The Economist Next Door

On the 250th anniversary of The Wealth of Nations, host Paul Mueller sits down with economists Dan Klein, professor at George Mason University and chief editor of Econ Journal Watch, and Eric Matson, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and lecturer at Catholic University, to explore Adam Smith's enduring impact. They discuss Smith as both an academic and a moral authority, the lessons of The Wealth of Nations for modern economics and public policy, the invisible hand, the limits of government intervention, and why Smith's insights on markets, human behavior, and social coordination still matter today. Along the way, the thinkers break down the real Adam Smith—not the caricature or "free-market fundamentalist" often invoked in modern debates, but a nuanced and deeply thoughtful observer of human nature and human action.

Host Paul Mueller interviews AIER President Dr. Sam Gregg and AIER scholar Dr. Dave Hebert on a landmark Supreme Court decision that reshapes presidential tariff authority. In Learning Resources v. Trump, the Court ruled 6–3 that the president cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as a blank check to impose tariffs. Paul and his guests break down why the ruling is a win for the rule of law, explore whether tariffs are better seen as foreign policy or taxation, and explain what the "major questions doctrine" really means. They also discuss trade deficits and possible legal workarounds. Will the Supreme Court's ruling prove to be a constitutional reset or just a minor hurdle to the president's trade agenda? Listen and find out!    

Paul Mueller breaks down the Supreme Court's ruling limiting presidential tariff power with Tom Savidge and Julia Cartwright, and what it means for executive authority. Then, Tom, Pete Earle, and Jason Sorens dive into America's housing shortages, rising insurance costs, and exploding public pension obligations—exploring how political promises today can saddle taxpayers across generations. Debt, policy activism, and uncertainty collide—who really pays the price?

What's driving the growing infighting on the political right? In this episode of The Economist Next Door, host Paul Mueller is joined by Nathan W. Schlueter and Nikolai Wenzel to revisit fusionism—the postwar effort, associated with Frank Meyer, to reconcile liberty and virtue, free markets and moral order, drawing on a tradition that includes Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, and Alexis de Tocqueville. They examine the Cold War roots of the libertarian–conservative alliance, the rise of post-liberalism, and current disputes over immigration, marriage, and the administrative state. Can liberty and virtue coexist? And does the American founding still offer common ground?

In this episode of The Economist Next Door, host Paul Mueller is joined by AIER economists Dave Hebert and Julia Cartwright to introduce the Defending Freedom, Combating Collectivism team. They examine the rise of collectivism on both the right and left, how political incentives fuel cronyism and redistribution, and why politicians so often pick winners and losers at consumers' expense. What does this growing struggle mean for economic freedom, human flourishing, and the American future?  

In the debut episode of The Economist Next Door, host Paul Mueller (Senior Research Fellow at AIER) sits down with Samuel Gregg, President of the American Institute for Economic Research, to peel back the layers of modern economic debate. Moving beyond the dry jargon of spreadsheets and data points, Mueller and Gregg explore why the battle for free markets has shifted from a technical argument to a deeply moral one. They discuss the rising tide of "collectivism" appearing on both ends of the political spectrum and why the "everyman" should care about the philosophical foundations of trade, sound money, and individual liberty.

What is wealth? Why shouldn't the government own stakes in corporations? And what are some non-market problems with tariffs? Richard Stern joins the show today to discuss. Richard Stern is Acting Director of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies and Director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation.

How much have state budgets been taken over by the federal government? Is anything wrong with the Bureau of Labor Statistics? And what's nationalist about trade surpluses? Tony Woodlief joins Econception to discuss. Tony Woodlief is State Policy Network's Senior Executive Vice President and Senior Fellow for SPN's Center for Practical Federalism.

Are the economic doomers right? How does government policy influence which industries thrive in America? Can rich people who think their taxes are too low pay more to the government instead? Jeremy Horpedahl joins Econception to discuss these questions and more. Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl is the Director of ACRE and an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Arkansas.

 What's the purpose of business? What's the purpose of government? Has 20 years of higher education spending led to better student performance?  Dominic Pino is joined by David Bahnsen to explore these questions on the latest episode of Econception. David Bahnsen is the founder and managing partner of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing over $4 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group, he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. Bahnsen is also a contributor to several prominent outlets and a best-selling author.

What's going on with the market reforms in Argentina? What have other countries done to fix their social security programs? And how did FedEx change the world? Manhattan Institute Fellow Daniel DiMartino joins Econception to discuss.

What's going on with the Republican tax bill? How different can state budgets really be from one another? And how does Amtrak justify its barely used services? Adam Michel joins Econception to discuss. Adam N. Michel is director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, where he focuses on analyzing the economic and budgetary effects of taxation in the United States.

Where do Trump's tariffs stand legally? Are foreign students banned from American universities? And are we really going to have to prove that mind control doesn't work again in New York City? Dominic Dino works through these questions and more on Econception.

What's going on with the tariff deals? How free trade really is the United States? And what have the Popes taught about socialism? Dave Hebert joins Econception to discuss these questions and more with Dominic Pino. Dave Hebert, Ph.D, is a senior research fellow at AIER. Dr. Hebert's research has been published in academic journals such as Public Choice, Constitutional Political Economy, and The Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice and popular outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Investor's Business Daily, RealClearPolicy, RealClearMarkets, The Hill, and The Daily Caller. 

What's the matter with Medicaid? Have Germany's manufacturing policies been successful? And are Greece and Argentina the new role models for fiscal responsibility? We look through those questions today with Brian Blase and Paul Winfree. Brian Blase, Ph.D., is the President of Paragon Health Institute. Brian was Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the White House's National Economic Council (NEC) from 2017-2019, where he coordinated the development and execution of numerous health policies and advised the President, NEC director, and senior officials. After leaving the White House, Brian founded Blase Policy Strategies and served as its CEO. Dr. Paul Winfree is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center in Washington, D.C. He is also a Research Affiliate at the Queen's University Centre for Economic History (Queen's University Belfast), and an Advisor at the Centre for Economics, Policy and History (Trinity College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast). His research focuses on public finance, the political economy, and U.S. economic history.

What's the case for free trade? What's the history of free trade in the United States? And is undoing free trade a sound grand strategy for the United States? Dominic Pino looks through these questions on the latest episode of Econception.

How can government policy be more family-friendly? Can socialism exist without coercion? How did bad monetary policy encourage DEI and ESG? Susannah Petitt joins Dominic to discuss. Susannah Petitt is a Social Mobility Fellow at Young Voices and Programs Manager at the Mercatus Center.

Why does public transit keep costing the government more money? Why is cheaper goods the same thing as higher pay? And why don't most people have pensions anymore? Dominic Pino sits down with Marc Scribner to look through these questions on this episode of Econception. Marc Scribner is a Senior Transportation Policy Analyst at Reason Foundation.

Do Europeans work hard enough? Why do you pay higher interest rates than banks? And can a Hawaiian rum company end one of our worst protectionist laws? Garett Jones joins Dominic Pino to discuss these questions on the latest episode of Econception. Garett Jones is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

What does "GDP" actually mean? Are European value-added taxes really tariffs on America? Does the US need a sovereign wealth fund? Dominic Pino discusses these questions and more on the latest episode of Econception.