Episode 120: Symposia - UBI as a tool for economic management
Today’s discussion was recorded in March of 2024, where we were joined by our guest, Derek Van Gorder.
Mr. Van Gorder is an independent scholar and cofounder of the Greshm Institute. The Greshm Institute is a non-profit organization that fosters dialogue around Universal Basic Income (UBI). Derek is also working on a series of essays on the dynamics of UBI and how it is economically viable. In addition to his work with the Greshm Institute, Mr. Van Gorder is also a filmmaker and videographer for documentaries, indie films, and music videos. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
We were joined by Mr. Van Gorder to discuss the dynamics of UBI, how it can be used for monetary policy, and why a universal basic income is the most efficient policy tool for macroeconomic management.
Episode 119: Symposia - Is the Fed miscalculating unemployment?
Today’s discussion was recorded in March of 2024, where we were joined by our guest, Dr. W. E. Perry.
Dr. Perry received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in Ancient Greek Language and Literature, and his Ph.D. in Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from Trinity College in Dublin. He has conducted extensive research on Money Supply and recent trends in Monetary Policy. He is also the Managing Director of Fiduciary Automation, a company that helps businesses check if their financial ideas meet legal requirements and identify areas of ambiguity. In addition to Fiduciary Automation, Dr. Perry is also the founder of XML Special Interest Group, a platform for professionals who use Extensible Markup Language (XML), a coding language.
We were joined by Dr. Perry to discuss his analysis on recent macroeconomic trends, how asset bubbles are formed, and why the Fed always miscalculates unemployment.
Episode 118: How the Fed lost control over Money Supply
Today’s discussion was recorded in January of 2024, where we were joined by our guest, Dr. Walter E. Perry.
Dr. Perry received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in Ancient Greek Language and Literature, and his Ph.D. in Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from Trinity College in Dublin. He has conducted extensive research on Money Supply and recent trends in Monetary Policy. He is also the Managing Director of Fiduciary Automation, a company that helps businesses check if their financial ideas meet legal requirements and identify areas of ambiguity. In addition to Fiduciary Automation, Dr. Perry is also the founder of XML Special Interest Group, a platform for professionals who use Extensible Markup Language (XML), a coding language.
We were joined by Dr. Perry to discuss why the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy has been ineffective, how AI and computer science can be used to understand why monetary policy is failing, and a brief history of modern monetary history.
Episode 117: Snapshot - Diaspora Bonds as a path to development
Today’s discussion was recorded in October of 2023, where we were joined by our returning guest, Dr. Aleksandr Gevorkyan.
Dr. Gevorkyan received his bachelor’s degree in International Trade and Finance from Louisiana State University, two master's in Economics from The New School and Louisiana State University, and his Ph.D. in economics from New School. He is an expert on Central Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union economies. He is the author of numerous journal articles, as well as two books: Transition Economies and Financial Deepening and Post-Crisis Development in Emerging Markets. He is a professor and Henry George Chair in Economics at St. John’s University, as well as a Board member here at the Henry George School.
Today we will explore Diaspora Bonds and how they can impact development. Many underdeveloped nations don’t have the financial capacity to pursue transformative projects like building hospitals or infrastructure. Diaspora Bonds help fund these projects from expatriates who want to help their home country. Dr. Gevorkyan also explores how other nations have successfully used their diaspora to spur growth.
Episode 116: Snapshot - A Georgist perspective on the American Rescue Plan
Today’s discussion was recorded in September of 2021, where we were joined by our returning guest, and long-time faculty member of the school, Ed Dodson.
Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping to revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled "The Discovery of First Principles."
Today, Mr. Dodson explains the impact of the American Rescue plan and why it may not have helped the people it was most intended to. Ed helps break down a Georgist analysis of the macroenvironment pre-Covid, and how the American Rescue Plan fails to address its vulnerabilities.
Episode 115: Snapshot: Equitism and Reconfiguring Capitalism
Snapshot is a more brief format for introducing listeners to complex concepts they may not be familiar with. We take big ideas and distill them into a bite-sized format so you can get an understanding of these ideas through a particular lens. We’ll explore ideas like moneterism, historical materialism, or opportunity cost, and how they are relevant to the real world. You don’t have to be an expert on economics, we’ll explain it to you.
Mr. Rossman is a financier and investor, who specializes in developing nations and emerging markets. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Mr. Rossman helped establish investment institutions in Turkey, former Soviet Union states, and North Africa. Throughout his career, Tom has helped nations democratize and sustainably develop to bring new opportunities to these regions. He has spoken at conferences across the world from Baku to London to Houston. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies from Nyack College and earned his master’s from Tufts in international relations. Currently, he is an advisor to the Telosa Community Foundation; a group hoping to build a futuristic from-scratch city that will revolutionize urban living.
Mr. Rossman introduces us to the concept of equitism. When most social scientists discuss fairness, they usually mention equality or equity. Equitism takes these ideas a step further. Equitism is a system in which city people own or have a stake in the land. In theory, this should give them more power to determine their socioeconomic outcomes.
Together we discussed a brief history of economic thought, how equitism reconfigures capitalism, and how a more even distribution of land can improve environmental outcomes.
Episode 114: Rethinking Economics: Economics That Moved Beyond Humanity
Rethinking Economics is all about questioning the core foundations of economics. This series questions economic orthodoxy to better understand the forces and shifts shaping our society and the world. Together, we’ll interrogate things like the efficacy of economic models, if mainstream assumptions are always correct, and why the ideas and concepts you learn about in textbooks may lead you astray.
For our inaugural discussion of the series, we will be talking to our returning guest Dr. Steve Keen. Our talk was recorded in March of 2024 and is hosted by Nathan Greene, a researcher at the Henry George School.
Dr. Keen is an expert on the dynamics of monetary economics and macroeconomics. We’ll explore his critiques of the efficient market hypothesis to his more recent analyses of debt dynamics and financial instability. Together, we talked about the shortcomings of conventional economic thinking, and why it’s so damaging not just to the economy, but the planet as well. By questioning fundamental assumptions, he invites us to reconsider our approach to economic policy and reshape our vision of a more equitable and sustainable future. At a time when the world is largely ignoring calls to abandon fossil fuels and the green transition feels painstakingly slow, his ideas and critiques feel more important now than ever before.
Dr. Keen received his bachelor's degree from the University of Sydney and went on to complete his master's and Ph.D. in Economics and Economic History from the University of New South Wales. He is the author of several books on economics, of which the two most famous are "Debunking Economics" and "The New Economics: A Manifesto." Both critique conventional economic theory. We were even lucky enough to hear about his upcoming book, "Rebuilding Economics from the Top Down." Dr. Keen has taught at the University of Western Sydney and Kingston University in London. He is currently leading the development of a software package called Minsky, a dynamics-based visualization tool for macroeconomic modeling.
Episode 113: Exploring the Economic Relationship between the US and Indigenous Peoples
Today’s episode our discussion came from our most recent seminar, McGirt v Oklahoma: Unraveling the Impact on Tribal Economics and Sovereignty. Our conversation was recorded in February of 2024 and is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member, who is joined by our guest, Dr. Brian Hosmer.
Dr. Hosmer is the head of the History department at Oklahoma State University and previously held the H.G. Barnard Chair at the University of Tulsa. He has held numerous teaching positions at institutions such as the University of Delaware, University of Wyoming, and the University of Illinois Chicago. His research and teaching interests focus on indigenous history, environmental history, and the intersection of economics and indigenous nationhood. He is the author of several books including "American Indians and the Marketplace," "Tribal Worlds," "Native Americans and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman," and many more.
Our guest today helps us explore the current interaction between the US government and indigenous nations, how a recent Supreme Court Case impacts this interaction, and how this translates to economic outcomes.
Episode 112: The Political Economy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2024)
Today's discussion came from our most recent seminar and was recorded in January of 2024. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School.
To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to pause our regular content and give our listeners a special series on the political economy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This week’s talk will conclude our 3-part series exploring Dr. King’s intellectual evolution, and how it impacted his solutions to addressing poverty.
Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled "The Discovery of First Principles."
Episode 111: The Political Economy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2023)
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in January of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School.
To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to pause our regular content and give our listeners a special series on the political economy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For the next two episodes, we’ll continue our 3-part series exploring Dr. King’s intellectual evolution and how it impacted his solutions to addressing poverty.
Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled "The Discovery of First Principles."
Episode 110: The Political Economy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (2022)
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in January of 2022. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School.
To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to pause our regular content and give our listeners a special series on the political economy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. For the next few episodes, we’ll have a 3-part series exploring Dr. King’s intellectual evolution, and how it impacted his solutions to addressing poverty.
Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled "The Discovery of First Principles."
Episode 109: Quantitative easing and inequality
Today's discussion was recorded in July of 2021. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our guest Dr. Raphaële Chappe.
Dr. Chappe is a Decentralized Finance economist and Director of R&D and Strategy at DeVol Network, a cryptocurrency platform. Dr. Chappe is also an economic advisor for The Predistribution Initiative, a non-profit that supports creating investment structures that better distributes wealth with workers and communities. Dr. Chappe is also a Research Fellow with the Open Society Foundation. Dr. Chappe earned her bachelor’s in Law and French Law from King’s College London, a master’s degree in Comparative Business Law from the University of Pantheon-Sorbonne in Paris, a master’s in law from New York University, and her doctorate in economics from The New School for Social Research. Needless to say, she has quite an extensive resume. Raphaële’s research interests include monetary policy and shadow banking.
We were lucky enough to talk to Dr. Chappe about quantitative easing, how it impacts inequality, and how recent accumulations of debt could impact the global macroeconomy.
Episode 108: How populism can improve democratic institutions
Today's discussion was recorded in December of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our guest Dr. Walter Horn.
Dr. Horn is a philosopher who uses his philosophical training to analyze public policy. Writing for journals such as The Journal of Philosophy and Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Walter has published many articles on topics such as metaphysics, epistemology, or the psychology of religion. He is also the author of "Democratic Theory Naturalized," which deeply examines populism and power relations within a democracy. As a professor, Dr. Horn has taught at Brown University and Framingham State University. When he’s not busy writing about psychology or philosophy, our guest loves to write and analyze music and has several recorded albums.
To improve our system of government and create outcomes more beneficial to the public, Dr. Horn believes society needs a healthy dose of populism. Populism is a complex idea, usually harboring negative connotations from both the left and right. But to Dr. Horn, populism is a move toward radical democracy and the empowerment of people. Governments, democracies, and constitutions all change over time. But what these changes are, and who they impact, have lasting consequences on how we organize our society and decide who gets to make what decisions.
Dr. Horn earned his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, and his Ph.D. from Brown University, both in philosophy.
Together, we discussed Dr. Horn’s definition of populism, how democratic reform can empower citizens, and why education is so important to achieving democratic outcomes.
Episode 107: A lesson on sustainable macroeconomics
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in October of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our guest Dr. Willi Semmler.
Dr. Semmler is the Arnhold Professor of International Cooperation and Development at the New School in New York City, where he researches macroeconomics, the economics of climate change, and financial markets. Dr. Semmler is also a Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Capitalism and Society, an institute that examines the shortcomings of orthodox economics and looks to understand the economy through a more realistic and complex lens. Willi has also taught at other universities such as the American University in Washington D.C., the University of Berlin, and the University of Bielefeld in Germany. He is the author of numerous journal articles and has written many books such as "Asset Prices, Booms, and Recessions" and "Sustainable Macroeconomics, Climate Risks, and Energy Transitions." Dr. Semmler is a trustee and long-time member here at the Henry George School. He is an expert on all things macroeconomics, sustainability, and business cycles.
Today’s discussion delves into how economics can be used, or rethought, to improve environmental conditions. Is economic growth inseparable from environmental damage? Can the economy become less energy-intensive as it diversifies? Is it possible to improve living conditions with a growing population without causing pollution? Economists often examine incentives, and how they can lead to different outcomes. Dr. Semmler helps us break down these incentives, and how they can be recalibrated to benefit conservation efforts.
Dr. Semmler studied at the University of Munich and Technical University in Germany and earned his PhD from the Free University of Berlin.
Together we discussed why many conflate economic growth with pollution, how policy and incentives can better serve environmental needs, and how the financial sector can be rewired to encourage productive investment and reduce speculation.
Episode 106: A system dynamics approach to Georgism
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in July of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our guest Mr. Lars Doucet.
Mr. Doucet is a consultant, blogger, entrepreneur, game developer, and currently the Director of Outreach for Common Ground USA. As a consultant, Lars has been accredited with developing numerous video games and software packages, such as Defender’s Quest and Super Energy Apocalypse. He is also the founder of Geo Land Solutions, which appraises large tracts of land to better calibrate land values and taxes more equitably. Mr. Doucet recently published his first book: "Land is a Big Deal," where he explores Georgist ideas, such as rent, natural resource extraction, and collectivism.
Mr. Doucet earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University in Visual Sciences.
Together, we discussed how Mr. Doucet came to his Georgist epiphany, how speculation leads to inequality and economic downturns, and how proper appraisal of land values can lead to beneficial downstream effects.
Episode 105: Getting into the weeds of housing markets
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in June of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our returning guest Mr. Mark Mollineaux.
Mark is an artist, radio host, and researcher who focuses on metropolitan resilience, urbanization, and housing affordability. Mr. Mollineaux is a lifelong Georgist and hosts a popular radio show, "The Henry George Program," on Stanford’s radio where he hosts discussions on Georgist ideas and concepts. He is also part of Common Ground USA’s California Chapter. Common Ground USA promotes land and economic justice through land-value taxation, land trusts, and fair taxation of pollution or extraction.
Together, we got into the weeds of the dynamics of housing markets, discussed why traditional policy tools won’t help current unaffordability problems and why some alternatives may be better, and why property and land taxes can help entrench unaffordability.
Episode 104: Creating cities for transformative development
Mr. Morial is the former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, and current President and CEO of the National Urban League. The National Urban League is a civil rights group that promotes equality, social justice, and economic empowerment. The National Urban League spearheads social programs, public policy research, and advocacy efforts in over 300 communities across the U.S. to shrink the wealth gap in underserved communities. Through a combination of education, entrepreneurship, and job training, the National Urban League looks to create self-reliance and reinvigorate small- and medium-sized cities.
Our guest today spoke not just of the importance of cities, but how we can make them better places to develop better standards of living for everyone.
Mr. Morial earned his bachelor’s degree in African American Studies and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD from Georgetown University.
Together, we discussed how living conditions in New Orleans changed since Mr. Morial’s mayorship, how many cities across the US face similar deterioration, and how the country can produce transformative development for future generations.
Episode 103: Henry George's influence on American liberalism
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in April of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, who is joined by our guest, Dr. Christopher England.
Dr. England is an Adjunct Lecturer at Georgetown University, and has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Loyola University, Maryland, and Stanford University. His courses focus on US history, the history of economic thought, political media, and social movements in America. His most recent book, Henry George and the Crafting of Modern Liberalism, focuses on the influence Henry George had on American politics and public sentiment towards policy. Examining firsthand accounts of George’s correspondences with his followers, Dr. England traces the legacy of George’s influence from the Progressive Movement to the New Deal Era. With a particular focus on land, natural resources, and rent-seeking, Dr. England observes how Georgism influenced public policy during these times to create a more egalitarian and democratic society.
Dr. England received his bachelor’s degree in history and rhetoric from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. from Georgetown in history. He’s also a former Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Dr. England joined the Henry George School to discuss land reforms during the New Deal, how George transformed liberalism in the US and around the world, and how land and land markets impact economic and social crises.
Episode 102: ESG Concerns in Ukraine's reconstruction
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in November of 2023. Our talk is hosted by our Director of Education, Ibrahima Drame, who is joined our guest, Dr. Nataliia Bychkova.
Dr. Bychkova is currently a Karl Loewenstein Fellow at Amherst College, where she is also an associate professor of Political Science. She is also a visiting professor at the University of Bologna, in Italy, and Odesa Mechnykov National University, in Ukraine. Dr. Bychkova has also held positions at Odesa National Economic University and Kyiv National Economics University. She has written numerous books and journal articles on topics such as corporate governance, ESG, and economic development and transitions.
Dr. Bychkova received her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D from Odessa Mechnikov National University, both in economics.
Together, we discussed the war’s impact on educational outcomes and human capital, what post-war recovery efforts should look like, and some of the ESG concerns pre-war, and how to address them during reconstruction.
Episode 101: Congestion Pricing - Lessons from London’s Decade Long Experience
Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in February of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, who joined our guest, Mr. Dave Wetzel.
Dave Wetzel has had a long career in transportation, working as a bus conductor and official in the 1960s. Shortly after, Mr. Wetzel became a political organizer of the London Co-operative Society between 1974 and 1981. He was elected as a Labour member for Hammersmith and Fulham on the Greater London Council in 1981 and served as the Chair of the Transport Committee. Mr. Wetzel also served on Hounslow Borough Council, acting as the leader in the late 80s and early 90s. Dave was Vice Chair of Transport for London between 2000 and 2008 and Chair of London Buses from 2000 to 2001.
Mr. Wetzel was educated at Southall Technical College, Ealing College, and at the Henry George School of Social Science.
Together, we discussed how Mr. Wetzel’s experience impacted his time as a transportation leader, the implications of Russian imperialism and their conflict with Ukraine, and got into the weeds of London’s transportation policy.
Episode 100: 100th Episode Special on Henry George
To celebrate our 100th episode, we wanted to do a special podcast on Henry George and Georgism. It was recorded in November of 2023 by Nathan Greene, a researcher at the Henry George School, and Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member.
Ed is an expert on Henry George and all things Georgism. As a long-time subscriber of George, land value taxation, and land use reform, he is the perfect person to talk to for our centennial episode.
Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled The Discovery of First Principles.
Together, we discussed Henry George in the context of economic history, his ideas, and how the Georgist community can turn back into a movement.
