ‘heretics’ during the Reformation and the role of the printing press as well as the Ottoman Empire. We speak about the influence of the ideas of Locke and Spinoza on religious toleration and then move on to critically examine the ‘everything exists is efficient’ argument as it pertains to state-building. Wrapping up, we talk to Mark about how deep roots literature accounts for state-building in Europe, the role of counterfactual thinking in economic history, and the role of data and analytic narratives in understanding history. We round off the episode with an exchange about how an understanding of economic history will make Libertarian arguments against the state less convincing. Tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:•   Mark’s new book looking at how we get modern, liberal societies through the lens of religious freedom.•   Other indicators or drivers for Liberalism and why Mark sees religious freedom as a major one.•   Examples of so-called liberal states suppressing religion.•   Liberal states defined as states which place value in having religious freedom.•   Mark’s definition of state capacity, another major theme in his book.•   Tracing the evolution of state capacity as a phenomenon and a term.•   The relationship between strong states and the treatment of religious minorities.•   Jewish tolerance and pogroms during the Black Death in the Holy Roman Empire.•   The role of the size of political units on the development of state capacity in Europe.•   How (the cost of) weaponry influences state-building and state capacity.•   How different types of labor shock affect wages and markets.•   Why some Christian sects were persecuted around the time of the Reformation and the printing press.•   Whether the political decentralization of the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Turks are related to the Reformation.•   The ‘deep roots’ argument and how it fits in with the development of modern Europe.•   Mark’s book section dealing with the ideas of Locke and Spinoza concerning religious toleration.•   Why the argument that ‘everything which exists is efficient’ is not helpful for understanding state policies.•   How counterfactuals can be applied to history and which approaches are useful.•   The role of data and analytic narratives in understanding history.•   The relationship between one’s understanding of economics and one’s politics.•   The importance of economic history for libertarians skeptical of state capacity.•   A final takeaway from Mark’s research about the dangers of identity rules.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mark LutterCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on FacebookMark KoyamaGeorge Mason UniversityNoel JohnsonPersecution & Toleration: The Long Road to Religious FreedomTyler Cowen’s Blog Post on State CapacityCharles TillyMichael Mann‘Persecution Perpetuated’‘The Fractured-Land Hypothesis’Escape From RomeAdam SmithMartin LutherProfessor Peter LeesonJohn LockeBenedict de SpinozaDavid HumeThomas HobbesRobert NozickDavid Friedman

Digital technology has evolved to the point that by hitting keys and tapping mice buttons, you can literally build a city in the cloud. This viral idea was started by angel investor Balaji Srinivasan, who believes in creating cities with crowd-funded territories and governed by smart contracts. In our conversation with Balaji, we touch on many intricate topics that link to two concepts — using tech to design ideal cities and how innovation is driven by exit strategies. Early in the episode, we dive into the future of America, and the rest of the world, as we explore the country’s politics, geography, military, and intellectual power. After discussing why it’s so difficult to get anything done in the US, Balaji talks about why people might soon begin emigrating from America. From cryptocurrency to Indians recognizing the success of Indian immigrants, Balaji shares his insights on how exits and alternative strategies can be the leading force behind change. Following this, we begin unpacking the ideas behind Balaji’s cloud city, the reasons that cities have historically been founded, and the many benefits of designing a city according to your group identity. Reflecting Balaji’s ‘digital first’ mindset, we chat about how innovations in the physical world can be driven through digital simulation before discussing why risk-aversion is the enemy of progress. An episode filled with carefully considered arguments and counter-arguments, tune in to hear more about Balaji Srinivasan’s incredible vision of the future.Key Points From This Episode:•   Hear why podcast host Mark sees a brighter future for the US than anywhere else.•   How robotics will have a greater impact on national outcomes than demographics.•   Mark and Balaji debate the question— “Is this the Chinese decade or the Chinese century?”•   Arguments for why US power might be vastly overestimated.•   How the internet is being segmented by different nation’s regulations.•   Why America can be considered an empire in decline.•   Comparing India in the 80s with present-day America.•   The benefits of seeing people of your heritage be successful within other models and areas.•   How creating successful alternative models can lead to reform.•   Balaji explains why there might be a mass exodus of people leaving America.•   Exploring the types of people who will emigrate from America.•   Using current technology to build a city in the cloud.•   How a ‘digital first’ approach can bring down costs when building a city.•   The three reasons why cities are often founded.•   Benefits to physically grouping yourself in a city with other like-minded people.•   Aligning groups of people and the challenge that comes from having huge online communities.•   How people prioritize their many identity expressions to determine what’s intrinsic to who they are.•   Pushing innovation in the physical world through digital simulation.•   Why risk or degrees of “Anarchy” will always come before innovation.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mark LutterCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on FacebookBalaji SrinivasanBalaji Srinivasan on LinkedInBalaji Srinivasan on TwitterNATOEdward SnowdenEmmanuel Macron‘The Chinese Decade’The Accidental SuperpowerVicariousBoston DynamicsBalaji TR35 TalkWhatsAppInstagramMinecraftSatoshi NakamotoWall Street JournalKodakThe End of PowerThe Revolt of the PublicBill GatesGoogle ChromeContagionJavits CenterSatya NadellaLee Kuan YewDeng XiaopingNew York TimesNomad ListTeleportCADFight ClubIKEAGoogle NewsWild Wild CountryCrossFitCommunistic Societies of the United StatesAnna GátInterintellectKanye WestTyler CowenPeter ThielJeff BezosFree State Project

What is progress, has it slowed down, and what can we do about it? Joining us today to talk about the emerging field of progress studies and how it might help us dig into questions like these, is Jason Crawford, author of the blog, Roots Of Progress. Jason opens by providing us with a definition of progress and why the active study of it might help us rekindle it in our world. We talk about how progress has increasingly dwindled next. In the late 19th and early 20th century, four major progress revolutions were occurring in fields of chemical engineering, oil, electricity, and germ theory, and today we only have one, tech. In thinking about why this has occurred, we examine the stagnation hypothesis which argues that as a culture we have come to prize innovation less, we have chosen the low-hanging fruit of previous innovations to explore rather than find new ones, and regulations have grown to the extent that breakthroughs have been throttled. Jason gives his thoughts on these arguments, and also adds a fourth reason which centers around a change in funding structures for innovation. The next part of our conversation is about how we might bring back a culture of inventiveness, past examples of cities that were hubs of invention, and what the ingredients for great innovation are. Along with this, Jason shares his thoughts on what the next big movement could be before we wrap up with a discussion on the risks inherent in progress and what an effective movement for social change might look like.Key Points From This Episode:•   Introducing Jason and the definition of progress, as well as the new field of progress studies.•   Examples of progress that occurred without progress studies – why do we need this field?•   Arguments for and against the ‘stagnation hypothesis’ as a theory of slowed progress.•   Four revolutions in the late1800s to early 1900s comparable to our tech revolution: chemical engineering, oil, electricity, and germ theory.•   The stagnation hypothesis reframed as a consideration of what happened to the four revolutions.•   Critically unpacking the ‘culture’, ‘low-hanging fruit’, and ‘regulation’ arguments for slowing progress.•   Another reason why progress might have petered out that centers around funding structures.•   The heyday of corporate research versus today’s progress model: Universities and ‘tech transfer’.•   The difficulty of implementing high-level ideas that are possible and the role this might play.•   Separating science from the corporate world and the need to merge both for more progress.•   How we could bring back more of a culture of breakthroughs; new career paths and looking to the late 19th century.•   Examples of do-it-yourself invention culture from today: prosthetics, automatic pancreases.•   Why some cities are hubs of invention and what the ingredients for this creativity are.•   Jason’s thoughts about why the next major revolution might be in biotech.•   Online chat spaces that allow for serendipity; inventiveness might no longer be geographically bound.•   Balancing the existential risk aspect of world-ending technology with the idea of progress.•   Technologies producing unforeseen dangers and how we are handling risk assessment.•   How social movements can collapse and whether an effective model for social change exists.•   Moving past arguments about regulation to an attitude of ‘what can actually be done.’Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mark LutterCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on FacebookJason CrawfordJason Crawford on TwitterRoots of ProgressPatrick CollisonTyler Cowen‘We Need A New Science of Progress’Francis BaconPeter ThielThe Rise and Fall of American GrowthWtfHappenedIn1971Elon MuskWhere's My Flying Car? A Memoir of Future PastBen Reinhardt on TwitterMichael Nielsen on TwitterThe Great BridgeSimons FoundationAT&TBell LabsScott Alexander‘The Atomic Bomb Considered As Hungarian High School Science Fair Project’Alexander FlemingTony Blair Institute For Global ChangeThe Tanner Greer Blog (Scholar’s Stage)