

The Human Action Podcast
Mises Institute
The Human Action Podcast features in-depth interviews on current topics in economics through an Austro libertarian lens.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 3, 2025 • 0sec
Why Government Relief Spending Only Makes the Recession Worse
Bob walks through diagrams from Hayek's famous LSE lectures to explain the Austrian view of the boom-bust cycle.The Diagrams Referenced in this Episode: Mises.org/HAP481aHayek's Prices and Production: Mises.org/HAP481bRothbard's Man, Economy, and State: Mises.org/HAP481cBob's Study Guide to Man, Economy, and State: Mises.org/HAP481dRoger Garrison's PowerPoint on the Hayekian Triangle: Mises.org/HAP481eThe Mises Institute is giving away 100,000 copies of Murray Rothbard’s, What Has Government Done to Our Money? Get your free copy at Mises.org/HAPodFree

Dec 28, 2024 • 0sec
Matt McCaffrey on Frank Fetter vs. Alfred Marshall on the Theory of Rent
Matt McCaffrey is a former Mises Institute research fellow with an expertise in the American economist (and Austrian fellow-traveler) Frank Fetter. He joins Bob to discuss his newly published journal article exploring the dispute Fetter had with the august British economist Alfred Marshall over the theory of rent.Dr. McCaffrey's Journal Article: Mises.org/HAP480aFrank Fetter's Capital, Interest, and Rent: Mises.org/HAP480bMatt McCaffrey, “Frank Fetter and the Austrian Tradition in the United States”: Mises.org/HAP480cFor just $25, you can receive our December Bundle, including three essential reads:Tom DiLorenzo's Axis of Evil: America’s Three Worst Presidents, Per Bylund's How to Think About the Economy,and Murray Rothbard's What Has Government Done to Our Money?. Claim your bundle now at Mises.org/HumanAction24

Dec 20, 2024 • 0sec
Dr. Keith Smith: What Critics Miss About For-Profit Healthcare
Keith Smith, MD is an anesthesiologist and founder of the cash-price Surgery Center of Oklahoma. In the wake of the shooting of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, Keith explains why US health care is so expensive and how to fix it. The Surgery Center of Oklahoma: Mises.org/HAP479aThe Story of the $100 Hospital Aspirin: Mises.org/HAP479bPrimal Prescription: Surviving the 'Sick Care' Sinkhole: Mises.org/HAP479cFor just $25, you can receive our December Bundle, including three essential reads:Tom DiLorenzo's Axis of Evil: America’s Three Worst Presidents, Per Bylund's How to Think About the Economy,and Murray Rothbard's What Has Government Done to Our Money?. Claim your bundle now at Mises.org/HumanAction24

Dec 13, 2024 • 0sec
What's More "Wicked" than the Crime of '73?
Using the heavily marketed movie "Wicked" as his news hook, Bob explains that the beloved Wizard of Oz movie involved an allegory of the bimetallism debates of the late 1800s, including William Jennings Bryan's famous "Cross of Gold" speech. Bob fills in the details about the Wizard of Oz lore, and then explains the economics of bimetallism in the United States.Bob's Book, Understanding Money Mechanics: Mises.org/HAP478aThe Wikipedia Article on the Political Interpretations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Mises.org/HAP478bThe Wikipedia Article on the Wicked Novel: Mises.org/HAP478cFor just $25, you can receive our December Bundle, including three essential reads:Tom DiLorenzo's Axis of Evil: America’s Three Worst Presidents, Per Bylund's How to Think About the Economy,and Murray Rothbard's What Has Government Done to Our Money?. Claim your bundle now at Mises.org/HumanAction24

Dec 7, 2024 • 0sec
David Glasner on the Sraffa-Hayek Debate
David Glasner is a UCLA-trained economist specializing in monetary theory and the history of economic thought. He has disagreed in print with Murphy's take on the famous Sraffa-Hayek debate. David first explains his general views and then comments on the debate.Bob's Paper, "A Problem With the Pure Time Preference Theory of Interest": Mises.org/HAP477aDavid's Paper "The Sraffa-Hayek Debate on the Natural Rate of Interest": Mises.org/HAP477bFor just $25, you can receive our December Bundle, including three essential reads:Tom DiLorenzo's Axis of Evil: America’s Three Worst Presidents, Per Bylund's How to Think About the Economy,and Murray Rothbard's What Has Government Done to Our Money?. Claim your bundle now at Mises.org/HumanAction24

Nov 30, 2024 • 0sec
Responding to Bryan Caplan's Continued Critique of the Austrians
In 1997, Bryan Caplan wrote an essay explaining why he was no longer a self-described Austrian. Recently, a reader asked him to comment on that essay. Bob reacts to Bryan's current views, arguing that the history of economic thought is indeed important, and the Misesian approach to praxeology is crucial.Bryan Caplan's Recent Article: Mises.org/HAP476aBryan Caplan's "Why I Am Not an Austrian Economist": Mises.org/HAP476bHoppe's Economic Science and the Austrian Method: Mises.org/HAP476cBob's Cambridge University Press Article on Böhm-Bawerk's Critiques: Mises.org/HAP476dA Modern Guide to Austrian Economics: Mises.org/HAP476eBob and David Freidman, "The Chicago Vs. Austrian School Debate": Mises.org/HAP476fThe Mises Institute is giving away 100,000 copies of Murray Rothbard’s, What Has Government Done to Our Money? Get your free copy at Mises.org/HAPodFree

Nov 23, 2024 • 0sec
Clarifying Economists' Arguments About International Trade
Bob discusses common talking points that pro-free-trade economists often use when making the case against tariffs. The purpose is to facilitate discussion so both sides have a deeper understanding of the subtle issues involved.Bob's Article on Trade Deficits: Mises.org/HAP475aSteve Landsburg on Obama's State of the Union Remarks about Exports: Mises.org/HAP475bThe Mises Institute is giving away 100,000 copies of Murray Rothbard’s, What Has Government Done to Our Money? Get your free copy at Mises.org/HAPodFree

Nov 16, 2024 • 0sec
Why FEMA Makes Things Worse: Theory and History
Amy LePore's doctoral dissertation covered the perverse incentives of federal money for disaster management on local officials. She joins Bob to talk about FEMA's poor track record in recent disasters but also going back to Hurricane Katrina.Amy's Dissertation on the Effects of Federal Financial Aid: Mises.org/HAP474aThe Mises Institute is giving away 100,000 copies of Murray Rothbard’s, What Has Government Done to Our Money? Get your free copy at Mises.org/HAPodFree

Nov 8, 2024 • 0sec
How Can Mining Asteroids in the Future Make Us Richer Today?
After explaining the backstory of how Bob put forth a proposal for codifying property rights in space-based resources, Bob then explains how the prospect of a future inflow of extraterrestrial riches could boost the standard of living on Earth in the near term.Bob Murphy Show, "Scott Horton on American Interference in the 1996 Russian Election": Mises.org/HAP473aThe Mises Institute is giving away 100,000 copies of Murray Rothbard’s, What Has Government Done to Our Money? Get your free copy at Mises.org/HAPodFree

Nov 1, 2024 • 0sec
Unpacking Mises: Fractional Reserve Banking and the Currency School
Kristoffer Hansen, a Mises Fellow, shares insightful perspectives on fractional reserve banking and free banking. He clarifies Mises' acknowledgment of the benefits of fractional reserve banking, as highlighted by economist Larry White. The conversation explores the historical influence of the Currency School on economic stability and the intricate relationship between commodity-backed money and business cycles. Hansen also discusses the inefficacies of Peel's Act in preventing banking crises and delves into various definitions of inflation, emphasizing Mises' complex views on money.