Pete Klenow has spent his career tackling some of economics’ biggest questions: Why do some countries grow rich while others remain poor? What drives long-run prosperity? And how can policy foster innovation and productivity? In this episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, Jon Hartley sits down with the Stanford economist to discuss Klenow’s influential research on sticky prices, development accounting, economic growth, and the allocation of resources across firms and industries. The conversation explores how economists measure the sources of growth, why misallocation can hold back entire economies, and what Klenow’s research reveals about productivity differences across countries such as China, India, and the United States. Hartley and Klenow also examine the evolution of macroeconomics, the role of monetary policy, and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on innovation, productivity, and future economic growth. Recorded on June 2, 2026. ABOUT THE SERIES Each episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, a video podcast series and the official podcast of the Hoover Economic Policy Working Group, focuses on getting into the weeds of economics, finance, and public policy on important current topics through one-on-one interviews. Host Jon Hartley asks guests about their main ideas and contributions to academic research and policy. The podcast is titled after Milton Friedman‘s famous 1962 bestselling book Capitalism and Freedom, which after 60 years, remains prescient from its focus on various topics which are now at the forefront of economic debates, such as monetary policy and inflation, fiscal policy, occupational licensing, education vouchers, income share agreements, the distribution of income, and negative income taxes, among many other topics. For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.
