Faith and Economics

The Gwartney team looks at recent political events (an assassination attempt, a party ticket switcheroo), and the conversation quickly turns to the vitriolic nature of our political discourse.  What causes our political debates to be so heated?  Are we headed for turmoil?  How can we turn down the temperature?

Historian Niall Ferguson recently published an article about the place of the USA in the global order titled 'We're All Soviets Now'.  What did he mean?  Is he right?  Listen to the Gwartney Team discuss Ferguson's intriguing claims, and let us know if you agree!

Most people use the terms 'uncertainty' and 'risk' interchangeably, but philosophers and economists both agree that these two terms denote very different situations.  Even more importantly, mistaking one situation for the other can be extremely costly. If you're uncertain, know that it would be risky to skip this episode.  Or it might be uncertain?  I forget... 

A 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court overruled  Chevron .  Pundits were rending their garments and gnashing their teeth, but what exactly was the Chevron Deference Doctrine?  Why did it matter, and what role did Chevron Deference play in the operations of the Federal Bureaucracy?  Is this good or bad news? Join the Gwartney Team for a discussion of  Chevron,  and of what might follow in the wake of...

Join the Gwartney Team to discuss the first Presidential debate.  What was most surprising?  What does the election look like going forward?  

People disagree about whether particular acts are moral or immoral.  But there is a deeper disagreement lurking, which is a disagreement about the fundamental nature of morality itself, and this is a disagreement that Justin claims is currently playing out in contemporary philosophy.        So, what  is  morality, and why should we care?

The Gwartney Institute usually has a rather dim view of the state, and therefore advocates getting the government out of social policy. But the Family is the primary unit of social organization, and plenty of government programs seem to erode the family structure.   So, what would a pro-family social policy look like?  Is this something we should be advocating for?  Why or why not?

What is the relationship between luck and morality?  We often think that luck is morally neutral, in that you shouldn't be blamed or praised merely because you were lucky or unlucky.  The other side of this coin is that we think that moral praise and blame should be reserved for actions that are within our control.  But what if there is more overlap between morality and luck than we had previo...

Bitcoin turns 15 in 2024, and many other digital currencies have sprung up in the wake of bitcoin's volatile success.  Central Banks are now positioning themselves to enter the space with CBDCs (central bank digital currencies), which they claim will make monetary policy more effective while maintaining the benefits of digital currencies without the speculative risks. Are they right, or should...

Here at the Gwartney Institute, we often describe ourselves as advocates for freedom. But even as our freedoms come under attack from all angles, the concept of freedom itself might be unclear, and the meaning is at least disputed. So, what is freedom anyway?

In this episode, Dr. Clarke explains what fallacies are, providing clear examples and insights. Following his explanation, Dr. McCullough and Dr. Jacobsen engage in a lively debate, presenting their differing views on various fallacies. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that breaks down common logical errors and explores their implications in everyday arguments and decision-making.

Justin is angry and animated because he thinks we live in a world where measurement has replaced judgment, and that this robs us of individuality, autonomy, and authenticity.  He also thinks the results in terrible outcomes for physical and mental health, education, and if you can believe it, other bad stuff too.  He's really on one, so let him cook.

What are labor unions, and what role do they play in the modern economy?  The Gwartney team explains the arguments for and against Labor Unions, and outlines the ways in which these arguments have changed as the economy has modernized and globalized.

At the Gwartney Institute, we're very fancy.  Still, we wanted to know: What exactly constitutes high art?  Is there any substantial difference between the avant-garde and what the rest of us enjoy? Peter walks the Gwartney team through an interesting article purporting to answer this very question. Along the way they touch on haute cuisine, cinema, centerfolds, and punk rock.

Who's Afraid of Deflation? Everyone hates inflation - where our money is worth less and less over time.  However, many economists prefer a limited amount of inflation to a phenomenon that they find even scarier: deflation.   What is deflation, where does it come from, and why are policymakers so afraid of it?  Peter, Russ and Justin explain the orthodox view that deflation is dangerous, and th...

Could we work less and be better off?  The traditional 40-hour work week has been under the microscope in certain policy circles, accompanied by suggestions that if we moved to a 4-day work week (or a similarly reduced schedule) we would be happier and just as wealthy.  The Gwartney team takes precious time out of their respective work weeks to look at these suggestions and the assumptions and arg...

To what degree is our food supply under federal control?  How and why does this happen?  How much of a problem is this?  Justin has a bee in his bonnet about current federal regulations regarding livestock, and the rest of the Gwartney crew humors his paranoia with civil discussion.  

Recent studies show that relations between men and women have deteriorated, particularly among those of dating, mating and creating age.  What causes this?  What does it mean?  How do we fix it? The Gwartney Team weighs in. Join us!

The Gwartney Team mixes it up, talking about some of the best recreational reading they've come across lately.  No textbooks, no political tirades, just the kind of reading that they do for fun, and that you might enjoy.  Is Peter is still reading Ernst Jünger?  Why is Justin so weird?  What kind of space-laser-weapons is Russ currently salivating over?  For the answers to these questions – an...

What are pet peeves, and why do we get so peeved about them?  The Gwartney Team wonders what constitutes a pet peeve, and whether or not they serve a socially useful function.  Along the way, they share their own pet peeves, and let me tell you:  these guys are nuts.

The possible merger of grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons is in the news.  When businesses centralize, there is a danger that they could form a monopoly, which can then exploit consumers.  This, at least, is the justification that the governmental bureaucracy gives in order to regulate business mergers and centralization.  Problematically, the government itself is, by definition, a monopoly.  Wh...

Our society seems increasingly concerned with and organized around issues related to mental health.  Is this  development progress, or a symptom of something deeper?  How are mental problems related to physical ailments?  What does this mean for us?  Join the Gwartney team to discuss the growing influence of mental health policy.

When we think about what constitutes human flourishing, we usually think about family and vocation.  But this leaves out an important source of meaning in our lives: our hobbies.  What is a hobby anyway, and why so many of us consider them so important?  Are there any features that make some activities better suited to be hobbies than others?  Is our society getting better or worse at having hobbi...

Ottawa University Alumnus and serial insurance industry entrepreneur Dan Meylan joins the Gwartney team for a discussion.  Dan makes the case that biblical principles can inform and improve business operations and leadership, and that this combination can pay compound dividends.

In this episode we ask: What is the social responsibility of a business? This was the question on the table during an exciting debate event hosted by the Gwartney Institute earlier this month, and a question that we often hear discussed in our culture. Join us as the Gwartney Team breaks down the different views on this pivotal topic and finds some surprising results! Timeline: The Shareholder The...