

Free The Economy
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Free The Economy is a weekly podcast hosted by Richard Morrison of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, examining the intersection of news, policy, and economics featuring guests that include writers, policymakers, explorers, contrarians, and free thinkers of all kinds.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 15, 2024 • 42min
Federalism Wins with Patrick Gleason
This week we cover Biden’s attack on shrinkflation, barriers to workplace flexibility, and a motherlode of domestic lithium. Our interview this week is with Patrick Gleason, Vice President of State Affairs at Americans for Tax Reform. We talk about reducing barriers to work, changes in state tax law, reforming business regulations, and what economically (and demographically) successful states can teach to the ones that are falling behind. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Feb 8, 2024 • 44min
Understanding AI with Matthew Mittelsteadt
This week we cover Elon Musk’s controversial pay package, protecting children online, and the Biden administration’s slamming the breaks on new natural gas projects. Our interview this week is with Matt Mittelsteadt, a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. We talk about artificial intelligence computing applications, what you can do with them, and how the government wants to regulate them. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Feb 1, 2024 • 46min
Moving the Rocks off the Lawn with Andrew Langer
This week we cover elite opinion versus the average American, the popularity of vocational training, why Millennials are suddenly investing more like old people, and the value proposition from higher taxes. Our interview this week is with Andrew Langer, Director of the Center for Regulatory Freedom. We talk about economic growth, business lobbying, regulatory capture, and how we can deregulate to stimulate. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Jan 25, 2024 • 52min
Sensory Pleasures and Public Health with Michelle Minton
This week we cover an environmental culture war, foreign investment in U.S. manufacturing, corporate diversity efforts, and the call to return to the office for federal workers. Our interview this week is with Michelle Minton, a senior policy analyst at the Reason Foundation. We talk about vaping, drinking, nutrition, and the federal government’s uneven record when it comes to issuing public health advice. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Jan 18, 2024 • 1h 3min
The Culture of Economic Freedom with Sam Gregg
This week we cover the old-fashioned roots of ESG investing, the blocked merger of JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, and the surprising truth about worker satisfaction in the U.S. Our interview this week is with Sam Gregg, a Distinguished Fellow in Political Economy at the American Institute for Economic Research. We’ll talk about trade policy, economic freedom, and the virtues of a commercial republic. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Jan 11, 2024 • 40min
Against Crony Capitalism with Nick Sorrentino
This week we cover emergency federal spending, workplace management trends for 2024, suppressing speech about public health, and defending Bitcoin’s energy use. Our interview this week is with Nick Sorrentino, co-founder and editor of Against Crony Capitalism. We talk about free enterprise, taxpayer giveaways, economic development, transparency in finance, and how to keep business leaders honest. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Jan 4, 2024 • 50min
Protecting Your Property Rights with Betsy Sanz
This week we cover slow-moving infrastructure projects, the impact of the conservative boycott of Bud Light, good and bad news on nuclear power, and return-to-the-office discipline from corporate managers. Our interview this week is with Betsy Sanz, an attorney with the Institute for Justice (IJ). We talk about the current attempt by a Georgia rail company to use eminent domain to compel the sale of private land, and how IJ and their clients are fighting back. We also cover the legacy of property rights jurisprudence in the case of Kelo v. New London (2005) and beyond.

Dec 28, 2023 • 39min
Avoiding a Central Bank Digital Currency with Nicholas Anthony
This week we cover the legislative record of House of Representatives in 2023, the proliferation of conferences about ESG investing, the sketchy status of the carbon offset market, and why it’s time for humans to go back to the moon. Our interview this week is with Nicholas Anthony, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute. We talk about the prospects and perils of a central bank digital currency in the U.S., including privacy concerns, monetary stability, and the prospect for political abuse via social credit policies. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Dec 21, 2023 • 53min
(De-)Regulating Tech and AI with Adam Thierer
This week we cover social mobility in the 50 states, Elizabeth Warren’s revolving door with Wall Street, the latest power grab from the Food and Drug Administration, and the welcome resurgence of an anti-cronyism news source. Our interview this week is with Adam Thierer, a senior fellow for the Technology & Innovation team at the R Street Institute. We talk about AI, antitrust, permissionless innovation, and why Europe has no big tech companies. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.

Dec 14, 2023 • 51min
Making Congress Work with Kevin Kosar
This week we cover people who fetishize old homes, the big AI risk no one’s talking about, how environmentalist activists are losing the climate class war, and the fatigue Americans are feeling around tipping. Our interview this week is with Kevin Kosar, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. We talk about budgets and staffing in Congress, regulatory review, fundraising and re-election campaigns, and what reforms we hope to see to how the House and Senate operate. Free the Economy is produced and hosted by Richard Morrison and edited and co-produced by Ryan Kracinski.


