Words & Numbers

CiVL
  • 4.8 (361)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Words & Numbers touches on issues of Economics, Political Science, Current Events and Policy. Each Wednesday we'll be sharing a new Words & Numbers podcast featuring Antony Davies Ph.D and James Harrigan Ph.D talking about the economics and political science of current events. Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcasts, learn more at civl.com

  1. Episode 491: Redistrict This!

    4D AGO

    Episode 491: Redistrict This!

    In this episode, we discuss how artificial intelligence is increasingly blurring the line between assistance and deception, from using AI tools to troubleshoot everyday problems to the growing risks of deepfake images and AI-generated pornography. We examine questions of name, image, and likeness as property, the limits of regulation, and whether government enforcement can realistically keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. We also dive into the foolishness of the week involving the Smithsonian and renewed debates over Trump’s impeachments, before turning to broader political questions about gerrymandering, census data, immigration, and representation. The conversation closes with a look at election denial, political extremism, rising distrust in institutions, and how economic anxiety continues to fuel anger and division across American society. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:26 Fixing a Computer with AI Assistance 02:00 Listener Calendar Story and Patreon Banter 03:52 AI, Deepfake Porn, and Image Ownership 05:14 Grok and AI Image Manipulation 08:01 AI Guardrails 10:44 Foolishness of the Week: Smithsonian and Trump’s Impeachments 12:15 Trump, Impeachment, and Historical Legacy 14:54 Does Trump Care About His Legacy? 17:05 Midterm Elections and House Control 18:45 Gerrymandering, Courts, and State Power 20:15 Urban vs Rural Political Divide 22:09 Redistricting, Census Rules, and Immigration 24:25 Census Overreach and Bad Data 26:00 Political Representation and Imperfect Systems 27:52 Why America Still Attracts Immigrants 28:47 Peaceful Transfers of Power and January 6 29:53 Election Denial and Institutional Trust 33:21 Political Extremism and Rising Violence 35:01 Protests, Policing, and Fear of Government 37:57 Midterms, Election Fallout, and Political Violence 38:54 Economic Anxiety and Political Anger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    43 min
  2. Episode 490: We’re Not Interested

    6D AGO

    Episode 490: We’re Not Interested

    In this episode, we examine the illogic behind TSA security rules and how performative regulation often substitutes for real safety, before turning to the economics of ticket scalping and why attempts to suppress secondary markets routinely backfire. We discuss proposals to cap credit card interest rates, including Donald Trump’s suggested limit, and explore how price controls distort lending, restrict access to credit, and harm the very consumers they are meant to protect. The conversation connects these issues to broader misunderstandings about markets, incentives, and regulation, highlighting how political solutions driven by optics rather than economics tend to produce higher costs, reduced choice, and unintended consequences across everyday life. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:26 The Illogic of TSA Rules and Security Theater 03:19 What TSA Bans (and Allows) Makes No Sense 05:47 Why TSA Rules Persist Long After the Threat Is Gone 07:02 Missed Episode Fallout and “Are You Still Alive?” 09:02 Trouble Inside the Trump Administration 12:36 Foolishness of the Week: NFL Ticket Resale Crackdown 13:15 Are Season Tickets Really “Yours”? 15:29 Why Ticket Scalping Actually Adds Value 17:21 Risk, Resale, and the Free Market for Tickets 19:05 What Secondary Markets Reveal About True Prices 21:31 Trump’s Proposal to Cap Credit Card Interest Rates 22:33 Does the President Even Have the Authority? 25:28 What a 10% Cap Would Do to the Credit Card Market 28:13 Credit Cards as Unsecured Loans and Risk Sharing 29:30 Why Banks Can’t Lend at 10% to Everyone 31:59 Trump, Elizabeth Warren, and Left-Wing Economic Policy 33:32 Why People Feel Economic Pain Despite “Good” Data 34:45 COVID Policy, Inflation, and the Middle-Class Squeeze 37:22 Who Really Pays for Artificially Cheap Credit 38:46 Life Without Credit Cards and Financial Shock Absorbers 39:53 Saving, Self-Insurance, and Economic Reality 41:58 Government Intervention and Cascading Market Failures 42:48 Why a Credit Card Cap Would Make Things Worse 45:02 Final Thoughts and Closing Reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    49 min
  3. Episode 489: Better off a Loan

    JAN 15

    Episode 489: Better off a Loan

    In this episode, we explore what it means to grant legal rights and who ultimately bears the cost when governments expand them, starting with Peru’s decision to recognize rights for stingless bees and moving into a broader discussion of negative versus positive rights. We examine labor shortages in skilled trades, the unintended consequences of vacancy taxes, and common misunderstandings about loans, insurance, and debt. The conversation then turns to credit scores, interest rates, student loans, and moral hazard, including how incentives shape borrowing behavior and higher education choices. Along the way, we connect financial systems to risk pooling and insurance logic, highlighting how policy decisions, incentives, and individual responsibility intersect in everyday economic life. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:29 Peru Grants Legal Rights to Stingless Bees 02:40 Negative vs Positive Rights and Who Pays 05:34 Peanut Butter, Welfare Logic, and the Road to Coercion 09:39 Ford Can’t Find Mechanics and the Skilled-Trade Shortage 13:02 Seattle’s Vacancy Tax and Unintended Consequences 18:33 Why People Misunderstand Loans and “Insurance” 19:58 Variable vs Fixed Rates and Paying Debt Early 22:27 Student Loans, Taxpayer Backstops, and Moral Hazard 24:58 Default, Walking Away, and Real Consequences 28:01 College Incentives: Engineering vs Liberal Arts 30:08 What a Credit Score Measures and Misses 31:29 Credit Utilization and Multiple Cards 33:56 Hard Inquiries, Store Cards, and Credit Score Hits 38:59 Interest, Mortgages, and Paying for Time 42:47 Why the Financial System Works Like Insurance 43:39 Sports Picks and Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    48 min
  4. Episode 488: Iran, Iran So Far Away

    JAN 13

    Episode 488: Iran, Iran So Far Away

    In this episode, we challenge claims about economic stagnation by examining how interest, investing, and long-term saving actually shape wealth and retirement outcomes, including what it takes to reach a million dollars on different income levels. We then turn to public health, discussing the failures of the original food pyramid, the rise of snacking and carbohydrates, and the proper role of government as an information provider rather than an enforcer. In the “foolishness of the week,” we look at New York City’s expanding housing bureaucracy and why rent control continues to worsen affordability. We close with an in-depth discussion of Iran’s nationwide protests, internet shutdowns, water shortages, and the geopolitical consequences of a potential post-theocratic Iran for the Middle East and beyond. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:25 The “52 Years to Escape the Middle Class” Myth 02:29 What It Takes to Retire With $1 Million 04:25 Saving on Median vs. Bottom-Income Earnings 06:15 Narratives About Stagnation vs. Financial Reality 07:10 The New Food Pyramid and RFK Jr.’s Role 08:53 Why the Original Food Pyramid Failed 11:04 Government as Information Provider vs. Enforcer 13:04 Foolishness of the Week: NYC’s New Housing Bureaucracy 16:06 Rent Control and Why It Makes Housing Worse 17:46 Iran’s Nationwide Protests and Media Silence 20:26 Why Theocracies Look Strongest Before Collapse 22:02 Internet Shutdowns and Regime Panic in Iran 24:08 Why Mainstream News Isn’t Covering the Story 26:31 What a Post-Theocracy Iran Could Look Like 31:11 Iran’s Looming Water Crisis 34:07 Geopolitical Fallout for Russia and the Middle East 36:24 Final Thoughts on Regime Change and Human Cost Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    40 min
  5. Episode 487: Is It The Economy, Stupid?

    JAN 8

    Episode 487: Is It The Economy, Stupid?

    In this episode, we reflect on a rare missed recording and share a series of listener stories that raise broader questions about compassion, responsibility, and civic duty. We examine claims surrounding illegal orders in the military and the role of oaths and institutional accountability before turning to the “foolishness of the week,” including the internet’s ability to amplify extremism and reward outrage. We then shift to why Americans consistently believe the economy is doing worse than the data suggests, exploring consumer sentiment, inflation, wages, housing costs, and the lingering psychological effects of pandemic-era stimulus. We close by discussing housing as both shelter and investment, the realities of rent and mortgage affordability, student loan debt, rising expectations, and why economic anxiety persists even in periods of growth. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:31 Missing an Episode for the First Time 02:28 Listener Gift and Firefighter Calendar Story 03:52 A Belated Christmas Story of Compassion 07:13 Mark Kelly, Illegal Orders, and Military Oaths 12:40 Foolishness of the Week: Nazi Dating Sites 15:08 The “Village Idiot” Theory and the Internet 18:07 Why Americans Think the Economy Is Terrible 22:08 Consumer Sentiment vs. Economic Data 24:37 Inflation, Wages, and Why It Still Feels Worse 29:27 COVID Stimulus Effects and Income Perception 33:30 Housing Costs, Rent, and Homeownership Myths 37:10 Mortgage Rates, Rent Increases, and Risk 41:04 Housing as Shelter vs. Housing as Investment 45:29 Why People Still Can’t Afford Homes 48:33 Social Media, Expectations, and Lifestyle Inflation 51:02 Student Loan Debt and the Real Affordability Crisis 55:14 College Costs, Tradeoffs, and Financial Reality 57:44 Expectations, Advertising, and Economic Anxiety 01:00:40 Why Consumer Sentiment May Never Fully Recover Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 13m
  6. Episode 486: Slavery and Capitalism

    JAN 1

    Episode 486: Slavery and Capitalism

    In this episode, we discuss public distrust of politicians and the realities behind presidential approval polling before turning to the math of lotteries and why people continue to play despite the odds. We examine Maryland’s proposed reparations commission, including questions of eligibility, funding, legal responsibility, and the practical challenges of tying modern policy to historical injustice. We’re joined by Phil Magness to explore the economic history of slavery, the claim that capitalism was built on slave labor, and why slavery is fundamentally incompatible with free markets. We cover Adam Smith’s opposition to slavery, misconceptions about profit incentives, the global history of forced labor, and the moral and economic failures surrounding emancipation, closing with a broader discussion of capitalism, socialism, and historical accountability. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:44 Presidential Approval Ratings and Polling Reality 02:38 Why Americans Have Always Hated Politicians 03:35 Powerball, Probability, and the Math of Dreaming 06:51 Maryland’s Reparations Commission Explained 08:12 Who Pays and Who Gets Reparations? 10:03 Mitigation, Law, and the Reparations Problem 14:24 Introducing Phil Magness 15:02 Was Capitalism Built on Slavery? 17:59 Slavery as an Ancient Institution 19:50 Adam Smith’s Case Against Slavery 23:05 Why Slavery Is Anti-Capitalist 24:50 Pro-Slavery Economics and Feudalism 26:16 Founding Fathers, Hypocrisy, and Moral Failure 30:21 Slavery’s Global History and Misconceptions 32:06 Incentives, Profit, and Economic Naivety 34:53 Would Slavery Have Ended Without the Civil War? 37:59 Gradual Emancipation and Historical Alternatives 40:47 Socialism, Capitalism, and the Plantation Model 44:01 Final Reflections and Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    48 min
  7. Episode 485: R.I.P. Heritage Foundation

    12/30/2025

    Episode 485: R.I.P. Heritage Foundation

    In this episode, we examine the realities behind universal health care by looking at Canada’s system, wait times, medical tourism, and cases where patients are denied life-saving treatment. We discuss the rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, the economics behind high drug prices, and why “miracle” medications often create new dependencies and unintended costs. We scrutinize airline incivility, declining standards of behavior, and why airlines are reluctant to enforce norms despite growing problems. Phil Magness also joins us to discuss the internal collapse of the Heritage Foundation, the rise of post-liberal conservatism, and the growing influence of figures like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes. We explore tensions within the Republican Party, the appeal of emergency powers on both the left and right, the dangers of mixing religion with state authority, and what these trends mean for the future of American politics. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:28 Canadian Health Care and the Myth of “Free” Medicine 02:38 When Universal Health Care Denies Life-Saving Treatment 04:50 Wait Times, Medical Tourism, and U.S. vs Canada Outcomes 06:16 Ozempic, Wegovy, and the Economics of Weight-Loss Drugs 08:52 Why Expensive Drugs Create Cheaper Alternatives 10:05 Side Effects, Dependency, and the Cost of “Miracle” Drugs 10:36 Airline Incivility and Delta’s Class-Based Explanation 12:28 Why Airlines Refuse to Enforce Behavioral Standards 13:52 Why Flying Is Cheaper Than Ever (and Why That Matters) 15:22 Horror Stories From the Skies 18:07 Introducing Phil Magness 19:14 The Implosion of the Heritage Foundation 22:34 Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and the Post-Liberal Right 25:24 Mass Resignations and the Collapse of Heritage’s Core 28:52 Post-Liberalism and the Rejection of the American Founding 32:00 Is the Republican Party Fracturing? 34:34 Mike Pence and the Future of Free-Market Conservatism 37:08 The Left and Right’s Shared Authoritarian Instincts 39:21 Emergency Powers, Carl Schmitt, and Executive Absolutism 44:06 Why Emergency Government Always Expands 46:58 Christian Nationalism and Catholic Integralism 50:03 Why Religion and State Power Don’t Mix 52:12 Who Really Wants Political Power? 54:52 Trump as a Lame-Duck President 55:45 JD Vance, 2028, and Electoral Reality 58:11 Why Both Parties Keep Nominating Losers 01:02:27 Conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 7m
  8. Episode 484: Geezer Presidents

    12/25/2025

    Episode 484: Geezer Presidents

    In this episode, we examine what actually counts as a victimless crime and why the term is so often misused, using examples ranging from seatbelt and helmet laws to drugs, prostitution, and software piracy. We discuss how insurance markets price risk more effectively than regulation, and why many so-called crimes are really paperwork violations with no direct victims. We also look at the limits of automation through recent failures in self-driving technology, and highlight the Foolishness of the Week involving ideological monocultures in academia and the incentives that sustain them. The conversation then turns to the main topic of whether there should be an age limit for the presidency, weighing cognitive decline, longevity, institutional incentives, and why existing safeguards like the 25th Amendment rarely function as intended. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:29 What Counts as a Victimless Crime? 01:38 Insurance, Risk, and Who Really Pays 04:36 Drugs, Prostitution, and True Victimless Crimes 06:26 Regulatory Crimes vs Real Human Harm 07:53 Software Piracy and Intellectual Property 12:38 Waymo, Power Outages, and Self-Driving Failures 14:49 Foolishness of the Week: Academic Monocultures in Academia 17:10 Personal Stories of Academic Censorship 20:39 Main Topic: Should Presidents Have an Age Limit? 21:41 Biden, Trump, and Cognitive Decline 24:39 Living Longer, Dementia, and Modern Leadership Risks 29:34 Age Limits in Other Professions 33:00 The Age of Past Presidents When Initially Elected 37:35 Which Presidents Would Have Survived a Term Age Limit? 39:33 The 25th Amendment and Why It Rarely Works 40:57 Incentives, Power, and Presidential Succession 43:53 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    49 min
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4.8
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About

Words & Numbers touches on issues of Economics, Political Science, Current Events and Policy. Each Wednesday we'll be sharing a new Words & Numbers podcast featuring Antony Davies Ph.D and James Harrigan Ph.D talking about the economics and political science of current events. Words and Numbers is a CiVL Original Podcasts, learn more at civl.com

Information

  • Creator
    CiVL
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    496
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The show is a part of CiVL's network published with Creative Commons attribution.
  • Show Website
    Words & Numbers

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