Words & Numbers

Free the People

Words & Numbers is one of the highest-rated economics podcasts in the world. Each episode, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan dig into economics, political science, and current events to explain what’s actually happening and why it matters.

  1. 5h ago

    Episode 530: Who’s Gonna Win?

    James and Ant predict the near-present. Who's gonna win in this hot mess of an election? They also talk a bit about who's gonna lose. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:26 Listener Feedback: The Death Penalty and Inalienable Rights 02:18 Does Imprisonment Violate the Right to Liberty? 04:09 Can You Forfeit Your Inalienable Rights? 06:25 Punishment, Rehabilitation, and the Purpose of Prison 08:42 Elizabeth Holmes, Fraud, and Criminal Justice 10:22 Should Criminals Be Forced to Repay Their Victims? 12:07 Pete Hegseth’s Political Future in Tennessee 13:48 Foolishness of the Week: Nicki Minaj for White House Press Secretary? 17:19 Political Spam and the 2026 Midterm Elections 18:49 Midterm Election Predictions: Polls vs. Betting Markets 25:51 Will Democrats Take Control of Congress? 28:10 Could Trump Face Another Impeachment? 31:50 The Odds of Democrats Winning the House and Senate 34:03 Texas Senate Race: Ken Paxton vs. James Talarico 35:35 Trump’s Approval Ratings and the Midterms 37:13 Ohio Governor’s Race: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Declining Odds 39:00 Alaska Senate Race: Mary Peltola vs. Dan Sullivan 41:51 Maine Senate Race: Can Susan Collins Survive? 44:43 Tariffs, Inflation, and Republican Voter Discontent 46:44 Michigan Senate Race: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers 49:04 What Happens if Trump Is Removed From Office? 57:05 Which Is More Reliable: Polls or Prediction Markets? 1:02:24 Redistricting Battles in Texas and California 1:04:21 The Political Consequences of Redistricting 1:05:15 Be Nice to Each Other and Closing Thoughts

  2. Oct 22

    Episode 529: Ant Walks!

    James and Ant talk about Ant’s long-ass walk, and what that means about how we think. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 00:20 Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos Documentary 05:02 Listener Stories and Words & Numbers Down Under 07:11 Gun Control, Self-Defense, and an Australian Home Invasion 11:02 Concealed Carry and the Value of Firearms Training 16:18 Tesla’s Flying Car and the Future of Transportation 18:08 California’s Racism Lawsuit Against Tesla 22:40 Foolishness of the Week: Chicken McNuggets Delivered to Prison by Drone 27:50 Flock Cameras, Surveillance, and Halloween 29:39 Ant’s 125-Mile Walk Through England 32:33 Is Constant Noise Making It Harder to Think? 39:28 The Disappearance of Peace and Quiet 41:06 Walking, Meditation, and Where Ideas Come From 49:38 Are National Cultures Becoming Homogenized? 54:48 How American Craft Beer Changed in 45 Years 57:41 Why European Trains Work Better Than American Trains 1:00:42 A Regulation Even Libertarians Might Support 1:03:58 How Rich Are Americans Compared to Britain? 1:05:50 Closing Thoughts: Be Nice Without Anyone Knowing

  3. Oct 15

    Episode 528: Public Executions: Be Careful

    Ant and James go a little further than most in discussing the death penalty as we brace ourselves for the first public execution in the US since 1936. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:13 MIT’s Certificate in Piracy 03:59 Political Arguments, Social Media, and the Electoral College 07:30 Chuck Grassley, Aging Politicians, and Age Limits 12:28 Foolishness of the Week: Arrested Over a Shrek Meme 14:06 Political Speech and the First Amendment 16:56 Free Speech, Government Censorship, and Public Figures 19:51 The Death Penalty and the Right to Life 22:04 Can the Government Be Trusted With Capital Punishment? 25:02 Nidal Hasan and the Case for Public Execution 28:06 Should Executions Ever Be a Public Spectacle? 32:38 The Morality of Taking a Human Life 35:43 Public Executions, War, and the Slippery Slope 38:20 Are These Signs of a Dying Political Regime? 41:25 Principles, Revenge, and the Death Penalty 44:19 Closing Thoughts and Words & Numbers Backstage

  4. Oct 8

    Episode 527: David Friedman Returns!

    David Friedman joins us once again to discuss differing legal systems (and Renaissance fairs). 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:14 Furries, Renaissance Fairs, and Pittsburgh Subcultures 06:42 Rethinking the Social Security Retirement Age 10:46 Foolishness of the Week: The BBC Loses Its Mind 17:02 David Friedman on Alternative Legal Systems 17:58 Renaissance Fairs vs. Historical Recreation 23:04 Competing Legal Systems Throughout History 28:15 Benefit of Clergy and Medieval English Law 30:29 How Multiple Legal Systems Can Coexist 32:06 Order Without Law and Enforcing Social Norms 35:27 Civil Asset Forfeiture and Incentives in Punishment 36:45 Amish and Romani Legal Systems 39:50 How Romani Communities Enforce Their Own Laws 46:11 Sharia Law and Islamic Legal Systems in America 53:08 When Crime Is Against the State vs. the Victim 55:17 Private Justice and Compensation in Iraq 57:46 Tribal Responsibility and Saudi Legal Traditions 59:09 David Friedman’s Current Projects and What’s Next 1:00:11 Climate Change, Population Growth, and Economic Orthodoxy 1:02:39 Where to Find David Friedman’s Work

  5. Oct 1

    Episode 526: Nature Has a Normative Standard?

    James and guest co-host Tom Krannawitter try to figure out (and explain) what the normative standard of nature is. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:08 Trump, the Midterms, and the Future of the Republican Party 06:27 Colorado Republicans and the Changing Conservative Movement 09:42 What Does It Mean to Be a Conservative? 16:02 Aristotle, the American Founding, and the Role of Virtue 18:58 Foolishness of the Week: Mike Johnson and the $5,000 Checks 21:46 The New Deal, Government Spending, and Buying Votes 26:57 Why Culture Matters More Than Politics 30:13 The Normative Standard of Nature 32:50 Natural Law, Human Nature, and Right and Wrong 34:41 Aristotle on Virtue and Friendship 38:46 Can Morality Exist Without Religion? 40:04 Learning from Experience, Age, and Human Nature 44:29 Can Political and Cultural Norms Be Unjust? 46:42 The Declaration of Independence as a Moral Standard 47:54 The Intellectual Origins of American Progressivism 49:05 Hegel, John C. Calhoun, and the Rejection of Natural Rights 50:33 How the German Model Transformed American Education 52:56 Progressivism and the Rejection of Nature

  6. Sep 24

    Episode 525: Athens v Berlin

    James and Tom Krannawitter, who is pinch-hitting for Ant this week, discuss the differences between the Greek and German educational methods, and why we should care. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 01:17 Trump’s Triumphal Arch, Snipers, and Government Militarization 05:25 When Police Destroy Your Property and Don’t Pay for It 09:07 Qualified Immunity and Holding Police Accountable 12:32 Could Insurance Help Police the Police? 17:27 Foolishness of the Week: Homeschooling Disqualifies a Firefighter 20:19 Homeschooling, Accreditation, and the Education System 23:12 Classical Education vs. the Modern University 25:22 How Accreditation Reshaped American Higher Education 28:33 What a Real College Education Looks Like 33:21 Socrates, Classical Education, and the Pursuit of Truth 36:04 The Greek vs. German Models of Education 41:01 Methodology, Old Books, and the Modern University 43:16 How to Pursue a Real Education in College 45:17 What Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and Plato Have in Common 45:59 The Intellectual Origins of Progressivism 47:25 Machiavelli, Technology, and Conquering Nature 50:00 Social Engineering and the Progressive Project 52:30 Natural Rights, Human Will, and the Limits of the Enlightenment 54:35 Closing Thoughts

  7. Sep 17

    Episode 524: The Ratchet Effect

    Ant and James dissect the constant involvement of government in "emergencies," which seem to happen once a decade. For some reason. 0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 0:50 The Ig Nobel Prize: Are Rich People More Selfish? 5:13 Rising Oil Prices and the Real Cost of Policy Decisions 7:20 Trump’s $5,000 Checks and the Inflation Problem 10:22 The Lindsay Clancy Trial and a Bizarre Jury Split 12:22 Foolishness of the Week: A Five-Year-Old, a Pond, and CPS 15:32 Foolishness of the Week: Punished for Stopping a Mass Shooter 18:17 The Affordability Crisis and Government Intervention 19:58 The Ratchet Effect: Why Government Power Never Shrinks 21:15 From the Great Depression to COVID: A Century of Expanding Government 24:14 The 2030s: Social Security and the Coming Wealth Tax 25:50 The 2040s: The Debt Crisis and a Digital Dollar 32:27 The 2050s: Population Decline and Universal Basic Income 34:11 How Temporary Government Powers Become Permanent 35:27 Socialism, the Berlin Wall, and North vs. South Korea 40:11 Social Security Insolvency and America’s Growing Debt 42:11 Property Taxes, Ownership, and the Erosion of Economic Freedom 47:01 How Young People Can Prepare for Social Security’s Future 50:21 Retirement Savings and the Coming AI Bubble 54:32 AI Regulation, Government Protection, and the Ratchet Effect

  8. Sep 10

    Episode 523: It’s Always 9/11

    Ant and James reflect on 9/11, both the day and its legacy. 0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview 0:24 Citizens United, Super PACs, and Money in Politics 6:48 Corporate Donations, Trump, and Political Influence 10:50 AI Is Putting an Entire Industry Out of Business 13:56 AI, College Cheating, and the Future of Education 17:28 Foolishness of the Week: Trump Threatens to Halt Trade 20:48 Why Trade Deficits Aren’t What Politicians Think 22:24 25 Years Later: Remembering 9/11 25:25 Where We Were When the Attacks Happened 29:03 How 9/11 Changed America Overnight 31:39 Fear, Terrorism, and the Wars That Followed 9/11 34:22 How 9/11 Changed the Nature of War 35:17 The War on Terror and America’s “Wars on Nouns” 42:28 TSA, Security Theater, and the Post-9/11 Surveillance State 44:30 The Militarization of American Law Enforcement 46:06 Did Americans Trade Freedom for Security? 48:31 Fear, Crime, and the Lasting Legacy of 9/11 50:32 Closing Thoughts: Have Some Charity in Your Heart

See All (535)

4.8
out of 5
370 Ratings

About

Words & Numbers is one of the highest-rated economics podcasts in the world. Each episode, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan dig into economics, political science, and current events to explain what’s actually happening and why it matters.

Information

  • Creator
    Free the People
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    535
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Free the People
  • Show Website
    Words & Numbers

You Might Also Like