Faith and Economics

Who and what should we spend our time caring about?  A paper has been making the rounds that shows that there are profound differences in the way those on the political left and the right think about our moral obligations.  What does this mean?  Why is this so?  Can this difference be bridged?  

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may recommend we get rid of the penny.  It costs about 3 pennies to make one penny. That appears to be a big waste of taxpayer money, but is there an argument that it is worth it?  Dr. McCullough say ditch it and Dr. Jacobsen says don’t!  Both learn through the discussion a few things they did not consider before.  What’s the difference between stoppi...

The CEO of United Healthcare was murdered.  The public response to this incident has been extremely interesting, and highlights exactly how toxic the discussion around healthcare and health insurance has become.  What can we learn from this tragedy? 

The Gwartney Team shares their resolutions for 2025, and they reflect on the nature of New Years Resolutions in general.  What makes a good resolution?  Why should we be making them?  Join us for a fruitful discussion!

As a former Iowa State Legislator for seven years, Jon Jacobsen saw first-hand the way the power structure of the state government operates. Join Jon, Peter, and Russ as they get their hands dirty uncovering what really goes on behind the closed doors of public service.

The Gwartney Team gives their predictions for 2025. Politics! Sports! Bitcoin! The Catholic Church! Listen in and have every question that anyone could ever ask answered ahead of time in full, with 100% accuracy guaranteed.

What is Drama? The telling of stories is one of humanity’s most distinctive activities, and yet the basic mechanics of a good story often go unnoticed. Justin outlines the theory of Drama articulated by American playwright and director David Mamet. Listen in and learn how to tell your stories better, or at least learn how to critique your significant other!

Bitcoin has surged to new all-time highs, passing the 100k ceiling. The Gwartney team breaks down what this means, and they make some predictions about what we can expect going forward.

Which system contributes more to human flourishing: capitalism, or democracy? Are capitalism and democracy the same thing, or are they mutually exclusive? what do these terms even mean? Dr. Chris Boudreaux of Florida Atlantic University joins the Gwartney Team to discuss capitalism, democracy, flourishing, freedom, and how we ought to think of their intersection.

Recorded prior to RFK Jr.'s nomination for Secretary of HHS, the Gwartney Institute's resident RFK Jr. fanboy (Justin) articulates his bullish case for a pivotal RFK Jr. role in the incoming administration.

Recorded after the election but prior to any nominations, the Gwartney team discusses the promises and perils of a second Trump term.  How will this term compare to the previous Trump administration? How did we get here, and where are we going?

Russ leads a discussion about Tarriffs: What they are, how they work, and why he doesn't like them. Along the way the team discusses the manner in which other state interventions in the market (such as regulations) generate the demand for tariffs, and what this all means going forward.

Exactly what kind of speech does the first amendment protect, and why? There is concerted pressure, both domestically and internationally, to expand the State's ability to regulate speech. Those advocating for these policies justify their proposals by citing the need to combat "hate" and "misinformation."

A recent article makes the now familiar claim that AI will render most of the population unemployable.  Rather than advocate for a universal basic income, the author argues that we should use the state to shape the labor market to guarantee employment.  This is a 'jobs program', but for everyone!  Is this really the least-bad option?

Peter leads the Gwartney team in fruitful discussion of the Psalms. A rich and rewarding book, The Psalms comprises songs and prayers and prayerful songs, without a single author or viewpoint. How then are we to interpret them?

Russ recently advised an Arizona municipality that was considering extending a 1-cent sales tax to fund transportation infrastructure such as road maintenance.  Russ advised in favor of extending the tax for another 20 years.  Peter and Justin aren't so sure.  Who is right?  Tune in for the sales pitch!

Tall Poppy Syndrome is the tendency for groups to punish members for their success, or even for aiming at very high achievement.  Once made explicit, it's possible to find tall poppy syndrome all over.  Where did it come from?  Why does this tendency show up in some groups more than others?  What are the effects--both positive and negative--of this tall poppy syndrome?

Russ details the trials and tribulations of trying to move his bitcoin off of Coinbase and take personal custody of his crypto.  If that sentence didn't make sense to you, tune in as the Gwartney team explains what a hardware wallet is, why many bitcoin enthusiasts recommend keeping your crypto in 'cold storage' and the ways in which the crypto ecosystem has changed over the last decade as industr...

Kamala Harris has proposed taxing 'unrealized capital gains'. What does this even mean?  How would such a tax restructure incentives and market forces?  Is this a good idea, or something you should be worried about?  Find out!

The Gwartney Team takes a break from serious political, philosophical, and economic issues to discuss their favorite movies and why they love them.  Except, it turns out these choices reveal serious political, philosophical, and economic issues...

Continuing our discussion of one of the fathers of Existentialist philosophy, Justin walks us through one of Nietzsche's famous thought experiments.  Nietzsche thought he had found a recipe for living in a way that affirms life.  Did he?

Friedrich Nietzsche, a notorious 19th century philosopher and one of the fathers of the Existentialist movement, famously proclaimed that 'God is dead'.  This claim delights atheists and dismays theists, but Justin argues that the claim is usually misinterpreted.  What did Nietzsche mean, and why does it matter?

In this week's Faith & Economics podcast, the professors talk about the "Is/Ought" problem, a key issue in philosophy. They explain the difference between describing what is (facts) and what ought to be (morals). The discussion also covers how this difference affects our views on ethics, morality, and decision-making in public policy.

In this episode, our two economists address the problems with rent control.  The Harris campaign announced that rent controls may be on the table for policy changes.  Learn about the hidden costs and people who get hurt when rent controls are used.  This one topic that economists almost universally dismiss as bad policy!  

Not raising the federal minimum wage of $7.25 since 2009 has been one of the best things for the American labor market.  Learn the reasons for this as the Gwartney Economists explain how unemployment rises when the minimum wage is above market wage.  Individual states like Arizona, have minimum wage above the market and are proposing yet another increase this fall from $14.35 to $18.  What predict...