Jon Hartley and Steve Hanke discuss Hanke’s career as an academic and policy advisor, including the virtues of using currency boards to combat hyperinflation and when dollarizing is useful. The conversation also looks back at Hanke’s time on President Reagan’s White House Council of Economic Advisers, and helping to fight inflation in Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America.

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.

For more information about the podcast, visit Hoover+.

Jon Hartley and US House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. French Hill discuss Congressman Hill’s background; regulation on housing supply and the recently passed Road to Housing Act; crypto regulation including the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act, securities laws, and the Invest Act; as well as banking regulation and the Main Street Capital Access Act.

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.

For more information about the podcast, visit Hoover+.

Jon Hartley and Barry Eichengreen discuss his background and research, the status of the US dollar as a world reserve currency, the yuan’s inability to gain traction despite China’s growth, the euro, transitions between world reserve currencies, the rise of public debt, and the history of fixed versus floating exchange rate regimes.

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.

For more information about the podcast, visit Hoover+.

Jon Hartley and Michael Boskin discuss Michael’s upbringing in Los Angeles, his seminal academic work on savings, working on Governor Ronald Reagan’s tax reform task force, chairing George H.W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors from 1989 to 1993, the legacy of the Boskin Commission, teaching generations of Stanford students, and working closely with business leaders.

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.

For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.

Jon Hartley and Michael Boskin discuss Michael’s upbringing in Los Angeles, his seminal academic work on savings, working on Governor Ronald Reagan’s tax reform task force, chairing George H.W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors from 1989 to 1993, the legacy of the Boskin Commission, teaching generations of Stanford students, and working closely with business leaders.

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.

For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.

For more than four decades, Grover Norquist has been one of the most influential figures in the American conservative movement on tax policy and limited government. In this episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, host John Hartley sits down with the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform to trace his journey from anti-communist activist to architect of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and a central figure in nearly every major tax reform debate since the Reagan era.  

Norquist reflects on the Reagan tax revolution, the origins and lasting impact of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, the rise of the modern conservative coalition, and why he believes America's fiscal challenges stem from excessive spending rather than insufficient tax revenue. He also outlines his vision for the future of tax reform—including consumption-based taxation, eliminating or indexing the capital gains tax, expanding investment incentives, reducing state income taxes, and strengthening fiscal federalism—as he argues for policies designed to promote long-term economic growth, investment, and individual liberty. 

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.

For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.

Jon Hartley and Dr. Oz along with his two deputies discuss running the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which administers the major federal government healthcare programs within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), tackling Medicaid and Medicare fraud across the nation, healthcare changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill (Working Families Tax Cuts Act), lowering pharmaceutical drug prices through most favored nation (MFN) deals and TrumpRx, and integrating AI and technology into CMS workflows.

Recorded on June 11, 2026.

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.

For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.

Pete Klenow has spent his career tackling some of economics’ biggest questions: Why do some countries grow rich while others remain poor? What drives long-run prosperity? And how can policy foster innovation and productivity? In this episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, Jon Hartley sits down with the Stanford economist to discuss Klenow’s influential research on sticky prices, development accounting, economic growth, and the allocation of resources across firms and industries. 

The conversation explores how economists measure the sources of growth, why misallocation can hold back entire economies, and what Klenow’s research reveals about productivity differences across countries such as China, India, and the United States. Hartley and Klenow also examine the evolution of macroeconomics, the role of monetary policy, and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on innovation, productivity, and future economic growth.

Recorded on June 2, 2026. 

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.

For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.

Jon Hartley and Sebastian Edwards discuss Edward’s time at the University of Chicago as a PhD student in the time of Milton Friedman and the Chicago School, Chile’s market reforms and the Chicago Boys (documented in Sebastian’s most recent book, The Chile Project: The Story of the Chicago Boys and the Downfall of Neoliberalism), Javier Milei and Argentina’s prospects of reversal, renewed hope for Venezuela, and whether economic freedom and market reforms have returned.

Recorded on May 7, 2026.

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.

For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.

Jon Hartley and Phil Gramm discuss Graham’s career as an academic economist at Texas A&M, his service in the US House of Representatives and in the US Senate, and his work on the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings and Gramm-Leach-Bliley legislation. Graham also talks about his recent books on the role that economic freedom plays in economic growth, as well as various fallacies surrounding the rise of inequality in the US.

Recorded on April 28, 2026.

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.

For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.