From war to tariffs to inflation, it is clear Donald Trump is a devoted disciple of the ideology of statism and interventionism. The fact he's better than the atrocious Kamala Harris doesn't change this.
What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes.
In the first episode, we’re starting the week by asking some interesting questions about the economy:
Is the cost-of-living crisis over?
The economy is expected to have grown by 1.5% in 2025. Is that a big number?
When taxes are at record highs, why does it feel as if everything is such hard work for public services?
Do the majority of people in Scotland pay less tax than they would in the rest of the UK?
Does the UK have a more progressive tax system than Scandinavian countries?
Get in touch if you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at: moreorless@bbc.co.uk
Contributors:
Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation
Helen Miller, Director of Institute for Fiscal Studies
Mairi Spowage, Professor and Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde
John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter for the Financial Times
Credits:
Presenter: Tim Harford
Quiz contestant: Lizzy McNeill
Producers: Nathan Gower, Katie Solleveld and Charlotte McDonald
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound mix: Sarah Hockley and James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi made waves last fall after saying her country might intervene if China invaded Taiwan. In response, China launched state-organized boycotts against Japan — canceling concerts, restricting seafood imports, and even recalling pandas. Today on the show, what does it look like for a state to organize a boycott, and does it work?
At The Indicator, we’ve been following the conditions in Venezuela over the years. In 2024 we covered how Venezuela’s economy went into freefall, and have been checking in with an economist there frequently — including after the U.S. attacked over the weekend, deposing its leader Nicolás Maduro.
On today’s show, we’re revisiting our episode about Venezuela’s economy, and hear from our contact in Caracas.
Send us questions you’d like The Indicator to answer on future episodes about Venezuela: indicator@npr.org.
Depending upon the narrative, American Indians were either noble creatures who were victims of a genocide by rapacious European settlers or were bloodthirsty savages. The truth is more nuanced.
From record-breaking passenger numbers, to some more record-breaking numbers - courtesy of the Men’s football World Cup. We look forward to what 2026 might have in store for us - numerically of course.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Katie Solleveld
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Richard Vadon
From an Austrian perspective, the Panic of 1893 provides key lessons, but this consequential panic has not received as much direct attention as it deserves.