Faith and Economics Gwartney Institute

Could we work less and be better off?  The traditional 40-hour work week has been under the microscope in certain policy circles, accompanied by suggestions that if we moved to a 4-day work week (or a similarly reduced schedule) we would be happier and just as wealthy.  The Gwartney team takes precious time out of their respective work weeks to look at these suggestions and the assumptions and arguments which motivate them.  

To what degree is our food supply under federal control?  How and why does this happen?  How much of a problem is this?  Justin has a bee in his bonnet about current federal regulations regarding livestock, and the rest of the Gwartney crew humors his paranoia with civil discussion.  

Recent studies show that relations between men and women have deteriorated, particularly among those of dating, mating and creating age.  What causes this?  What does it mean?  How do we fix it?



The Gwartney Team weighs in. Join us!

The Gwartney Team mixes it up, talking about some of the best recreational reading they've come across lately.  No textbooks, no political tirades, just the kind of reading that they do for fun, and that you might enjoy.  Is Peter is still reading Ernst Jünger?  Why is Justin so weird?  What kind of space-laser-weapons is Russ currently salivating over?  For the answers to these questions – and for recommendations with which to stock your own wish list! –  make sure not to skip this episode.

What are pet peeves, and why do we get so peeved about them?  The Gwartney Team wonders what constitutes a pet peeve, and whether or not they serve a socially useful function.  Along the way, they share their own pet peeves, and let me tell you:  these guys are nuts.

The possible merger of grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons is in the news.  When businesses centralize, there is a danger that they could form a monopoly, which can then exploit consumers.  This, at least, is the justification that the governmental bureaucracy gives in order to regulate business mergers and centralization.  Problematically, the government itself is, by definition, a monopoly.  What is going on?  

Join The Gwartney Team as they tease out the costs and benefits of centralization in various forms.



Reference Timeline:

Competition vs. the profit incentive // 3:30

Why centralization of the food supply is dangerous // 7:00

Can economies of scale be maxed out? // 15:00

"A diversity of products better satisfies the diversity of consumers" // 18:00

Losing the price signals of capital goods // 23:45

What goes before a company's fall? // 25:00