Economics Detective Radio

The Hidden Rules of Ownership with Michael Heller

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Heller joins the podcast to discuss his new book, Mine! How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives. This book explores the implicit ...

The Wealth of Nations with Sarah Skwire

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, I discuss Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations with Sarah Skwire. Sarah is part of the team tweeting through the book @AdamSmithWorks. W...

The Kindness of Strangers with Michael McCullough

11 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Michael McCullough of the University of California, San Diego. We are discussing his book The Kindness of Strangers: How a Selfish Ap...

The Gender Salary Ask Gap with Nina Roussille

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Nina Roussille of UC Berkeley and we discuss her working paper, The central role of the ask gap in gender pay inequality. The gender ...

Arts and Minds with Anton Howes

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Anton Howes returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, Arts and Minds: How the Royal Society of Arts Changed a Nation. From its beginnings in a...

Science Fictions with Stuart Ritchie

14 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Stuart Ritchie, psychologist and author of Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth. S...

Social Security and Wealth Inequality with Sylvain Catherine and Natasha Sarin

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guests are Sylvain Catherine and Natasha Sarin of the University of Pennsylvania. They discuss their research on wealth inequality, specifical...

BONUS: The Passion Economy

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This bonus episode features an interview from The Passion Economy, created by Adam Davidson of NPR's Planet Money. The clip features an interview wit...

Angrynomics with Mark Blyth

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode features my conversation with Mark Blyth, co-author (with Eric Lonergan) of Angrynomics. Why are measures of stress and anxiety on th...

Free to Move with Ilya Somin

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ilya Somin of George Mason University joins the podcast to discuss his book Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom. Ballot box v...

Climate, Disease, and the Fall of Rome with Kyle Harper

22 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Kyle Harper joins the show to discuss his book The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire. We discuss the fall of the Rom...

Market Urbanism with Scott Beyer

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Scott Beyer, a columnist who writes about urban issues. He is the creator of the Market Urbanism Report. Our discussion addresses som...

Under the Influence with Robert H. Frank

08 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Robert H. Frank of Cornell University. Our topic is his latest book, Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work. Psychologi...

Ten Percent Less Democracy with Garett Jones

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Garett Jones returns to the podcast to discuss his book, 10% Less Democracy: Why You Should Trust Elites a Little More and the Masses a Little Less. ...

The President's Economic Advisers with Simon Bowmaker

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Simon Bowmaker. The topic is his book, When the President Calls: Conversations with Economic Policymakers. The book features 35 inte...

Maritime Policy and the Merchant Marine with Josh Hendrickson

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Josh Hendrickson joins the show to discuss his paper, "U.S. Maritime Policy and Economic Efficiency." The paper discusses the controversial Jon...

Cities and Growth with Gilles Duranton and Diego Puga

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode features Gilles Duranton and Diego Puga on their new working paper, "Urban Growth and its Aggregate Implications." This paper builds a...

The Age of Mass Migration and the 1920 Border Closure with Leah Boustan

21 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Leah Boustan of Princeton University. Our discussion centers around her recent working paper, "The Effects of Immigration on the Econ...

Emissions Cheating, Air Pollution, and Health with Hannes Schwandt

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today on Economics Detective Radio, I discuss health economics with Hannes Schwandt of Northwestern University. Hannes is the co-author, along with Di...

Open Borders with Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith both return to the podcast to discuss their new, non-fiction graphic novel, Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of...

The American Civil War with Jeffrey Hummel

13 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Jeffrey Rogers Hummel of San Jose State University. He is the author of Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men: A History of the Am...

Cotton, Slavery, and the New History of Capitalism with Alan Olmstead and Paul Rhode

20 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guests are economic historians Alan Olmstead and Paul Rhode. Both of them have research related to the slave economy of the Antebellum South. ...

Slavery and Capitalism with Phil Magness

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Phil Magness returns to the show to discuss his work on slavery and capitalism, particularly as it relates to the New History of Capitalism (NHC) and ...

Radio Spectrum and Property Rights with Thomas Hazlett

07 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Thomas Hazlett, former chief economist of the FCC and author of The Political Spectrum: The Tumultuous Liberation of Wireless Techno...

The Poverty of Slavery with Robert Wright

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Robert Wright, author of The Poverty of Slavery. The New York Times' 1619 Project has prompted renewed discussions on slavery and th...

Cities, Markets, and Urban Planning with Alain Bertaud

23 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Alain Bertaud, author of Order Without Design: How Markets Shape Cities. Alain discusses his extensive experience in urban planning:...

Drinking Through the Unfree World with Ben Powell

27 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Powell joins the podcast today to discuss his new book, Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World, coauthored with...

Political Change with Ed Lopez

19 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Edward J. Lopez of Western Carolina University. We discuss his book, Madmen, Intellectuals, and Academic Scribblers: The Economic En...

Markets for Rebellion with Vincent Geloso

12 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent Geloso returns to the podcast today to discuss his paper, "Markets for Rebellions? The Rebellions of 1837-38 in Lower Canada". The paper discu...

Informal Order and the State in Afghanistan with Jennifer Murtazashvili

07 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tooday's guest is Jennifer Murtazashvili of the University of Pittsburgh. We discuss her book, Informal Order and the State in Afghanistan. Despite v...

Political Capitalism with Randall Holcombe

28 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Randall Holcombe of Florida State University. Our discussion today focuses on his book, Political Capitalism: How Economic and Polit...

Free Trade and Prosperity with Arvind Panagariya

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Arvind Panagariya of Columbia University. We discuss his book, Free Trade and Prosperity: How Openness Helps Developing Countries Gro...

Highway Expansions, Tolls, and Congestion with Robert Krol

09 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Robert Krol of California State University. Our topic is a recent policy paper he wrote for The Center for Growth and Opportunity at ...

Elinor Ostrom, Polycentric Governance, and Policing with Vlad Tarko

12 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Vlad Tarko of Dickinson College. We discuss the life and work of Elinor Ostrom, the 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize in economics. Vla...

Challenging the State Lottery System with Matthew Curtis

14 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Matthew Curtis, founder of the startup Vice Lotteries. Vice Lotteries is a new startup that aims to challenge state governments' leg...

Why Students Switch Majors with Jamin Speer

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Jamin Speer of the University of Memphis. We discuss his paper, "Are Changes of Major Major Changes? The Roles of Grades, Gender, and...

Re-thinking the so-called Housing Bubble with Kevin Erdmann

17 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Erdmann of the Mercatus Center returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, Shut Out: How a Housing Shortage Caused the Great Recession and ...

Kidnapping for Ransom with Anja Shortland

17 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest on Economics Detective Radio is Anja Shortland of King's College London, discussing her new book Kidnap: Inside the Ransom Business, wh...

The Skyscraper Curse and Business Cycles with Mark Thornton

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Thornton returns to the podcast to discuss his new book The Skyscraper Curse (available digitally for free). The book discusses the connection b...

Military History and the Remplacement Militaire with Louis Rouanet

27 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Louis Rouanet from George Mason University. Our discussion focuses on an economic history paper he co-authored with Ennio Piano (a pr...

Classical Economics and the New Poor Law with Gregory Clark

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is economic historian Gregory Clark, and our topic is England's New Poor Law of 1834. Gregory and his co-author, Marianne E. Page, wrote...

Institutional Cryptoeconomics with Mikayla Novak

13 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Mikayla Novak (Twitter, SSRN) of the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub at RMIT University. Her work focuses on some innovative new and p...

The Revolt of the Public with Martin Gurri

05 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Martin Gurri (Twitter, blog), author of The Revolt of the Public. We discuss his book, which deals with the impact of information tec...

Rent Control and the Housing Debate with Ash Navabi

22 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the podcast, Ash Navabi returns to discuss his recent work on housing and rent control. Ash published an opinion piece entitled "Why low-inco...

The Minimum Wage and Labour Market Dynamics with Jonathan Meer

14 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Jonathan Meer of Texas A&M. We discuss his work on the minimum wage. The voluminous literature on minimum wages offers little consens...

Seigniorage in the Civil War South with Bryan Cutsinger

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Bryan Cutsinger of George Mason University, discussing his paper, "Seigniorage in the Civil War South." During the U.S. Civil War, th...

Climate Change, Carbon Taxes, and Geo-Engineering with Bob Murphy

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Bob Murphy of Texas Tech University. We discuss his work on climate change and the social cost of carbon. Bob started working on issu...

Experimental Economics and the Importance of Instructions

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today I discuss one of my own papers: "Instructions" by Freeman, Kimbrough, Petersen, and Tong. This research project on experimental instructions has...

Individual Choice and Social Welfare with Viktor Vanberg

21 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Viktor Vanberg of the Walter Eucken Institute. We discuss a recent working paper of his entitled Individual Choice and Social Welfare...

Why Hayek Matters with Pete Boettke

01 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Peter Boettke of George Mason University and we're discussing his recent book in the Great Thinkers in Economics series: F. A. Hayek:...

The Empirical Case for School Choice with Corey A. DeAngelis

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Corey A. DeAngelis of the Cato Institute joins the podcast to discuss his review of the school choice research. Is public schooling a public good, a m...

Compensating Blood and Organ Donors with Mario Macis

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today, Mario Macis of Johns Hopkins University, has done a number of interesting studies related to blood and organ donation, particularly th...

Why No Ancient Greek Industrial Revolution? A Conversation with George Tridimas

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Here on Economics Detective Radio, we've had many discussions about the early modern period, and the circumstances that gave rise to the modern levels...

Artificial Intelligence, Risk, and Alignment with Roman Yampolskiy

20 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Roman Yampolskiy, computer scientist and AI safety researcher. He is the author of multiple books, including Artificial Superintell...

How Economics Shapes Gender Norms with Melanie Meng Xue

10 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Could cultural attitudes about gender reflect economic conditions hundreds of years ago? My guest today says they do! Melanie Meng Xue of Northwestern...

All Roads Lead to Toll Roads: Robert Poole on America's Highways

01 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode of Economics Detective Radio features a conversation with Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation. Robert is the author of Rethinking A...

The Blockchain Anti-Trust Paradox with Thibault Schrepel

23 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Thibault Schrepel of the University of Utrecht. We discuss his work on the relationship between blockchain technology, which allows f...

Social Media, Elections, and Gender with Fabio Rojas

16 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Fabio Rojas returns to the podcast to discuss his work researching social media. He has three main papers on the subject. The first is "More Tweets, M...

Free Speech on Campus with Zachary Greenberg

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode features Zachary Greenberg of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. We discuss freedom of speech, FIRE's work to protect ...

Buchanan, Segregation, and Democracy in Chains with Phil Magness

19 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Phil Magness returns to the podcast to discuss the life and work of James Buchanan and to defend him against some of the more bizarre criticisms levie...

We Didn't Start the Flame War

04 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode is a little different. There's an ongoing controversy related to a two-time guest of this show, Robin Hanson. I talk through the s...

The Neolithic Revolution with Andrea Matranga

28 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Andrea Matranga of the New Economics School in Moscow joins the podcast with a fascinating question: Why did humans adopt agriculture in the times and...

Diversity and the Social Contract with Ryan Muldoon

21 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Ryan Muldoon of the University at Buffalo. He is the author of Social Contract Theory for a Diverse World: Beyond Tolerance. We dis...

Lightships and Public Goods with Vincent Geloso

15 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The assiduous Vincent Geloso returns to the podcast to discuss his work with Rosolino Candela on lightships and their importance in economics. The abs...

Experimental Economics and the Origin of Language with Bart Wilson

06 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest for this episode of Economics Detective Radio is Bart Wilson of Chapman University. He is the author of many experimental economics studies. ...

Refugee Waves, Mass Immigration, and Jordan with Alex Nowrasteh and Andrew Forrester

31 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guests for this episode are Alex Nowrasteh and Andrew Forrester of the Cato Institute. Our topic is a working paper they recently published titled ...

Universities, Adjuncts, and Public Choice with Phil Magness

24 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Phil Magness returns to the podcast to discuss the public choice economics of universities. We discuss the internal politics of universities, their ri...

Prohibition, Arkansas, and Bootleggers and Baptists with Jeremy Horpedahl

16 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Jeremy Horpedahl of the University of Central Arkansas. Jeremy's work builds on a famous theory from Bruce Yandle's 1983 article " Bo...

The Case Against Education with Bryan Caplan

03 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest for this episode is Bryan Caplan of George Mason University. We discuss his latest book, The Case Against Education: Why the Education Syste...

EconTalk, Intellectual Honesty, and Adam Smith with Russ Roberts

23 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Russ Roberts, host of the quintessential economics podcast EconTalk. (If you haven't heard EconTalk, go subscribe to it right now, b...

Algorithms, Algorithmic Discrimination, and Autonomous Vehicles with Caleb Watney

10 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Algorithms, Algorithmic Discrimination, and Autonomous Vehicles with Caleb Watney Today's guest is Caleb Watney of the R Street Institute. In our conv...

The Welfare State, Markets, and Social Insurance with Sam Hammond

02 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Hammond returns to the podcast today to discuss the free market welfare state. He and Will Wilkinson have both written articles in this area recen...

Sex Work, Craigslist, and Decriminalization with Scott Cunningham

26 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest for this episode is Scott Cunningham of Baylor University. We discuss his work on the decriminalization of indoor sex work and on the impact ...

Migration and Fertility with Lyman Stone

18 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Lyman Stone. He is an agriculture economist for the USDA, but our topic for this episode is his popular writing about migration. He ...

Emerging Technologies with Zach and Kelly Weinersmith

12 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of the podcast features two guests, Zach and Kelly Weinersmith. Zach is the author of SMBC Comics, a popular webcomic that sometimes dea...

Indian Constitutional Political Economy and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy with Shruti Rajagopalan

05 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

My guest on this episode is Shruti Rajagopalan of the State University of New York's Purchase College. We discuss Shruti's work on constitutional poli...

The Elephant in the Brain, Hidden Motives, and Self-Deception with Robin Hanson

29 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Robin Hanson returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life, co-authored with Kevin Simle...

Biker Gangs, Organized Crime, and Club Goods with Ennio Piano

22 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest for this episode is Ennio Piano of George Mason University. Our topic is Ennio's work on the economics of biker gangs. Ennio has two papers o...

Financial Crises, Politics, and Interest Groups with Jake Meyer

15 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Jake Meyer of California State University, Long Beach. We discuss Jake's work on the intersection of financial crises and politics. ...

Pro Wrestling and Intellectual Property with Kyle Coates

08 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Kyle Coates and our topic is pro wrestling and the intellectual property problems that arise from it. So prepare to be amazed as we B...

Legal Systems Very Different From Ours with David Friedman

01 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is David Friedman of Santa Clara University. Our discussion centers around his upcoming book, Legal Systems Very Different From Ours, wh...

Unintended Consequences and Systemically Important Real Sectors with Frank Milne

24 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Frank Milne of Queen's University. Our topic for today will be unintended consequences. Frank has written a paper directed at policy...

Infrastructure, Privatization, and Autonomous Vehicles with Clifford Winston

17 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Clifford Winston of the Brookings Institution. We discuss infrastructure, particularly roads and airports, and the incentives faced b...

The Economics of the Weird with Peter Leeson

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Leeson of George Mason University joins the podcast today to discuss his latest book, WTF?!: An Economic Tour of the Weird. We discuss the econ...

Religion, Political Power, and Economic Growth with Jared Rubin

03 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Jared Rubin of Chapman University. He is the author of Rulers, Religion, and Riches: Why the West Got Rich and the Middle East Did ...

Technology, Mechanism Design, and Ugandan Agricultural Markets with Kevin Leyton-Brown

27 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Kevin Leyton-Brown, he is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia. Kevin's work involves not only comp...

The German Economic Miracle with David Henderson

21 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Returning to the podcast is David Henderson of Stanford University's Hoover Institution and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California. Our ...

Corruption and Spatial Econometrics with Jamie Pavlik

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Jamie Pavlik of Texas Tech University. Jamie has done a ton of research on corruption and development. She has examined corruption i...

Brexit, Its Economic Impact, and International Disintegration with Thomas Sampson

06 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Thomas Sampson of the London School of Economics. Our topic for today is the economic impact of Brexit. Long-time listeners will rec...

Markups, Market Concentration, and Monopolistic Competition with Karl Smith

29 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Karl Smith, he is the director of economic research at the Niskanen center. Our topic for today will be market power. Karl has writt...

Sociology and Social Science with Fabio Rojas

08 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Fabio Rojas. He is professor of sociology at Indiana University Bloomington. Fabio is the author of three books, the first is From ...

Compensating Blood, Fluid, and Organ Donors with Peter Jaworski

01 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest is Peter Jaworski of Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. He is the author, along with Jason Brennan, of Markets Without Li...

Pepsi, Niche Marketing, and Neoliberal Social Justice with Samuel Hammond

25 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Samuel Hammond is returning to the podcast today to discuss the relationship between capitalism and social justice. Sam was prompted to write about th...

Cuban Healthcare with Vincent Geloso

18 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This episode's guest is Vincent Geloso, here to talk about his work on Cuban healthcare statistics. He recently released a working paper with coauthor...

The French Revolution, Property Rights, and the Coase Theorem with Noel Johnson

28 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest for this episode is Noel Johnson of George Mason University, and if that name sounds familiar, it's because he was the coauthor on the paper ...

The Seattle Minimum Wage Study with Ekaterina Jardim

20 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest for this is Ekaterina Jardim of the University of Washington. Ekaterina is one of the authors of the new minimum wage study that has been mak...

Housing, Liquidity, and Closed-Access Cities with Kevin Erdmann

14 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest today is Kevin Erdmann, he blogs about economics and finance at Idiosyncratic Whisk. Kevin has written a ton about housing, as evidenced by t...

The Financial Diaries with Jonathan Morduch

07 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The guest for this episode is Jonathan Morduch, he is a professor of public policy and economics at NYU and the author of The Financial Diaries: How ...

Replicating Anomalies in Financial Markets with Hou, Xue, and Zhang

30 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I have three guests on the show with me: Kewei Hou of Ohio State University, Chen Xue of the University of Cincinnati, and Lu Zhang o...

Synthetic Control and the Impact of Hugo Chavez with Kevin B. Grier

16 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

My guest on this episode is Kevin B. Grier of the University of Oklahoma. Our topic for today is a paper Kevin wrote on the economic consequences of H...