Category: 3-EconSometimeCommentary

On this episode, Nathan Goodman interviews political theorist Jacob Levy about the rule of law and its tensions with modern immigration enforcement. Drawing on his 2018 article, “The rule of law and the risks of lawlessness,” Levy explains that the rule of law requires laws to be general, predictable, and applied equally. Referencing thinkers like Montesquieu, Fuller, Hayek, Oakeshott, and Shklar, Levy argues that immigration control often violates these principles, especially when it involves militarized policing, extrajudicial punishment, and fear-based governance, which ultimately threatens both civil liberties and democratic institutions.

Dr. Jacob T. Levy is Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory and associated faculty in the Department of Philosophy at McGill University. He is the coordinator of McGill’s Research Group on Constitutional Studies and was the founding director of McGill’s Yan P. Lin Centre for the Study of Freedom and Global Orders in the Ancient and Modern Worlds. He is a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center. He is the author of The Multiculturalism of Fear (Oxford University Press, 2000) and Rationalism, Pluralism, and Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2014).

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LIVE SHOW: August 18th in Brooklyn. Tickets here.

Traditional economics says the market is guided by the forces of supply and demand. Customers decide what they want to buy, and private enterprise responds to that need.

So what makes government think that it's smarter than capitalism? Why offer tax breaks to Hollywood or incentives to build silicon chip factories in Arizona? Why those industries and not others? And when does the free market fail and need government to step in?

Today, we discuss what happens when the government really wants to get its hands dirty and shape the direction of the economy, even decide which companies should prosper and which ones should fail, through industrial policy.

The series is hosted by Robert Smith and produced by Eric Mennel. Our project manager is Devin Mellor. This episode was edited by Planet Money Executive Producer Alex Goldmark and fact-checked by Emily Crawford.

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It’s a haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. With federal tax policy shifting in a pro-tip direction, we revisit an episode from 2019 to find out why.

The post Why Does Tipping Still Exist? (Update) appeared first on Freakonomics.

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Performing for passersby takes more than talent. Buskers have to cope with hecklers, civic regulations, aggressive competitors — and uncertain pay. Zachary Crockett passes the hat.

 

• SOURCES:
  • Brett Dallas, professional street performer.

 

• RESOURCES:
  • "Differentiating busking from begging: A psychological approach," by Robbie Ho and Wing Tung Au (PLOS One, 2021).
  • "Freeing Buskers’ Free Speech Rights: Impact of Regulations on Buskers’ Right to Free Speech and Expression," by John Juricich (Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, 2017).
  • Street Arts and Buskers Advocates.

Trust in experts is down. In all kinds of institutions and professions - in government, in media, in medical science... and lately, economists are feeling the burn acutely. In fact, President Trump just fired the economist who ran the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accusing her – with no evidence – of faking a jobs report that showed fewer gains than expected.

In decades past, economists whispered in the ears of presidents. Now, many politicians and voters are disenchanted with the field.

On today's show, we speak with economists about how distrust is messing with their minds and interfering with their work. Can they build up trust again?

Today's episode was hosted by Amanda Aronczyk. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and edited by Marianne McCune with help from Jess Jiang. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.

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They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires inside our homes?

The post Why Do Candles Still Exist? appeared first on Freakonomics.

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LIVE SHOW: August 18th in Brooklyn. Tickets here.

There are occasional incentives in business that make it very profitable to do bad things; maybe cheat at the game and steal other people's ideas, or cut some corners on safety. In theory, the government as referee steps in to make the rules and enforce them, and manage competition in a way that hopefully makes things better for us all.

But you have to ask... When is the government protecting you and when is it protecting the already rich and powerful?

We'll meet a man trying to corner the market for frozen meat, with the help of patents. And then we'll head to the salon, and ask — Should the government really require dozens of hours of training for a license to braid hair?

Get tickets to our August 18th live show and graduation ceremony at The Bell House, in Brooklyn. (Planet Money+ supporters get a 10 percent discount off their tickets. Listen to the July 8th bonus episode to get the code!)

The series is hosted by Robert Smith and produced by Eric Mennel. Our project manager is Devin Mellor. This episode was edited by Planet Money Executive Producer Alex Goldmark and fact-checked by Sofia Shchukina.

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Derek Fisher talks about the N.B.A.’s global reach. To get subscriber-only episodes, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

The post Off the Court appeared first on Freakonomics.

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They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Crockett follows the trail.

 

• SOURCES:
  • Paul Bradley, president of ROC USA.
  • Blaer Roberts, former chef and mobile home resident.
  • Frank Rolfe, co-owner of Mobile Home University.
  • Cheryl Streberger, retired nurse and mobile home resident.

 

• RESOURCES:
  • "‘We’re All Afraid’: Massive Rent Increases Hit Mobile Homes," by Abha Bhattarai (The Washington Post, 2022).
  • "Investors Are Buying Mobile Home Parks. Residents Are Paying a Price," by Sophie Kasakove (The New York Times, 2022).
  • "Mobile Home Parks Move From Mom-and-Pop to Corporate," by Jennifer Brown and Kevin Simpson (A.P. News, 2019).
  • "The Cold, Hard Lessons of Mobile Home U," by Gary Rivlin (The New York Times, 2014).
  • "Goldman Alum Gives Up Funds to Become Trailer-Park Mogul," by Anthony Effinger and Katherine Burton (Bloomberg, 2014).
  • "Carlyle Jumps Into Niche Space," by Dawn Wotapka (The Wall Street Journal, 2013).

 

LIVE SHOW ALERT: August 18th, NYC. Get your tickets here.

When news broke that a Japanese company, Nippon Steel, was buying the storied American steel company U.S. Steel, it was still 2023, just before an election.

And right away, politicians from both sides of the aisle came out forcefully against the deal, saying the company should remain American. Before leaving office, President Biden even blocked the sale.

But in a dramatic twist a few weeks ago, President Trump approved it. With a caveat: the U.S. would get what Trump called 'a golden share' in U.S. Steel.

On our latest show: what even is a "golden share"? When has it been used before, and why? And, could deals like this be a good way to get foreign investment in American manufacturing...or is it government overreach?

Related episodes:
- When Uncle Sam owned banks and factories
- How Big Steel in the U.S. fell

This episode was produced by Willa Rubin and edited by Marianne McCune. Research help from Emily Crawford and Emma Peaslee. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.

Support Planet Money, get bonus episodes, sponsor-free listening and now Summer School episodes one week early by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

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