In the summer of 2016, one of the most significant political events in the past 50 years occurred in the UK: the British public voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. The particulars of this decision are still being decided, so the Gwartney Institute team provides, in this episode, an explanation of what is going on and its economic impacts.
Hugh Whelchel of the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics joins us to discuss his book How Then Should We Work?
Guillermo Gonzales of Share Guatemala joins the crew for a discussion of the economy of Guatemala and the efforts of groups like Share Guatemala to reduce poverty.
We talk with Professor Victor Claar about his research on fair trade coffee, his faith, and economic policy.
The crew discusses the moral issues related to eating animals. Should we all be vegan?
We interview Sarah Ruffcorn, President of Trinity Logistics, on the economics of current issues in the trucking industry. Sarah discusses policy issues facing the industry and gives us insights into the relationship between her faith and work!
The crew discusses our newest grant and the opportunities it will provide to Ottawa Students, the University, and the community!
We talk with Dr. David Price of Washburn University about his research and experience as an entrepreneur.
What can clothing retailer Forever 21’s recent bankruptcy tell us about how markets work? How does corporate bankruptcy work? The crew addresses these issues in today’s episode! (recorded October 8, 2019) Links Forever 21 Bankruptcy Signals a Shift in Consumer Tastes Forever 21 to Reportedly Save About 60 Stores Slated for Closing
This episode was recorded on September 6th. Justin, Levi, Russ, and Jacob discuss Jacob's blog post (linked below) on the behavior of prison gangs and what they can tell us about our own economic behavior. Economic Understanding of Prison Gangs by Jacob Maichel
We interview Dr. Paul Cleveland regarding socialism and its surging popularity among young adults and teens. Why is socialism appealing to them? What are some effective ways of educating them on the problems with socialism? Show Notes: The Great Utopian Delusion by Clarence Carson, Paul Cleveland, and L. Dwayne Barney Socialism Sucks! by Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell
This week we interviewed Wiley Angell, Senior Portfolio Manager at Ziegler Capital. Wiley discusses his faith, philanthropy, and their connections to his work in finance.
Professor Hunter Baker talks with us about important current issues including the current problems facing Cold War conservative/libertarian fusionism, policy issues related to Big Tech, and the importance of culture in politics. Political Thought: A Student's Guide by Hunter Baker and David S. Dockery
Thank you for listening to our 50th episode! This week we share a debate sponsored by the Gwartney Institute featuring Dr. Levi Russell and Dr. Justin Clarke. Should all drugs be legal? After listening to the debate, tell us what you think! info@gwartneyinstitute.org
The crew engages in a wide-ranging discussion of the cooperative business form. History, policy, efficiency, and comportment with Biblical lessons are all discussed. Show notes: Small is Still Beautiful by Joseph Pearce Mondragon Cenex Harvest States Ace Hardware
This week we interviewed Dr. P.J. Hill, Senior Fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center and Professor Emeritus of Economics at Wheaton College. What can economics tell us about being good stewards of God's creation? Dr. Hill's Site
This week we discuss an article review written by Gwartney Institute Graduate Assistant Jacob Maichel for our blog. The article discusses the notion that many modern inventions profit from our addictive impulses and that, allegedly, the profit motive enhances this suboptimal situation. Should we be concerned? What are the moral issues at play? Limbic Capitalism: Article Review
The crew discusses the role of social media and smart phones in the recent decline in labor productivity. Do smart phones provide a net benefit to our productivity or are they partly to blame for reductions in our productivity growth over the past 10 years? Show notes: Labor Productivity Article B.S. Jobs - NPR
Professor Justin Clark joins the regular crew to discuss an important philosophical topic: subjectivity in economics. How do philosophers understand the term "subjective" with regard to economics? How do markets play into our ability to apprehend the value of things? Show notes: Why God Has Created Us to Value Different Things - Dr. Anne Bradley
We interview Professor Tony Gill about his work on the issue of tipping. Why do people give tips to service employees? Why don't employers just pay them more? How do we understand the morality of the institution of tipping? "The Political Origins of Religious Liberty" by Dr. Tony Gill Brief op ed on Dr. Gill's article Dr. Gill's article on tipping Anti-Tipping video Humanomics - Vernon Smith Vernon Smith Episode
The crew discuss the economics and morality of recycling. Is recycling a good idea? Should it be subsidized? Is recycling local-only or does it cross national boundaries? Links: NPR story mentioned by Russ Popular Mechanics article Mises Institute article 1 Mises Institute article 2 China bars U.S. recycling
The crew discusses the economic and moral implications of the federal government's choice to move the USDA's Economic Research Service and National Institute for Food and Agriculture to the Kansas City area. What does this move mean for USDA-ERS and -NIFA employees? Their work? Will the public benefit from this move?
Russ and Levi discuss the difficulty of participation in evil. Is it wrong to buy products from people who do horrible things? If we invest in companies that do bad things, are we guilty of their bad actions? Cooperation in Evil Chart
The crew tackles the issue of tithing from the perspectives of faith, economics, and community. Are Christians obligated to give a tenth of their income? What economic circumstances make giving difficult or easy?
The whole crew discusses automation and technological change and how economic policy should address these issues. Tucker Carlson on Ben Shapiro's Sunday Special
Russ, Levi, and Jacyn discuss the prohibition of work on the Sabbath and how we can apply it to our lives. What types of work are prohibited? How should we set economic policy consistent with this commandment? The Sunday Rest video
Russ and Levi interview the President of Ottawa University's home campus on his faith, work, and the history of Zimbabwe. Reggies' charisma and experience as an academic, pastor, and administrator shine through the interview. You will love this one!
The whole team has an informative conversation on Dave Ramsey's personal finance philosophy and tactics. Russ, who teaches a personal finance course here at Ottawa University, explains Ramsey's system and the rest of the crew ask questions.
Note: This episode was recorded on June 3, 2019 Russ and Levi discuss the trade war between President Trump and the Chinese government over the past 9 months. Are tariffs a good idea from a financial and economic perspective? How should we think about the ethical concerns with tariffs from a Christian perspective? CNBC report on tariff impacts
Russ and Levi interview Dr. Randall Holcombe of Florida State University. Dr. Holcombe discusses the concepts in his recent book Political Capitalism. Do we live in a free market economy? How does the government interact with the profitability of businesses in the U.S.? Check out our interview and Dr. Holcombe's book for more information!
Russ and Levi interview Dr. Jim Gwartney, our institute’s namesake. This is a wide-ranging discussion on Jim’s life, experience at Ottawa University, and his opinions on the state of the world economy. Common Sense Economics book
Russ and Levi interview Dr. Vernon Smith, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002. Dr. Smith discusses his faith and its impact on his views on economics and social behavior.
Dr. Anne Bradley of the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics joins us to discuss income inequality. What should Christians think about income inequality? Is it a pernicious threat or an inevitable and benign characteristic of a free society?
Russ and Levi discuss the economic and political costs and benefits of federalism in our own time. We draw on the Christian concept of subsidiarity to examine the ethical implications of devolving Federal power to the states!
Levi and Russ discuss the concept of the universal destination of goods. What are the limits of property rights? How do we understand moral obligations to help others financially? Show Notes Faith and Economics - Federal Food Programs: Efficiency and Ethics Faith and Economics - Universal Basic Income The Religious Roots of Modern Poverty Policy Lecture by Edward Feser Blog article by Jacyn Dawes
Russ and Levi discuss tariff policy and the costs associated with recent tariffs designed to protect American jobs. How should we evaluate the costs and benefits of tariffs?
Drs. Maria Pia Paganelli, Derek Yonai, and Michael Thomas join us to discuss Adam Smith's body of work and its implications for the place of economics in social science today.
We dig into the mailbag for this episode! How do economists understand government debt? Can this understanding inform our ethical views of debt? Show Notes: US Debt Clock Dr. Bob Murphy on Intergenerational Debt Burdens
Russ, Levi, and Jacob discuss one of the most popular proposals for a Universal Basic Income. Democrat presidential candidate Andrew Yang's proposed "Freedom Dividend" was recently criticized by the Acton Institute. We provide important commentary on his proposal and Acton's response! Show notes: Acton Institute Blog Post Yang Platform - UBI Universal Basic Income - Faith and Economics Podcast Great Stagnation - Tyler Cowen
We discuss the origins of capitalism in the west. What did early monasteries have to do with it? Were they early entrepreneurs? Show notes: How Caring for the Poor Led to the Beginnings of Capitalism How Progressive is the US Tax Code?
We discuss an interesting graph of changes in the cost of products and services over the past few decades. Does the increasing cost of health care and education make a normal, prosperous middle class life more difficult? Does the reduction in cost of other things offset this pernicious effect? Show notes: AEI inflation chart Acton institute blog article From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State by David Beito Atlas MD American Association of Physicians and Surgeons
We discuss the notion of Democratic Socialism and its relationship to Christianity. Should Christians embrace Democratic Socialism? Is this political philosophy, advocated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex and Bernie Sanders, a coherent way forward?
This week we talk with Professor Jeremy Jackson of North Dakota State University about his research on the relationship between economic freedom in the U.S., happiness, and social capital. Are residents of more economically free states happier? Do they form more tight-knit communities? Show notes: Professor Jackson's website Free to be Happy: Economic Freedom and Happiness in US States Economic Freedom and Social Capital