Faith and Economics

The Trump Administration has implemented a plan to provide investment accounts to all US Citizens born between 2025 and 2028, pre-seeded with $1000, and whose funds cannot be withdrawn until the child turns 18. The goal of this plan is to set young adults on better financial footing while teaching lifelong financial responsibility. Will this succeed, or are we just giving future young adults a cas...

Peter leads a discussion going over an interesting nonfiction book by one of the podcast's favorite authors. The Abolition of Man argues against various forms of relativism and scientism, defending a version of natural law grounded in a moral realism that Lewis claims is the bedrock of all historically successful cultures. 

The discussion centered on Russ’s proposal for a private-sector response to government shutdowns affecting aviation, suggesting airlines create a fund to offer interest-free, short-term loans to cover workers’ paychecks, arguing that the estimated cost (e.g., $114 million for Delta) would be less than airlines’ shutdown-related losses and could save over $1 billion when traveler costs and non-mone...

What happens when real-money prediction markets enter mainstream news? In this episode, Russ McCullough and Peter Jacobson unpack CNN’s new partnership with Kalshi, exploring whether market-driven forecasts can sharpen election coverage or introduce new bias. They discuss how prediction markets impose a “bias tax,” why donor manipulation is costly and difficult, and how historic wagers—from Soros...

A boat from Venezuela allegedly trafficing drugs was blown up and its passengers were killed, apparently in multiple stages.  This raises questions about the morality of killing in war, killing in general, and the applicability of so called 'Just War Theory'. However, we also appear to be gearing up for some kind of regime-change in Venezuela, and it's currently unclear exactly why thi...

Friend of the podcast Dr. Alex Tokarev (listeners might remember his ‘sell federal land!’ proposal) joins the Gwartney Institute to discuss his origin story. What was it like on the shadow of the USSR, and how does a kid growing up in Communist Bulgaria end up as an advocate for freedom?  Join in for a thoroughly interesting conversation.

Should the U.S. Government sell off some federal land?  The mere suggestion of such a proposal will draw accusations that you are trying to pave over the Grand Canyon and grind Half Dome down to sell for gravel.  However, what if we could sell unused, barren federal land in order to pay down some of our debt, or balance our budget? Dr. Alex Tokarev joins the Gwartney Institute for an interesting d...

Plur1bus, a new show on Apple TV, explores humans forming (or being taken over by) a hive mind. The show is interesting in its own right, but the Justin thinks the show illustrates some interesting economic lessons. We are often told that humanity would be better off if we could share in each other's needs and desires, and in general cooperate more successfully and with less effort. Join the G...

Zohran Mamdani, a self-described 'democratic socialist' just won the mayoral race in New York City, the home of Wall Street.  Are we doomed?  Is this good?  What does this mean?   Where are we going?  Who voted for this?  Are the enemies of capitalism also the enemies of capitalists?  Join the Gwartney Team to discuss the election results in New York  (and Virginia!), and make some predict...

AI powered humanoid robots are headed to the market, ready to help with household tasks. Unlike cloud-based AIs that assist with purely cognitive tasks, these industrious little fellers can help do the dishes, clean your house, and fold your laundry. What flavor of omen is this? Is this the dawn of the  Jetsons -adjacent future we were promised in the 20th century, or is this evidence that disaste...

Recent high inflation and the state of the economy have renewed concerns about how independent the Federal Reserve is.  Should the Fed’s independence continue the way it has, or should the Federal government revisit its relationship with the Fed? How do the Magnificent 7 tech stocks sway the S&P 500?  Investment expert, Wiley Angell, son of former Fed Reserve Governor, Dr. Wayne Angell, speaks...

Description: Russ leads an interesting discussion about a dilemma aging music fans face: should you fork over a lot of money to see the original band - wrinkles, walkers and all? Or might it be wiser to pay less money to see a cover band energetically perform your favorite hits? This question might sound narrow, but it leads the team into a wide-ranging and spirited conversation about the value an...

Justin leads a discussion on the evolution of and connection between three worldviews: Supernaturalism, Humanism, and Naturalism.  There's a fourth view, Nihilism, which  no one  seems to want to endorse.  How do we avoid it? Join in for a fruitful discussion!

What went wrong with the internet? A technology that promised connection, freedom, and individual expression seems to be delivering a stifling, conformist monoculture. Peter leads a discussion about the old promise and more recent perils of putting our lives online. Join in for a thoughtful conversation about where we are and where we’re going.

Russ leads a discussion about credit, drawing a clear and needed distinction between one's credit score and the overall picture of a person that a lender considers when deciding whether or not to extend a loan.  Listen in to discover how lending institutions might evaluate your proposal, and discover some strategies to make yourself more attractive to those institutions!

In the US, signing up to be an organ donor is extremely easy (you just check a box when you apply for or renew your driver's license), and the program as a whole is credited with saving a large number of lives. However, recent scandals have cast a shadow on the way organ procurement operates some of these 'donors' may not have in fact been dead. Justin leads a discussion about whether...

Political violence is ramping up again: Charlie Kirk was recently murdered on stage in front of his family on a college campus.  At the time of recording, many details were still not settled.  Peter leads a discussion about what the Charlie Kirk murder means, what we can learn from this horrific event, and what we ought to do going forward.

20th Century Sovietologist Robert Conquest famously articulated three 'laws' of politics: Everyone is conservative about what they know best. Any organization not explicitly right-wing will eventually become left-wing. The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies. Join in for a fruitful discussion about whether...

Commercial architecture is trending toward bland brown and grey boxes.  Newly built suburbs are grey.  New cars look increasingly indistinguishable and have mostly eliminated bright exterior color.  What is going on?   Peter leads a discussion on the rise of a design monoculture that seems both pervasive and stifling.  Where did it come from?  Where is it going?  Why?

What political possibilities are on the table? Political pundits often refer to the 'Overton Window', to refer to the changing set of policies which we are 'allowed' to consider. Peter leads a discussion of the ways in which the Overton Window constrains, and is constrained by, politics, culture, and even specific individuals.

Whenever inflation is in the news, discussion of using gold as an inflation hedge usually follows.  Russ leads a discussion on the merits of incorporating gold into retirement planning, and his simple message is: don't do it.  Join the Gwartney Team for an informative discussion about growing your financial independence.

A population consisting of disillusioned young men who think they have no stake in the future has historically been a recipe for disaster.  A graph showing the collapse in the percentage of Americans in their 30s who are both a) married and b) own a home caused a stir on X recently.  Peter leads a discussion about what this means for the political prospects in the United States.  Join us for a dis...

Political disagreements are rarely settled and often end in a stalemate where each party believes the other is just obviously wrong. Justin leads a discussion about ways to defuse political disagreements by taking a look at what kinds of beliefs political theories consist of, focusing on how and where we might move the needle

Nearly 3 in 4 Americans think more people should start using a budgeting app, according to a recent WalletHub survey - do you agree?  Peter and Russ both agree that a budget is critical component for financial success.  Listen to them lay out why this is so important as it relates to spending, investing, and giving.  Is it biblically sound to invest your money rather than giving it to the church? ...

You may not know it, but the suburbs are under ideological attack as exclusionary, artificial, and socially destructive.  We discuss these criticisms, along with the legal mechanisms employed to make suburban construction more difficult or flat-out impossible.  The team also develops some arguments in favor of the virtues that suburban living fosters. Join us for a spirited defense of the 'burbs!