The Great Antidote

Send us a textPeter Boettke is a professor of economics and philosophy at George Mason University, as well as the author of several books. Today we talk about a book called Mainline Economics, which is a collection of Nobel lectures from what he defines as “mainline economists”. A mainline economist’s methodology of economics falls in the tradition and lineage of Adam Smith. We talk about the benefits of this type of economics and how it diverges from mainstream economics, along with when and why that happens. Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Send us a textFormer Senator Phil Gramm began as a professor of economics at Texas A&M, then became a representative in the House, later becoming a senator. And now, he’s written a book with John Early and Robert Ekelund called The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate. We talk today about his book and observations of the system during his time in office, identifying problems with the way the census and other measuring tools bias the data and conversations that follow. Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Jeremy Horpedahl, director of the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics, corrects American Compass's Cost of Thriving Index (COTI) and reveals that the cost of thriving has actually decreased. The corrections consider changes in taxation and highlight flaws such as ignoring inflation adjustments and including employer-paid healthcare costs. They discuss the impact of women's representation in education and workforce on the cost of living. Also, they explore the irony of work as a source of purpose and the importance of empirical cases and understanding data.

Send us a textJeremy Lott is the managing editor at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, but he also has written several Adam Smith comics for Adam Smith Works, and written an impressively wide range of books, from a novel about William F. Buckley Jr.’s faith to children's books like Growlilocks to comics like Movie Men. Today, we talk about his experience creating in so many different mediums and the purpose of art, as well as the ideas of Adam Smith and their place in America today. Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Lawrence White, an economics professor, discusses the history of money, including the classical gold standard and fiat money systems. He explores the concept of competitive banking and the influence of cryptocurrencies. The podcast also covers the establishment of the Bank of the United States and the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Additionally, the differences between gold-backed currency and fiat currency are explained, along with the potential of alternative currencies like crypto. The use of alternative currencies for privacy, inflation, personal beliefs, and the threat of invasion are also discussed.

Send us a textAaron Ross Powell, formerly of the Cato Institute (at the time of this interview), and currently the host of podcasts ReImagining Liberty and Zooming In, talks to us about his new book with Paul Matzko called Visions of Liberty.Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Send us a textThe Great Antidote is on a break from recording new content right now, but please enjoy this rerun of one of our favorites in the meantime. Happy Summer and catch you soon with new content!Arnold Kling is an economist and the author of the book The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across Political Divides. His substack, In My Tribe, explores many areas of economics and policy. Today, he talks to us about the divide in politics, explaining the need for his book and giving current examples. We explore affective polarization and the rise of polarization generally. Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Send us a textThe Great Antidote is on a break from recording new content right now, but please enjoy this rerun of one of our favorites in the meantime. Happy Summer and catch you soon with new content!Scott Winship, resident scholar and the director of poverty studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), joins us this week to discuss the United States' "War on Poverty", the welfare state, and the future of anti-poverty policy.Don't miss Kevin Lavery's Extra on this episode at AdamSmithWorks!Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Send us a textThe Great Antidote is on a break from recording new content right now, but please enjoy this rerun of one of our favorites in the meantime. Happy Summer and catch you soon with new content! William B. Allen, resident scholar and former chief operating officer of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, talks to us today about the book he recently edited, The State of Black America. He tells us about his upbringing and the current narrative about racism and policy in the United States. Is it a problem? What should we do about it? Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Send us a textEmily Hamilton is a senior research fellow and the director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we talk about the current housing market and the regulations that prevent the building of more affordable, diverse, and abundant types of housing. Hamilton tells us the story of DC and similar areas, where deregulation of housing has begun, explaining the effects. We talk about NIMBY arguments against deregulation, her responses to them, and what deregulation would mean for Americans. Support the showNever miss another AdamSmithWorks update.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.