IPI Policy Basics: When the Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates (Audio: Podcast)
To what degree does the Federal Reserve control interest rates on home mortgages, credit cards and bank savings accounts? Why does the Federal Reserve raise or lower rates? And what rate does the Federal Reserve actually control? The basics of Federal Reserve action with IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
IPI's Reactions to the State of the Union Address (Audio: Podcast)
On a special episode recorded the day after President Biden’s 2022 State of the Union Address, IPI President Tom Giovanetti, Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, and Director of Development & Events Addie Crimmins discuss the speech, its tone, its connection to political reality, and other various hot takes.
IPI Policy Basics: The Perils and Pitfalls of Modelling (Audio: Podcast)
No, not fashion modelling or Instagram modelling, though we’re sure there are perils and pitfalls there, too. This episode is about using mathematical models and computers to try to predict outcomes. Riffing off of IPI’s experience and knowledge of economic modelling, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews draw some conclusions about climate change modelling as well. Hint: Models are just not very accurate.
Why Price Controls Don't Work (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews talks with economist Dr. David Henderson, who explains some of the history of, and reasons why, some politicians propose price controls to counter high prices and inflation—and why that approach never works
IPI Policy Basics: The Debt Obligations of the Federal Government Are Much Bigger than You Think (Audio: Podcast)
Beyond the “national debt,” which has skyrocketed in the past decade, the real total obligations of the federal government include the future obligations of Social Security, Medicare, federal employee pensions, military pensions and more. It’s not a pretty picture. IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss federal deficits, debt, entitlements, and the threat this debt service poses to future generations.
IPI Policy Basics: Is Antitrust the Right Solution to the Problem? (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Senior Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland talks through the right way to think about antitrust policy. When is a company “too big?” Are there benefits to scale? What’s the consumer welfare standard, and isn’t any alternative to the consumer welfare standard just arbitrary? With IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
Predictions of Inflation Were Not Inflated (Audio: Podcast)
Was inflation simply the result of Covid-19 related disruptions, or by Biden administration policies? Or have Biden administration policies nudged transitory inflation into a long-term political and economic disaster? IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews guides a discussion about our current inflation concerns, and explains why inflation is the worst tax of all. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti
IPI Policy Basics: Why Are Lower Taxes Better than Higher Taxes? (Audio: Podcast)
There are moral, economic, philosophical, and political reasons why lower taxes are better than higher taxes. It’s not just about the greediness of taxpayers. IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Merrill Matthews discuss lower vs. higher taxes from the perspective of government, the perspective of earners, and the political perspective.
Why a Tight Labor Market Is a Bad Thing (Audio: Podcast)
Progressives seem to think a tight labor market is a good thing because it pressures businesses to pay higher wages. But a labor shortage is bad for the economy, because in order to grow, an economy requires an abundant supply of both capital and labor. A tight labor market contributes to slower economic growth, higher prices, lower production, and inflation. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti, Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, and Senior Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland.
IPI Policy Basics: Supply Creates Its Own Demand (Audio: Podcast)
A fundamental issue in economics, a law described by French economist Jean-Baptiste Say in 1803 asserts that production is necessary before any consumption can take place; therefore, production comes first, and is more important. Production creates economic growth, and demand essentially takes care of itself. This is in dramatic opposition to Keynesian economics, which posits that government should encourage consumption through borrowing and deficit spending, and that increasing demand will stimulate production. IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain why Say’s Law (and thus supply-side economics) is correct and why Keynesian, demand-side economics is wrong. And Senior Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland contributes several examples from the innovation economy that illustrate the point.
Total Records: 223
