Recent Podcast Episodes

As debt, inflation, and war erode trust in Washington, Mark Thornton argues that real reform must come from the bottom up—not from the political establishment.

On this episode of Power and Market, Patrick Newman joins Ryan and Tho for a discussion on Social Security, generational economic tensions, and the latest inflation numbers (spoiler: they're bad.)

New price inflation data from the federal government shows that rising prices are outpacing wage growth yet again. Overall inflation is broader and bigger than forecasters have expected, and it's not just being caused by the War in Iran.

Nobel Prize winner Daron Acemoglu writes that western colonialism of African countries has permanently fixed their institutional direction. This ignores what we know about the history of these nations.

Dr. Mark Thornton shares his outlook for gold and silver, laying out the factors that have been weighing on prices and commenting on what may kick off their next leg higher — in his view, the return of speculators could provide a boost. 

Keynesians claim that government debt is no problem because “we owe it to ourselves,” as though owners of US debt don’t care if they are repaid or not. Taxpayers, who actually will pay the debt, are left out of the equation.

The temptation to think of China as an economic juggernaut needs a reality check. While China’s government-dominated economy has many impressive building projects, there are underlying malinvestments that the government continues to subsidize, leading to future problems.

Robert Hall and Michael Woodford certainly deserve the Nobel memorial prize. Their work has had a substantial impact, yet significance is not soundness.

To mark Ludwig von Mises's 145th birthday, Bob reviews the contributions that put Mises in the running for greatest economist of all time.

A conservatism that does not recognize the efficacy of natural law is no conservatism at all.

Mortgage rates are at historically normal levels. They are not "too high." On the other hand, home prices are too high after years of subsidy from artificially low rates and government intervention. The answer to the stagnating market is to cut prices.

The intellectuals did not merely support the war. They had been waiting for it.

The planned economy big business asked for—and never gave back.

Despite the real damage the Trump administration is doing to the economy, its cheerleaders in the Cabinet continue to insist all is well. This is beyond wishful thinking.

Mark Thornton traces America’s rising political violence to big government, Fed inflation, and the collapse of the old limited-government consensus.

The only way to fund Social Security is with current tax dollars, inflicted on current workers and families. There is no pot of money somewhere that current retirees "paid into."

There is a simple way for housing markets to adjust to the new realities of higher interest rates. Prices need to come down. That's how markets are supposed to work. 

Ryan McMaken welcomes Mises Institute Senior Fellow Alex Pollock, a longtime expert on real estate finance, for a discussion on how Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Reserve have created a socialist housing market in America. But it's socialism for the rich, and the system has made housing much more expensive for ordinary people. 

Many socialists define socialism by their ideal goals rather than the process—the expansion of the taking mechanism of the coercive state.

We often remember the thinkers who defended liberty when its prospects looked bleak, and for good reason. But we should also remember the people who supported them and made their work possible without knowing what would follow.