Today I’m speaking with Ben Klutsey, the Executive Director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. I first met Ben at a convening in Chicago a few years ago and was immediately impressed by his curiosity, thoughtful perspective, and optimistic worldview.

Ben comes from the “classical liberal” tradition—an intellectual viewpoint that prioritizes the value of markets to solve social problems. But he’s far from a knee-jerk ideologue and offers some really nuanced perspectives about how markets must be balanced with other mechanisms to ensure fairness for everyone. He’s also done some fantastic work understanding political division and bridging differences, particularly in his starring role in the documentary UNDIVIDE US, which you can see here.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Daniel

PS. The Beacon Project podcast is now available on all streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebeaconproject.substack.com