Let People Prosper

Taxes are inevitable—but a broken tax code doesn’t have to be. In this episode of This Week’s Economy , I take a closer look at how America’s tax system affects families, businesses, and long-term economic growth. We discuss why tax complexity matters, how current policies distort decisions, and what reforms could create a simpler, more pro-growth system that helps people prosper. 🎧 Watch now and...

Economics is about how people make choices under scarcity—not just money. In this episode, I talk with Jimmy DeNicco of Rice University about the core principles of economics and how they shape policy, markets, and everyday decisions. We break down tradeoffs, incentives, tariffs, and why understanding economics is essential for prosperity. 🔗 More: vanceginn.com | vanceginn.substack.com

We’re at a moment where support for free-market capitalism is slipping—and it’s not hard to see why. From both political parties, we’re hearing the same kinds of ideas: cap prices, punish profits, and have the government take a more active role in managing markets. Politicians are increasingly trying to pick outcomes, override prices, and direct capital. And history is clear: this doesn’t fix capi...

Texas is often seen as a model for freedom and economic growth—but many Texans aren’t feeling it. In this episode of the Let People Prosper Show, I sit down with TX State Representative Brian Harrison (R) to discuss rising property taxes, record state spending, and the growing gap between Texas’s reputation and reality. We explore why budget surpluses haven’t translated into lasting tax relief, wh...

Are age-verification mandates really the solution to protecting kids online? In this episode of This Week’s Economy , we examine the rapid push by states to regulate app stores and social media platforms—and the serious risks these policies create. We cover: • Why the evidence behind smartphone-driven mental health claims is mixed • How digital ID systems threaten privacy and free speech • Why the...

America’s next wave of economic growth—from artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing—will require one critical input: abundant, reliable energy. In this episode of the Let People Prosper Show, I sit down with Brian Gitt of Oklo to explore how advanced nuclear reactors could transform the energy landscape and help meet rapidly rising electricity demand. We discuss the connection between AI...

The numbers are in—and the economy is flashing warning signs. A weakening labor market, rising healthcare costs, slowing growth, and increasing uncertainty are not isolated issues. They are the predictable consequences of policy decisions shaping today’s economy. In this episode of This Week’s Economy , we break down what’s really happening across jobs, Medicare, regulation, trade, and taxes—and w...

Affordability is the defining economic issue for millions of Americans. In this episode, I talk with Michael R. Strain, Ph. D., of the American Enterprise Institute about inflation, tariffs, and why rising costs—not wages—are the real challenge facing families today. We explore what the data say, where policymakers are getting it wrong, and what a pro-growth path forward could look like. 🎧 Listen...

Free-market capitalism remains the best system ever discovered for human flourishing. Yet political support for it is wavering — and that should alarm anyone who cares about prosperity and freedom. A recent Gallup poll on Americans’ views of capitalism and socialism found that just 54% of Americans now view capitalism favorably — the lowest level Gallup has ever recorded. The partisan breakdown is...

If tariffs truly created prosperity, countries that raise the most trade barriers would be the richest in the world. They aren’t. Yet protectionism keeps returning to Washington politics like a bad sequel nobody asked for. Why? The answer often has less to do with economics and more to do with political incentives. In Episode 189 of the Let People Prosper Show, I interviewed Dr. David Hebert, Seni...

What’s on Americans’ minds? The latest primary election results offered a window into what voters are thinking about. In my home state of Texas, voters sent a clear signal by backing efforts to eliminate property taxes through spending reductions. Across the country, Americans are asking for the same things: lower taxes, a more affordable future, and a strong economy that creates opportunities. Bu...

When a state’s budget grows 65% in seven years while families feel poorer, something isn’t adding up. That’s the story unfolding in Maine politics right now. Government spending has surged, taxes remain high, and yet affordability continues to erode. In Episode 188 of the Let People Prosper Show , we dig into what’s happening—and what could change. I recently spoke with Maine State Rep. Laurel Lib...

The U.S. is a global leader in technology and innovation. That didn’t happen by chance. It happened because our economic institutions have historically emphasized decentralized decision-making, strong property rights, capital formation, and competition on the merits. In recent years, antitrust enforcement has drifted away from economics and toward structural and precautionary theories that treat s...

What happens when public policy is built on narratives instead of numbers? We get bloated budgets, broken housing markets, and education systems that spend more but deliver less. In a world flooded with information, the real scarcity is truth. This episode features guest  Jim Agresti , founder and president of  Just Facts , to discuss public policy, misinformation, data analysis, housing affordabi...

Affordability may be the defining word of 2026. After years of elevated inflation, a housing affordability crisis, and signs of softness in the labor market, many Americans are feeling squeezed—and looking for answers. You can expect this issue to loom large at the polls in November. That’s why state and federal lawmakers should confront one of the central drivers of this “unaffordable” economy: f...

If politics feels angrier, dumber, and more tribal than ever, you’re not imagining it. Smart people are talking past each other. Good intentions collide. Every issue becomes a moral emergency. And somehow, even ideas that once united people—like trade, cooperation, and innovation—now trigger outrage. This episode gets to the why . My guest is Arnold Kling —one of the most original thinkers on how...

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept or a Silicon Valley experiment—it’s already shaping how we learn, work, and deliver care. From classrooms and hospitals to small businesses and local governments, AI is quietly changing how much we can do with the time and resources we have. While this progress has sparked excitement, it has also triggered a familiar political response: fear. W...

Washington never runs out of ideas for spending money it doesn’t have. This episode of the Let People Prosper Show takes on one of the latest examples: so-called “Trump Accounts.” Marketed as a pro-family, pro-capitalism idea, they’re actually another case of federal social engineering through the tax code—layered on top of an already broken fiscal foundation. To unpack it all, I sat down with Ver...

Economic policy affects more than just spreadsheets. When leaders fail to control spending, undermine markets, or delay hard decisions, families feel it through higher prices, fewer opportunities, and slower growth. With rising concerns about affordability, the consequences of poor economic policy aren’t abstract — they shape how people live, work, and plan for the future. Price controls, restrict...

If you listen closely to today’s labor debates, you’ll hear a familiar refrain: workers need more protection from Washington. But scratch the surface, and what many politicians really mean is more power for unions, more mandates for employers, and fewer choices for workers themselves. That’s backward. In this episode of the Let People Prosper Show , I talk with Vinnie Vernuccio , one of the sharpe...

Affordability is not an abstract debate for American families— it’s the defining issue of daily life. Grocery bills, housing costs, energy prices, healthcare, and childcare all shape whether families feel secure or stretched. Families don’t become pessimistic out of nowhere. Confidence erodes when planning for the future feels harder , margins feel thinner, and basic economics no longer seem to wo...

We talk a lot about opportunity in America—but far less about where opportunity actually exists and why . Why do some states consistently help people climb the economic ladder while others trap families in place for generations? Why do well-intended policies often backfire? And why is “doing more” by the government so often the wrong answer when it comes to social mobility? That’s exactly what we...

How property taxes undermine homeownership—and what states and localities can do to fix it. Affordability is a major issue for voters. Families are feeling squeezed by higher housing costs, rising insurance premiums, and everyday expenses that often outpace income. For many Americans, the question is no longer just whether they can buy a home, but whether they can afford to keep the one they are i...

Few projects in recent memory have done more to distort America’s past—and poison our present debates—than the 1619 Project . What was marketed as a serious historical reckoning quickly hardened into political dogma, shutting down debate, smearing critics, and rewriting the story of capitalism, freedom, and the American founding. That’s why this conversation matters. In Episode 182 of the Let Peop...

Today’s episode is our first of 2026 focused squarely on the latest economic headlines—and what they mean for your wallet, your work, and the direction of the country. Washington has been busy. From another federal budget fight and renewed debates over health care subsidies, to fresh inflation data and major corporate developments, policymakers are already setting the tone for the year ahead. The...