Words & Numbers

When a person harms another, the harmed party can go to the courts to seek redress. But the Supreme Court sets police and prosecutors above the law. If someone who works in these professions harms you, you will likely be prohibited from suing the person. This week on Words & Numbers, Clark Neily joins us to discuss the ramifications of immunity protections. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Get your copy of Cooperation and Coercion now! https://isi.org/cooperation-and-coercion-preorder/ Quick Hits Price Gouging https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/tech-news-briefing/amazon-works-to-remove-price-gouging/C761B7C8-0535-40E7-B039-3203306C789B Racism and Sexism https://reason.com/2020/03/06/sexism-didnt-kill-the-warren-campaign-the-warren-campaign-killed-the-warren-campaign/ Foolishness of the Week Lenin Statue https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/first-lenin-statue-western-germany-erected-gelsenkirchen Topic of the Week Terms of Engagement https://www.amazon.com/Terms-Engagement-Enforce-Constitutions-Government/dp/1594036969 Clark Neily on Twitter https://twitter.com/ConLawWarrior Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ten years ago, an explosion on the oil rig Deepwater Horizon killed almost a dozen people and resulted in the worst oil spill in US history. This week, economist and environmental and regulatory expert Peter Van Doren joins us to discuss the incentives in play that contributed to the tragedy. Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits California’s Universal Basic Income https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB2712 Wal-Mart as a Health Care Provider https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-25/walmart-takes-on-cvs-amazon-with-low-price-health-care-clinics Foolishness of the Week Gender Neutral Stores https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article240601601.html Topic of the Week Deepwater Horizon https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/26spill.html Peter Van Doren https://www.cato.org/people/peter-vandoren Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Karl Marx’s thoughts on socialism are popular among politicians and humanities professors, but not so much among business people and economics professors. In this episode, Phil Magness, economic historian and author of The Best of Karl Marx, joins Words & Numbers to talk about how Marx’s teachings were on the way out but got resurrected by political leaders and academics. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Jeff Bezos Giving $10 Billion https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/jeff-bezos-giving-away-10-billion-in-grants-for-fighting-climate-change/ Coronavirus Threatens Chinese Economy https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/millions-of-chinese-firms-face-collapse-if-banks-don-t-act-fast Foolishness of the week Flat Earth Experiment https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/23/mad-mike-hughes-killed-homemade-rocket-crash-california/4849772002/ Topic of the week The Best of Karl Marx https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZY9TGTX?ref=dbs_p2d_P_R_popup_yes_pony_T1 Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve all experienced incivility on the Internet. But today’s incivility is more than people being rude to each other online. Political leaders have become less civil toward each other, and political parties have become more extremist. Middle America, meanwhile, is becoming less represented as people on the two political extremes listen less to and scream more at each other. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Dinosaur statue https://www.the-sun.com/news/375426/dad-accidentally-orders-19ft-carnotaur-statue-for-his-dinosaur-mad-son-that-was-dropped-into-garden-by-crane/ Car dealers encourage loan defaults https://www.wsj.com/articles/dealerships-give-car-buyers-some-advice-just-stop-paying-your-loan-11581762601 Foolishness of the week Florida man refuses dialysis https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/15/trump-cardboard-cutout-dialysis-treatment/ Topic of the week The hounding of Jordan Peterson https://spectator.us/jordan-peterson-addiction-death-online-hate/ U.S. media polarization https://www.journalism.org/2020/01/24/u-s-media-polarization-and-the-2020-election-a-nation-divided/ Democrats have become more liberal https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/01/17/liberals-make-up-largest-share-of-democratic-voters/ Why has America become so divided https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/201809/why-has-america-become-so-divided What are the solutions to political polarization https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_are_the_solutions_to_political_polarization Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many people imagine that, when the government bans something, the banned thing goes away. In fact, what banning does is to remove government protections against violence, theft, and fraud. Justification for banning things that harm no one other than, perhaps, the person who wants those things hinges on inequality - that some of us should have the right to tell others of us how those others should live their own lives. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Technological cure for macular degeneration https://scienceblog.com/513957/first-in-the-u-s-wireless-retinal-device-for-advanced-age-related-macular-degeneration/ Americans go to libraries more than to movies https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/americans-went-library-more-often-movies-2019-180974091/ Foolishness of the week Trump and Pelosi’s Incivility https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/05/pelosis-page-ripping-was-fitting-end-impeachment/ Topic of the week United Nations World Drug Report https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2019/en/index.html Marijuana doomsday didn’t come https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2017-12-19/marijuana-legalization-doomsday-didnt-come-to-colorado Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Congressional Budget Office is tasked with forecasting the federal budget. Over the past twenty years, the CBO has tended to over-estimate future tax revenues and under-estimate future government spending. The result is that CBO paints an unrealistically rosy picture of the government’s financial future. If we take CBO’s forecasts and compensate for their historically rosy biases, we find that, where the CBO predicts trillion-dollar deficits forever, the likely reality is actually worse. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Europe votes for standardized phone chargers https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xgqwbd/europe-just-voted-in-favor-of-making-iphone-and-android-use-the-same-charger Pledge https://www.wgal.com/article/student-sues-lebanon-school-district-over-alleged-punishment-for-refusing-to-stand-for-pledge-of-allegiance/30732086 WV Board of Education v. Barnette https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Board_of_Education_v._Barnette Foolishness of the week Punxsutawney Phil and PETA https://www.fox5ny.com/news/peta-calls-for-punxsutawney-phil-to-retire-be-replaced-with-ai-robot-for-groundhog-day Topic of the week Latest CBO report https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2019-08/55551-CBO-outlook-update_0.pdf https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/budget-deficit-hit-1-trillion-year-cbo-200128193731479.html Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When most people say, “equality,” they mean income equality. Economists draw a finer distinction between income equality and wealth equality. Political scientists draw an even finer distinction between economic equality and equality under the law. Philosophers distinguish even more finely, looking at equality of opportunity and equality of outcome, and examining how equality itself is one of several elements that comprise justice. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Half of the world is now middle class https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/09/27/a-global-tipping-point-half-the-world-is-now-middle-class-or-wealthier/ 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/auschwitz-holocaust-muslim-jewish-pray-a9299941.html Foolishness of the week A “just” Connecticut http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/looney-news/3045-looney-200122#sthash.xHba9oNB.n5oMRw3V.dpbs https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/24/conn-democrats-propose-new-state-police-department/ Topic of the week David Schmidtz https://freedomcenter.arizona.edu/david-schmidtz Freedom Center podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/vc/podcast/freedom-center-today/id1452115977 New Yorker: The Equality Conundrum https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/13/the-equality-conundrum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rising cost of tuition is merely a symptom of a disease. The disease, which is much more complex, involves misplaced incentives from administrators to faculty to students to parents. Phil Magnus joins Words & Numbers this week to talk about his recent book, Cracks in the Ivory Tower. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Trial by combat https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2020/01/13/iowa-courts-david-ostrom-requests-trial-combat-swords-settle-dispute/4456079002/ The FBI wants access to your phone https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/two-iphones-or-privacy-billions-why-apple-vs-fbi-matters-n1118001 Foolishness of the week You may have to answer to police in Kentucky https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article239389143.html Topic of the week Cracks in the Ivory Tower https://www.amazon.com/Cracks-Ivory-Tower-Higher-Education/dp/0190846283 Review of Cracks in the Ivory Tower https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/cracks-ivory-tower Phil Magness https://twitter.com/PhilWMagness Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2020/01/13/iowa-courts-david-ostrom-requests-trial-combat-swords-settle-dispute/4456079002/ https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/08/new-york-lawyer-demands-trial-by-combat-because-game-of-thrones-is-real https://abovethelaw.com/2016/03/judge-admits-trial-by-combat-is-available-in-new-york-then-declines-to-order-it/ https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/09/17/trial-by-combat/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 18th Amendment was ratified a century ago, beginning the United States’ fourteen-year experiment with prohibition. An Amendment was needed because the Constitution did not give the federal government the power to ban alcohol. Yet, today, the federal government bans recreational drugs and puts medicinal drugs under the control of the FDA. But, the Constitution also doesn’t give the government the power to regulate drugs. Either the 18th Amendment wasn’t necessary a century ago, or federal drug controls are unconstitutional today. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits The optimal GPA https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/study-says-there-is-optimal-failure-for-learning-more-efficiently/ Too many 4.0s https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-graduated-cum-laude-so-did-everyone-else-1530523801 Weed in Atlanta https://thefreethoughtproject.com/apd-disbands-drug-unit-fight-real-crime/ Foolishness of the week Bernie Sanders worked for his money https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/aaronfreedman/bernie-sanders-is-rich-but-hes-a-worker Topic of the week Legal status of marijuana by state https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state Bootleggers and Baptists https://www.amazon.com/Bootleggers-Baptists-Economic-Persuasion-Regulatory/dp/1939709369 18th Amendment https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xviii 21st Amendment https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xxi Wickard v. Filburn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickard_v._Filburn You used to be able to buy heroin at Sears https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/sears-roebuck-bayer-heroin/580441/ What can Colorado teach us about legalizing weed? https://fee.org/articles/four-years-on-what-can-colorado-teach-us-about-legalizing-weed/ Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“School choice” is much more than parents being able to choose which schools their children will attend. It is also teachers being free to design and teach their own curricula. It is principals being free to promote good teachers and to fire poor teachers. The problems we have with public education in this country have their roots in a lack of choice for all parties involved in the educational process. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Self-interest versus selfish https://simpleflying.com/delta-passengers-life-saved-when-passengers-gave-up-seats-for-liver-transplant/ Water limits in California https://finance.yahoo.com/news/correct-information-california-water-efficiency-222625943.html Foolishness of the week NYC parking meters https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/01/02/parking-meters-nyc-credit-cards/ Topic of the week Corey DeAngelis https://reason.org/author/corey-deangelis/ Corey DeAngelis on Twitter https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the New Year, a time when people like to make resolutions. In this episode, James and Ant look at surveys on what Americans pick for their New Year resolutions, how many fall off their wagons, and the role of resolutions, kept or not, in giving us hope for the future. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits How much do CEOs make relative to workers? https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2018/02/12/ceo-tenure-rates/ https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1190369125291503621 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/top-executives.htm https://www.thebalancecareers.com/average-salary-information-for-us-workers-2060808 https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/04/03/americas-highest-paid-marketing-executives/#5490bbc68f55 Food from air https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/protein-from-air?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1 Foolishness of the week Nerds, geeks, and hate crime https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/17/nerd-geek-insults-should-classed-hate-crimes-academic-claims/ Topic of the week https://www.statista.com/statistics/378105/new-years-resolution/ https://www.statista.com/chart/16500/top-us-new-years-resolutions/ https://www.statista.com/chart/20309/us-new-years-resolutions-2020/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinconklin/2018/12/18/new-years-resolutions-are-for-loserstake-these-4-steps-instead/#4113884b5e2c Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People tend to talk about income inequality as if it were necessarily a bad thing. In so doing, they often confuse inequality and poverty and, in the process, run the risk of justifying what is really envy. This week, James and Ant discuss the fact that poverty is a bad thing, whether inequality could be a bad thing, and that politicians use voters’ envy to expand the government’s power. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits HELPER https://www.marketwatch.com/story/rand-paul-to-offer-bill-allowing-families-to-use-retirement-savings-for-student-loans-2019-12-04 How much Americans have in 401k plans, by age https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/23/how-much-money-americans-have-in-their-401ks-at-every-age.html 401k returns https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/401ks/articles/what-is-the-average-401-k-return Student loan interest rates https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/loans/student-loans/student-loan-interest-rates/ Bernie’s now a millionaire https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3006320/critic-millionaires-and-billionaires-bernie-sanders Foolishness of the week A national smoking age https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/20/health/tobacco-age-21-trump-spending-bill-bn/index.html https://disrn.com/news/congress-votes-to-raise-age-to-buy-tobacco-to-21 Topic of the week US poverty rate https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states Facts about income mobility https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/some-amazing-findings-on-income-mobility-in-the-us-including-this-the-image-of-a-static-1-and-99-percent-is-false/ Inequality after taxes and transfers https://voxeu.org/article/income-redistribution-through-taxes-and-transfers Inheriting wealth https://www.forbes.com/sites/rainerzitelmann/2019/06/24/amazing-facts-that-prove-inheritance-is-mostly-overrated-as-a-reason-for-wealth/#39759c11eca3 Intergenerational income https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2012/pursuingamericandreampdf.pdf Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A year ago, FCC repealed net neutrality - the law that required internet service providers to treat all data passing through their servers the same. Proponents of net neutrality said that the repeal would yield higher prices and worse service. In this week's episode James and Ant ask what actually happened. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Billion dollar property tax error https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/business/ups-drugs-tucson-arizona.html Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin https://www.blueorigin.com/ Richard Branson’s first space passenger https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/22/richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-sends-first-test-passenger-on-spaceflight.html Amazon’s satellite constellation https://www.geekwire.com/2019/amazons-project-kuiper-oneweb-raise-curtain-higher-satellite-plans/ Foolishness of the week UK to require that food labelling tell consumers how much exercise they must do to burn off calories https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50711652 Topic of the week Download speeds https://www.speedtest.net/reports/united-states/ https://www.bandwidthplace.com/pennsylvania/ https://www.bandwidthplace.com/ohio/ https://www.bandwidthplace.com/georgia/ https://www.bandwidthplace.com/california/ https://www.bandwidthplace.com/new-york/ Price of residential internet service https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU374102 Warnings people gave about repealing net neutrality https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/net-neutrality-what-is-it-repeal-latest-meaning-define-trump-internet-rules-why-explained-a8563616.html https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2019/02/18/net_neutrality_is_gone_did_you_even_notice_111056.html https://issuesinsights.com/2019/06/10/one-year-later-the-internet-thrives-without-net-neutrality/ Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Large countries, like the United States, span multiple time zones and have multiple climates. They also have multiple economies, each with different price levels. Prices in New York City are very different from prices in Boise Idaho - typically higher. But wages in New York City are higher also, but then so too are taxes, and so too is the likelihood of being employed. In this episode, James and Ant talk about differences in the costs of living across US cities. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits UPS drug runners https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/business/ups-drugs-tucson-arizona.html Average person can tolerate family members for four hours https://www.studyfinds.org/breaking-point-average-person-cant-last-four-hours-with-their-family-over-the-holidays/ Foolishness of the week Washington College cancels anti-rascist play https://reason.com/2019/12/03/washington-college-the-foreigner-censorship-students-kkk-racism/ Regional price parity index https://www.bea.gov/news/2019/real-personal-income-states-and-metropolitan-areas-2017 Topic of the week Differences in the costs of living across the country https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-living-san-francisco-compared-to-other-cities Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the few enumerated powers that the Founders granted to the federal government was the power to issue patents. Patents are a compromise between two conflicting goals. On the one hand, we want to avoid the creation of government-protected monopolies because monopolies stifle innovation. On the other, we want entrepreneurs to have an incentive to innovate. And one way to incentivize entrepreneurs is to grant monopoly protection for their inventions. Patent law is an attempt to balance these two conflicting goals, but the balance presents trade offs. Weaker patent laws mean cheaper goods today but a lesser variety of goods tomorrow; stronger patent laws mean more expensive goods today but a greater variety of goods tomorrow. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Why did the South Bronx burn? https://www.latinousa.org/2019/02/06/decadeoffire/ A history of NYC rent control https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100610/BLOGS01/306109998/a-history-lesson-on-rent-regulation-in-the-1970s Property tax https://fox4kc.com/2019/11/28/kansas-city-woman-angry-about-her-property-taxes-paying-with-nickels/amp/ Merchants taking dollars https://theconversation.com/if-cash-is-king-how-can-stores-refuse-to-take-your-dollars-63516 https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/businesses-taking-benjamins-baby/story Foolishness of the Week Michael Bloomberg and “those people” https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/05/24/bloomberg_regressive_taxes_on_the_poor_a_good_thing.html Topic of the Week The Constitution and Patents https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2017/11/14/constitutional-underpinnings-patent-law/id=90190/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think! Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, the things we take for granted are the things we should be most thankful for. Football games on your television, climate control in your automobiles, and fully-stocked neighborhood grocery stores are among the many things we may not think about until they aren’t there. What do the data indicate about our modern standard of living? Who is responsible for the advancements in medicine and technology that have improved so many lives? Which historical scourges are functionally nonexistent today? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan in giving thanks to the many improvements in life on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Government grocery store https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/22/baldwin-florida-food-desert-city-owned-grocery-store/ Conservatism stresses students https://www.thecollegefix.com/intellectual-conservatism-group-denied-may-cause-stress-to-the-student-body/ Foolishness of the week Abolish the electoral college https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11/20/joe-kennedy-iii-wants-to-abolish-the-electoral-college/ Topic of the week: Thanksgiving A Series of Miracles https://www.faithandfreedom.com/a-series-of-miracles/ State Car Registration by Year https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/mv200.pdf Office of Highway Policy Information https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2015/mv1.cfm Household's Owners Equity https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/OEHRENWBSHNO Mortality in the US https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2016/1/25/mortality-in-the-united-states-past-present-and-future Mortality & Causes of Death https://www.ncdemography.org/2014/06/16/mortality-and-cause-of-death-1900-v-2010/ Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James and Antony record before a live audience at Truman State University, asking the question, “Is Capitalism moral?” Their answer wends its way through the definition of morality, whether morality requires a religious basis, whether markets beget or reflect morality, whether self-interest is immoral or a motivator that can be harnessed to encourage people to want to help each other. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Chicago library drops fines https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/chicago-first-to-ditch-overdue-library-fees/ Ohio allows wrong answers https://www.newsweek.com/ohio-student-religious-liberties-act-1472008 Foolishness of the week Billionaires’ tears https://shop.elizabethwarren.com/products/billionaire-tears-mug Topic of the week: The morality of capitalism Paul Ryan’s Catholicism and the poor https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444375104577592892933747400 Ethics and the economy https://www.jstor.org/stable/20753439?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US health care system is rife with many variables affecting the prices of and access to medical care. iHealth is a health care provider that does not take health insurance and is transparent about its prices. Is there a regulatory framework that allows for such a business to be successful? Would this model work for the rest of the country? What barriers are in place that prevent other physicians from doing business like iHealth? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and their special guest Dr. Timothy Wong, the founder of iHealth, as they parse out the complexities behind the economics and politics of the health care industry. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Texas voters ban the state income tax https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2019/11/06/early-texas-voters-leaning-toward-supporting-ban-on-state-income-tax/ State-Local Tax Burden Rankings FY 2012 https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/ 9 States With No Income Tax https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/taxes/T054-S001-states-without-income-tax/index.html Texas Voters Ban Income Tax Again https://reason.com/2019/11/06/texas-voters-ban-state-income-taxes-again/ The trade gap https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/trump-vowed-to-shrink-the-trade-gap-it-keeps-growing/ar-AAJTqg9 Foolishness of the week Michael Bloomberg running for President https://apnews.com/461efe170a174c4fb9446951c164537e Jeff Sessions running for the Senate https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jeff-sessions-trump-first-ad-alabama-trump Topic of the week: A new model for delivering primary health care iHealth Clinic https://ihealth.clinic/ Direct Access Primary Care https://directaccessprimarycare.com/ A flat-fee approach to paying for health care https://www.post-gazette.com/business/healthcare-business/2019/08/26/Doctor-Timothy-Wong-insurance-flat-fee-primary-care/stories/201908250045 Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Using a historical definition of the term, socialism designated a political system where the government owns the means of production. However, for many people, the word has evolved into something different. Do today’s young people believe in government ownership of property or redistribution of positive results? What has changed the traditional sense of socialism? Has the Supreme Court weighed in on any social programs? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they ponder these questions and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Enzymes eat plastic https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/factory-uses-enzymes-to-recycle-all-plastics-at-once-backed-by-major-companies/ Anti-inflamatory drugs and depression https://www.healio.com/primary-care/psychiatry/news/online/%7B649c6090-c2d2-4b42-800d-9f63fabf862c%7D/anti-inflammatory-drugs-improve-depression Foolishness of the week Senate rejects Rand Paul’s proposal to cut spending by 2 percent https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/467817-senate-rejects-paul-effort-to-cut-spending Topic of the week: Transferism Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many attention-grabbing headlines talk about laws restricting speech. It seems some legislators don’t know the constitutionality of these proposed laws. What are the ramifications of passing laws such as these? Are these laws justified under some legal doctrines? What’s the rationale behind these propositions? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they dig into these proposed laws and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits California blackouts https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/23/pge-rebuked-over-imposing-blackouts-in-california-to-reduce-fire-risk.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/29/business/california-fire-insurance.html Portland is surprised that a retail tax causes retail prices to rise https://www.americanexperiment.org/2019/10/portland-voters-put-a-1-tax-on-large-retailers-complain-when-retailers-pass-it-on-to-them/ Foolishness of the week Woke math https://reason.com/2019/10/22/seattle-math-oppressive-cultural-woke/?fbclid=IwAR2ZEAmWBlm0KnxvWblTthoNsuPG39Qx-eNMp_dn1GdmdKztww_QZMB1YFU https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/socialstudies/pubdocs/Math%20SDS%20ES%20Framework.pdf Topic of the week: First Amendment https://www.americanexperiment.org/2019/10/portland-voters-put-a-1-tax-on-large-retailers-complain-when-retailers-pass-it-on-to-them/ https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-uconn-rally-racist-video-20191021-fmpaw34gzzcqtipztwv45tieca-story.html https://reason.com/2019/10/23/the-connecticut-hate-crimes-law-used-to-charge-two-idiot-college-students-would-ban-family-guy-too/ https://www.boston.com/news/policy/2019/10/22/proposed-massachusetts-law-would-ban-b-word Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s debate season, and speculation about who will be the next president has already begun. Looming over the current president are constant calls for impeachment and reports on alleged wrongdoings which may diminish his chances for reelection. So, who are the best candidates and their running mates? Is impeachment a criminal or a political procedure? What kind of candidate are many Americans looking for? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they offer their assessment of the next presidential election and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Quick hits: Difference between a signatory and a party http://www.insidejustice.com/intl/2010/03/17/signatory_party_treaty/ Major cities that have peaked their carbon emissions https://www.c40.org/press_releases/30-of-the-world-s-largest-most-influential-cities-have-peaked-greenhouse-gas-emissions Mad Dog Mattis and the Debt https://www.politics-prose.com/video/call-sign-chaos-jim-mattis Foolishness of the week: San Francisco's Office of Emerging Technology https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-to-establish-office-of-emerging-technology/?fbclid=IwAR2Txda5zSvC_YEblel4JVpZ8hm1hgDOKVbXHmGK4_syDb0Vm__ThwJrzcQ Topic of the week: Politically Smart Moves: Giuliana’s associates arrested https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-foreign-born-men-who-helped-giuliani-on-ukraine-arrested-on-campaign-finance-charges-11570714188 Bi-partisan presidential tickets https://www.bustle.com/articles/160298-do-presidents-vice-presidents-have-to-be-from-the-same-party-a-bipartisan-attempt-isnt Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean Malone, the creator of the Out of Frame video series and Director of Media at FEE, gives us his unique perspective on the film Joker. Do art and cinema have the power to hold a mirror up to society? Is that what makes people uncomfortable about Joker and movies like it? How do other cultures respond to graphic novels and films about superheroes? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Sean Malone as they avoid spoilers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Quick hits Pikes Peak Library District https://ppld.org/ Shepard Smith leaving Fox https://www.mediaite.com/tv/breaking-shepard-smith-leaving-fox-news/ Foolishness of the week White House sends talking points to Democrats https://thehill.com/homenews/house/465457-white-house-accidentally-sends-ukraine-talking-points-to-democrats-again Topic of the week: Joker Sean Malone https://fee.org/people/sean-malone/ Out of Frame https://fee.org/shows/video/out-of-frame/ The Joker, Nihilism, and One Iranian Boy https://youtu.be/rYLwLSlfnlU Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This year, October 3, 2019, is Deficit Day, the day the federal government’s income runs out. For a long time, the government has been spending more money than it collects in taxes. What effect will this have on the average American citizen? How much does the government pay in loan interest alone? Hasn’t the federal government had surpluses? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they crunch the numbers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Gang leaders https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/former-bloods-and-crips-leaders-make-peace-to-stop-gang-violence/ Hate symbols https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/us/adl-new-hate-symbols/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1-5FFWB_7gYooaWLZgmyXo9w9DgeN9IrAc_yLxchsjqReEIwoOzzqcvRA Foolishness of the week Stock markets and impeachment https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/trump-warns-again-that-the-stock-market-would-crash-if-he-is-impeached.html Topic of the week: Deficit Day 2019 https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/federal-debt-deficit-reserve-president-donald-trump-20190924.html Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the saying goes, nothing can be certain except death and taxes. Thousands of people die every year from a remarkably wide variety of causes. What are the top five causes of death in the US? Are you more likely to be killed by a knife than a gun? What do diet and exercise have to do with death? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they cover death by rare diseases, vaping, firearms and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Speculators https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/upshot/Bernie-Sanders-housing-plan.html https://news.streetroots.org/2019/09/13/wall-street-speculators-and-loss-affordable-housing San Francisco library eliminates overdue fines https://www.kqed.org/arts/13866475/san-francisco-public-library-eliminates-overdue-fines Foolishness of the week Confessing one’s climate sins https://pagesix.com/2019/09/22/radioheads-thom-yorke-admits-hes-a-climate-change-hypocrite/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/specials/climate-confessions-share-solutions-climate-change-n1054791 Topic of the week: What will kill you https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/19/health/vaping-lung-injury-new-cases-530-bn/index.html https://www.cbsnews.com/news/eastern-equine-encephalitis-several-dead-from-rare-disease-spread-by-mosquitoes-2019-09-21/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congresswoman-mocked-for-saying-ar-15-is-as-heavy-as-10-moving-boxes-fires-50-caliber-bullets https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017/topic-pages/tables/table-20 Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, James and Ant interview Robert Anthony Peters, producer and director of Tank Man, the story of the everyday person who stood down the Chinese army during the Tiananmen Massacre. In 1989, the Chinese people staged a series of protests in Tiananmen Square calling for democratic reforms. When the authorities had had enough, they sent in troops and tanks to break up the protests, killing and wounding thousands. One man, whose name and fate remains unknown, stood in front of the tanks and refused to let them pass. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Repurchase agreements https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-repo-market-what-it-is-and-why-everyone-is-talking-about-it-again-11568743438 Americans are getting heavier https://www.vox.com/2015/6/15/8784389/america-weight-gain Foolishness of the week Sanders wants to forgive medical debt https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/us/politics/bernie-medical-debt-healthcare.html Topic of the week: Tank Man Robert Anthony Peters www.tankmanthemovie.com Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tuition increases seem to indicate that colleges might have an incentive to admit students who may not succeed. Meanwhile, many professors are being required to add clear student outcomes to their syllabi. However, this still leaves many students hanging. Loans are difficult to pay back, and many other problems crop up in schools. How can we adjust incentives to help public universities perform better? Should some schools use their endowments to issue loans? What innovations could be implemented to improve education? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they search for better solutions to the problems many students experience on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Mesh network is robust because it’s decentralized https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2019/09/02/hong-kong-protestors-using-mesh-messaging-app-china-cant-block-usage-up-3685 Noah’s Arks https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1177909/space-news-igor-ashurbeyli-asgardia-russia-space-nation-nasa-moon-spt Foolishness of the week Second hand vaping https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-youth-secondhand-vaping-smoke-tt-20190828-5immkhhkrrecbjub7ik6un4lni-story.html Topic of the week: Follow Incentives to Solutions https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2019/tr2019.pdf Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Immigration policy in the United States is fraught with obstacles. Visas, green cards, and work permits all have complicated stipulations that must be followed. What does the process of legal immigration entail? What are the costs, monetary or otherwise? Is there an incentive to immigrate illegally? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they discuss the astonishing personal experiences of two special guests on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Workers are fleeing big cities https://www.wsj.com/articles/workers-are-fleeing-big-cities-for-small-onesand-taking-their-jobs-with-them-11567848600 Foolishness of the week Oregon wants to ban self-checkouts https://reason.com/2019/09/06/union-backed-ballot-initiative-would-limit-grocery-stores-to-2-self-checkout-machines/ Topic of the week: Pitfalls of Legal Immigration Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many proposed solutions to society’s problems produce unintended consequences. Some laws passed in good faith, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, have adverse effects on the very people they intend to help. How many laws like this are there? What do people do about them? How do businesses deal with such laws? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they dive into the unforeseeable results of mixing good intentions with public policy and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Being the victim and the perpetrator in the same case https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/maryland-sk-court-case-teen-sexting-child-pornography.html Turning sign language into speech https://www.blackbusiness.com/2019/05/roy-allela-black-engineer-invents-gloves-turn-sign-language-audible-speech.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR1eM20XHy03gUnCjvwy5XjkAt69auKNhszwtYQqUJhZVrd3y1NO6tjV_II Foolishness of the week Mayor de Blasio wants to abolish gifted classes https://reason.com/2019/08/28/de-blasio-advisory-group-wants-to-abolish-gifted-classes-in-nyc-public-schools/?fbclid=IwAR1NhDE1augEPuYkpFcn1yIFmCgMq0OFHM3VU4lsKWsGUgL6BggK2MhK87c Harrison Bergeron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron Topic of the week: Unintended Consequences A380 is too quiet https://www.wired.com/2008/12/a380-is-so-quie/ The Cobra Effect http://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-cobra-effect-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/ Payday lending https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-political-assault-on-paydays-1464909417 Americans with Disabilities Act https://www.nber.org/papers/w6670 Bernie Sanders’ green electrical grid https://berniesanders.com/issues/the-green-new-deal/ Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you haven’t seen either of the previous Democratic primary debates, here’s a summary: Twenty candidates debate free health care and slavery reparations, among other things. Instead of talking about eliminating the federal debt, the candidates talk about adding to it. Additionally, the top candidates don’t get to debate the issues fully. All this raises a few questions: Who’s in charge of choosing the broadcast networks? The moderators? The questions asked? What effect do these choices have on the quality of the debates? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss the primary debates and more in this special episode of Words & Numbers featuring bonus material. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Monopoly socialism https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/23/us/monopoly-socialism-board-game-trnd/index.html NASA plans mission to a gold asteroid https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1169605/Asteroid-news-NASA-scientists-16-psyche-asteroids-mining-gold-platinum Foolishness of the week Minneapolis bans drive thrus https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/08/09/minneapolis-bans-new-drivethrus Topic of the week: Democratic debates Reporter bias ratings https://reporterbias.com/ DNC is a private corporation https://ivn.us/posts/50-ways-the-democratic-and-republican-parties-are-the-same Candidates https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/08/2020-candidates-president-guide/582598/ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html Polling numbers https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/democratic_nomination_polls/ Ford-Carter debate https://youtu.be/BuaPct7gH1w?t=152 Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Which historical figures do you respect? Which economic concepts should be taught to children? How do you trust statistics? James Harrigan and Antony Davies take questions from the crowd on topics ranging from incentives to trade-offs to research data to US treasury bills and more in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Birth rates dropping https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7312075/Birth-rate-England-Wales-hits-80-YEAR-low.html Noam Chomsky https://truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-life-expectancy-in-the-us-is-declining-for-a-reason Foolishness of the week Robot racism https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/01/tech/robot-racism-scn-trnd/index.html Topic of the week: Listener questions Milton Friedman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwaLys3Zak F.A. Hayek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnMd40dqBlQ FRED: Federal Reserve data https://fred.stlouisfed.org/ Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/ Pew Research https://www.pewresearch.org/ Gallup https://www.gallup.com/home.aspx United Nations Development Programme http://hdr.undp.org/en/data Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to wildlife conservation and other environmental concerns, the ideas of free markets and private property are frequently laughed off as silly by the planet’s most strident defenders. However, the incentives—the motivations to behave in a certain way—that come along with private property are strong. After all, we never worry about cows going extinct. But can these insights on property and incentives be extended to other aspects of our lives and our world? Special guest Howard Baetjer, author of Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics, joins Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they explore this and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Pickle ball https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/07/26/pickleball-prison-cook-county Air conditioned shirts https://www.winknews.com/2019/08/01/sony-to-sell-air-conditioner-shirts-to-keep-you-cool-as-soon-as-next-year/ Foolishness of the week Rudeness in the grocery stores https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/os-ne-2nd-walmart-urinator-20190802-uogo4be7mbhivezdystbc2rnvm-story.html Topic of the week: Howard Baetjer and Economic Stories Howard Baetjer http://wp.towson.edu/baetjer/ Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics https://www.amazon.com/Free-Our-Markets-Essential-Economics/dp/098442542X Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many children, compulsory education and authority figures tend to inadvertently turn off their sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. Additionally, assigned districts can limit school choice for many parents and mandatory curricula can put unnecessary stress on educators. Are there solutions to these problems within the current framework? Is there any evidence to support changing the way we approach schooling to benefit children, parents, and teachers? Where did all these mandates originate? Join Antony Davies, James Harrigan, and special guest Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled, as they discuss the public school system and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits: Beach umbrellas https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/menendez-urges-aggressive-action-protect-beachgoers-dangers-flying-beach-umbrellas/ https://www.nsc.org/in-the-newsroom/nsc-statement-on-new-cdc-data-showing-a-rise-in-accidental-death Candidates reticent to mention Obama https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/democrats-want-have-it-both-ways-barack-obama/595270/ Foolishness of the week: Soy sauce https://www.9news.com.au/national/soy-sauce-could-be-banned-under-alcohol-sales-restrictions-in-the-northern-territory/71ef616f-778a-4c24-bf95-a63e2627b00f Topic of the week: Unschooling: Kerry McDonald https://fee.org/people/kerry-mcdonald/ Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641600632/ Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we reach pivotal milestones, such as the legal driving age, we’re met with serious questions: Who decided I’m not old enough to vote? Why can I drive but not enter a bar? When do I have to buy health insurance? Am I ready for all this? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they weigh the pros and cons of transitioning from a minor to an adult live from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Brim’s Snack Foods https://www.apr.org/post/life-so-delicious Facts about small businesses https://sbecouncil.org/about-us/facts-and-data/ $20 an hour minimum wage https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/454212-rashida-tlaib-minimum-wage-should-be-20-an-hour-not-15 Foolishness of the week Montgomery county, Maryland wants to require landlords to provide air conditioning https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/as-temperatures-rise-montgomery-asks-should-landlords-have-to-provide-ac-to-tenants/2019/07/16/4b5c7406-a7dc-11e9-86dd-d7f0e60391e9_story.html Topic of the week: When does a person become an adult? Ages of majority across the states https://hrpo.wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/5-Determining-Legal-Age-to-Consent.pdf Bill calls for raising the smoking age to 21 https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/senate-majority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-introduces-bill-raise-federal-legal-smoking-age-21 Legal drinking ages across countries https://drinkingage.procon.org/minimum-legal-drinking-age-in-190-countries/ Legal marriage ages across states https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/table_marriage Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Citizens United, a conservative non-profit corporation, was once caught in the crosshairs of campaign finance law. The company violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act by broadcasting a political film within 30 days of a primary election. The Supreme Court split 5-4 on the issue. Did the court side with the free speech of a corporation? What happens when there are two different visions of the First Amendment? Are corporations people? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Trevor Burrus as they recount the courtroom drama of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits The bystander effect https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31157529 The world is becoming a better place https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP59tz2WreY Advances toward a cancer cure https://www.studyfinds.org/strategic-medicine-researchers-develop-trojan-horse-drug-that-tricks-then-kills-cancer-cells/ Foolishness of the week https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/health/beef-environment-resources-report/index.html Topic of the week: Political Speech and the Citizens United Decision Trevor Burrus https://www.cato.org/people/trevor-burrus Trevor Burrus on Twitter https://twitter.com/tcburrus McCain-Feingold, Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act https://ballotpedia.org/Bipartisan_Campaign_Reform_Act Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission https://ballotpedia.org/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/michael-moore-trumpland-might-have-been-illegal-citizens-united-its-all Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce https://ballotpedia.org/Austin_v._Michigan_Chamber_of_Commerce Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As people like, share, and upload on social media platforms, data is generated by users and gathered by tech companies. It’s a bit unclear, however, how companies handle user data. Is selling or storing user data a problem? Does the Fourth Amendment protect internet privacy? Should the government get involved?Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies—live from the University of Arizona!—as they discuss End User License Agreements, copyright law, data breaches, and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits President Trump may not block critics from his Twitter feed https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-twitter-first-amendment.html CBO estimates of the effect of a minimum wage hike https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/cbo-estimates-effects-of-house-democrats-15-minimum-wage-plan.html Foolishness of the week Google recorded then leaked conversations that Google Assistant overheard https://mashable.com/article/google-assistant-recordings-leaked/ Topic of the week: Privacy Expectation of privacy https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/expectation_of_privacy Katz v. United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katz_v._United_States Olmstead v. United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmstead_v._United_States Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to the final frontier, we must inevitably outline the government’s role in interplanetary colonization. Perhaps during the next century, there will be deliberation between cosmic pioneers, space entrepreneurs, and elected officials. Who owns the resources on asteroids and other celestial bodies? What might a galactic congress look like? And what’s maritime law got to do with it? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they mine that asteroid and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Show Notes: $10 quintillion asteroid https://www.foxnews.com/science/nasa-headed-towards-giant-golden-asteroid-that-could-make-everyone-on-earth-a-billionaire Rep. Amash quits the Republican party https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-justin-amash-announces-quitting-republican-party-op/story https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/04/us/politics/justin-amash-trump.html Foolishness of the week Buttigieg calls for national service programs https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/us/politics/buttigieg-national-service.html How to pronounce Buttigieg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT36PvjxbRA Topic of the week: Who owns space? Heinlein: The Man Who Sold the Moon https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Sold-Moon/dp/0671578634 General Mining Act of 1872 https://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/Act%20Of%20May%2010,%201872-(Mining%20Law%20Of%201872).pdf Law of the Sea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_sea Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest, Robert McDonald, author of Confounding Father talks about the quintessential American philosopher: Thomas Jefferson. During the birth of America, innumerable obstacles stood in its way. What followed was the triumph of the first Americans, from a revolutionary war to purchasing Louisiana and everything in between. Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan for a cheerful, optimistic ode to the spirit of America on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Disney heir calls for wealth tax https://www.npr.org/2019/06/28/736993245/disney-heiress-calls-for-wealth-tax-we-have-to-draw-a-line San Francisco bans vaping https://fee.org/articles/san-francisco-becomes-first-us-city-to-ban-sale-of-e-cigarettes-a-healthier-alternative-to-smoking/ Foolishness of the week Democratic debates and yoga games https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/450540-marianne-williamson-sends-out-healthy-alternative-to-debate Topic of the week: Robert McDonald on Thomas Jefferson Confounding Father https://tinyurl.com/y39dpz5g Thomas Jefferson’s Lives: Biographers and the Battle for History https://tinyurl.com/yxtgkhng Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There appears to be a large problem in America with outcome-based thinking, particularly with regards to hot-button political issues. We skip straight to the ending we want and argue for it until we’re blue in the face, and everyone who doesn’t want the same must be evil, stupid, or both. But what if we started the conversation in a different place? What if we started it at the principles that lead to the desired outcome? Would the conversation change? James Harrigan and Antony Davies dig into the subject during their second live recording from FEEcon 2019 on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits From janitor to Executive Vice-President https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/27/a-janitor-invented-flamin-hot-cheetos-and-became-a-pepsico-exec.html Lost wallets experiment https://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-people-are-honest-lost-wallets-experiment-20190620-story.html Foolishness of the week Manufacturing czar https://triblive.com/opinion/donald-boudreaux-save-us-from-a-manufacturing-czar/ Topic of the week: Principle and Outcome Federal receipts are 18% of GDP https://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/articles/2016-12-01/myths-and-facts-about-the-us-federal-debt Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The word “equality” is a tricky one. It means different things to different people in different contexts. Do we mean “income equality”? “Wealth equality”? “Equality before the law”? And how does that sync up with “fairness”? Why are so many fine with professional athletes and movie stars making hundreds of millions of dollars but not CEOs? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they delve into the subject live from FEEcon 2019 on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits: Tulsi Gabbard https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/congresswoman-used-toffee-to-unite-republicans-and-democrats/ People spending more on the Internet than at restaurants https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-15/americans-now-spend-more-at-internet-stores-than-restaurants Foolishness of the week: O.J. Simpson “has a little getting even to do” https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/06/oj-simpson-twitter-has-a-little-getting-even-to-do Topic of the week: Inequality: The problem of inequality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCjWG8RqH4w Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think: mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter: https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the saying goes, if you want less of something, tax it. Recently, a House bill was proposed that would raise the taxable income cap for Social Security to about $400,000. Although there seem to be many reasons to cheer, would this create unintended consequences? What could be done instead? Is privatization the way to go? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies this week as they suggest an elegant solution to a sticky situation on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Ladybugs: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2019-06-06/cloud-of-ladybugs-in-california-so-large-it-appears-on-weather-radar Influencer can’t sell 26 shirts: https://www.indy100.com/article/instagram-influencer-arii-t-shirt-sales-followers-fail-twitter-response-8936836 Foolishness of the week Over-the-counter birth control: https://www.livescience.com/24940-birth-control-pill-over-the-counter.html Topic of the week: Social Security The SECURE Act: https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/how-secure-act-could-impact-retirement-savings/ Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage: https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think: mailto:[email protected] Antony Davies on Twitter: https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If life is an inalienable right, does that take the death penalty off the table? Is there really a need for social safety nets? Taxation, the Articles of Confederation, the Postal Service, and more come together this week as James Harrigan and Antony Davies explore their ambivalence (it doesn’t mean what you might think it does) on many controversial topics on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: Arthur Laffer awarded Medal of Freedom The top half of income earners pay 97% of the federal taxes Spelling Bee winners Foolishness of the week UBI could solve childhood obesity Topic of the week: Ambivalence Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at: [email protected] Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Only twice has the U.S. House of Representatives impeached a president, and never has the Senate voted to remove an impeached president from office. People tend to think of impeachment as a judicial tool that should be used rarely and only when a president has broken the law in some egregious way. But impeachment was designed as part of the checks-and-balances. It is a political tool. On this week’s episode of Words & Numbers, join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they discuss what impeachment is and how the political process might work better if impeachment were used more often. Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: Artificial intelligence learns to spot cancer Employment changes over the past century Sanders says that teacher salaries should start at $60,000 Foolishness of the week MSNBC asks political candidate how MSNBC can do better for him Topic of the week: Impeachment How does impeachment work? Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the federal government disappeared, would there still be a United States? Does every country fall on a spectrum between two extremes, capitalism and communism? Are there any good reasons to restrict voting rights? This week, James Harrigan and Antony Davies answer questions about the subjective theory of value, debts to society, guns vs. butter, and plenty more in this week’s jam-packed episode of Words & Numbers. Come to FEEcon 2019! Foolishness of the week Pennsylvania Mayors Pew Poll on Views About Gun Regulation Topic of the week: Listener questions Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Americans, as individuals, carry a lot of debt. But don’t panic! Not all debt is created equal, and not all debt is necessarily a bad thing. Some debt—like mortgages, vehicles, even some college degrees—can be good debt. There are also bad kinds of debt, too. But the thing about individual debt is that it’s the individual's responsibility and really only the business of the borrower and the lender. Once the government gets involved, though, things can get messy. Just how messy and in what ways? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they sort through the bills in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: Amazon hiring robots $6 trillion war Foolishness of the week: Limiting credit card interest rates Topic of the week: Good debt and bad debt: Household debt Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lately, headlines seem to focus on big companies that pay no corporate taxes. However, most of those big companies are still paying payroll taxes. So, have these big companies actually paid their fair share? Americans have their own tax burdens as well. How do we measure a fair tax for all incomes? How do people define what “fair” means? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they cover progressive/regressive taxes, sales taxes, sin taxes, and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Come to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: New York may ban glass and steel buildings Scientists discover how to convert blood to Type O Foolishness of the week: Treasury: US may have to stop borrowing Topic of the week: Taxes Amazon 1 Amazon 2 Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at [email protected] Thought Experiment: Should the government tax buyers or sellers? Consider the following three scenarios. In all three scenarios, a seller sets a price and a buyer decides, based on the price, how many units to buy. The number of units the seller sells varies depending on the price the seller charges: Units sold = 100 - Price per unit For simplicity (and no meaningful reduction in realism) suppose that it costs the seller $40 for each unit the seller sells. In the first scenario there is no tax. This is a baseline against which we can compare the scenarios in which there is a tax. In the second scenario, the government imposes a $6 per unit tax on the seller. For each unit the seller sells, the seller must pay (in addition to the $40 cost of selling the unit) $6 to the government. In the third scenario, the government imposes a $6 per unit tax on the buyer. For each unit the buyer sells, the buyer must pay the seller’s price to the seller plus an additional $6 to the government. In each scenario, you can see the price that maximizes the seller’s profit. This is the price the seller will charge in that scenario. You can check the work by choosing a different price. You’ll see that any price other than the one shown results in less profit. At the end of each scenario, you see the final result: how much the buyer pays per unit and how much the seller receives per unit. Compare those results across the three scenarios to see something remarkable. Scenario 1: No Sales Tax Profit is maximum when the seller charges $70 per unit. Units sold = 100 - 70 = 30 Sales = $70 x 30 units = $2,100 Cost of goods sold = $40 x 30 units = $1,200 Profit = $2,100 - $1,200 = $900 → Buyer pays $70 per unit → Seller receives $70 per unit Tax the Seller $6 per Unit Sold Profit is maximum when the seller charges $73 per unit. Units sold = 100 - 73 = 27 Sales = $73 x 27 = $1,971 Cost of goods sold = $40 x 27 + $6 x 27 = $1,242 Profit = $1,971 - $1,242 = $729 → Buyer pays $73 per unit → Seller receives $73 per unit less $6 per unit tax = $67 per unit → Compared to No Tax, buyer pays $3 per unit more and seller receives $3 per unit less Tax the Buyer $6 per Unit Purchased Profit is maximum when the seller charges $67 per unit. Units sold = 100 - 67 = 27 Sales = $67 x 27 = $1,809 Cost of goods sold = $40 x 27 = $1,080 Profit = $1,809 - $1,080 = $729 → Buyer pays $73 per unit ($67 per unit plus $6 per unit tax) → Seller receives $67 per unit → Compared to No Tax, buyer pays $3 per unit more and seller receives $3 per unit less Conclusion It doesn’t matter whether the government taxes the buyer or the seller, they end up sharing the tax burden in the same way. The government decides from whom the tax is collected. The market determines who actually pays the tax. No Tax Tax the Seller Tax the Buyer Sale price $70 $73 $67 Price seller receives (net of tax) $70 $73 - $6 = $67 $67 Price buyer pays (including tax) $70 $73 $67 + $6 = $73 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s no such thing as a free lunch or, in this case, a free college education, despite the promises of certain presidential candidates. The federal government already guarantees student loans. But what would happen if we just forgave all that student debt? What would it take, politically speaking, and what would it cost? And what’s the value of a college education these days, anyway? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they tackle the topic on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Win tickets to FEEcon 2019! Quick hits Chalk on tires violates Fourth Amendment Phone surveillance Foolishness of the week Williams College is afraid of free speech Tuition at Williams College Tuition at University of Massachusetts Topic of the week: Free stuff is too good to be true Free college too good to be true Constitutional concerns about a wealth tax Wealth tax Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Let us know what you think at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many college students seem baffled or even outraged by opinions that differ from their own. We hear phrases like safe spaces, trigger warnings, and virtue signaling. What’s going on? Has the same psychology that caused religious persecutions returned? Has it infected the majority of students and faculty across the country, or just a vocal few? Guest Donald Boudreaux joins hosts James Harrigan and Antony Davies to sift through the loudest arguments coming from our nation’s universities in this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Win tickets to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: Nuclear fusion Artificial intelligence Cancer cure Longevity gene Cure for bubble boy disease Brian Lamb retiring Foolishness of the week: San Francisco: Poop in the streets Washington DC: Homelessness Seattle is dying Topic of the week: Silencing Dissent Donald Boudreaux Donald Boudreaux on Brett Kavanaugh and GMU Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Antony Davies on Minds.com James R. Harrigan on Minds.com Let us know what you think at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Getting paid for your blood—do you have any concerns? Many people are opposed to donors receiving compensation for ethical reasons. Should people only donate blood for altruistic reasons? Should we worry about exploitation? How much of America’s total exports are blood products? Join Antony Davies, James Harrigan, and their guest Peter Jaworski, co-author of the book Markets Without Limits, as they discuss the morality underlying the supply and demand of blood plasma around the world. Win tickets to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: Deficit up 15% in 2019 Deficit up 17% in 2018 Tourism and Chernobyl Foolishness of the week: Illinois to raise smoking age to 21 Florida town makes it illegal to grow vegetables State of Florida overrules Florida town Topic of the week: Blood plasma sales: Peter Jaworski Letter to Senate of Canada regarding the ban on blood plasma sales Canada needs blood plasma We should pay for blood plasma donations Bans on blood plasma sales 1 Bans on blood plasma sales 2 Don’t end NAFTA, Canada needs your bodily fluids Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Peter Jaworski on Twitter Antony Davies on Minds.com James R. Harrigan on Minds.com Let us know what you think at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wage gap myths, middle class success, and hate crime statistics are examined this week in order to dispel the calls for a new social contract. In a society where the majority makes the rules, how do minorities prosper? Is it because of a social contract, is it the result of people being rational, or is it just people being nice to each other? Listen to the conclusion of this two-part special as James Harrigan and Antony Davies use data to trace the prosperity of minority groups in America on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Win tickets to FEEcon 2019! Show Notes: 13 year old buys his mother a car Cancer vaccine Foolishness of the week Illinois to raise smoking age to 21 Florida town makes it illegal to grow vegetables State of Florida overrules Florida town Topic of the week: Social Contract Nonsense (Part 2) Households by race and income (1967-2017) Income by gender (1960-2017) Hate crime statistics Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Antony Davies on Minds.com James R. Harrigan on Minds.com Let us know what you think at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever signed a contract without reading the terms and conditions? According to Elizabeth Warren, part of the “social contract” is to pay your fair share. But wait, what is the “social contract” that politicians and talking heads keep bringing up? Is it the consent of the governed? Is it written down? Did anyone actually agree to it? Enjoy the first part of a two-part special as Antony Davies and James Harrigan dig up the historical origins of the social contract. Quick hits Tversky & Kahneman, Rational Choice and the Framing of Decisions Robots in grocery stores FEEcon VIP Giveaway https://info.fee.org/wordsandnumbers Foolishness of the week Special Olympics 1 Special Olympics 2 Topic of the week: Social Contract Nonsense (Part 1) Locke’s Social Contract Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage Antony Davies on Twitter James R. Harrigan on Twitter Antony Davies on Minds.com James R. Harrigan on Minds.com Let us know what you think at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices