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<title>IPI Policy Basics Podcast</title>
<link>https://www.ipi.org/rss/policybasics.asp</link>
<description>An audio library of basic policy topics and concepts, for those who need to get up to speed on a particular policy topic, or those who want to learn how to think about policy from a free-market, limited government viewpoint. A project of the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI).</description>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>(c) 2021</copyright>
<itunes:subtitle>IPI Policy Basics Podcast</itunes:subtitle> 
<itunes:author>The Institute for Policy Innovation</itunes:author>
<itunes:summary>An audio library of basic policy topics and concepts, for those who need to get up to speed on a particular policy topic, or those who want to learn how to think about policy from a free-market, limited government viewpoint. A project of the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI).</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>False</itunes:explicit>
<itunes:owner>
<itunes:name>The Institute for Policy Innovation</itunes:name>
<itunes:email>ipi@ipi.org</itunes:email>
</itunes:owner>
<itunes:image href="https://www.ipi.org/imgLib/20201130_IPIPolicyBasicsPodcastLogo.jpg" />
<itunes:category text="News"><itunes:category text="Politics"/></itunes:category>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Barbara Kolm of the Hayek Institute on Hayek and his Contribution to Economic Thought (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti, Barbara Kolm]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Barbara Kolm of the Hayek Institute in Vienna, Austria is our special guest as IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews interviews Barbara about Hayek and his important contributions to economic and individual liberty.]]></itunes:summary>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_12974_183915</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Costs of Protecting Teens Online (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti, Bartlett Cleland]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Taking advantage of IPI Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland's presence in-studio, we discuss the problems with the state and federal legislative attempts to "protect children online" through age verification and other schemes. Hint: The problems are overwhelming and underappreciated. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
]]></itunes:summary>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_11970_173904</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Exaggerating the Public Domain (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[There was a rash of stories in the early days of 2024 about how, finally, Mickey Mouse had entered the public domain, and that this was somehow a triumph for the general public. Sounds like time for an explainer about the public domain, and why, for the most part, consumers are better off when creativity, distribution and promotion of creative works is incentivized. IPI President Tom Giovanetti with IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/Policy-Basics_PublicDomain_1-18-24_mix.mp3" length="24964077" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Are Tax Extenders and Why Do They Matter? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains why every year the country is faces with the issues of tax extenders, why they are important but also why they are a symptom of a dysfunctional congressional process. With IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Tax-Extenders_12-15-23_mix.mp3" length="25645791" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:52:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_9955_133861</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Wealth Effect (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explains the (mostly) psychological phenomenon of the Wealth Effect, which can accelerate either a good economy or a bad economy. And he uses "Bidenomics" as an illustration of an attempt to turn the reverse wealth effect into the wealth effect. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti.]]></itunes:summary>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: A Look At the Gender Pay Gap (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[What's the truth about the gender pay gap? Is it explained by misogyny and discrimination, or by the choices women make? Maybe a combination of the two? Is it getting better? And with women outnumbering men in colleges, universities, and graduate programs, is it about to disappear altogether? IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews shares some information from the book "The Myth of Inequality" on the gender pay gap with IPI President Tom Giovanetti.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_GenderPayGap_8-10-23_mix.mp3" length="23935205" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 14 Aug 2023 14:23:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: How Third-Party Candidates Affect Presidential Elections (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews takes us through the history of third-party presidential candidates in recent history, explaining that third party candidates never come close to winning but in some cases the third party candidate has arguable affected the outcome of the election. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_3rdParty_7-27-23_mix.mp3" length="32221567" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:10:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_6938_103816</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: How Should We Think About Artificial Intelligence? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti, Dan Garretson]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[We welcome IPI Research Fellow Dr. Dan Garretson to help us with an explainer on artificial intelligence (AI): What it is, what it isn't, and how should we think about its impact on consumers, the economy, and the future? IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews demonstrates how "2001: A Space Odyssey" influences his thinking, and IPI President Tom Giovanetti can't resist asserting that a free society gives us all the tools we need to manage technological revolutions.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/Policy-Basics_Artificial-Intelligence_7-6-23_mix.mp3" length="54948633" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2023 01:31:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: In Politics, Compromise Is a Virtue, Not a Vice (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains at least part of the current dysfunction of Congress, and the dysfunction of the Republican Party, by explaining that while compromise may be a vice in religion, theology and ethics, compromise is the essence of democracy. Compromise is simply negotiation, and negotiation is necessary for self-government. Otherwise, we fall into the biggest concern of the Founders; namely, that a faction gains political power and then rules over their opponents. We see this play out when parties think they can only accomplish things when they control both Congress and the White House until the next midterm election. And we end by reading former Senator Phil Gramm's recollection of how compromise was necessary for the Reagan agenda to become law and whip inflation, grow the economy, and win the Cold War.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Compromise%206-15-23_mix(001).mp3" length="26132873" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Sun, 18 Jun 2023 20:39:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is Intellectual Property, Why Is it Important, and Why Is it Controversial? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti, Bartlett Cleland]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In recognition of World IP Day, the Institute for Policy Innovation, an accredited Non-Governmental Organization affiliated with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), discusses the importance of intellectual property protection. With IPI Senior Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland and IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_WhatIsIntellectualProperty_04-21-23_mix.mp3" length="34223129" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 24 Apr 2023 09:21:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_4914_63753</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is Industrial Policy, and Why Shouldn't We Have One? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_IndustrialPolicy_3-30-23_mix.mp3" length="31417181" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:33:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_4913_63750</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Modern Monetary Theory, R.I.P. (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_ModernMonetary_3-23-23_mix.mp3" length="33225258" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 24 Mar 2023 09:10:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_3913_53745</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: There's Nothing Wrong with Stock Buybacks (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_StockBuybacks_3-9-23_mix.mp3" length="31425331" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 09 Mar 2023 21:09:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_3902_53723</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Every Law Should Have an Expiration Date (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In legislation, "sunset" means that a law or agency or regulation has a built-in date at which it disappears in a poof of common sense unless specifically reauthorized by the legislature. This is a good idea that would prevent the continual accumulation of archaic, redundant and overlapping government functions. Sunset review is a forcing function that would create predictable opportunities to review, modify, modernize and streamline government functions, and to occasionally phase out unnecessary functions. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_SunsetLaws_2-9-23_mix(001).mp3" length="24201116" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2023 20:03:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_3898_53713</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Role of Layoffs in the Economy (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Layoffs-Economy_1-26-23_mix.mp3" length="24086386" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2023 19:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Should We Limit the Debt Limit? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[What is the debt ceiling, and why do we have it? How often does the debt ceiling come up, and isn't it an anachronism, since Congress has already authorized that spending? Or is any leverage over spending worth preserving? IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain and discuss the debt ceiling, and remind us that the core problem is spending, not the debt limit.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_DebtLimit_1-12-23_mix.mp3" length="27635486" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2023 22:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_3893_53695</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Regular Order, How Congress Is Supposed to Work (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[What is "regular order" for Congress and why is that better governance than the annual drama and circus we see now every year with continuing resolutions and gigantic, must-pass omnibus spending bills? Was the old way better? Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_RegularOrder_12-15-22_mix.mp3" length="38840136" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2022 20:07:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Who Are the Uninsured? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews talks us through an analysis of the composition of the uninsured population in the United States. IPI President Tom Giovanetti reminds us of the problem of large numbers, and both conclude that the problem of the uninsured is exaggerated or at least overestimated.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_WhoAreTheUninsured_10-27-22_mix.mp3" length="27813578" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:36:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Student Loan Problem--Causes and Solutions (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[On the occasion of the Biden administration announcing its $500 billion "forgiveness" of student loan debt, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss the origin and causes of the student loan problem, whether it's as big of a problem as claimed, why "forgiveness" involves a truckload of moral hazard, and how we would address the problem of skyrocketing college tuition and debt.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_StudentLoanProblem_8-25-22.mp3" length="33506182" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2022 22:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_2871_33640</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Why Fossil Fuels Became our Dominant Source of Energy (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti, Wayne Stoltenberg]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Fossil fuels are naturally energy dense, can be relatively easily transported, and can be stored indefinitely for future use. These three characteristics are why the world's economy migrated to fossil fuels as soon as they were discovered, and it's why any transition to renewable energy sources faces these three challenges, because most renewables are not energy dense, cannot be easily transported, and cannot be stored indefinitely for future use. With former CFO of Vine Energy Wayne Stoltenberg, IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, and IPI President Tom Giovanetti.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Fossil%20Fuels_8-18-22.mp3" length="17774198" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2022 23:06:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_2865_33631</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is a Supply Chain? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti, Daniel Ogden]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lots of chatter lately about supply chain problems, so the Institute for Policy Innovation is proud to host Research Fellow Prof. Daniel Ogden, (among other things) Adjunct Instructor of International Business at Baylor University, to explain the basics. In conversation with IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_WhatIsSupplyChain_7-28-22_mix.mp3" length="38751111" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2022 10:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_2863_33628</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is a Recession and Why Does It Matter? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss the various definitions of recession, what causes recessions, what's the harm of recession, and are there any possible silver linings to a recession? Are recessions always unintentional, or are they sometimes intentional?]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_WhatIsRecession_7-21-22_mix.mp3" length="38873991" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2022 09:02:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_2850_33592</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Self-Government and the Superiority of the Legislative Branch (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Solo this time, IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains that the very idea of self-government means rules agreed to through compromise and consensus-building, rather than being imposed on an unwilling people. If there is no consensus, there should be no rule. And because rules imposed by the Judicial Branch or the Executive Branch violate this principle, the Legislative Branch is the superior branch of government, as intended by the Founders. But sadly, today this is not how things function, and it's part of the reason for the dysfunction and dissatisfaction with our American government.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_SelfGovernment_5-26-22_mix.mp3" length="25962814" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2022 21:12:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Private Space Revolution (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[One thing the Obama administration got right was shifting NASA's space program toward reliance on private space launch providers, which has led to an environment of much more rapid innovation, lower costs to taxpayers, and the emergence of multiple competing providers. IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss how the private space revolution is yet another example of how the private sector does things better, faster, and cheaper.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_PrivateSpaceRevolution_5-19-22_mix.mp3" length="31889266" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2022 23:31:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Permissionless Innovation vs. the Precautionary Principle (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Bartlett Cleland]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI Senior Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland guides a discussion with IPI President Tom Giovanetti about the importance of permissionless innovation, and the problems with its opposite--the precautionary principle.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Permissionless-Innovation_5-5-22_mix.mp3" length="56237687" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2022 23:08:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Impact of Inflation on Your Taxes (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain why inflation can result in taxes paid on false gains because capital gains tax rates and other taxes on assets are not indexed for inflation, and that income tax brackets in many states are also not indexed for inflation.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Inflation_Taxes_4-21-22_mix.mp3" length="22186761" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2022 10:04:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Tax Rates vs. Tax Revenues (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[When a politician talks about "cutting taxes," what does she mean? Usually, she means reducing marginal tax rates, but what are those? And what's the difference between marginal tax rates, effective tax rates, average tax rates, and tax revenue? Does raising marginal tax rates automatically raise tax revenues? IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains, with the able assistance of Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_TaxRate_4-14-22_mix.mp3" length="29775228" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2022 09:04:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: When the Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Federal%20Reserve_3-17-22_mix.mp3" length="23389480" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2022 21:32:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Perils and Pitfalls of Modelling (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_ModellingIssues_2-22-22_mix.mp3" length="36593187" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 22 Feb 2022 22:17:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: When Congress Doesn't Act, Congress Still Has Acted (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[When you hear a president say "If Congress Won't Act, I will," red flags should go off in your head. That's because when Congress does not legislate, that is Congress CHOOSING to not legislate. Congress choosing to do nothing is just as important, if not more important, than Congress choosing to do something. Or so it seems to IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Congressional-Inaction_1-27-22_mix.mp3" length="20722232" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2022 19:03:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Three Types of Taxes (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Beginning a series on basics of tax, IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains taxes on what we earn, taxes on what we buy, and taxes on what we own, with the able assistance of fellow taxpayer and IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_3-TypesOfTaxes_1-13-22_mix.mp3" length="41801795" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2022 12:06:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Debt Obligations of the Federal Government Are Much Bigger than You Think (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_DebtCrisis_12-16-21_mix.mp3" length="32770115" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Sun, 19 Dec 2021 12:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Is Antitrust the Right Solution to the Problem? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Bartlett Cleland]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Anti-trust_12-14-21_mix.mp3" length="51298663" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2021 19:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Social Media Regulation, Section 230, and the First Amendment (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Bartlett Cleland]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI Senior Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland and IPI President Tom Giovanetti have an extensive conversation explaining the origins of Section 230, and the insurmountable First Amendment problems with states trying to compel social media platforms to host speech they don't want to host.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Sec-230-1st%20Amend_12-9-21_mix.mp3" length="69611545" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:39:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_811_13438</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Why Are Lower Taxes Better than Higher Taxes? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_High-vs-LowTax_11-11-21_mix.mp3" length="46414183" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Supply Creates Its Own Demand (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews, Bartlett Cleland]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[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.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_SeysLaw_10-21-21_mix(001).mp3" length="37433260" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 21 Oct 2021 10:56:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Not All Tax Cuts Are Created Equal (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Tax cuts can have a strong impact on economic growth, or none at all--it depends on whether the tax cut encourages private sector investment. IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and President Tom Giovanetti look back at the IPI archives to a 2001 study that ranked different types of tax cuts based on their impact on economic growth. Hint: Tax cuts designed to "put more money in people's pockets" aren't going to get the job done.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_TaxCutsUnequal_10-14-21_mix.mp3" length="24661891" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 14 Oct 2021 09:11:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What's Wrong with Social Security, and How Do We Fix It? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti describes Social Security's structural, demographic and financial problems, and explains that there are solutions and it's not rocket science, if only our elected officials would pay attention.
We focus particularly on Personal Retirement Accounts. Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews describes how three counties in Texas have demonstrated for 40 years that Personal Retirements Accounts can safely outperform Social Security's miserable rates of return.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_SocialSecurity_10-7-21_mix.mp3" length="49368921" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2021 08:32:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is Compelled Speech and Why Is It Important? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Most people understand that the First Amendment protects Americans from government censorship of their speech, but more poorly understood is that it also protects Americans from government compelled speech. Government cannot compel private actors to "support" speech they do not agree with, and this has enormous policy implications for both right-leaning efforts to regulate social media, and left-leaning efforts to punish conscientious objectors like Jack Phillips, the Christian baker in Colorado. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Compelled-Speech_9-30-21_mix.mp3" length="19877119" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 30 Sep 2021 18:22:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Goal Should be Energy Abundance (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[There is no need for fossil fuel advocates to bash renewable energy, and vice versa. Instead, we should all be pursuing energy abundance as a strategy, and encouraging an "all of the above" approach. Innovation in energy should be favored by all, whether it's innovation in cleaner burning fossil fuels, solar and wind, geothermal, or nuclear. There is no reason to discourage a single megawatt from being produced from any energy source, and large-scale storage has the potential to radically create new energy markets and new opportunities. Led by IPI President Tom Giovanetti, with Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_EnergyAbundance_9-16-21_mix.mp3" length="29610343" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2021 22:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Where Do Our Rights Come From? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains that our rights come neither from government, from the Bill of Rights, or from the Constitution, and thus are not limited to those enumerated in the Bill of Rights. Further, if your rights come from government or a document, government can take your rights away by changing the document. With IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_WhereRightsComeFrom_8-26-21_mix.mp3" length="22381112" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2021 17:14:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Proper Use of Eminent Domain (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Eminent domain, or the taking of property for a public use, is a perfectly constitutional, if sometimes controversial, function of government and government-approved private actors. So long as the constitutional requirements are met--that it be for a public use and the owner receive just compensation, eminent domain is legitimate. But what is a public use? And what is just compensation? And was the Kelo decision right or wrong? IPI President Tom Giovanetti leads a discussion about eminent domain with the assistance of Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_EminentDomain_8-19-21_mix.mp3" length="31255431" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2021 22:38:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is Dynamic Scoring? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Trying to not get TOO deep into the weeds, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain why treating the economy as dynamic rather than static, and treating consumers and businesses as rational rather than stupid, is the right way to try to estimate the results of policy changes on the budget and the overall economy.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_DynamicScoring_8-5-21_mix.mp3" length="31541315" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 05 Aug 2021 19:53:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What is a Price? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[There's a lot more going on behind the price of a pint of strawberries than just an arbitrary number. Prices convey information--an enormous amount of information. And if we understand the importance of price in signaling, rationing, and incentivizing production, then it's obvious why government price controls and "price gouging" laws are a terrible idea.
]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_WhatIsPrice_7-29-21_mix(001).mp3" length="24851878" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2021 11:11:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Put Not Your Trust in Polling (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In a recent polling industry autopsy of the 2020 election, pollsters themselves acknowledge that they don't know why their numbers were skewed by about 4% in favor of Joe Biden and Democrats. "It's time to stop paying attention to pollsters," says IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews. And IPI President Tom Giovanetti thinks that's a great idea, since polling has a pernicious effect on our political system.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_PollingInaccuracy_7-22-21_mix.mp3" length="28646112" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2021 15:41:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Why is Zero Sum Economic Thinking Wrong? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[What is zero-sum thinking, and is it appropriate for economic policy? Is the pie static, or can we have more pie? And was Donald Trump the ultimate zero-sum politician? By IPI President Tom Giovanetti with Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_ZeroSum_7-15-21_mix.mp3" length="41016867" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2021 19:49:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Local Control Is NOT a Governing Principle (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Long-awaited opportunity for IPI President Tom Giovanetti to talk about one of his favorite policy issues. Almost everyone, conservatives and liberals alike, thinks local control is a governing principle, and that state legislatures have no business intruding on local issues. But as Tom explains (and rants a little), this is a misunderstanding of the structure of our constitutional system and results in cities enacting all sorts of policies that erode economic liberty, property rights, and individual liberty. IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews tries to get a few words in edgewise but mostly this is Tom's rant.
]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_LocalControl_7-1-21_mix.mp3" length="33866004" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jul 2021 10:02:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Failure of the Market Failure Excuse (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[What is "market failure?" Do markets fail, or is that just an excuse used by government bureaucrats to regulate industries, start antitrust investigations, and create new programs and entitlements? Are there ways to address gaps in markets without blowing the whole thing up? Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews guides us through the issue of supposed market failures, and IPI President Tom Giovanetti shares his thoughts.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_MarketFailure_6-17-21_mix.mp3" length="42850663" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2021 20:12:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Facts about the Presidential Election (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[With rumors swirling that some expect Donald Trump to be "reinstated" as president at some point, IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and IPI President Tom Giovanetti discuss the facts about the presidential election and process, and attempt to provide some perspective going forward.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_ElectionFacts_6-10-21_mix.mp3" length="32889274" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 10 Jun 2021 19:06:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The CIA's History, Mission and Challenges in a Changing World (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Kevin Hulbert]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI Resident Scholar Merrill Matthews talks with former longtime CIA official Kevin Hulbert who was involved in counterintelligence, counterterrorism, cybersecurity and covert actions. Their discussion centers on the founding, history, mission and current challenges facing America's premier spy and intelligence-gathering agency.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-6-3-21_CIA_mix.mp3" length="42192980" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2021 12:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Tax Competition is a Feature, Not a Bug (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Government Class may hate it, but tax competition is a feature, not a bug. What they call a "race to the bottom" is actually strategic pressure to hold governments in check. Attempts among state or national governments to coordinate tax policy should be seen for what it is--collusion to eliminate competition and unleash ever bigger government. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Tax-Competition_5-27-21_mix.mp3" length="45302621" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 27 May 2021 22:03:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Inflation Is the Most Miserable Tax of All (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[With the undeniable return of inflation, at least for now, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss the current causes of inflation and the return of the "Misery Index."]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Inflation_5-20-21_mix.mp3" length="32805223" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2021 23:04:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Pro-Markets, not Pro-Business (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[There's a reason we describe ourselves as pro-markets and not as pro-business, but too many times policymakers don't seem to know the difference and think they are supposed to be representing the interests of businesses. But if consumer welfare is the goal, policymakers should defend markets rather than businesses. IPI president Tom Giovanetti rants about his recent experience testifying before the Texas Legislature, joined by Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_ProMarket-notProBusiness_5-13-21_mix.mp3" length="30493048" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2021 10:04:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Why Attempting to Regulate Speech on Social Media Platforms Is a Bad Idea (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Addie Crimmins]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Facebook Oversight Board released its decision supporting the suspension of Donald Trump's Facebook account but chiding Facebook for inconsistency and demanding that Facebook come up with clear, equally enforceable rules. This seems like a good time to summarize all the reasons why conservatives should not be attempting to use government power to regulate speech on social media platforms. With helpful contributions from Addie Crimmins, IPI's Director of Development and Events.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_SocialMediaReg_5-6-21_mix.mp3" length="52513671" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 06 May 2021 09:52:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: 'Right to Repair' Is a Trojan Horse and a Threat to American Innovation (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA["Right to Repair" initiatives in the states seem reasonable but are actually Trojan Horse proposals designed to undermine intellectual property protection, but were they to succeed American innovation would be undermined and consumer safety would be compromised. With the assistance of IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Right-to-Repair_4-29-21_mix.mp3" length="26650565" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2021 21:33:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is Intellectual Property and Why Is it Important? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Bartlett Cleland, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In honor of World IP Day, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland discuss why intellectual property protection is important, and why IPI hosts annual World IP Day Policy Briefings.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Intellectual-Property_4-22-21_mix.mp3" length="36269035" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 2021 09:31:00 EST</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics Podcast: No, Markets Aren't Perfect--They're Just Better than the Alternatives (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Those of us who are proponents of free-markets are under no obligation to argue that markets are perfect--just that they are better than the alternatives of pillaging, communism, socialism, and attempts to manage the economy from the top-down by government bureaucrats. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_MarketsNotPerfect_4-1-21_mix.mp3" length="33071647" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 01 Apr 2021 09:36:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_743_13247</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What Is Moral Hazard? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss the concept of moral hazard in public policy, and why every new proposal should be examined for whether it contains any moral hazard. And once you understand moral hazard, you start to see it in almost everything government touches.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_MoralHazard_3-25-21_mix(001).mp3" length="40643814" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2021 19:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_740_13235</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Fixing the Filibuster (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and IPI President Tom Giovanetti discuss the history of the filibuster, it's role in the Senate, what's going wrong, and how it might be fixed without being completely eliminated.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_FixTheFilibuster_3-11-21_mix.mp3" length="28237949" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2021 20:10:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_738_13230</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Prescription Drug Development and the Miracle of the Covid-19 Vaccine(s) (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews describes some of the hurdles of prescription drug development, why the development of the Covid-19 vaccines is such a success story, and what we might learn from this experience. With comments by IPI president Tom Giovanetti.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_VaccineDevelop-3-4-21_mix.mp3" length="32395807" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2021 19:41:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_736_13224</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Increasing the Federal Minimum Wage Is Unnecessary and Harmful (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Here's everything you need to understand about the federal minimum wage, why it's unnecessary, why it's harmful, and how it will harm the very segment of the labor force it is supposedly designed to help. With valuable contributions by IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_FedMinWage-2-25-21_mix.mp3" length="26564023" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2021 19:35:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_734_13218</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Our Rights Are Not Absolute (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[All of our rights are important and worth defending, but none of our rights are absolute. And assuming a right is an absolute right leads to bad policy thinking, as explained by IPI President Tom Giovanetti.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_RightsNotAbsolute-2-5-21_mix.mp3" length="25728313" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2021 14:40:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_732_13212</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: What is Net Neutrality, and Why Doesn't It Matter? (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti, joined by Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, explains that while the meaning of "net neutrality" has morphed several times over the last decade, it has always been driven by a distrust of privately owned networks, a bias against private ownership of infrastructure, and trust that government regulation makes things better.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_NetNeutrality_1-28-21_mix.mp3" length="49904327" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:40:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_729_13206</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Government and the Country Are Not the Same Things  (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Addie Crimmins]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains that government is itself a special interest, and it more often looks after its own interests than those of the country. Too often, policy and political discussions talk about the federal government as if it is a proxy for the country. But more often than not, what's best for the federal government is not what's best for the country, and vice versa. In this podcast Tom is ably assisted by IPI Director of Development & Events, Addie Crimmins.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics_Govt-is-not-country_1-21-21_mix(001).mp3" length="28031060" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 21 Jan 2021 19:11:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_727_13200</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Consumer Welfare Should Always Come First (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti, with the help of Dr. Merrill Matthews, explains why policy should put what's best for consumers ahead of what's best for producers and competitors in the areas of trade and antitrust, and also ahead of what's best for politicians.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-Consumer1st_1-14-21_mix.mp3" length="42554723" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2021 13:40:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_720_13190</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: A Primer on Price Controls (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explains how government price controls distort price signals and thus cause distortions in markets, which harm competition, innovation, and consumer choice.
]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-12-17-20_mix.mp3" length="52410201" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2020 20:34:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_718_13186</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Knowledge Problem (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains the important policy concept of F.A. Hayek's "knowledge problem" from his 1947 essay "The Use of Knowledge in Society" and its relevance to policy, central planning, and humility in government.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-ep5_12-10-20_mix.mp3" length="30797740" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2020 22:34:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_716_13181</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: No One Knows How to Make a Pencil (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains the famous 1958 policy essay "I, Pencil" by Leonard Read, and its clever illustration of the superiority of voluntary economic cooperation over top-down central planning.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-ep4_12-3-20_mix.mp3" length="14153770" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2020 15:41:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_714_13175</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Why Prescription Drug Importation Is a Bad Idea (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Importing drugs from other countries was first embraced by Democrats and now by some Republicans as a way of lowering Americans' drug spending. But if there's such a great demand, why has it never worked when implemented at scale? And why won't anyone take FL Governor Ron DeSantis' $30 million offer for a company to implement it in Florida? Hint: It might have to do with Medicare Part D, generic drugs, and the danger of counterfeiting.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-ep3_11-19-20_mix.mp3" length="32646583" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2020 10:52:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_711_13167</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: The Broken Window Fallacy (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[IPI President Tom Giovanetti discusses the "broken window fallacy," and three key lessons it teaches us about how to think about policy.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-11-12-20.mp3" length="19951700" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2020 15:42:00 EST</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">ipiitunes_710_13162</guid>
<title><![CDATA[IPI Policy Basics: Five Key Turning Points in the Quest for US Energy Independence (Audio: Podcast)]]></title>
<itunes:author><![CDATA[Merrill Matthews, Tom Giovanetti]]></itunes:author>
<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explains the five key turning points that have shaped US energy independence, going back to "peak oil" and the shortages of the 1970s, to the fracking revolution and US oil exports. Part of our IPI Policy Basics audio reference library.]]></itunes:summary>
<enclosure url="https://s3.amazonaws.com/eres-ipi/audiolib/PolicyBasics-ep1_mix.mp3" length="30062341" type="audio/mpeg" /><pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2020 12:30:00 EST</pubDate>
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