Best Becker Friedman Institute at UChicago Podcasts (2025)

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Human Capital for Humans: An Accessible Introduction to the Economic Science of People 57:03

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15h ago57:03

57:03

What's the greatest driver of economic growth? Love. In this episode, UChicago economist Pablo Peña presents his new book Human Capital for Humans, inspired by Nobel laureate Gary Becker's legendary doctoral course. In conversation with host Tess Vigeland, he discusses how simple economic principles illuminate life's biggest matters, from parenting…

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Liberalism and the Great Enrichment: Why Ideas, Not Capital, Made the Modern World 1:04:40

12d ago1:04:40

1:04:40

Deirdre McCloskey argues the world's jump from $2 to $50 per day in average income came from a radical 18th-century shift: equality of permission, or letting ordinary people have a go at bettering themselves. She traces how liberating human creativity through what she calls the "bourgeois deal" sparked innovation from Holland to Scotland to America…

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Economics for Everyone: Teaching the World to Think Like an Economist 1:06:26

16d ago1:06:26

1:06:26

According to the TIAA Institute, American adults correctly answered just 49% of basic financial questions in 2024, suggesting a fundamental gap in economic literacy. In this episode Robert Shimer, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, and John List, Professor of Economics and Director of the Becker Friedman Institute, discuss Economi…

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You Might Also Like: Farmer’s A.I. Manac, from Shocked 41:27

26d ago41:27

41:27

A warmer world is here. Now what? Listen to Shocked, from the University of Chicago’s Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, and hear journalist Amy Harder and economist Michael Greenstone share new ways of thinking about climate change and cutting-edge solutions: https://lnk.to/shockedpodcastFD!thepie…

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Economic Cheat Codes: How Game Theory Can Help You Win at Work, Love, and Life 34:56

30d ago34:56

34:56

The secret to winning in a rigged economy isn't changing the rules, argues Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather, but mastering the game. In this episode, Fairweather, the first Black woman to earn a PhD from UChicago's Economics Department, reveals economic "cheat codes" for navigating the modern workplace, from decoding performance reviews to …

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Moving to Opportunity: Together? 33:20

1M ago33:20

33:20

When couples move for work, whose career takes the hit? UChicago economist Matt Notowidigdo discusses research showing that when heterosexual couples relocate, men's incomes increase by 10-15% while women's earnings barely budge, generating earnings gaps that last for years. Plus, couples are more likely to move when the man loses the job compared …

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The Economics of Early Childhood: Why the First Five Years Matter Most 1:45:39

2M ago1:45:39

1:45:39

By Becker Friedman Institute at UChicago

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The Law of Unintended Consequences: How Dobbs Changed Contraceptive Choices 23:19

2M ago23:19

23:19

What happened to contraceptive choices when the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision reversed Roe v. Wade in 2022? UChicago's Yana Gallen uses health insurance claims from millions of Americans to examine the ripple effects and reveal surprising patterns.By Becker Friedman Institute at UChicago

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Finding Your Why at Work: The Economics of Purpose 34:57

3M ago34:57

34:57

Can a day of self-reflection improve workplace performance? UChicago economist Virginia Minni reveals findings from a randomized trial involving nearly 3,000 employees who participated in a "Discover Your Purpose" workshop. Minni explains how bottom-up meaning-making creates lasting change, and why helping employees connect their personal purpose t…

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Stuck: How Housing Regulation Ended America's Mobility Revolution 49:51

3M ago49:51

49:51

America was once a nation in constant motion: One in three Americans moved every year in the 19th century, chasing opportunity from one town to the next. But that mobility has collapsed, falling by more than half since 1970. In this episode, University of Chicago economist Peter Ganong and Atlantic deputy executive editor Yoni Appelbaum explore how…

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Building Costs vs. Housing Prices: Why Construction Isn't Driving the Crisis 25:29

3M ago25:29

25:29

Historically, one major reason has consistently been cited for the growth in housing costs in this country: the rising cost of building homes. But that relationship is changing. In this episode, University of Chicago economist Chad Syverson breaks down 75 years of data to reveal a surprising truth—construction costs and housing prices have become "…

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Pay Isn’t Everything: How Economists Put a Price on Job Perks 29:55

4M ago29:55

29:55

Economists often focus on wages when studying the labor market, but paychecks tell only part of the story. University of Chicago economist Evan Rose and his co-authors surveyed 20,000 Danish workers to put a dollar value on the intangible perks of a job, things like flexible hours, workplace culture, and stress levels. Rose discusses how these “hid…

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Decoding Educational Content: A Computational Comparison Between Public and Religious School Textbooks 26:31

4M ago26:31

26:31

Textbooks don't just teach facts, they shape how children understand the world and their place in it. In this episode, UChicago economist Anjali Adukia discusses her study of textbooks across public schools, religious private schools, and homeschools. Using advanced AI tools to analyze tens of thousands of pages, she uncovers both unexpected simila…

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When Religion Meets the Marketplace: Faith, Farming, and Trade-Offs 23:22

5M ago23:22

23:22

What happens when your religion forbids the production of crops that dominate your local economy? In this episode, UChicago economist Eduardo Montero unpacks new research on the economic costs of religious prohibitions, and how these trade-offs shape church membership, satisfaction, and even sermons.…

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Green Bubble Stigma: Texting, Status, and Market Power 26:31

5M ago26:31

26:31

A text bubble might seem trivial, until it shapes market dynamics, personal identity, and federal lawsuits. In this episode, UChicago economist Leo Bursztyn discusses how Apple’s green bubble design creates a powerful lock-in effect that reinforces Apple’s market dominance.By Becker Friedman Institute at UChicago

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AI, the Economy, and Public Policy 25:00

6M ago25:00

25:00

How is AI impacting the economy today? What might this mean for tomorrow? This episode brings you inside a discussion hosted at BFI in April. Moderated by Caroline Grossman, Executive Director of the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, the conversation features: Anders Humlum, Assistant Professor of Economics, Chicago Booth; Sanjog Misra,…

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Tariffs, Trade, and a Misused Model 41:05

6M ago41:05

41:05

Economist Brent Neiman recently returned to UChicago from his position as Deputy Undersecretary for International Finance at The US Treasury, only to find his research being used (and misused) in the Trump administration’s sweeping new tariff policy. In this episode, Neiman walks us through what the original study actually showed, how it got misint…

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Between a Chip and a Hard Place: The Economics of Security and Sovereignty in Taiwan 28:42

7M ago28:42

28:42

What does Taiwan’s precarious position reveal about global power, economic leverage, and the unraveling of diplomatic norms? In this episode, economist Chang-Tai Hsieh returns to unpack Taiwan’s tangled political history, its deep economic entanglement with China, and the global stakes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). From fear…

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An Extra Slice of the Pie: Choosing with Uncertainty 48:40

7M ago48:40

48:40

How can policymakers make choices when confronted with uncertainty? What happens when the public loses confidence in scientific authority? Are scientists, including economists, overconfident? Nobel Laureate and UChicago economist Lars Hansen, a leading authority on uncertainty in economic decision-making, tackles these and related questions in this…

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Tariffs, Trust, and the Twilight of Norms: U.S.–China Relations in the Trump Era 27:08

7M ago27:08

27:08

What happens when trust in longstanding economic norms starts to break down? In this episode, economist Chang-Tai Hsieh explores the geopolitical and economic consequences of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, particularly its approach to China. From China’s post-COVID recovery stumbles to a global flood of low-cost EVs, Hsieh unpacks the d…

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War Economies: How Ukraine and Russia Are Adapting in Year Three 24:58

8M ago24:58

24:58

More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war continues to reshape not only geopolitical alliances but also the economies of both countries. In this episode of The Pie, host Tess Vigeland is joined by Konstantin Sonin, John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Po…

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Crypto’s Fatal Flaw: Trust, Scale, and the Economics of Blockchain 46:00

8M ago46:00

46:00

Crypto’s most groundbreaking innovation, permissionless consensus, may also be its greatest vulnerability. In this episode, Chicago Booth economist Eric Budish breaks down the core mechanics of blockchain trust, the staggering energy costs behind mining, and why these systems are fundamentally exposed to majority attacks. Tune in for a deep dive in…

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Will They or Won't They? A Former Fed Official on This Week’s Interest Rate Decision 31:26

9M ago31:26

31:26

This week, the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee meets to decide whether to adjust interest rates or keep them steady. What should we expect amid today's economic and political uncertainty? On this episode of The Pie, Randy Kroszner, former Federal Reserve Governor and Norman R. Bobins Professor of Economics at the Booth School of Business, d…

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Should Performance Reviews Be Scrapped? 27:50

9M ago27:50

27:50

Many of us react to the term “performance review” with a shudder. It’s that awkward periodic conversation in which we have to hear feedback, share our assessments of each other, and, occasionally, clash with our colleagues. But do performance reviews have to be like that? We hear from Chicago Booth's Stacey Kole. Does she think that performance rev…

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The Future of U.S. Energy Policy Under Trump 30:53

9M ago30:53

30:53

President Donald Trump has declared a “national energy emergency,” expanding executive powers to shape U.S. energy policy in his second term. What could this mean for the future of American energy? In this episode of The Pie, Ryan Kellogg, the Ralph and Mary Otis Isham Professor and Deputy Dean for Academic Programs at the Harris School of Public P…

Becker Friedman Institute At UChicago Podcasts

1
The Pie: An Economics Podcast

Becker Friedman Institute at UChicago

1
UChicago Economics Events and Conversations

Becker Friedman Institute at UChicago

1
Human Capital for Humans: An Accessible Introduction to the Economic Science of People 57:03

1
Liberalism and the Great Enrichment: Why Ideas, Not Capital, Made the Modern World 1:04:40

1
Economics for Everyone: Teaching the World to Think Like an Economist 1:06:26

1
You Might Also Like: Farmer’s A.I. Manac, from Shocked 41:27

1
Economic Cheat Codes: How Game Theory Can Help You Win at Work, Love, and Life 34:56

1
Moving to Opportunity: Together? 33:20

1
The Economics of Early Childhood: Why the First Five Years Matter Most 1:45:39

1
The Law of Unintended Consequences: How Dobbs Changed Contraceptive Choices 23:19

1
Finding Your Why at Work: The Economics of Purpose 34:57

1
Stuck: How Housing Regulation Ended America's Mobility Revolution 49:51

1
Building Costs vs. Housing Prices: Why Construction Isn't Driving the Crisis 25:29

1
Pay Isn’t Everything: How Economists Put a Price on Job Perks 29:55

1
Decoding Educational Content: A Computational Comparison Between Public and Religious School Textbooks 26:31

1
When Religion Meets the Marketplace: Faith, Farming, and Trade-Offs 23:22

1
Green Bubble Stigma: Texting, Status, and Market Power 26:31

1
AI, the Economy, and Public Policy 25:00

1
Tariffs, Trade, and a Misused Model 41:05

1
Between a Chip and a Hard Place: The Economics of Security and Sovereignty in Taiwan 28:42

1
An Extra Slice of the Pie: Choosing with Uncertainty 48:40

1
Tariffs, Trust, and the Twilight of Norms: U.S.–China Relations in the Trump Era 27:08

1
War Economies: How Ukraine and Russia Are Adapting in Year Three 24:58

1
Crypto’s Fatal Flaw: Trust, Scale, and the Economics of Blockchain 46:00

1
Will They or Won't They? A Former Fed Official on This Week’s Interest Rate Decision 31:26

1
Should Performance Reviews Be Scrapped? 27:50

1
The Future of U.S. Energy Policy Under Trump 30:53