Free the People

Words & Numbers

Education EN ↓ 534 episodes

Words & Numbers is one of the highest-rated economics podcasts in the world. Each episode, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan dig into economics, political science, and current events to explain what’s actually happening and why it matters.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: wordsandnumbers.org

Author

Free the People

Episodes

Episode 9: Even Economists Can’t Do Their Own Taxes 12.04.2017 13:25

In honor of Tax Day, Antony Davies & James R. Harrigan talk about the absurdity of the US tax code. If your tax situation is more complicated or more uncomfortable than you like dealing with, you can pay another human being to do your taxes so you don’t have to. There are dependents, mortgages, deductions from energy-efficient household additions, charity, student loan interest ... even with a...

Episode 8: Taxing Robots Does Not Compute 05.04.2017 6:37

This week, Antony and James break down Bill Gates' recent suggestion that companies that use robots instead of human workers should pay employment taxes in order to fund new welfare programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 7: The Arts Will Survive Without Your Taxes 29.03.2017 11:57

This week, James & Antony experiment with a slightly longer format, and get into the issue of government funding for the arts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 6: We're Becoming a Nation of Pets 22.03.2017 6:33

This week, Antony & James take on the idea of "victimless crimes" and discuss the odd and growing trend of governments regulating some private activities such as pornography, while others like smoking marijuana are increasingly allowed. People imposing their values on others seems to boil down to an inability to appreciate that others have different preferences, but it all results in Americans...

Episode 5: Blocked by a State's Wall of Taxes 15.03.2017 6:39

This week, James & Antony discuss the case of Connecticut's budget shortfall. The state hopes to solve their financial problems by raiding the retirement accounts of previous Connecticut government employees who have moved out of the state, and take 30% of those savings. This plan would hurt retirees, break promises, and trap many people in the state based on a policy that may be illegal. Lear...

Episode 4: Women Prosper When Markets Are Free 08.03.2017 5:10

This week, in honor of International Women's Day, Antony & James discuss the strong correlation between economic freedom and gender equality found across the world. They argue that if you want to see a world of increasing equality and opportunity for women, you also want to free the economy from central planning and control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...

Episode 3: The Problem With Alternate Facts 01.03.2017 5:08

In this week's episode, Antony & James talk about alternative facts and how false, partisan data skews important discussions about public policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 2: The CBO Can't Count 22.02.2017 7:04

In this episode, Dr. Antony Davies, Professor of Economics of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and Dr. James R. Harrigan, Senior Research Fellow at Strata, in Logan, Utah discuss the way the Congressional Budget Office works, and outline its history of failure at accurately forecasting increases in the national debt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 1: The Customer is Always Taxed 15.02.2017 6:29

We're really excited to present the first episode of what will be an on-going podcast featuring Dr. Antony Davies, Professor of Economics of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and Dr. James R. Harrigan, CEO of FreedomTrust Each Wednesday we'll be sharing a new podcast featuring Antony and James talking about the economics and political science of current events. We hope you enjoy the show and look...