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    Education

    Words & Numbers

    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.

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    Copyright: © Creative Commons

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    Latest Episodes:
    Episode 507: Free These People May 20, 2026
    Show notes

    The inimitable Matt Kibbe, of Kibbe on Liberty joins us to spill the beans. Which beans? You’ll have to listen or watch to find out.


    00:00 Introduction and Overview

    00:24 Brazil’s Failing Medical Education System

    04:59 Older Americans Turn to Marijuana Instead of Doctors

    07:11 Kari Lake, Ambassadorships, and Political Loyalty

    11:16 Trump, Obama, Third Terms, and Autocracy

    14:40 Introduction: Matt Kibbe Joins the Show

    16:24 Building Free the People and Communicating Liberty Through Storytelling

    19:50 Why Stories Matter More Than Numbers in Economics

    24:49 Libertarian Messaging and Reaching New Generations

    28:04 Why Heroes Are Hard to Find

    31:30 Trump, Influence, and Decentralized Cultural Power

    33:54 Jordan Peterson, Responsibility, and Optimism

    37:26 Fear, Freedom, and the Appeal of Certainty

    42:12 Libertarianism, Progress, and Political Tribalism

    45:12 Announcement: Words & Numbers Partners with Free the People

    49:50 Growing Audiences, Social Media, and the Future of the Show

    51:32 Closing Remarks

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    Episode 506: Where Have All The Men Gone? May 13, 2026
    Show notes

    What the hell is wrong with young men, and is there anything we can do to help? Max Borders joins us to diagnose the problem and offer a possible solution. Disclaimer: Max and James are starting a new project together.


    00:00 Introduction and Overview

    00:24 The 25th Amendment and Presidential Incapacity

    04:05 Biden, Kamala Harris, and Political Responsibility

    06:25 Gerald Ford, Nixon, and Presidential Stability

    08:36 Gas Prices and the Federal Gas Tax Debate

    11:56 Age Verification Laws and VPN Workarounds

    15:52 Introduction to Max Borders and the Crisis Facing Young Men

    19:06 Toxic Masculinity, Smartphones, and the Rise of the Manosphere

    21:55 Role Models, Mentorship, and the Loss of Masculine Guidance

    27:42 Feminization, Ambition, and the Balance Between Masculine and Feminine Virtues

    33:08 Young Men, Dating Culture, and Social Withdrawal

    38:49 Dating Apps, Workplaces, and the Decline of Real-World Relationships

    42:53 Young Men Falling Behind in Education and Life

    48:25 Parenting, Discipline, Trauma Culture, and Resilience

    59:08 The Manosphere, Positive Masculinity, and the Chrysalis Project

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    Episode 505: Owning the (Post) Libs May 06, 2026
    Show notes

    How did all the Post-Liberals get on the Goulash Train? And what are Post-Liberals? And what is (or more to the point, was) the Goulash Train? With guest Phil Magness.


    00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

    01:44 Fast-Track Degrees and Credential Culture

    03:53 Online Learning and Gaming the System

    05:11 AI, Universities, and Lecture Ownership

    08:04 AI Replacing Professors and Higher Ed Decline

    09:55 The Collapse of Higher Education

    11:29 Credentials vs Real Education

    12:54 Guest Introduction: Phil Magness

    13:56 Viktor Orbán and Hungary’s Political Shift

    16:11 Hungary, Russia, and Ukraine Context

    17:44 Orbán’s Election Loss and Fallout

    19:29 Why Hungary Matters to the U.S.

    20:45 Post-Liberalism Explained

    27:36 Carl Schmitt and Authoritarian Theory

    31:21 Hungary as a Model for Post-Liberalism

    36:11 State Power, Economics, and Policy Failures

    41:37 U.S. Connections and the “Goulash Train”

    46:27 Post-Liberalism as a Fringe Movement

    49:20 Liberalism vs Post-Liberal Ideology

    51:38 Historical Parallels and Authoritarian Models

    54:53 U.S. Political Implications and Closing

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    Episode 504: Privileges & Immunities Apr 29, 2026
    Show notes

    Privileges and/or Immunities, Necessary and/or Proper, and Cruel and/or Unusual, with guest Clark Neily.


    00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

    00:37 Congress Approval Ratings Hit 10%

    02:08 King Charles on Checks and Balances

    03:17 Is Congress Failing Its Constitutional Role?

    04:19 Jimmy Kimmel Controversy and Media Fallout

    06:05 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Passport Idea

    08:13 Clark Neily Joins the Show

    09:28 Comey Indictment and “8647” Controversy

    12:11 Legal Interpretation and Prosecutorial Overreach

    16:03 Is There a Growing Skepticism of Qualified Immunity?

    17:58 What Qualified Immunity Actually Means

    19:57 Absolute Immunity for Prosecutors Explained

    23:44 Supreme Court Trends and Recent Rulings

    24:19 Birthright Citizenship Debate

    30:06 Constitutional Interpretation and “Cruel and Unusual”

    34:07 Incorporation Doctrine and the 14th Amendment

    40:28 Slaughterhouse Cases and Missed Legal Turning Point

    45:35 Why Courts Resist Expanding Individual Rights

    48:56 Supreme Court Power and Constitutional Limits Debate

    50:59 Commerce Clause Expansion and Federal Overreach

    57:51 Closing Discussion and Wrap-Up

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    Episode 503: Is the American Dream Dead? Apr 22, 2026
    Show notes

    Is the American Dream dead? A lot of people seem to think so, and perception is reality in politics. But what do the words and numbers actually say?


    00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

    01:10 NYC Government Grocery Stores and “Fair Prices”

    05:26 Why Socialist Grocery Models Break Down

    09:27 Money, Markets, and Why the System Works

    11:36 Prediction: Empty Shelves and Taxpayer Subsidies

    13:29 UK Smoking Ban and Black Market Consequences

    18:16 Foolishness of the Week: AI Influencer Scam

    21:01 AI Content, OnlyFans, and the Future of Monetization

    24:04 Is the American Dream Dead?

    27:04 Perception vs Reality in the Economy

    29:41 Real Wages, Housing, and Cost of Living

    34:03 Why Life Feels More Expensive Today

    37:40 Work, Lifestyle Expectations, and Generational Shifts

    45:32 Consumer Sentiment, Social Media, and Economic Anxiety

    52:12 Recession Fears and Policy Reality

    56:33 Closing Remarks and Patreon

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


    Episode 502: Us & Them Apr 15, 2026
    Show notes

    It’s not left v right, it’s us v them.


    00:00 Introduction and Overview

    00:27 AI Lawsuit and the Return of “Technology Panics”

    01:04 The “Werther Effect” and Historical Media Fears

    04:47 Does AI Cause Harm or Reflect the User?

    07:46 Should AI Come With Warnings?

    12:05 Hungary Politics and Viktor Orbán’s Defeat

    15:29 Foolishness of the Week: Conspiracy Theories and Flat Earthers

    18:14 Artemis II and the Persistence of Irrational Beliefs

    20:28 Partisanship, Audience Reactions, and Perceived Bias

    24:10 Why Both Parties Drift Toward Authoritarianism

    28:55 Are Democrats and Republicans Actually Different?

    32:37 “Them vs Us”: The Political Illusion

    36:24 The Feedback Loop of Polarization

    40:35 Debate Culture, Civility, and Online Discourse

    43:23 How to Argue Without Attacking People

    47:38 Final Thoughts: Be Skeptical, Be Civil, Be Kind

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


    Episode 501: Blowing Bubbles Apr 08, 2026
    Show notes

    We return after a brief hiatus to catch up on a whirlwind of recent headlines, from political drama to bizarre claims about aliens, before turning to the Supreme Court’s consideration of birthright citizenship and the broader question of executive power versus congressional authority. We examine how Congress has gradually ceded its responsibilities on issues like tariffs, war powers, and immigration, and what that means for the balance of power in government. We then head to Ireland, where one enterprising citizen used AI to track the true price of a pint of Guinness, before moving to Texas for our Foolishness of the Week, where a congressional race has taken an unusual turn as a candidate campaigns by performing at quinceañeras. Finally, we dive into financial bubbles, exploring how markets price uncertainty, why emerging technologies like AI attract massive investment despite unclear outcomes, and how bubbles function as part of the process of discovering what new innovations are actually worth.


    00:00 Introduction: A Month of Chaos

    02:43 Supreme Court, Birthright Citizenship, and Trump’s Presence

    03:45 Executive Power vs Congressional Authority

    06:16 Why Congress Keeps Ceding Its Power

    09:09 Can a System This Large Even Function?

    10:17 Ireland’s Guinness Price Investigation with AI

    13:04 Foolishness of the Week: Texas Campaigning at Quinceañeras

    16:04 Redistricting, Demographics, and Political Miscalculations

    18:11 Financial Bubbles and Why Economists Ignore Them

    19:17 The “Real Economy” vs Financial Markets

    22:24 Pricing the Unknown: Cars, Dot-Coms, and AI

    24:56 AI Investing, Speculation, and Bubble Pricing

    26:53 AI as the Next Internet and Technological Integration

    30:53 Amazon, Spillover Innovation, and Unexpected Winners

    37:22 Consumer Power, Corporate Fear, and Market Discipline

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    Episode 500: Goodbye & Hello Mar 17, 2026
    Show notes

    We’re not going away, but things are changing a bit. Listen to find out how.

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    Episode 499: Who Should Vote? Feb 19, 2026
    Show notes

    In this episode, we begin with the strange world of high-end audio, from banana wire tests to quarter-million-dollar stereo systems, and ask whether diminishing returns eventually overtake objective performance. We then react to Barack Obama’s comments about aliens before moving to our Foolishness of the Week: Australia’s $40 cigarette packs and the predictable rise of black markets and bootlegging that follows heavy taxation. From there, we turn to election law and voting rights, examining who actually has the constitutional authority to regulate elections, what the SAVE Act proposes regarding proof of citizenship, whether a president can alter voting rules by executive order, and how voter ID laws intersect with legitimacy and public trust. We also discuss gerrymandering, the structural incentives of the two-party system, and a story from a group home that raises deeper questions about civic participation and what it really means to be qualified to vote.


    00:00 Introduction and Overview

    00:30 Audiophile Cable Myths and the Banana Wire Test

    03:54 Quarter-Million Dollar Stereo Systems and Diminishing Returns

    06:32 Barack Obama Says Aliens Are Real

    10:14 Foolishness of the Week: Australia’s $40 Cigarette Packs

    12:26 Black Markets, Bootleggers, and Unintended Consequences

    16:55 Who Actually Decides Who Can Vote?

    18:39 The Constitutional Framework for Elections

    22:31 The SAVE Act and Federal Citizenship Requirements

    26:53 Voter ID, Legitimacy, and Political Signaling

    31:41 The Real Electoral Problem: The Two-Party Duopoly

    34:15 Gerrymandering and the Spoils of Political Victory

    38:50 Can Trump Use an Executive Order on Voting?

    41:30 Legitimacy, Public Trust, and Election Narratives

    44:52 A Story from the Group Home: When Should People Vote?

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


    Episode 498: Politicians Broke Health Insurance Feb 17, 2026
    Show notes

    In this episode, we discuss the Netherlands’ proposed 36% tax on unrealized capital gains, unpacking what it means to tax wealth that exists only on paper and how such a policy could force asset sales, distort investment behavior, and reshape long-term incentives for savers and entrepreneurs. For our Foolishness of the Week, we turn to North Carolina, where a local official distinguished himself as perhaps the dumbest sheriff in America. We then welcome Dave Greene for an extended conversation on health insurance, exploring how risk pooling actually works, why medical pricing feels arbitrary, how regulation and the Affordable Care Act altered incentives for insurers and patients, and why price opacity and third-party payment continue to drive costs higher across the system.


    00:00 Introduction and Overview

    00:31 Words and Numbers Backstage & Listener Shoutouts

    04:13 The Netherlands’ 36% Tax on Unrealized Gains

    08:20 Who Can Afford Risk Under a Wealth-Style Tax?

    12:24 Florida Snow & Strange Weather

    13:39 Foolishness of the Week: The Mecklenburg Sheriff

    18:54 Dave Greene Introduction: Health Insurance Insider Perspective

    21:36 Why Health Insurance Feels So Frustrating

    24:05 Is the System Designed to Make You Give Up?

    27:32 Why Health Care Prices Stay Hidden

    34:13 The $1,600 MRI vs. $200 MRI Problem

    41:38 Negotiating Medical Bills (Yes, You Can)

    43:36 The Affordable Care Act and Incentive Distortions

    47:24 Health Insurance Profit Margins Explained

    50:45 1950s Health Care vs. Today’s Innovation

    53:48 Why Insurance Companies Get the Blame

    57:26 Medicare vs. Private Insurance Subsidies

    01:01:35 Guest Outro and Closing Thoughts

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