Words & Numbers is one of the highest-rated economics podcasts in the world. Each episode, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan dig into economics, political science, and current events to explain what’s actually happening and why it matters.
Clark Neily joins us once again, this time to discuss the thorny matter of constitutional interpretation. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:26 TSA Phone Searches and the Right to Privacy 06:26 The University of Michigan Abandons Traditional Grades 10:31 Foolishness of the Week: Transgender Athletes and the WNBA 18:48 Clark Neily on How to Read the Constitution 21:54 Originalism vs. Textualism…
This week Ant and James seem not to have much of a point, but that's never stopped them before, and it sure didn't stop them this week. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:24 Caleb Hammer, Personal Finance, and Economic Hypocrisy 05:13 Thomas Jefferson, Hypocrisy, and Judging Ideas vs. People 10:00 Political Tribalism and Why People Stop Thinking Critically 14:46 Government Ownership of…
All foolishness all the time, with the connoisseur of foolishness himself, Wes Westmoreland. 00:00 Introduction 00:43 American Airlines Travel Horror Stories 06:25 Is the GOP Becoming Socialist? 12:34 Goldfish Rights, Animal Rights, and Ethical Contradictions 17:03 Tim Walz’s “Gender Dolls” for Children 20:32 Crossbow Mishap at the County Fair 22:07 Zohran Mamdani, Grocery Stores, and Reparations…
The adult entertainment industry has been sounding the alarm about the erosion of our rights for years. Adult actress London River joins us to explain. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:43 Zohran Mamdani’s Housing Proposal and Rent Control 03:44 Foolishness of the Week: Do Goldfish Have Rights? 07:51 Introducing London River 09:55 The SAVE Act and Online Age Verification 11:35 Why Adult…
What do population growth rates and movement among the states have to do with one another? More than you might think. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:56 Thomas Massie on Congress and Presidential Power 03:34 A Promising New Alzheimer’s Treatment 07:03 Foolishness of the Week: California’s Town Council Refuses to Leave Office 08:40 America’s Population Slowdown and Why It Matters 11:03…
Is birth enough to determine who should be a citizen? We (and the Supreme Court) weigh in. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 00:39 Disclosure Day, Spielberg, and Hollywood’s Creativity Problem 05:26 Foolishness of the Week: Air Conditioning and Energy Politics 13:58 Trump’s Meme Stock and Cryptocurrency Profits 23:39 Birthright Citizenship and the 14th Amendment 26:28 What Does “Subject to the…
Was July 4, 1776 the actual day of our independence from Great Britain as most Americans believe? While James is indisposed, historian Rob McDonald joins me to discuss the actual facts of America’s founding.
Memes are apparently unavoidable, and most of them suck. Here we talk about some of the suckiest ones. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 00:51 Japan’s Food Tax and Why Groceries Shouldn’t Be Taxed 02:38 State Sales Taxes on Food Across America 05:04 Flat Taxes, Tax Complexity, and Scotland’s Simplicity 06:18 Remembering Historian Gordon Wood 07:37 AI Corporations and the Future of Legal Personhood…
You should absolutely care about Juneteenth. Tom Krannawitter joins us to talk about why. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:20 Two Dan Sullivans Running in Alaska 02:57 Lawyers Using AI in Federal Court 04:10 Foolishness of the Week: Switzerland’s Population Cap 10:12 Fear of Declining Living Standards 12:03 Juneteenth with Thomas Krannawitter 13:13 The Origins of Juneteenth 16:03 Why the 13th…
Ant and James change things up a bit this week by talking about a great idea from Bernie Sanders. Most of that is true. Ant and James do, in fact, talk about an idea Bernie Sanders has. 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 01:19 IRS Tax Forms, Privacy, and Dual Citizenship 05:29 Public Opinion Polls and Political Popularity 09:17 Foolishness of the Week: Jill Biden and Joe Biden’s Debate Performance…