The Missing Middle Podcast

Canada’s place in the global world order is shifting and according to the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) Canada will be the worst-performing advanced economy over the next decade

John Rapley is a political economist specializing in global development, the world economy, and economic history. He was born and raised in Ottawa and is a political economist at the University of Cambridge. He has written five books, the latest of which is titled Why Empires Fall: Rome, America, And The Future Of The West 

In this 35-minute interview, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to him about his latest book, why he thinks Western countries are in economic decline compared to developing economies, pensions, the housing crisis, and what Canada's economic advantages are. 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern

Produced by Meredith Martin

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.


Extra Reading:

The Globe and Mail: Canada benefits from a world order that empires built. As the latest one declines, so does our economy John Rapley, Aug 25, 2023

Foreign Affairs: The New Middle Ages by John Rapley, May 1, 2006

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

Yesterday was the first time Mike or Cara ever heard Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalling that his government would work to cap the number of international students allowed in the country, tying the numbers to available housing. Mike and Cara discuss what this development means and how it could even work.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

In a throwback to the post-war era, Trudeau's federal government is looking into creating a catalogue of pre-approved home designs that they hope will speed up housing development. But why do they even matter, and where can they go wrong?

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

Canadian bond yields have been fairly volatile in recent weeks...but what does that even mean, and why does it matter to anyone outside of the finance world?

Mike gives a primer on what bond yields are, and why the middle class should understand and care about them.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

British Columbia's Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon joins Mike and Cara to talk about the big plans his government has to make it easier for developers to build homes. 

We cover everything from zoning, to immigration, and building with timber.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

Justin Trudeau's government released its Fall Economic Statement this week, introducing what Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland called meaty measures...and what Mike Moffatt grades at a C-. He explains why, and what they could have offered instead.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner joined Mike and Cara to talk about his two private member's bills that aim to increase housing supply, as well as how he hopes to represent young people who have been priced out of the market.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

The provincial government has set the target of 1.5 million homes in the province over a 10-year period. That involves major increases in the rate of construction, beyond anything we've seen in decades. To incentivize municipalities, the federal and provincial governments are tying infrastructure funding to  these targets. But are these goals realistic? And what does a "new housing unit" mean?

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

The Ontario NDP and Olivia Chow both recently released their housing plans. They're both big budget projects, but with wildly different calculations in how much it costs to build a home. Alex Beheshti is an urban planner and land economist with the Altus Group, and he joins Mike and Cara to evaluate the feasibility of these plans.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

A lot of politicians say that development charges are paid for out of the pockets of big developers, and save taxpayers from footing the bill for infrastructure. The question we have is: Is that really true?

Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin.

Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil