The Curious Task

Alex and Nolan discuss a novel solution to many of the difficult issues surrounding housing in North America: the elimination of zoning laws. Further Reading and References: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/zoning-housing-affordability-nimby-parking-houston/661289/ https://reason.com/2022/06/21/abolish-zoning-all-of-it/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-04/how-houston-s-zoning-can-help-hurricane-harvey-recovery https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-26/manufactured-homes-are-the-cheap-housing-fix-we-need https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-28/cities-don-t-use-zoning-to-exclude-families-with-kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUbDvMpyCM&ab_channel=VancouverPublicLibrary https://marketurbanism.com/2018/07/30/how-should-we-interpret-jane-jacobs/ https://marketurbanism.com/2016/02/21/who-plans-jane-jacobs-hayekian-critique-of-urban-planning/ https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/121786-jane-jacobs-and-zoning

Alex and Mike Munger discuss two strains of thought within the liberty movement - one concerned with philosophical purity and cohesion, the other with advancement towards a common ideal of greater freedom for all.  Episode Notes: Mike's article "The Right Kind of Nothing": https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-right-kind-of-nothing/ An introduction to Coasian bargaining: http://www.ejolt.org/2015/09/coasian-bargaining-2/  The Piece commissioned by Leonard Read by Milton Friedman and George Stigler on Rent Control: https://fee.org/resources/roofs-or-ceilings-the-current-housing-problem/  Mike Munger's piece "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" https://www.aier.org/article/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things-directionalists-vs-destinationists/  James Buchanan on Relatively Absolute Absolutes https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11127-021-00883-0 

Alex and Dennis discuss the very colorful character who, unbeknownst to many, wrote the American Constitution.  Episode Notes: Dennis' book "The Constitution's Penman" https://a.co/d/iKnulei  The American Constitution https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript The Federalist Papers https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/The+Federalist+Papers Roosevelt's biography of Morris bit.ly/3zEEVlU Gouverneur Morris' speech on the franchise for slaves:  https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1787-gouverner-morris-curse-slavery/  William Pierce's description of Morris: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/resource/convention/delegates/morris_g/#:~:text=William%20Pierce%20stated%20that%20%E2%80%9CMr,Morris.%E2%80%9D     

Alex and Sabine speak about the state of classical liberalism in terms of individual rights and economic freedom in Canada today. Works referenced: Hayek's "Why I Am Not A Conservative": https://press.uchicago.edu/books/excerpt/2011/hayek_constitution.html   

Alex speaks with Noah Schwartz about gun control in Canada and how recent attempts to review firearms policy have failed to address root issues and the causes of violence and crime. References 1. “On Target: Gun Culture, Storytelling, and the NRA” by Noah Schwartz Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Target-Gun-Culture-Storytelling-NRA/dp/1487548443/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  2. “Firearms Act, 1995” by Justice Laws Website Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/f-11.6/  3. “Firearms Licensing” by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Link: https://rcmp.ca/en/firearms/licensing  4. “A Right to Bear Arms? Canadian Cases” by Leonid Sirota Link: https://doubleaspect.blog/2012/04/15/a-right-to-bear-arms-canadian-cases/  5. “Nova Scotia Shooting Incident - Timeline” by Public Safety Canada Link: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20200730/021/index-en.aspx  6. “Bill C-21” by the Parliament of Canada Link: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-21

Alex speaks with Liya Palagashvili about the state - and the meaning - of the gig economy and how history can show the not-so-novel nature of modern labour. References 1. Liya’s articles, The Mercatus Center Link: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/liya-palagashvili?utm_source=ad_link&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=scholar_branding&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgJa6BhCOARIsAMiL7V_UHKSWyzs0ydt2lCaeIHXRbhZXVi_aQuJgZo1Wo_T-Ijxa6Esw8DEaAg-REALw_wcB  2. Liya’s Substack Link: https://liyapalagashvili.substack.com/  3. “Employee vs. Independent Worker” by Liya Palagashvili and Paola Suarez Link: https://www.mercatus.org/research/working-papers/employee-vs-independent-worker  4. “Survey of Household Economics and Decision Making” by the Federal Reserve Link: https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/shed.htm

Alex speaks with Jay Goldberg about Canada's Bill C-11 and the implications of the government's attempt to change what Canadians see on the internet. References 1. “Bill C-11: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts” by the Government of Canada Link: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c11_2.html  2. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Website Link: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/home-accueil.htm  3. “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Handmaids-Tale-Margaret-Atwood/dp/038549081X  4. “Gotta Love Trump” Documentary  Link: https://www.amazon.com/Gotta-Love-Trump-Gene-Ho/dp/B0B6LMLHM1

As the university school year begins to wrap up, we're bringing back a classic episode of the Curious Task! Alex Aragona speaks with Bryan Caplan about the value of a formal education, and compares the alleged benefits against the reality. References from The Curious Task Special Episode 15 with Bryan Caplan You can purchase Bryan Caplan’s New York Times best-seller, The Myth of the Rational Voter from Amazon Canada at this link. His other publications include Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids (book), The Case Against Education (the book upon which this episode was based), and Open Borders (graphic novel).  This is an outline of Bryan’s upcoming work on Poverty: Who to Blame. You can refer to a breakdown of Bryan’s study of the Economic Models of Education, where he operationalizes his definition of “human capital purism” here. Bryan builds off of Michael Spence’s work on signaling. One of Michael’s publications, Signaling in Retrospect and the Informational Structure of Markets, can be accessed with an active JSTOR account. Bryan briefly uses the term Catch-22 that was coined by Joseph Heller’s novel of the same name, which can be purchased through Amazon Canada. There is a reference to the Indian caste system when Bryan was comparing the inclinations of degree-bearers to marry those who have a degree at a similar level. A thorough study of the sociopolitics of identity and status under the Indian caste system may be read here.  While discussing how to discipline thinking about the intelligent life in the universe, Bryan references the Drake Equation whose analysis by Leonor Sierra (University of Rochester) can be reviewed on NASA’s website. The Corporate Finance Institute published a rundown on the meaning of “austerity,” which can be read here. You can watch The Pianist, which Bryan references while forecasting relevancies in employer consideration, on Amazon Prime.

Alex speaks with Neil Boyd about the effects of drug decriminalization and legalization in Canada and around the world, and how regulation and criminalization can have positive or negative impacts on users of various substances and the communities around them. References 1. “Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, 1996” by the Justice Laws Website Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/  2. “Cannabis Act, 2018” by Justice Laws Website  Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-24.5/

Alex speaks with Vincent Geloso about income mobility, distinguishing it from income inequality and the effects of markets and government regulations on each.  References 1. Vincent’s Articles Link: https://vincentgeloso.com/publications/  2. Vincent’s previous episode “Should We Care About Inequality?” on The Curious Task podcast Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-28-vincent-geloso-%e2%80%94-should-we-care-about-inequality/  3. “Growth is Good for the Poor” by David Dollar and Aart Kraay  Link: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/pt/419351468782165950/pdf/multi0page.pdf  4. “Who are the champions? Inequality, economic freedom and the Olympics” by Vadim Kufenko and Vincent Geloso Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-institutional-economics/article/who-are-the-champions-inequality-economic-freedom-and-the-olympics/BEEA6B8F9473A7B8652A08E54E00C365  5. “Intergenerational Income Mobility and Economic Freedom” by Justin T. Callais and Vincent Geloso Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3939909 6. “Growing Public: Social Spending and Economic Growth since the Eighteenth Century” by Peter H. Lindert Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Growing-Public-Spending-Economic-Eighteenth/dp/0521529166 7. “Economic Freedom Improves Income Mobility: Evidence from Canadian Provinces, 1982-2018” by Vincent Geloso and James Dean Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3875551