Econception

Why is the national accounting system so valuable? Can we trust economic data not to be politically biased? And what does it mean to say that complexity is a subsidy?

Joining Dominic today is William Beach to discuss.

Dr. Beach is a Senior Fellow at the Economic Policy Innovation Center and the former Commisioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Why is the national debt a bigger issue now than it was in the past? Is it a problem that people making minimum wage can’t afford a two-bedroom apartment? What is the economic rationale behind gift cards?

Brian Riedl joins Dominic Pino to discuss.

Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic policy. A prolific researcher, Riedl has published nearly 600 studies and articles since 2001 on federal spending, taxes, deficits, and economic policy, and has assisted in the writing of several New York Times best-selling books.

How should we think about the relationship between free trade and national security? How did economists come to think of free trade as a good thing? Did Paris make good use of $1.5 billion to clean up the Seine River for the Olympics?

Samuel Gregg joins Econception today to discuss.

Samuel Gregg is the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He has a D.Phil. in moral philosophy and political economy from Oxford University, and an M.A. in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne.

Do we still need to create jobs? What are labor unions, and how do they actually work?

Scott Lincicome joins host Dominic Pino to discuss all things labor market.

Scott Lincicome is the Cato Institute’s vice president of general economics and Cato’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. He writes on international and domestic economic issues, including international trade; subsidies and industrial policy; manufacturing and global supply chains; and economic dynamism.

Why does the money supply matter? Do most Americans hate their jobs? And how can it make sense to spend millions of dollars on an election you’ll win anyway?

Joining the show today is Patrick Horan to discuss. 

Patrick Horan is a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he focuses on monetary policy and the Federal Reserve System. His writings have been published in Barron’s, The Hill, City Journal, National Review Online, US News & World Report, Discourse, and InsideSources.

What is the state pension fund crisis? Why are government subsidies for internet service a bad idea? Did tariffs cause the Great Depression?

Dominic Pino and Thomas Savidge sit down to discuss these questions and more. 

Thomas Savidge is a Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. He earned his Master in Public Policy from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from SUNY New Paltz.

How does the tax code screw up healthcare? 

On the latest episode of Econception, Theo Merkel sits down with Dominic to discuss how healthcare and health insurance are closely tied to tax policy, and how the tax code can be changed to address some of our healthcare system’s biggest problems.

Theo Merkel is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on improving the sustainability of U.S. entitlement programs, the effectiveness of our safety net, the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, the balance between the federal government and the states, and the transition from policy development to implementation.

Does worker pay track with worker productivity? Do bureaucrats represent the American people? What does smuggling alcohol have to do with supporting tariffs?

Scott Winship sits down with Dominic Pino to discuss these questions and more on this episode of Econception.

Scott Winship is the Director of the Center for Social Mobility and Opportunity at the American Enterprise Institute.

Tariffs are one of those economic topics that never seem to go away. With new tariffs from the Biden Administration and a proposed 10% universal tariff for President Trump’s potential second term, we have to ask: What’s the real story behind them? Are they rightfully understood in our discourse today? What would the impact of more tariffs be?

To discuss these questions, host Dominic Pino sat down with tax policy expert Erica York.

Erica York is Senior Economist and Research Director with Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy. Her analysis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, and other national and international media outlets.

Why is 2025 an important year for government spending? Does the rise of China mean free trade no longer applies? Is it a good idea to devalue the U.S. dollar?

Paul Winfree sits down with host Dominic Pino to discuss these questions.

Dr. Paul Winfree is an economist and a trusted public policy advisor. He has served in top management and policy roles in the White House, the US Senate, and in think tanks. Currently, he serves as President and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center in Washington, DC.