Risk Talking

Latest Episodes:

How Finance Enabled Civilization Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Yale School of Management professor William N. Goetzmann joins Allison Schrager to discuss the history of financial innovation, the role of markets in Athens, Sumeria, and Rome, and the democratization of risk-taking. His latest book is Money Changes Everything: How Finance Made Civilization Possible.

Higher Ed: What Went Wrong? Sep 23, 2022

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American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Beth Akers joins Allison Schrager to discuss student loans, the rising cost of college, and policy alternatives to blanket debt forgiveness.

Wage Stagnation and Income Risk Sep 08, 2022

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Economist Fatih Guvenen joins Allison Schrager to discuss his research into some of the most pressing issues facing the American economy—from wage stagnation to income risk—and how the use of big data can demystify the nation's economic challenges.

Making Sense of the Housing Market Aug 16, 2022

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NYU-Stern professor and Manhattan Institute adjunct fellow Arpit Gupta joins Allison Schrager to discuss the state of the U.S. housing market, the long-term consequences of remote work, and the demand- and supply-side impediments to building more housing.

To Understand Cryptocurrency, First Understand Money Jul 27, 2022

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What is money? It's a time-honored question in economics, and the stock answers usually involve such phrases as "a medium of exchange" or "a reliable store of value." But the definition seems increasingly up for grabs in the twenty-first century, as central banks undertake experiments to keep economies stable and cryptocurrency innovators launch new products like stablecoins that promise to upend the fiat money system. Perry Mehrling, a professor of international political economy at Boston University's Pardee School of Global Studies and the author of several books and journal articles, uses what he calls the "money view" to make sense of the contemporary monetary landscape. On this episode of Risk Talking, Mehrling joins Allison Schrager to discuss how understanding the basic features and hierarchy of money can help us understand the cryptocurrency crash of 2022.

Inflation's Revenge Jun 15, 2022

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For years, a cohort of economists, public officials, and journalists confidently proclaimed that inflation was a thing of the past. Demographic trends heralded long-term deflationary pressures, the thinking went, and new ideas in fiscal and monetary policy meant that interest rates could remain low indefinitely. Conditions today put paid to that thesis, but how did so many get things so wrong? In this episode of Risk Talking, economist and Shadow Open Market Committee member Mickey Levy joins Allison Schrager to discuss the state of the macroeconomy, the Federal Reserve's evolving posture, and the complacency of the doves.

The Triumph of Intangibles Jun 02, 2022

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Everyone seems to think the world economy has taken a wrong turn, but nobody seems to agree on the reasons why. What if the culprit is the world's hidden transition from tangible to intangible assets? In this episode of Risk Talking, Royal Statistical Society chief executive Stian Westlake joins Allison Schrager to define the intangible economy and explain how it affects the world around us. His new book, co-authored with Jon Haskel and called Restarting the Future: How to Fix an Intangible Economy, is out now.

The Future Economy May 16, 2022

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On the inaugural episode of Risk Talking, Joel Mokyr, the pathbreaking economic historian, joins Allison Schrager to discuss the past, present, and future of innovation and the modern economy. What sparked the industrial revolution? What are the intellectual underpinnings of economic growth? What is the future of work in an increasingly technologized world? And does today's stifling political environment threaten our prosperity? Mokyr and Schrager take up these questions—and much more.

Introducing: Risk Talking May 16, 2022

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Learn about "Risk Talking" with Allison Schrager, a podcast from the Manhattan Institute.