Free The Economy

This week we cover how states can reform higher education, ways that managers can make their employees happier at work, the plans consumers have for holiday spending, and how environmental regulations get in the way of affordable housing. Our interview this week is with personal finance YouTuber Spencer Johnson. We talk about starting a side-hustle, household finances, credit cards that earn points and miles, and why we warn our audiences that what you’re about to hear is not financial advice. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

This week we talk about which state has the least-bad business taxes, how many Americans really love America, the continuing trouble with ESG investing, and what Congress and the White House should do about AI. Our interview this week is with the National Taxpayer Union’s André Béliveau. We talk about economic freedom, political compromise, industrial policy, and state vs. federal policy reform. Free the Economy is produced by Scooter Schaefer, Phoebe Gersten, and Ryan Kracinski. 

This week we talk about the surprisingly low demand for free transit, the demographics of higher education, a primer on electrical grids, and a new poll of job applicants. Our interview this week is with American Enterprise Institute Distinguished Senior Fellow Karlyn Bowman. We talk about the attitudes of Americans toward capitalism vs. socialism, trust in government, waning concerns about Big Labor, the reliability of political polling, and why everyone cares so much about inflation. Free the Economy is produced by Scooter Schaefer, Phoebe Gersten, and Ryan Kracinski. 

This week we talk about income and tax migration, refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the problem with federal crop insurance, and the recent CEO Summit at Liberty University. Our interview this week is with American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Jim Pethokoukis. Our conversation covers the issues raised in Jim’s new book, The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised. That includes economic growth, Star Trek, scientific innovation, cultural attitudes toward risk, and government funding for basic research. 

This week we talk about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s legal fate, rising economic might in India, terrible federal policy on sugar, and how the rising cost of regulation is eliminating affordable homes and cars from the market. Our interview this week is with Competitive Enterprise Institute Research Fellow Sean Higgins. Our conversation covers the current United Auto Workers strike, the impact of the shift to electric vehicles, the future of the U.S. auto industry, and the history of federal labor regulation. 

This week we talk about commuting via bicycle, regulatory reform legislation from Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), the new book on capitalism by historian Rainer Zitelmann, and a review of The Breakthrough Institute’s recent Ecomodernism 2023 conference. Our interview this week is with Commissioner Hester Peirce of the Securities and Exchange Commission, recorded earlier this year at the CEI Summit in Lake Tahoe. Our conversation covers financial regulation, climate change, principles of administrative law, and the SEC’s rulemaking on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. 

This week we talk about recycled Legos, socially responsible pension funds, pessimistic views about politics, and a special immigration visa for microchip experts. Our interview this week is with Competitive Enterprise Institute Vice President for Strategy Iain Murray. We discuss Iain’s new study (with host Richard Morrison) on the history of the last 50 years of the liberty movement, and how political alliances have shifted in the 21st century. Free the Economy is produced by Scooter Schaefer, Phoebe Gersten, and Ryan Kracinski. Keep up with the show by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episodes summaries with links to the stories we cover at cei.org/blog.

This week we talk about banning plastic gift cards in California, the solution to Germany’s energy crisis, the political future for organized labor, and why Americans refuse to believe they’re richer than ever. Our interview this week is with Matt Darling of the Niskanen Center. We discuss Matt’s new study on unemployment benefits and how the states and the federal government can improve outcomes for out-of-work Americans. Free the Economy is hosted by Richard Morrison. Our producers are Scooter Schaefer, Phoebe Gersten, and Ryan Kracinski. 

This week we talk about the long history of the Lewis Powell memo of 1971, innovation in textile recycling, how Tokyo has kept housing prices low, and the Biden administration making government less transparent. Our interview this week is with Ashley Baker of the Committee for Justice. We discuss taxes, due process, administrative law, separation of powers, and regulation by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Free the Economy is hosted by Richard Morrison. Our producers are Scooter Schaefer, Phoebe Gersten, and Ryan Kracinski. 

This week we talk about the future of nuclear power, the possible end of remote work, and the complexities of regulating pork products across state lines. Our interview this week is with Avik Roy of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. We discuss trade, employment, immigration, and the tensions between freedom, nationalism, and populism. Free the Economy is hosted by Richard Morrison. Our producers are Scooter Schaefer, Phoebe Gersten, and Ryan Kracinski.