Public Problems

Free trade in its modern and recognizable form dates back to the ideas of Adam Smith. For centuries free trade has been considered in mainstream economics a key driver of economic growth. At the same time free trade has served as the battle ground for competing ideological perspectives throughout modern history. The debate continues to this day, extending beyond its economic realm, to capture political discourse. Today’s podcast is an attempt to use evidence in assessing free trade in light of increasing political rhetoric in the current administration.

Dr. Raymond Robertson is a professor and holder of the Helen and Roy Ryu Chair in Economics and Government in the Department of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. In this podcast the host and Dr. Robertson shed light on the obvious and hidden costs and benefits of free trade, how its impact differs across communities, and the need to be cognizant about its negative impacts. The premise of the talk, as Dr. Robertson indicates in the outset, is that in free trade, as in everything related to public policy, there will be winners and losers. But how much do the winners win, and how much do the losers lose? Is there a tradeoff between the benefits of free trade and the costs for workers in the labor market? How can we change the conversation from focusing solely on those who lose from free trade to ways of mitigating these losses, to sustain free trade’s overall positive influence for the country?

Sources cited:

Dr. Robertson’s Vitae can be accessed following this link:

http://bush.tamu.edu/faculty/rrobertson/VITARaymondRobertson_082117.pdf

More information on NAFTA can be accessed following this link:

https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta

Dr. F. Gregory Gause, III, today’s guest, is Head of the International Affairs Department at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and holds the John H. Lindsey Chair 44’. Given his vast expertise in the international politics of the Middle East, Dr. Gause accompanies the host through the troubled history of the Middle East and America’s role in shaping the region, dating back to the end of the Second World War, representing the initiation of substantive American influence in the area. The Middle East is as much a conundrum as it is widely apparent in academic, policy and media discourses in the United States. No discussion about the Middle East is complete or even imaginable without talking about oil interests Israel and the Cold War. The nexus between these three sets the historical stage for this talk, which moves forward in touching upon crucial events in the often-antagonistic relationship between US and the Middle East such as the Iranian Revolution, the Gulf wars, 9/11 and the current events in Syria and the spread of ISIS. Fast forwarding to present day US policy towards the Middle East the host and guest discuss a piece written by Dr.Gause on President Trump’s policy towards the region vis a vis President Obama’s approach. Given the rich dynamics of the past and the present between the United States and the Middle East, what should we expect from future administrations?

If you google marijuana or cannabis, a massive amount of information, academic and news articles will flood the screen. Should marijuana be legalized or not? What are the positive or negative impacts of using medical cannabis? What are the ethical and legal considerations that inform decision making on legalizing medical cannabis? The pros and the cons occupy most of the debates in social media as well as the academic sphere. In this podcast Dr. W. David Bradford, Busbee Chair in Public Policy at the University of Georgia, engages in an hour-long conversation with the host, trying to disentangle the medical cannabis debacle. It offers an evidence based account of its historical path in US policy and politics, accompanied by empirical evidence in relation to its position in the realm of medication and drugs as well as economic implications of legal use of medical cannabis. Using data from his own recent research Dr. Bradford analyzes the costs and savings that would occur if medical cannabis would be legalized, talking more in depth about Medicaid and Medicare.

Welcome!  This is a new podcast called Public Problems, where the host - Dr. Justin B. Bullock will be discussing many of the pressing public problems of our day, with experts who are working on those problems.

Dr. Bullock currently is an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University in the Bush School of Government & Public Service where he teaches and does research in the fields of public administration and public policy.

Over the past several years of being involved in these areas, the host got to know a number of experts who are doing outstanding work and fascinating research on the relevant public problems of our time. But, unfortunately, there is a gap between the knowledge held by the experts and access to this knowledge by the general public. The expert knowledge is also often ignored by legislators and policymakers. And, even worse,  in the presence of this knowledge gap, many political actors, ideologues, and special interest groups have filled this space with misinformation and confusion about many public problems.

Through this podcast, we hope to help close this current knowledge gap. Dr. Bullock will be interviewing these experts and sharing their knowledge and work with you.

    

We hope you find this podcast to be both informative and enjoyable!   

    

The first full episode will be posted soon!  Until then, take care!