Author and economist Donald Shoup of UCLA talks about destructive parking policies with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Shoup argues that most parking policies inflict unseen damage on the economy. He urges cities to charge for curbside parking and use the proceeds to improve the neighborhood beyond the curb. Stroup also e...

By Amy Willis

What is the outlook for black Americans today- is the black experience glass half full or half empty? Is racial discrimination the root of all problems in Black America? In this episode, EconTalk host Russ Roberts welcomes the Wall Street Journal's Jason Riley, who argues the current situation has been distorted by act...

Author Ian Leslie talks about his book Conflicted with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Leslie argues that, far from being a negative thing, conflict is often the essential ingredient that helps us get to the right answer or best solution. Because some of our best thinking comes in collaboration with others, learning how t...

Economist Bruce Meyer of the University of Chicago talks about poverty with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. In recent years, a number of scholars have claimed that millions of Americans live in extreme poverty, akin to the standard of living in the poorest countries around the world. Meyer argues that these studies are b...

Journalist and author Jason Riley talks about race with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Riley argues that the challenges facing Black America go beyond racial discrimination and the threat of police violence. He argues that both the history of Black Americans and the current situation has been distorted by activists who be...

By Amy Willis

Do you approach the world and the challenges it imposes more like a scout or a soldier? What's the difference? Both are mindsets, and bot are appropriate in particular situations, according to guest Julia Galef. In this episode, host Russ Roberts welcomes Galef to talk about her new book, The Scout Mindset, and explore...

Podcaster and author Julia Galef talks about her book The Scout Mindset with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Galef urges us to be more rational--to be open-minded about what we might discover about the world--rather than simply defend what we already believe, which she calls the soldier mindset. The conversation is a wi...

By Amy Willis

What makes you angry? How do you feel about yourself when it happens? If you're like EconTalk host Russ Roberts, you might feel like being angry is synonymous with a loss of control, or at least something you should learn how to control. Not so fast. In this episode, Roberts welcomes back philosopher Agnes Cal...

Philosopher Agnes Callard of the University of Chicago talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about anger. Is anger something we should vilify and strive to eradicate in ourselves? Or should we accept it as a necessary and appropriate human emotion? Callard takes a fresh look at anger and has much to say about jealousy,...

Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania talks about her book How to Change with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. What can we learn from research in psychology and behavioral economics about breaking the habits we want to change? Is that research reliable? And should Russ Rob...

Author and poet Roya Hakakian talks about her latest book, A Beginner's Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hakakian was born in Iran and came to the United States as a 19 year-old, not speaking any English, and carrying only the things she could stuff in her backpack...

By Amy Willis

Did you know that nearly EIGHTY PERCENT of Americans will experience at least one year of living at or below the poverty level? On the flip side, almost 40% of Americans will also spend at least one year in the top 10% of income earners. So what is poverty? According to sociologist and author Mark Rank, poverty is not ...

Sociologist and author Mark Rank talks about his book, Poorly Understood, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Rank looks at a wide variety of aspects of poverty. He argues that many widely-held views on poverty are inaccurate, and in particular he argues that most Americans will be poor at some point in their lives. Thi...

By Amy Willis

How can you tell if you're really happy? What makes other people happy? Are these empirical questions that can be answered? In this episode, EconTalk host Russ Roberts continues his exploration of happiness studies with psychologist Emiliana Simon-Thomas of UC Berkeley. From our many previous episodes on happiness, we ...

Psychologist Emiliana Simon-Thomas of the University of California, Berkeley talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the science of happiness--what research can teach us about happiness.

By Amy Willis

If you're like me, it seems surreal that we entered the pandemic over one year ago.  One year ago, we were scared and uncertain. Today, many of us are starting to re-emerge. What did we learn from this experience? Are there any silver linings? What of the vagary of predictions put forth early in the pandemic? How many...