In this episode we explore the economic and strategic foundations of networks – from personal connections in the labor market to complex webs of international trade and conflict together with our guest Matthew Jackson. He unpacks how networks shape opportunities, inequalities, and global dynamics, and how game theory helps us understand the power and fragility of these structures. Along the way, we discuss surprising applications, including the role of tariffs in supply chains and how network insights can explain patterns of cooperation and rivalry.

Matthew Jackson is the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University. His research interests include game theory, microeconomic theory, and the study of social and economic networks.