In this episode, we discuss zero-sum games and zero-sum thinking with our guest, Nageeb Ali. We begin by looking at the broader picture of how zero-sum thinking has become increasingly prominent in today's public debate and how it relates to Akerlof's classic "lemons" problem.

Drawing on ideas from economics and game theory, Nageeb shares research connecting zero-sum thinking to questions in political economy and organizations. He explains how zero-sum thinking can emerge even when policies are not objectively zero-sum: when individuals have different information and different interests, support for a policy by others may itself become a signal that the policy is bad for you.

Later in the episode, Nageeb discusses how one-sided asymmetric information in organisational settings can lead to adverse selection and how these dynamics relate to zero-sum thinking more broadly.

Nageeb Ali is a Professor of Economics at Penn State University.