What are popular economic fallacies, and why are they wrong? What is holding Africa back from economic development? And Cuba still has bread rations? Dominic breaks these questions down on today’s episode of Econception.

Why is the national accounting system so valuable? Can we trust economic data not to be politically biased? And what does it mean to say that complexity is a subsidy? Joining Dominic today is William Beach to discuss. Dr. Beach is a Senior Fellow at the Economic Policy Innovation Center and the former Commisioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statist…

Why is the national debt a bigger issue now than it was in the past? Is it a problem that people making minimum wage can’t afford a two-bedroom apartment? What is the economic rationale behind gift cards? Brian Riedl joins Dominic Pino to discuss. Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic polic…

How should we think about the relationship between free trade and national security? How did economists come to think of free trade as a good thing? Did Paris make good use of $1.5 billion to clean up the Seine River for the Olympics? Samuel Gregg joins Econception today to discuss. Samuel Gregg is the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economi…

Do we still need to create jobs? What are labor unions, and how do they actually work? Scott Lincicome joins host Dominic Pino to discuss all things labor market. Scott Lincicome is the Cato Institute’s vice president of general economics and Cato’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies. He writes on international and domestic economic…

Why does the money supply matter? Do most Americans hate their jobs? And how can it make sense to spend millions of dollars on an election you’ll win anyway? Joining the show today is Patrick Horan to discuss. Patrick Horan is a research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he focuses on monetary policy and the Federal Re…

What is the state pension fund crisis? Why are government subsidies for internet service a bad idea? Did tariffs cause the Great Depression? Dominic Pino and Thomas Savidge sit down to discuss these questions and more. Thomas Savidge is a Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. He earned his Master in Public Policy from Geo…

How does the tax code screw up healthcare? On the latest episode of Econception, Theo Merkel sits down with Dominic to discuss how healthcare and health insurance are closely tied to tax policy, and how the tax code can be changed to address some of our healthcare system’s biggest problems. Theo Merkel is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute,…

Does worker pay track with worker productivity? Do bureaucrats represent the American people? What does smuggling alcohol have to do with supporting tariffs? Scott Winship sits down with Dominic Pino to discuss these questions and more on this episode of Econception. Scott Winship is the Director of the Center for Social Mobility and Opportunity at…

Tariffs are one of those economic topics that never seem to go away. With new tariffs from the Biden Administration and a proposed 10% universal tariff for President Trump’s potential second term, we have to ask: What’s the real story behind them? Are they rightfully understood in our discourse today? What would the impact of more tariffs be? To di…

Why is 2025 an important year for government spending? Does the rise of China mean free trade no longer applies? Is it a good idea to devalue the U.S. dollar? Paul Winfree sits down with host Dominic Pino to discuss these questions. Dr. Paul Winfree is an economist and a trusted public policy advisor. He has served in top management and policy role…

What is industrial policy, and does it work? What really is the “China shock”? Do the rich pay their fair share? Dr. Samuel Gregg sits down with host Dominic Pino to discuss these questions. Samuel Gregg is the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He has a Doctorate in moral philos…

How does trade policy actually get made? Does steel need protectionism? And what is the planner mindset? Dominic Pino sits down with Ed Gresser to discuss these questions and more. Ed Gresser is Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets at the Progressive Policy Institute. Previously, he worked at the U.S. Trade Representative’s Offi…

Do we live in a market economy? Why should politicians stay away from monetary policy? And why is the chicken a good mascot for free markets? Host Dominic Pino sits down with Daniel Hannan to discuss these questions and more. Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is an author and columnist, and is a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. Lord Hann…

Are stadium subsidies worth it? How about steel and aluminum tariffs? And what even is a grocery store? On this episode of Econception, an AIER podcast, host Dominic Pino is joined by John Mozena to discuss why stadium subsidies fail to produce a return for taxpayers and rarely generate expected economic growth for communities. A leading critic of …

Are two thirds of Americans living paycheck to paycheck? Is a proposed airline merger really a threat to competition? Why is the U.S. national debt a problem? In the first episode of Econception, a new production of the American Institute for Economic Research, host Dominic Pino looks through these questions and more.…