EconoFact Chats

Latest Episodes
The Vital Importance of Good Economic Statistics
Erica Groshen, former Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the acronymAORTAto characterize good data;Accurate,Objective,Relevant,Trustworthy, andAccessible. This is ap
Costs of Corruption
In his 2012 book, 'A Capitalism for the People,' Luigi Zingales notes the deep economic problems that arise when people are rewarded for who you know, or even, who you pay off, rather than what you kn
The State of Health Insurance in America
The United States is an outlier in health insurance coverage. Almost all other high-income countries have near-universal coverage, while almost 10% of the non-elderly US population is uninsured. How d
On the Economics, Geopolitics and Technological Challenges of AI
Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, improvements in large language models have continued at an impressive clip, driving a surge of investment in new models, developing new products based on
The Economics of College Sports (Re-broadcast)
Football and basketball teams at Division I universities generate billions in revenue. But the student-athletes themselves do not receive salaries. Should they? Most have scholarships for their tuitio
Can We Mitigate Climate Disasters?
High intensity flooding events, storms, wildfires, and droughts are becoming more frequent in manyparts of the world. Are there measures that can help mitigate the number and severity of these events
Rethinking Global Governance
Much like national economies, countries that economically interact with each other need rules to help ensure markets work well, and that economic outcomes accord with some understanding of fairness an
Principles of Economics: Insights for Better Policy
The basic principles of economics are not only worthwhile reading for students, but for the wider public, and perhaps especially, for those involved in policy.Greg Mankiw, the author of best-selling
Abraham Lincoln and the Role of Government in the Economy (Re-broadcast)
In 1860, the United States had no national currency, no national bank, and no income tax. Lincoln had a vision of advancing the economic fortunes of the country and fostering greater economic equality
Immigration and the Economy (Re-broadcast)
Immigration promises to be a key issue in the U.S. Presidential elections. Candidates from both parties favor limits but differ on the extent of restrictions. Immigration is important for a vibrant ec