Economic Forces
Pondering price theory, past and present. A weekly newsletter covering all things economics.
Economic Forces
Show overview
Economic Forces has been publishing since 2021, and across the 4 years since has built a catalogue of 13 episodes. That works out to roughly 10 hours of audio in total. Releases follow an irregular cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 51 min and 1h — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Science show.
There hasn’t been a new episode in the last ninety days; the most recent episode landed 7 months ago. The busiest year was 2022, with 8 episodes published.
From the publisher
Brian Albrecht, Josh Hendrickson, and guests ponder price theory, past and present www.economicforces.xyz
Latest Episodes
Albrecht and Beckworth on the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics
Thank you to everyone for tuning into my live video with David Beckworth! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Christopher Brunt | Medicare Pricing, Supplier Induced Demand, and Doctors' Incentives
Pricetheory.substack.comWelcome to Episode 13 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Christopher Brunt, Shirley & Philip Solomons Endowed Chair, Professor of Economics at Georgia Southern. We talk about health economics, especially supplier-induced demand, Medicare pricing, and how administered prices distort incentives for doctors.Chris’s Research* CPT fee differentials and visit upcoding under Medicare Part B* Pricing distortions in medicare's physician fee schedule and patient satisfaction with care quality and access Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Brian Albrecht and Josh Hendrickson | What is Price Theory?
You are listening to the Economic Forces Podcast, a free weekly newsletter on economics, especially price theory, without the politics. You can support our newsletter by signing up at pricetheory.substack.comWelcome to Episode 12 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We change things up by having a conversation between us about “what is price theory?” We point to a few central themes: exchange, competition is everywhere, opportunity costs, the value of simple models, and markets clear somehow.Previous Newsletters DiscussedJosh: Those Pesky Transaction CostsBrian: Markets Must Become CompetitiveBrian on why monopolies must competeWe hope you enjoy the conversation and consider becoming a paid subscriber. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss. Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Carola Binder | Inflation Expectations, Measurement and Causes
You’re reading Economic Forces, a free weekly newsletter on economics, especially price theory, without the politics. You can support our newsletter by signing up here:Welcome to Episode 11 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Carola Binder, Associate Professor of Economics at Haverford College. We talk about Carola’s work on inflation expectations, what drives it, and how we measure it. We also cover consumer sentiment, political pressure on central banks, and NGDP targeting.Carola’s Research* Stuck in the Seventies: Gas Prices and Consumer Sentiment* Political Pressure on Central BanksRecent Newsletters on Inflation* Josh on Inflation and Relative Prices* Brian on Is Inflation Demand or Supply Driven?* Josh on Inflation and Time* Brian on Is Concentration Driving Inflation?You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin | How the World Became Rich
You’re reading Economic Forces, a free weekly newsletter on economics, especially price theory, without the politics. You can support our newsletter by signing up here:Welcome to Episode 10 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin about their new book, "How the World Became Rich." We talk about why England grew more than the Dutch, what role institutions and culture play, the modern approaches to economic history, and the need for more price theory in economic history. Buy their book here.You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Garrett Scott | Airline Pricing, Refunds, and the Role of Price Discrimination
You’re listening to Economic Forces, a free weekly newsletter and podcast on economics, especially price theory, without the politics. You can support our newsletter by signing up here:Welcome to Episode 9 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Garrett Scott about his job market paper "Screening with Refunds: Evidence from the Airline Industry." We discuss what makes airline pricing unique, especially the regulation and uncertainty involved, and the impact of price discrimination through refunds on the level of efficiency within the airline market.You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Henry Thompson | Mafia Courts and Contracting without the Law
You’re listening to Economic Forces, a free weekly newsletter and podcast on economics, especially price theory, without the politics. You can support our newsletter by signing up here:Welcome to Episode 8 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Henry Thompson about his paper "Costa Nostra Courts." We discuss how the Mafia used this ingenious court system to protect its secrecy and enforce agreements that could not be written down as contracts.Cosa Nostra Courts: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6165b74a4cd40d5293c28c99/t/61ac144aee1b8d04e4a89207/1638667339483/Thompson_GMU_JMP.pdfYou can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Claudia Williamson | Institutions, Economic Development, and Policy Humility
Welcome to Episode 7 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Claudia Williamson on institutions and development. Along the way, we talk about how the government is often a threat to development, her approach to price theory and Austrian economics, the importance of taking subjective value seriously, and her experience as an editor at the Journal of Institutional Economics.You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Casey Mulligan | Regulation, Innovation, and the Economics of Pandemics
Welcome to Episode 5 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Casey Mulligan on applying basic economic tools like excess burden (deadweight loss) and Marshall’s Law to policy work, especially surrounding pandemics, and the importance of understanding the economics of innovation.Check out Casey’s books:You’re Hired!: Untold Successes and Failures of a Populist PresidentChicago Price TheoryThe Redistribution Recession: How Labor Market Distortions Contracted the EconomySide Effects and Complications: The Economic Consequences of Health-Care ReformYou can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Charles Hickson | Earl Thompson, National Defense, and Efficient Institutions
Welcome to Episode 4 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Charlie Hickson on the life and work of Earl Thompson and Charlie’s research with Thompson. Their work covers economic history, political economy, and industrial organization.You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
David Glasner | Ralph Hawtrey and Price Theory vs. Microfoundations in Macro
Welcome to Episode 3 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview David Glasner on his IO and macro influences at UCLA, the work of Ralph Hawtrey, Harold Demsetz, Benjamin Klein, and Earl Thompson, and the role of prediction vs. digging into assumptions within price theory.Check out David’s blog “Uneasy Money” and his new book Studies in the History of Monetary Theory: Controversies and Clarifications.You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss.Below you’ll find a teaser clip and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Peter Ireland | Chicago Monetary Economics and Price Theory
Welcome to Episode 2 of the Economic Forces Podcast! We interview Peter Ireland on his time at Chicago and how that influenced his research in macroeconomics and monetary economics. We cover the Chicago monetary tradition from Milton Friedman up through Robert Lucas and Peter’s advisors, Robert Townsend, John Cochrane, and others. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app. If you don’t see Economic Forces on your podcast app, try adding the following RSS feed directly: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/86578.rss. Below you’ll find a teaser clip on how Robert Lucas kept alive the Friedman/Marshallian tradition within macroeconomics and the full interview. Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe
Larry White | UCLA Price Theory and Macroeconomics
Welcome to Episode 1 of the Economic Forces Podcast! In it, Josh and I interview Larry White on his time at UCLA and how that influenced his research in macroeconomics and monetary economics.You can listen to the podcast above, watch the YouTube video below, by clicking the link “listen in podcast app” up and to the right.Update: You can now listen through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Enjoy! Get full access to Economic Forces at www.economicforces.xyz/subscribe