The Human Action Podcast

Using the heavily marketed movie "Wicked" as his news hook, Bob explains that the beloved Wizard of Oz movie involved an allegory of the bimetallism debates of the late 1800s, including William Jennings Bryan's famous "Cross of Gold" speech. Bob fills in the details about the Wizard of Oz lore, and then explains the ec

David Glasner is a UCLA-trained economist specializing in monetary theory and the history of economic thought. He has disagreed in print with Murphy's take on the famous Sraffa-Hayek debate. David first explains his general views and then comments on the debate.Bob's Paper, "A Problem With the Pure Time Preference Theo

In 1997, Bryan Caplan wrote an essay explaining why he was no longer a self-described Austrian. Recently, a reader asked him to comment on that essay. Bob reacts to Bryan's current views, arguing that the history of economic thought is indeed important, and the Misesian approach to praxeology is crucial.Bryan Caplan's

Bob discusses common talking points that pro-free-trade economists often use when making the case against tariffs. The purpose is to facilitate discussion so both sides have a deeper understanding of the subtle issues involved.Bob's Article on Trade Deficits: Mises.org/HAP475aSteve Landsburg on Obama's State of the Uni

Amy LePore's doctoral dissertation covered the perverse incentives of federal money for disaster management on local officials. She joins Bob to talk about FEMA's poor track record in recent disasters but also going back to Hurricane Katrina.Amy's Dissertation on the Effects of Federal Financial Aid: Mises.org/HAP474a

After explaining the backstory of how Bob put forth a proposal for codifying property rights in space-based resources, Bob then explains how the prospect of a future inflow of extraterrestrial riches could boost the standard of living on Earth in the near term.Bob Murphy Show, "Scott Horton on American Interference in