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Freakonomics Radio

Discover the hidden side of everything with Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books. Each week, Freakonomics Radio tells you things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just about anything. Dubner speaks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, and various other underachievers. The entire archive, going back to 2010, is available on the Stitcher podcast app and at freakonomics.com.

606. How to Predict the Presidency

Freakonomics Radio

  • 4 views
  • 2 days ago
  • 57:08

Are betting markets more accurate than polls? What kind of chaos would a second Trump term bring? And is U.S. democracy really in danger, or just “sputtering on”? (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Eric Posner, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School.Koleman Strumpf, professor of economics at Wake Forest University. RESOURCES:"A Trump Dictatorship Won’t Happen," by Eric Posner (Project Syndicate, 2023).The Demagogue's Playbook: The Battle for American Democracy from the Founders to Trump, by Eric Posner (2020)."The Long History of Political Betting Markets: An International Perspective," by Paul W. Rhode and Koleman Strumpf (The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Gambling, 2013)."Manipulating Political Stock Markets: A Field Experiment and a Century of Observational Data," by Paul W. Rhode and Koleman S. Strumpf (Working Paper, 2007)."Historical Presidential Betting Markets," by Paul W. Rhode and Koleman S. Strumpf (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2004). EXTRAS:"Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship? (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).“Does the President Matter as Much as You Think?” by Freakonomics Radio (2020)."How Much Does the President Really Matter?" by Freakonomics Radio (2010).

Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship? (Update)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 4 views
  • 3 days ago
  • 46:59

Sure, we all pay lip service to the Madisonian system of checks and balances. But presidents have been steadily expanding the reach of the job. With an election around the corner, we updated our 2016 conversation with the legal scholar Eric Posner — who has some good news and some not-so-good news about the power of the presidency. (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCE:Eric Posner, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School.   RESOURCES:"Presidential Leadership and the Separation of Powers," by Eric Posner (Daedalus, 2016).The Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic, by Eric Posner and Adrian Vermeule (2010). EXTRA:"Does the President Matter as Much as You Think?" by Freakonomics Radio (2020).

605. What Do People Do All Day?

Freakonomics Radio

  • 4 views
  • 10 days ago
  • 01:01:48

Sixty percent of the jobs that Americans do today didn’t exist in 1940. What happens as our labor becomes more technical and less physical? And what kinds of jobs will exist in the future?  SOURCES:David Autor, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Paula Barmaimon, manager of coverage and audience analytics at The New York Times.Ellen Griesedieck, artist and president of the American Mural Project.Adina Lichtman, co-host of the Our Friends Are Smart party.Avi Popack, co-host of the Our Friends Are Smart party.Huck Scarry, author and illustrator.James Suzman, anthropologist and author.Ben Varon, rabbi and chaplain at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn . RESOURCES:"New Frontiers: The Origins and Content of New Work, 1940–2018," by David Autor, Caroline Chin, Anna Salomons, and Bryan Seegmiller (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2024).Work: A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots, by James Suzman (2020).Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, by Studs Terkel (1974).What Do People Do All Day?, by Richard Scarry (1968)."Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren," by John Maynard Keynes (1930).American Mural Project. EXTRAS:"Will the Democrats 'Make America Great Again'?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse," by Freakonomics Radio (2021)."Did China Eat America’s Jobs?" by Freakonomics Radio (2017).People I (Mostly) Admire.

EXTRA: Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America (Update)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 4 views
  • 13 days ago
  • 01:00:29

His research on police brutality and school incentives won him acclaim, but also enemies. He was suspended for two years by Harvard, during which time he took a hard look at corporate diversity programs. As a follow-up to our recent series on the Rooney Rule, we revisit our 2022 conversation with the controversial economist. SOURCE:Roland Fryer, professor of economics at Harvard University. RESOURCES:"How to Make Up the Covid Learning Loss," by Roland Fryer (Wall Street Journal, 2022)."Roland Fryer on Better Alternatives to Defunding the Police," by Roland Fryer (The Economist, 2020)."Harvard Suspends Roland Fryer, Star Economist, After Sexual Harassment Claims," by Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley (The New York Times, 2019)."Why Diversity Programs Fail: And What Works Better," by Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev (Harvard Business Review, 2016)."An Empirical Analysis of Racial Differences in Police Use of Force," by Roland G. Fryer, Jr (NBER Working Paper, 2016)."Getting Beneath the Veil of Effective Schools: Evidence from New York City," by Will Dobbie and Roland G. Fryer (American Economics Journal, 2013)."Financial Incentives and Student Achievement: Evidence From Randomized Trials," by Roland G. Fryer (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2011)."Toward a Unified Theory of Black America," by Stephen J. Dubner (The New York Times, 2005).Equal Opportunity Ventures.Intus Care.Reconstruction.Sigma Squared. EXTRAS:"Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring?" series by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap," by Freakonomics Radio (2016)."Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late?" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).

604. Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 2)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 4 views
  • 17 days ago
  • 47:19

What happened when the Rooney Rule made its way from pro football to corporate America? Some progress, some backsliding, and a lot of controversy. (Second in a two-part series.) SOURCES:Tynesia Boyea-Robinson, president and C.E.O. of CapEQ.N. Jeremi Duru, professor of law at American University.Herm Edwards, former N.F.L. player and head coach.Christopher Rider, professor of entrepreneurial studies at the University of Michigan.Jim Rooney, author and co-partner of Rooney Consulting.Scott Shephard, general counsel at the National Center for Public Policy Research. RESOURCES:The Social Impact Advantage: Win Customers and Talent By Harnessing Your Business For Good, by Tynesia Boyea-Robinson (2022).A Different Way to Win: Dan Rooney’s Story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule, by Jim Rooney (2019)."If There’s Only One Woman in Your Candidate Pool, There’s Statistically No Chance She’ll Be Hired," by Stefanie K. Johnson, David R. Hekman and Elsa T. Chan (Harvard Business Review, 2016)."Racial Disparity in Leadership: Performance-Reward Bias in Promotions of National Football League Coaches," by Christopher I. Rider, James Wade, Anand Swaminathan, and Andreas Schwab (SSRN, 2016).Advancing the Ball: Race, Reformation, and the Quest for Equal Coaching Opportunity in the NFL, by N. Jeremi Duru (2010). EXTRAS:"Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 1)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).“When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee?” by Freakonomics Radio (2023).“How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy? (Replay),” by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

601. Multitasking Doesn’t Work. So Why Do We Keep Trying?

Freakonomics Radio

  • 80 views
  • about 1 month ago
  • 58:04

Only a tiny number of “supertaskers” are capable of doing two things at once. The rest of us are just making ourselves miserable, and less productive. How can we put the — hang on a second, I've just got to get this.Come see Stephen Dubner live! “A Questionable Evening: A strategic interrogation from two people who ask questions for a living,” featuring Stephen Dubner and PJ Vogt from Search Engine.Thursday, Sept. 26th, at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-questionable-evening-evening-with-stephen-dubner-and-pj-vogt-tickets-1002544747327 SOURCES:Olivia Grace, senior product manager at Slack.Gloria Mark, professor of computer science at the University of California, Irvine.David Strayer, professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah. RESOURCES:"Immersion in Nature Enhances Neural Indices of Executive Attention," by Amy S. McDonnell and David L. Strayer (Nature: Scientific Reports, 2024)."Contribution to the Study on the ‘Right to Disconnect’ From Work. Are France and Spain Examples for Other Countries and E.U. Law?" by Loïc Lerouge and Francisco Trujillo Pons (European Labour Law Journal, 2022)."Task Errors by Emergency Physicians Are Associated With Interruptions, Multitasking, Fatigue and Working Memory Capacity: A Prospective, Direct Observation Study," by Johanna I. Westbrook, Magdalena Z. Raban, Scott R. Walter, and Heather Douglas (BMJ Quality & Safety, 2018)."Supertaskers: Profiles in Extraordinary Multitasking Ability," by Jason M. Watson and David L. Strayer (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2010)."The Effects of Video Game Playing on Attention, Memory, and Executive Control," by Walter R. Boot, Arthur F. Kramer, Daniel J. Simons, Monica Fabiani, and Gabriele Gratton (Acta Psychologica, 2008)."'Constant, Constant, Multi-Tasking Craziness': Managing Multiple Working Spheres," by Victor M. González and Gloria Mark (Proceedings of the 2004 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI, 2004). EXTRAS:"Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Why Did You Marry That Person?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022)."How Much Should We Be Able to Customize Our World?" by No Stupid Questions (2021).

What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 82 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 50:47

Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially for men, and how to stop the bleeding. (Part 3 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”) SOURCES:Zachary Bleemer, assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.D'Wayne Edwards, founder and President of Pensole Lewis College.Catharine Hill, former president of Vassar College; trustee at Yale University; and managing director at Ithaka S+R.Pano Kanelos, founding president of the University of Austin.Amalia Miller, professor of economics at the University of Virginia.Donald Ruff, president and C.E.O. of the Eagle Academy Foundation.Morton Schapiro, professor of economics and former president of Northwestern University.Ruth Simmons, former president of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View A&M University.Miguel Urquiola, professor of economics at Columbia University. RESOURCES:"What Gay Men’s Stunning Success Might Teach Us About the Academic Gender Gap," by Joel Mittleman (The Washington Post, 2022)."We Can't Wait for Universities to Fix Themselves. So We're Starting a New One," by Pano Kanelos (Common Sense, 2021)."Academic Freedom in Crisis: Punishment, Political Discrimination, and Self-Censorship," by Eric Kaufmann (Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology, 2021).“A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’,” by Douglas Belkin (The Wall Street Journal, 2021)."Community Colleges and Upward Mobility," by Jack Mountjoy (NBER Working Paper, 2021)."Elite Schools and Opting In: Effects of College Selectivity on Career and Family Outcomes," by Suqin Ge, Elliott Isaac, and Amalia Miller (NBER Working Paper, 2019)."Leaving Boys Behind: Gender Disparities in High Academic Achievement," by Nicole M. Fortin, Philip Oreopoulos, and Shelley Phipps (NBER Working Paper, 2013). EXTRAS:"Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School," series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).“'If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?'” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

EXTRA: Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It

Freakonomics Radio

  • 110 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 40:04

Stephen Dubner appears as a guest on Fail Better, a new podcast hosted by David Duchovny. The two of them trade stories about failure, and ponder the lessons that success could never teach. SOURCES:David Duchovny, actor, director, writer, and musician. RESOURCES:"Martin Seligman and the Rise of Positive Psychology," by Peter Gibbon (Humanities, 2020)."Rick Reilly: ‘Donald Trump Will Cheat You on the Golf Course and Then Buy You Lunch,'" by Donald McRae (The Guardian, 2019)."How The X-Files Invented Modern Television," by Emily St. James (Vox, 2018)."Happiness & the Gorilla," by Scott Galloway (No Mercy/No Malice, 2018). EXTRAS:Fail Better with David Duchovny, podcast by Lemonada Media (2024)."How to Succeed at Failing," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Annie Duke Thinks You Should Quit," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."The Upside of Quitting," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).

What Exactly Is College For? (Update)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 110 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 50:15

We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges also operate like firms, trying to differentiate their products to win market share and prestige points. In the first episode of a special series originally published in 2022, we ask what our chaotic system gets right — and wrong. (Part 1 of “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”) SOURCES:Peter Blair, faculty research Fellow of the National Bureau of Economic Research and professor of education at Harvard University.Catharine Hill, former president of Vassar College; trustee at Yale University; and managing director at Ithaka S+R.Morton Schapiro, professor of economics and former president of Northwestern University.Ruth Simmons, former president of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View A&M University.Miguel Urquiola, professor of economics at Columbia University. RESOURCES:"Progressivity of Pricing at U.S. Public Universities," by Emily E. Cook and Sarah Turner (NBER Working Paper, 2022)."Community Colleges and Upward Mobility," by Jack Mountjoy (NBER Working Paper, 2021)."How HBCUs Can Accelerate Black Economic Mobility," (McKinsey & Company, 2021).Markets, Minds, and Money: Why America Leads the World in University Research, by Miguel Urquiola (2021)."Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility," by Raj Chetty, John N. Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner, and Danny Yagan (NBER Working Paper, 2017). EXTRAS:"'If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?'" by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."'A Low Moment in Higher Education,'" by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."The $1.5 Trillion Question: How to Fix Student-Loan Debt?" by Freakonomics Radio (2019)."Why Larry Summers Is the Economist Everyone Hates to Love," by Freakonomics Radio (2017).

EXTRA: Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 93 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 01:05:34

There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. As the Olympics come to a close, we revisit a 2018 episode in which top athletes from a variety of sports tell us how they made it, and what they sacrificed. SOURCES:Lance Armstrong, former professional cyclist.David Canton, director of African American studies and professor of history at the University of Florida.David Epstein, science journalist and author.Domonique Foxworth, former professional football player.Justin Humphries, former professional baseball player.Andre Ingram, professional basketball player.Shawn Johnson, former professional gymnast and Olympian.Steve Levitt, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.Simone Manuel, professional swimmer and Olympian.Brandon McCarthy, former professional baseball player.Mike McGlinchey, offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos.Daryl Morey, president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers.Lauren Murphy, professional mixed martial artist.Kim Ng, advisor with Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball, former general manager of the Miami Marlins.JJ Redick, head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.Mikaela Shiffrin, professional alpine ski racer and Olympian.Mark Teixeira, former professional baseball player.Sudhir Venkatesh, professor of sociology at Columbia University.Kerri Walsh-Jennings, professional beach volleyball player and Olympian. RESOURCES:"Compromising Talent: Issues in Identifying and Selecting Talent in Sport," by Joseph Baker, Jörg Schorer, and Nick Wattie (Quest, 2017)."Practice and Play in the Development of German Top-Level Professional Football Players," by Manuel Hornig, Friedhelm Aust, and Arne Güllich (European Journal of Sport Science, 2016).The Sports Gene, by David Epstein (2013)."The Effect of Deliberate Play on Tactical Performance in Basketball," by Pablo Greco, Daniel Memmert, and Juan Carlos Pérez Morales (Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2010). EXTRAS:"The Hidden Side of Sports," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018).“How to Become Great at Just About Anything” Freakonomics Radio (2016).

600. “If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?”

Freakonomics Radio

  • 110 views
  • 2 months ago
  • 44:47

Tania Tetlow, a former federal prosecutor and now the president of Fordham University, thinks the modern campus could use a dose of old-fashioned values. SOURCE:Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham University. RESOURCES:"Not a Priest, Not a Man, but Ready to Run Fordham," by David Waldstein (The New York Times, 2024)."Tech Glitch Upends Financial Aid for About a Million Students," by Oyin Adedoyin and Melissa Korn (The Wall Street Journal, 2024)."Where Protesters on U.S. Campuses Have Been Arrested or Detained," by The New York Times (The New York Times, 2024)."15 Arrested as NYPD Clears Protester Encampment at Fordham's Lincoln Center Campus," (NBC News, 2024)."Inside the Week That Shook Columbia University," by Nicholas Fandos and Sharon Otterman (The New York Times, 2024)."Address of his Holiness Pope Francis to the Members of the Blanquerna — Universitat Ramón Llull Foundation, Barcelona," by Pope Francis (The Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 2024)."Why Don’t Elite Colleges Expand Supply?" by Peter Q. Blair and Kent Smetters (NBER Working Paper, 2021). EXTRAS:"Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

EXTRA: Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Update)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 160 views
  • 3 months ago
  • 48:22

A new proposal from the Biden administration calls for a nationwide cap on rent increases. Economists think that’s a terrible idea. We revisit a 2019 episode to hear why. SOURCES:Tommy Andersson, professor of economics at Lund University.Vicki Been, professor of law at New York University and former deputy mayor for housing and economic development in New York City.Rebecca Diamond, professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business.David Eisenbach, history lecturer at the Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University.Ed Glaeser, professor of economics at Harvard University. RESOURCES:"The State of the Nation's Housing 2024," by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (2024).“The Effects of Rent Control Expansion on Tenants, Landlords, and Inequality: Evidence from San Francisco,” by Rebecca Diamond, Tim McQuade, and Franklin Qian (American Economic Review, 2019).“Housing Market Spillovers: Evidence from the End of Rent Control in Cambridge, Massachusetts,” by David H. Autor, Christopher J. Palmer, and Parang A. Pathak (Journal of Political Economy, 2014).“An Econometric Analysis of Rent Control,” by Edgar O. Olsen (Journal of Political Economy, 1972).Roofs or Ceilings?: The Current Housing Problem, by Milton Friedman and George J. Stigler (1946).

598. Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy?

Freakonomics Radio

  • 170 views
  • 3 months ago
  • 37:11

That’s the worry. Even the humble eyeglass industry is dominated by a single firm. We look into the global spike in myopia, how the Lemtosh got its name, and what your eye doctor knows that you don’t. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Maria Liu, professor of clinical optometry at the University of California, Berkeley.Harvey Moscot, C.E.O. of MOSCOT Eyewear and Eyecare.Zachary Moscot, chief design officer of MOSCOT Eyewear and Eyecare.Cédric Rossi, equity research analyst at Bryan Garnier.Tim Wu, professor of law, science and technology at Columbia Law School. RESOURCES:"Meta in Talks to Buy Stake in Eyewear Giant EssilorLuxottica," by Salvador Rodriguez and Lauren Thomas (The Wall Street Journal, 2024)."The Story Behind Soaring Myopia Among Kids," by Manoush Zomorodi, Katie Monteleone, Sanaz Meshkinpour, and Rachel Faulkner White (Body Electric, 2024)."Why So Many People Need Glasses Now," by Christophe Haubursin (Vox, 2023)."Eyes on World Sight: Taking Action to Advance Eye Health in China," by EssilorLuxottica (2022)."Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050," by Brien A. Holden, Timothy R. Fricke, Serge Resnikoff, et al. (Ophthalmology, 2016)."Increased Prevalence of Myopia in the United States Between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004," by Susan Vitale, Robert D. Sperduto, and Frederick L. Ferris (Archives of Ophthalmology, 2009). EXTRAS:"The Economics of Eyeglasses," series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

565. Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?

Freakonomics Radio

  • 770 views
  • 11 months ago
  • 55:48

They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.) RESOURCES:Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, by Brendan Ballou (2023).Two and Twenty: How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win, by Sachin Khajuria (2022)."Local Journalism under Private Equity Ownership," by Michael Ewens, Arpit Gupta, and Sabrina T. Howell (NBER Working Paper, 2022).“Owner Incentives and Performance in Healthcare: Private Equity Investment in Nursing Homes,” by Atul Gupta, Sabrina T. Howell, Constantine Yannelis, and Abhinav Gupta (NBER Working Paper, 2021).“Leveraged Buyouts and Financial Distress,” by Brian Ayash and Mahdi Rastad (Finance Research Letters, 2021).“Have Private Equity Owned Nursing Homes Fared Worse Under COVID-19?” by Ashvin Gandhi, YoungJun Song, and Prabhava Upadrashta (SSRN, 2020).“When Investor Incentives and Consumer Interests Diverge: Private Equity in Higher Education,” by Charlie Eaton, Sabrina T. Howell, and Constantine Yannelis (The Review of Financial Studies, 2020).“The Economic Effects of Private Equity Buyouts,” by Steven J. Davis, John Haltiwanger, Kyle Handley, Ben Lipsius, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda (SSRN, 2019).“How Acquisitions Affect Firm Behavior and Performance: Evidence from the Dialysis Industry,” by Paul J. Eliason, Benjamin Heebsh, Ryan C. McDevitt, and James W. Roberts (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2019)."In Silicon Valley, Even Mobile Homes Are Getting Too Pricey for Longtime Residents," by Tracy Lien (Los Angeles Times, 2017).“The Operational Consequences of Private Equity Buyouts: Evidence from the Restaurant Industry,” by Shai Bernstein and Albert Sheen (SSRN, 2013)."Private Equity and Employment," by Steven J. Davis, John C. Haltiwanger, Ron S. Jarmin, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda (NBER Working Paper, 2011).EXTRAS:"Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Mobile Home Parks," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023)."The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018)."Extra: David Rubenstein Full Interview," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

480. How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy? (Replay)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 710 views
  • 11 months ago
  • 01:02:47

Evidence from Nazi Germany and 1940’s America (and pretty much everywhere else) shows that discrimination is incredibly costly — to the victims, of course, but also the perpetrators. One modern solution is to invoke a diversity mandate. But new research shows that’s not necessarily the answer. RESOURCES:"Discrimination, Managers, and Firm Performance: Evidence from 'Aryanizations' in Nazi Germany," by Kilian Huber, Volker Lindenthal, and Fabian Waldinger (Journal of Political Economy, 2021)."Diversity and Performance in Entrepreneurial Teams," by Sophie Calder-Wang, Paul A. Gompers, and Kevin Huang (SSRN, 2021)."Systemic Discrimination Among Large U.S. Employers," by Patrick M. Kline, Evan K. Rose, and Christopher R. Walters (NBER Working Papers, 2021).City of Champions: A History of Triumph and Defeat in Detroit, by Silke-Maria Weineck and Stefan Szymanski (2020)."The Allocation of Talent and U.S. Economic Growth," by Chang-Tai Hsieh, Erik Hurst, Charles I. Jones, and Peter J. Klenow (Econometrica, 2019).Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947, by Norman Lebrecht (2019)."And the Children Shall Lead: Gender Diversity and Performance in Venture Capital," by Paul A. Gompers and Sophie Q. Wang (NBER Working Papers, 2017)."The Political Economy of Hatred," by Edward Glaeser (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2005)."Statistical Theories of Discrimination in Labor Markets," by Dennis J. Aigner and Glen G. Cain (Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 1977).The Economics of Discrimination, by Gary S. Becker (1957).EXTRAS:"A New Nobel Laureate Explains the Gender Pay Gap (Replay)," by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."What Are the Secrets of the German Economy — and Should We Steal Them?" by Freakonomics Radio (2017).

456. How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare

Freakonomics Radio

  • 1.8K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 51:52

Medicine has evolved from a calling into an industry, adept at dispensing procedures and pills (and gigantic bills), but less good at actual health. Most reformers call for big, bold action. What happens if, instead, you think small? 

Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet) (Ep. 405 Rebroadcast)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 1.5K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 46:01

Why do so many promising solutions — in education, medicine, criminal justice, etc. — fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code?

How Does New York City Keep Reinventing Itself? (Bonus)

Freakonomics Radio

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 52:28

In a word: networks. Once it embraced information as its main currency, New York was able to climb out of a deep fiscal (and psychic) pit. Will that magic trick still work after Covid? In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, guest host Kurt Andersen interviews Thomas Dyja, author of New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess and Transformation.

455. Are You Ready for a Fresh Start?

Freakonomics Radio

  • 1.4K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 44:03

Behavioral scientists have been exploring if — and when — a psychological reset can lead to lasting change. We survey evidence from the London Underground, Major League Baseball, and New Year’s resolutions; we look at accidental fresh starts, forced fresh starts, and fresh starts that backfire. And we wonder: will the pandemic’s end provide the biggest fresh start ever?

454. Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished?

Freakonomics Radio

  • 1.6K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 45:18

Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it can be — as well as costly, time-wasting, and polluting. Is it time to embrace the lowly, lovely roundabout?