Let People Prosper

Mark Moses, Senior Fellow at the California Policy Center and author of The Municipal Financial Crisis, joins me to discuss why local governments still face fiscal pressures and what taxpayers should know about government finances.We explore municipal budgets, public pensions, balance sheets, AI, data centers, and whether governments lose focus on their essential responsibilities when their missions continually expand.The central question: What should local government actually do?Learn more about my work at Ginn Economic Consulting at VanceGinn.com. Subscribe to my newsletter for show notes and more: vanceginn.substack.com.

Nearly $2 billion in Medicaid fraud-related and other recoveries should get our attention. So should CMS's estimate of $37.4 billion in improper Medicaid payments, although improper payments are not necessarily fraud.But the bigger economic question is about incentives.In this episode, I examine how federal Medicaid matching can affect state spending decisions, how complicated financing arrangements can encourage states to pursue additional federal dollars, and why greater state flexibility should come with greater fiscal responsibility.Then I go one step further: Medicaid reform shouldn't simply move control from Washington to the states. More healthcare dollars and decisions should ultimately move toward patients and doctors.Protect taxpayers. Empower patients. Let doctors focus on healing.Find show notes at vanceginn.substack.com and more info on my work at vanceginn.com.

Is classical liberalism losing ground in America?Duke University professor Dr. Michael Munger joins me to discuss constitutional government, public choice, tariffs, free trade, and the institutions underlying a free and prosperous society.We explore why restraints on government matter even when they prevent our preferred political outcomes, how political incentives shape policy, what tariffs actually do, and why institutional “friction” can sometimes protect against bad collective decisions. Mike first joined the show in 2023 to discuss whether capitalism was sustainable in America. This time, we tackle an even broader question: Can America maintain the classical-liberal institutions that allow freedom and prosperity to flourish?Find more at VanceGinn.com.

If the government sends you a check while everything around you gets more expensive, are you really better off?This week, I break down inflation and wages, the Fed’s latest rate hike, President Trump’s proposed $5,000 dividend, Governor Abbott’s Texas affordability agenda, rising healthcare costs, and calls to slow AI.The common question is simple: Are policymakers addressing what makes things expensive, or adding another subsidy or regulation to manage the symptoms?We discuss why lasting affordability depends on sound money, spending restraint, more supply and competition, better healthcare incentives, and innovation.More on my work at Ginn Economic Consulting at VanceGinn.com, and show notes for Let People Prosper on Substack at vanceginn.substack.com.

How much power should federal agencies have, and who should be accountable when they exercise it?Ashley Baker, Executive Director of the Committee for Justice, joins me to discuss agency power, antitrust, the Supreme Court, regulatory compliance costs, and the constitutional limits on the administrative state.We dig into Trump v. Slaughter, FTC authority, merger enforcement, regulatory barriers to competition, and why constitutional restraints matter for both liberty and prosperity. Subscribe and share the Let People Prosper Show.Find more of my work at VanceGinn.com and subscribe at VanceGinn.Substack.com.