Jon Hartley and Arthur Laffer discuss his origins as an economist, including his relationships with George Shultz and Milton Friedman, the 50-year history of the Laffer Curve, the shape of the Laffer Curve, the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on fixed investment and revenue, and much more.

Recorded on August 12, 2025.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Each episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, a video podcast series and the official podcast of the Hoover Economic Policy Working Group, focuses on getting into the weeds of economics, finance, and public policy on important current topics through one-on-one interviews. Host Jon Hartley asks guests about their main ideas and contributions to academic research and policy. The podcast is titled after Milton Friedman‘s famous 1962 bestselling book Capitalism and Freedom, which after 60 years, remains prescient from its focus on various topics which are now at the forefront of economic debates, such as monetary policy and inflation, fiscal policy, occupational licensing, education vouchers, income share agreements, the distribution of income, and negative income taxes, among many other topics.

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