IPI Policy Basics: What Is Industrial Policy, and Why Shouldn't We Have One? (Audio: Podcast)
The recent Obama and Trump administrations have progressively moved in the direction of industrial policy, but the Biden administration has jumped in with both feet. Oddly, some conservatives are increasingly comfortable with the government using industrial policy to influence outcomes they favor. In this IPI Policy Basics podcast, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain what industrial policy is, and why it’s largely incompatible with a limited government, free-market philosophy, while also acknowledging that political reality will always be pushing toward rather than against elements of industrial policy.
IPI Policy Basics: Modern Monetary Theory, R.I.P. (Audio: Podcast)
What is “Modern Monetary Theory (MMT),” and what is it in contrast with? IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and IPI President Tom Giovanetti discuss the heterodox economic theory that promises government can print and spend as much money as it wants to with little or no downside, and asks the musical question “But wouldn’t that cause inflation?” We talk a little monetary policy, a little Milton Friedman, a little neoclassical economics, and conclude that MMT is a load of bunk.
IPI Policy Basics: There's Nothing Wrong with Stock Buybacks (Audio: Podcast)
What are stock buybacks, and why have Democrats decided that stock buybacks should be discouraged/punished/banned? IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain what stock buybacks are and why Democrats have wrongly demonized them.
Biden's Budget Blowout (Audio: Podcast)
Today the Biden administration released its budget proposal, and it’s a progressive doozy. $5.5 trillion in new tax hikes, trillions of dollars in new spending, punishment for fossil fuels and rewards for renewables, hammering the wealthy and handing out goodies for everyone else, it’s all in there. Of course most of it will never happen, because it’s a campaign document, not a serious budget proposal. With IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
Money Supply and Inflation
Inflation has everyone’s attention. In this podcast, economist and financial analyst Don Luskln explains to IPI’s Merrill Matthews why the rapid increase in the money supply caused the inflation. And the declining money supply means inflation is on its way down.
How Texas Business May Fare from the 2023 Texas Legislative Session (Audio: Podcast)
Special Guest Annie Spilman, Texas State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), shares with us NFIB’s policy priorities for the 2023 Texas Legislative Session. Annie points out the harm of the “inventory tax” (personal business property tax), the gross receipts tax, and the problem of health care costs for small businesses. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
Is a Four-Day Workweek or School Week In Your Future? (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews has noticed a somewhat under-the-radar trend of school districts moving to four-day school weeks, and more and more businesses doing the same. A four-day work week isn’t a new concept, except this time it involves a reduced number of work hours per week. Is this a good trend? Is it an effect of the Covid-19 pandemic? And is this even a policy issue? With IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
Merrill Matthews on Expanding the Workforce, Social Security and Engery Subsidies (Audio: Interview)
IPI Resident Scholar Merrill Matthews joins Pratt on Texas in this Podcast Extra. The discussion includes many of the topics covered in Dr. Matthew's recent articles including: What You Need to Know About Government's Clean Energy Subsidies, A Quick and Easy Way to Grow the Workforce and The Worker-Shortage Mystery Solved--Mostly.
IPI Policy Basics: The Role of Layoffs in the Economy (Audio: Podcast)
No one wants to be involuntarily released from their employment, but in a growing economy, layoffs represent the redeployment of human capital from less-productive to more-productive uses. With this understanding, policymakers should make it as easy as possible for people to change jobs and forms of income generation. Any policy that makes it harder to change jobs, start a business, or work a “gig economy” job creates friction slowing down the most efficient deployment of human capital. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
The Grave Threat of an Impending Rail Strike on the U.S. Economy (Audio: Podcast)
In the face of a threatened freight rail strike, just as the country is pulling out of supply chain problems, IPI records a special timely podcast episode with experts on the issue: Daniel Ogden, Professor of Global Trade and Supply Chain at Baylor University, and Jerry Glass of F+H Solutions Group, a management and labor consulting organization. Why is a strike threatened? Are the unions being reasonable? What can the Biden administration or Congress do? And how much damage to the economy might result from a strike? With the able assistance of IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
Total Records: 207
