The Economist Next Door

Why does public transit keep costing the government more money? Why is cheaper goods the same thing as higher pay? And why don't most people have pensions anymore?

Dominic Pino sits down with Marc Scribner to look through these questions on this episode of Econception.

Marc Scribner is a Senior Transportation Policy Analyst at Reason Foundation.

Do Europeans work hard enough? Why do you pay higher interest rates than banks? And can a Hawaiian rum company end one of our worst protectionist laws?

Garett Jones joins Dominic Pino to discuss these questions on the latest episode of Econception.

Garett Jones is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

What does "GDP" actually mean? Are European value-added taxes really tariffs on America? Does the US need a sovereign wealth fund?

Dominic Pino discusses these questions and more on the latest episode of Econception.

With Donald Trump's return to the White House, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been established in partnership with Elon Musk and is getting to work. What is going on with DOGE so far, and what changes have already happened?

Joining Econception today to discuss this is Dr. James Broughel.

Dr. James Broughel is a Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Dr. Broughel is an accomplished economist whose expertise lies in regulatory institutions and the impact of regulations on economic growth. He is the author of the book Regulation and Economic Growth: Applying Economic Theory to Public Policy and is a regular columnist at Forbes, where he writes on topics such as energy and cryptocurrency.

How should free market supporters think about welfare programs? Is road congestion pricing a good idea? And what's the matter with the Endangered Species Act?

Dominic Pino discusses this on the latest episode of Econception.

How are local governments blocking churches from caring for the homeless? What's the difference between a government shutdown and hitting the debt ceiling? And how do markets work to get Christmas presents on time?

Christian Britschgi joins the show to discuss.

Christian Britschgi is a reporter at Reason who covers property rights, housing policy, transportation policy, and regulation.

What is financialization? What do people think of healthcare in the United States? And what is the relationship between socialism and violence?

David Bahnsen joins Dominic today to discuss.

David Bahnsen is the founder and managing partner of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing over $4 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. Bahnsen is also a contributor to several prominent outlets and a best-selling author.

How to special interests influence trade policy? Is Milton Friedman making a comeback? And why is milk never on sale?

Scott Lincicome joins Econception with Dominic Pino to discuss.

Scott Lincicome is the vice president of general economics and Cato Institutes'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.

What are the economics of podcasts? Is the CHIPS Act working? And are China's corporate tax rates better than ours?

Emily Jashinsky joins Dominic today to discuss.

Emily Jashinsky is UnHerd's Washington D.C. Correspondent and a writer at several outlets, including The Federalist.

Why is the government spending so much more money than it was five years ago? How do tariffs hurt the people they're supposed to help? And is Canada poor?

Matthew Dickerson joins the podcast today to discuss.

Matthew D. Dickerson is the Director of Budget Policy at the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC). Dickerson is recognized as an expert on fiscal policy issues, including the budget, appropriations, and entitlement reform.