EconTalk
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Michael O'Hare on Art Museums
Michael O'Hare talks with host Russ Roberts about the management ...
Michael O'Hare talks with host Russ Roberts about the management of art museums. O'Hare suggests a number of changes that would allow museums to be more effective and to justify their non-profit status--lower admission prices, selling part of their substantial unseen inventory to other museums, and broadening the activities of the museum to include educational exhibits on the creation of art and the commercial side of art. He encourages trustees of museums to see their job more as tough-minded advisors and less as financiers of museum budgets.
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Leonard Wong on Honesty and Ethics in the Military
Leonard Wong talks with host Russ Roberts about honesty in ...
Leonard Wong talks with host Russ Roberts about honesty in the military. Based on a recent co-authored paper, Wong argues that the paperwork and training burden on U.S. military officers requires dishonesty--it is simply impossible to comply with all the requirements. This creates a tension for an institution that prides itself on honesty, trust, and integrity. The conversation closes with suggestions for how the military might reform the compliance and requirement process.
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Scott Sumner on Interest Rates
Scott Sumner talks with host Russ Roberts about interest rates. ...
Scott Sumner talks with host Russ Roberts about interest rates. Sumner suggests that professional economists sometimes confuse cause and effect with respect to prices and quantities. Low interest rates need not encourage investment for example, if interest rates are low because of a decrease in demand. Sumner also talk about possible explanations for the historically low real rates of interest in today's economy along with other aspects of monetary policy, interest rates, and investment.
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Phil Rosenzweig on Leadership, Decisions, and Behavioral Economics
Phil Rosenzweig talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his ...
Phil Rosenzweig talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his book, Left Brain, Right Stuff. When do the lessons from behavioral economics inform and when do they mislead when applied to real-world business decisions? Topics discussed include overconfidence, transparency, the winner's curse, evaluating leaders, and the role of experimental findings in thinking about decision-making.
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Vernon Smith and James Otteson on Adam Smith
Vernon Smith and James Otteson talk with host Russ Roberts ...
Vernon Smith and James Otteson talk with host Russ Roberts about Adam Smith in front of a live audience at Ball State University. Topics discussed include Smith's view of human nature, the relevance of Smith for philosophy and economics today, and the connection between Smith's two books, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations.
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David Skarbek on Prison Gangs and the Social Order of the Underworld
David Skarbek talks with host Russ Roberts about the written ...
David Skarbek talks with host Russ Roberts about the written and unwritten rules in America's prisons for the most violent and dangerous criminals. Skarbek explains how and why prison gangs emerged in the last half of the 20th century, their influence both inside and outside of prisons, and how their governance structure is maintained.
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Campbell Harvey on Randomness, Skill, and Investment Strategies
Campbell Harvey talks with host Russ Roberts about his research ...
Campbell Harvey talks with host Russ Roberts about his research evaluating investment and trading strategies and the challenge of measuring their effectiveness. Topics include skill vs. luck, self-deception, the measures of statistical significance, skewness in investment returns, and the potential of big data.
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Paul Romer on Urban Growth
Paul Romer talks with host Russ Roberts about reforming cities ...
Paul Romer talks with host Russ Roberts about reforming cities to allow growth and human flourishing. Topics discussed include charter cities, the role of population density in city life, driverless cars, and various ways to help the poorest people in the world.
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Lawrence H. White on Monetary Constitutions
Lawrence H. White talks with host Russ Roberts about the ...
Lawrence H. White talks with host Russ Roberts about the possibility of a monetary constitution. Based on a new book, Renewing the Search for a Monetary Constitution, White explores different constitutional constraints that might be put on the government's role in money and monetary policy. Topics include cryptocurrencies, the gold standard, the Taylor Rule, the performance of the Fed, free banking, and private currency.
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David Zetland on Water
David Zetland talks with host Russ Roberts about the challenges ...
David Zetland talks with host Russ Roberts about the challenges of water management. Topics include sustainability of water supplies, affordability of water for the poor, incentives water companies face, and management of water systems in the poorest countries. Also discussed are the diamond and water paradox, campaigns to reduce water usage, and the role of prices in managing a water system.
