The Henry George School Podcast

Mr. Van Gorder is an independent scholar and cofounder of the Greshm Institute. The Greshm Institute is a non-profit organization that fosters dialogue around Universal Basic Income (UBI). Derek is also working on a series of essays on the dynamics of UBI and how it is economically viable. In addition to his work with the Greshm Institute, Mr. Van Gorder is also a filmmaker and videographer for documentaries, indie films, and music videos. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bard College at Simon’s Rock.

We were joined by Mr. Van Gorder to discuss the dynamics of UBI, how it can be used for monetary policy, and why a universal basic income is the most efficient policy tool for macroeconomic management.

Dr. Perry received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in Ancient Greek Language and Literature, and his Ph.D. in Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from Trinity College in Dublin. He has conducted extensive research on the Money Supply and recent trends in Monetary Policy. He is also the Managing Director of Fiduciary Automation, a company that helps businesses check if their financial ideas meet legal requirements and identify areas of ambiguity. In addition to Fiduciary Automation, Dr. Perry is also the founder of XML Special Interest Group, a platform for professionals who use Extensible Markup Language (XML), a coding language.

We were joined by Dr. Perry to discuss his analysis on recent macroeconomic trends, how asset bubbles are formed, and why the Fed always miscalculates unemployment. 

Today’s discussion was recorded in January of 2024, where we were joined by our guest, Dr. Walter E. Perry.

Dr. Perry received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in Ancient Greek Language and Literature, and his Ph.D. in Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

from Trinity College in Dublin. He has conducted extensive research on Money Supply and recent trends in Monetary Policy. He is also the Managing Director of Fiduciary Automation, a company that helps businesses check if their financial ideas meet legal requirements and identify areas of ambiguity. In addition to Fiduciary Automation, Dr. Perry is also the founder of XML Special Interest Group, a platform for professionals who use Extensible Markup Language (XML), a coding language. 

We were joined by Dr. Perry to discuss why the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy has been ineffective, how AI and computer science can be used to understand why monetary policy is failing, and a brief history of modern monetary history.

Today’s discussion was recorded in October of 2023, where we were joined by our returning guest, Dr. Aleksandr Gevorkyan

Today’s discussion was recorded in September of 2021, where we were joined by our returning guest, and long-time faculty member of the school, Ed Dodson.

Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping to revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled The Discovery of First Principles.

Today, Mr. Dodson explains the impact of the American Rescue plan, and why it may not have helped the people it was most intended to. Ed helps break down a Georgist analysis of the macroenvironment pre-Covid, and how the American Rescue Plan fails to address its vulnerabilities. 

Snapshot is a more brief format for introducing listeners to complex concepts they may not be familiar with. We take big ideas and distill them into a bite-sized format so you can get an understanding of these ideas through a particular lens. We’ll explore ideas like moneterism, historical materialism, or opportunity cost, and how they are relevant to the real world. You don’t have to be an expert on economics, we’ll explain it to you.

For our discussion today, we will be talking to our returning guest, Mr. Tom Rossman.

Mr. Rossman is a financier and investor, who specializes in developing nations and emerging markets. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Mr. Rossman helped establish investment institutions in Turkey, former Soviet Union states, and North Africa. Throughout his career, Tom has helped nations democratize and sustainably develop to bring new opportunities to these regions. He has spoken at conferences across the world from Baku to London to Houston. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies from Nyack College and earned his master’s from Tufts in international relations. Currently, he is an advisor to the Telosa Community Foundation; a group hoping to build a futuristic from-scratch city that will revolutionize urban living.

Mr. Rossman introduces us to the concept of equitism. When most social scientists discuss fairness, they usually mention equality or equity. Equitism takes these ideas a step further. Equitism is a system in which city people own or have a stake in the land. In theory, this should give them more power to determine their socioeconomic outcomes.

Together we discussed a brief history of economic thought, how equitism reconfigures capitalism, and how a more even distribution of land can improve environmental outcomes.

Rethinking Economics is all about questioning the core foundations of economics. This series questions economic orthodoxy to better understand the forces and shifts shaping our society and the world. Together, we’ll interrogate things like the efficacy of economic models, if mainstream assumptions are always correct, and why the ideas and concepts you learn about in textbooks may lead you astray.

For our inaugural discussion of the series, we will be talking to our returning guest, and one of my favorite economists, Dr. Steve Keen. Our talk was recorded in March of 2024, and is hosted by me, Nathan Greene, a researcher here at the Henry George School.

Many people, including myself, don’t fully understand monetary theory or monetary economics. Admittedly, it’s quite confusing. There are a lot of dynamics at play from banks, to households, money, and central banks, just to name a few. If you ever learned the terms money multiplier, monetary base, or reserve requirement ratio, but are not really sure what it means, you’re not alone. 

Dr. Keen is an expert on the dynamics of monetary economics and macroeconomics. We’ll explore his critiques of the efficient market hypothesis to his more recent analyses of debt dynamics and financial instability. Together, we talked about the shortcomings of conventional economic thinking, and why it’s so damaging not just to the economy, but the planet as well. By questioning fundamental assumptions, he invites us to reconsider our approach to economic policy and reshape our vision of a more equitable and sustainable future. At a time when the world is largely ignoring calls to abandon fossil fuels and the green transition feels painstakingly slow, his ideas and critiques feel more important now than ever before. 

Dr. Keen received his bachelor's degree from the University of Sydney and went on to complete his master's and Ph.D. in Economics and Economic History from the University of New South Wales. He is the author of several books on economics, of which the two most famous are "Debunking Economics" and "The New Economics: A Manifesto." Both critique conventional economic theory. We were even lucky enough to hear about his upcoming book, "Rebuilding Economics from the Top Down." Dr. Keen has taught at the University of Western Sydney and Kingston University in London. He is currently leading the development of a software package called Minsky, a dynamics-based visualization tool for macroeconomic modeling.

Today’s episode our discussion came from our most recent seminar, McGirt v Oklahoma: Unraveling the Impact on Tribal Economics and Sovereignty. Our conversation was recorded in February of 2024 and is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member, who is joined by our guest, Dr. Brian Hosmer.

Dr. Hosmer is the head of the History department at Oklahoma State University and previously held the H.G. Barnard Chair at the University of Tulsa. He has held numerous teaching positions at institutions such as the University of Delaware, University of Wyoming, and the University of Illinois Chicago. His research and teaching interests focus on indigenous history, environmental history, and the intersection of economics and indigenous nationhood. He is the author of several books including "American Indians and the Marketplace," "Tribal Worlds," "Native Americans and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman," and many more. 

Since settlers arrived in North America, the history of native Americans and indigenous people in the US has always been dictated by its relationship with settlers and the governments they would go on to establish. This relationship has almost always been exploitive and led to a diminished wellbeing for indigenous people. 

Today's discussion came from our most recent seminar and was recorded in January of 2024. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School.

To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to pause our regular content and give our listeners a special series on the political economy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This week’s talk will conclude our 3-part series exploring Dr. King’s intellectual evolution, and how it impacted his solutions to addressing poverty.

Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled "The Discovery of First Principles."

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in January of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School.

To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to pause our regular content and give our listeners a special series on the political economy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For the next two episodes, we’ll continue our 3-part series exploring Dr. King’s intellectual evolution and how it impacted his solutions to addressing poverty.

Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled The Discovery of First Principles.

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in January of 2022. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School.

To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to pause our regular content and give our listeners a special series on the political economy of Martin Luther King. For the next few episodes, we’ll have a 3-part series exploring Dr. King’s intellectual evolution, and how it impacted his solutions to addressing poverty.

Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Edward has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled The Discovery of First Principles.

Dr. Chappe is a Decentralized Finance economist and Director of R&D and Strategy at DeVol Network, a cryptocurrency platform. Dr. Chappe is also an economic advisor for The Predistribution Initiative, a non-profit that supports creating investment structures that better distributes wealth with workers and communities. Dr. Chappe is also a Research Fellow with the Open Society Foundation. Dr. Chappe earned her bachelor’s in Law and French Law from King’s College London, a master’s degree in Comparative Business Law from the University of Pantheon-Sorbonne in Paris, a master’s in law from New York University, and her doctorate in economics from The New School for Social Research. Needless to say, she has quite an extensive resume. Raphaële’s research interests include monetary policy and shadow banking.

We were lucky enough to talk to Dr. Chappe about quantitative easing, how it impacts inequality, and how recent accumulations of debt could impact the global macroeconomy.

Dr. Horn is a philosopher who uses his philosophical training to analyze public policy. Writing for journals such as The Journal of Philosophy and Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Walter has published many articles on topics such as metaphysics, epistemology, or the psychology of religion. He is also the author of Democratic Theory Naturalized, which deeply examines populism and power relations within a democracy. As a professor, Dr. Horn has taught at Brown University and Framingham State University. When he’s not busy writing about psychology or philosophy, our guest loves to write and analyze music and has several recorded albums.

I want to start off by asking you, what defines democracy? If I asked you, what makes a country a democracy, what would your answer be? Would it be free and fair elections? Checks and balances? Freedom of speech? Fair judicial processes with juries of your peers? The term democracy originates from Greece, “demos” meaning people, and “kratos” meaning rule. When the term was first coined, democracy was mostly practiced in Athens, which selected random citizens to fill judicial and administrative positions and had an assembly of all Athenian citizens to pass legislation.

I would define it as a distribution of power between different actors within society, from executive to legislative branches to corporations and consumers. Democracy is defined as rule by the people; but since its conception, society has always struggled to achieve a true democracy. Even in Athens, where the idea was born, democracy has never been fully achieved. For example, the legislative body I just mentioned excluded women and slaves from participating.

Turning to current times, we’ve seen democracies morph and change. The United States has gone through many changes and had its democratic institutions tested. Donald Trump, the 45th President, could potentially be convicted guilty of numerous charges while running for president, creating a potential constitutional crisis if he wins. He was also responsible for the insurrection on January 6th, creating profound legal questions about the constitutional power of presidents. But the executive branch isn’t the only feature of our government that is being questioned.

Some have begun to question certain aspects of our democratic institutions. One example is the Electoral College, a process where a body of electorates vote for both president and vice president in tandem with the popular vote. Another is the Supreme Court, where members hold life-long tenures, have very few checks or balances, and are nominated by presidents, not citizens. According to Gallup, 28% of adults are “satisfied with the way democracy is working in this country”. As these aspects of our government’s structure become increasingly criticized, it is fair to wonder how we can improve these institutions and make government more democratic. This is where Dr. Horn comes in.

To improve our system of government and create outcomes more beneficial to the public, Dr. Horn believes society needs a healthy dose of populism. Populism is a complex idea, usually harboring negative connotations from both the left and right. But to Dr. Horn, populism is a move toward radical democracy and the empowerment of people. Governments, democracies, and constitutions all change over time. But what these changes are, and who they impact, have lasting consequences on how we organize our society and decide who gets to make what decisions.

Dr. Horn earned his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, and his Ph.D. from Brown University, both in philosophy.

Together, we discussed Dr. Horn’s definition of populism, how democratic reform can empower citizens, and why education is so important to achieving democratic outcomes.

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in October of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our guest Dr. Willi Semmler.

Dr. Semmler is the Arnhold Professor of International Cooperation and Development at the New School in New York City, where he researches macroeconomics, the economics of climate change, and financial markets. Dr. Semmler is also a Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Capitalism and Society, an institute that examines the shortcomings of orthodox economics and looks to understand the economy through a more realistic and complex lens. Willi has also taught at other universities such as the American University in Washington D.C., the University of Berlin, and the University of Bielefeld in Germany. He is the author of numerous journal articles and has written many books such as Asset Prices, Booms, and Recessions and Sustainable Macroeconomics, Climate Risks, and Energy Transitions. Dr. Semmler is a trustee and long-time member here at the Henry George School. He is an expert on all things macroeconomics, sustainability, and business cycles.

Today’s discussion delves into how economics can be used, or rethought, to improve environmental conditions. Is economic growth inseparable from environmental damage? Can the economy become less energy-intensive as it diversifies? Is it possible to improve living conditions with a growing population without causing pollution? Economists often examine incentives, and how they can lead to different outcomes. Dr. Semmler helps us break down these incentives, and how they can be recalibrated to benefit conservation efforts.

Dr. Semmler studied at the University of Munich and Technical University in Germany and earned his PhD from the Free University of Berlin.

Together we discussed why many conflate economic growth with pollution, how policy and incentives can better serve environmental needs, and how the financial sector can be rewired to encourage productive investment and reduce speculation.

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in July of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our guest Mr. Lars Doucet.

Mr. Doucet is a consultant, blogger, entrepreneur, game developer, and currently the Director of Outreach for Common Ground USA. As a consultant, Lars has been accredited with developing numerous video games and software packages, such as Defender’s Quest and Super Energy Apocalypse. He is also the founder of Geo Land Solutions, which appraises large tracts of land to better calibrate land values and taxes more equitably. Mr. Doucet recently published his first book: Land is a Big Deal, where he explores Georgist ideas, such as rent, natural resource extraction, and collectivism.

As economies move away from being mostly industrial, they grow in complexity. You’ve probably heard of financialization, the phenomenon of how finance becomes increasingly intertwined with the real economy. But this is only one layer to this growing complexity. Technology has also changed the economy, everything is becoming digitalized as analog machines and processes become obsolete. All of this adds up to a highly complex economy that becomes increasingly hard to understand and comprehend.

Older economic models were once capable of understanding the economy in its less complex form. But as technology and the economy become more advanced, these frameworks and analyses becoming increasingly similar to the “vulgar economics” we talked about last week. These models are often linear, can’t capture human or societal behavior, and fail to predict crises.

Critics of mainstream economics, like Mr. Doucet or, most prominently, Steve Keen, advocate for a new framework for our economic models. One new method embraces “system dynamics”, a computer science and mathematical modeling technique showing how actors within complex systems, say industrial workers in a factory, interact with other fixtures or incentives in the system. Unlike other frameworks, proponents of system dynamics believe these models can better understand how feedback loops are created, how changes in incentives or behaviors lead to changes in the system as a whole, or how dynamic or evolutionary the economy is.

As a video game designer, Lars created educational games that utilize system dynamics. When observing the games he designed, Lars often noticed how the economy in the game would lead to recessions or economic downturns. With an understanding of how the system would work, Mr. Doucet would then suggest changes similar to Georgist policy that would then ameliorate the recession. This led him to better understand the importance of Georgist policy in our complex world.

Mr. Doucet earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University in Visual Sciences.

Together, we discussed how Mr. Doucet came to his Georgist epiphany, how speculation leads to inequality and economic downturns, and how proper appraisal of land values can lead to beneficial downstream effects.

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in June of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member here at the Henry George School, who is joined by our returning guest Mr. Mark Mollineaux.

Mr. Morial is the former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, and current President and CEO of the National Urban League. The National Urban League is a civil rights group that promotes equality, social justice, and economic empowerment. The National Urban League spearheads social programs, public policy research, and advocacy efforts in over 300 communities across the U.S. to shrink the wealth gap in underserved communities. Through a combination of education, entrepreneurship, and job training, the National Urban League looks to create self-reliance and reinvigorate small- and medium-sized cities.

Many thinkers believe that the best indication of a society’s development is its ability to increase population. If population is increasing, that means there are sufficient resources, from food, water, or income, to support life. In 1798, Thomas Malthus, a famous economist from the 19th century, published his seminal work, An Essay on the Principle of Population. Here, Malthus theorized how increased agricultural production led to a higher population, but not necessarily improved standards of living; this is known as the Malthusian Trap. To Arthur Lewis, a Nobel-winning economist from the 20th century, population growth was a necessary prerequisite for the improvement of living conditions. Once food production was capable of increasing population, people would begin flocking towards cities, which would then improve living standards as they became hubs of investment. Lewis termed this dynamic the Lewis Turning Point. Today, some thinkers, such as Esther Duflo, a leading development economist, are rethinking the Malthusian Trap or the Lewis Turning Point, trying to understand how people in cities grow out of poverty and advance their standard of living.

Cities are economic hubs for the United States. They are often centers of population, jobs, resources, transportation, finance, healthcare, or even social services. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, small- and medium-sized metro areas, make up about 90% of the United States’ GDP. When I say cities, everyone is probably thinking of Chicago, New York, or San Francisco; but these are just the biggest, most memorable ones. America is also comprised of hundreds of smaller cities that, taken together, are an important part of America’s economic engine. As of 2022, there are 263 urban centers with populations between 100,000-300,000 people. These are places like Worcester, Massachusetts, Pasadena California, or Odessa, Texas. 59 urban centers have populations between 300,000 to 1 million. This includes cities like San Antonio, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, or places like New Orleans, Louisiana, where our guest was born and raised. Needless to say, these cities can be forgotten when it comes to public policy or investment. Everyone thinks of those big flashy cities like New York or San Francisco, while the others are left behind.

Our guest today spoke not just of the importance of cities, but how we can make them better places to develop better standards of living for everyone.

Mr. Morial earned his bachelor’s degree in African American Studies and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD from Georgetown University.

Together, we discussed how living conditions in New Orleans changed since Mr. Morial’s mayorship, how many cities across the US face similar deterioration, and how the country can produce transformative development for future generations.

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in April of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, who is joined by our guest, Dr. Christopher England.

Dr. England is an Adjunct Lecturer at Georgetown University, and has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Loyola University, Maryland, and Stanford University. His courses focus on US history, the history of economic thought, political media, and social movements in America. His most recent book, Henry George and the Crafting of Modern Liberalism, focuses on the influence Henry George had on American politics and public sentiment towards policy. Examining firsthand accounts of George’s correspondences with his followers, Dr. England traces the legacy of George’s influence from the Progressive Movement to the New Deal Era. With a particular focus on land, natural resources, and rent-seeking, Dr. England observes how Georgism influenced public policy during these times to create a more egalitarian and democratic society.

Liberalism has meant different things at different times. Classical liberalism stood for limited government, free trade, or individual liberty. But the Progressive and New Deal era changed that. Liberalism began to shift towards new ways of thinking, like having a welfare state or social safety net, an activist government towards social problems, or an administrative state with more regulation. Henry George played a key role in influencing this shift. For a while, these ideas dominated leftward circles and made a real difference in people’s lives.

This changed in the late 1970s and early 80s with the Reagan Revolution. This is when the term “neo-liberal” entered into the popular conscience. Suddenly, being a liberal reverted to small government, individual responsibility, and led to the hollowing out of the state and a vast reduction in social services. This is, in part, what explains some of the poverty and inequality we experience today in advanced economies.

Today’s episode is significant for a number of reasons, but most importantly, it brings to the fore some of the ideas and concepts that originated from the Gilded Age. With the rise of inequality and the growth of massive corporations like Amazon, Apple, or Meta, some have now argued that we’ve entered into a new Gilded Age. This time, the Robber Barons have a new look to them. America’s economy is far less industrial than it used to be. If you’re into stocks or business, you’ve probably heard of the “Magnificent Seven,” a group of tech behemoths that make up a large part of the stock market. But these firms aren’t just important to markets. They play a huge role in our lives, and it is only growing by the day. Many ideas have been floated as to how we deal with these companies, and this is why some of George’s ideas merit further examination.

Dr. England received his bachelor’s degree in history and rhetoric from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. from Georgetown in history. He’s also a former Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Dr. England joined the Henry George School to discuss land reforms during the New Deal, how George transformed liberalism in the US and around the world, and how land and land markets impact economic and social crises.

Today's discussion came from our archives and was recorded in February of 2023. Our talk is hosted by Ed Dodson, who joined our guest, Mr. Dave Wetzel.

Dave Wetzel has had a long career in transportation, working as a bus conductor and official in the 1960s. Shortly after, Mr. Wetzel became a political organizer of the London Co-operative Society between 1974 and 1981. He was elected as a Labour member for Hammersmith and Fulham on the Greater London Council in 1981 and served as the Chair of the Transport Committee. Mr. Wetzel also served on Hounslow Borough Council, acting as the leader in the late 80s and early 90s. Dave was Vice Chair of Transport for London between 2000 and 2008 and Chair of London Buses from 2000 to 2001.

London has long had an issue with congestion and transportation. Often, policy-makers take a top-down approach to implementation and steamroll over the issues most important to the people impacted by these policies. As a transportation leader for the city, Dave fostered collaboration and consensus-building when making plans and procedures regarding transportation. One of the pitfalls of technocracy, a society or government run by experts, is that the people most impacted by policy choices are left out of the decision-making process. This will, in turn, fail to address the structural inequalities being addressed since the people with the most knowledge about them aren’t able to correct these problems

Mr. Wetzel was educated at Southall Technical College, Ealing College, and at the Henry George School of Social Science.

To celebrate our 100th episode, we wanted to do a special podcast on Henry George and Georgism. It was recorded in November of 2023 by Nathan Greene, a researcher at the Henry George School, and Ed Dodson, a long-time faculty member.

Ed is an expert on Henry George and all things Georgism. As a long-time subscriber of George, land value taxation, and land use reform, he is an excellent person to talk to for our centennial episode.

Henry George is an important figure in both American and economic history. His life led him to understand the world in a complex way that gave him a unique perspective. With this perspective, George looked to solve ecological and social problems through land rights, welfare, and social justice. This blend of philosophy and economics was the genesis of Georgism, an ideology that his followers believed would solve some of the most pressing issues of the time.

George grew up during the Gold Rush and would eventually live through the Gilded Age. This was a time of massive inequality, major reforms, and rapid economic growth. The various places he lived instilled in George the need for greater fairness within society.

One of his famous adages is, “Let no man imagine that he has no influence. Whoever he may be, and wherever he may be placed, the man who thinks becomes a light and a power.” George believed that through reflection and critical thinking, everyone can strive towards a better life for themselves, and their community. And this still rings true today. Henry George passed over a hundred years ago, but many of the problems he lived through still plague us today.

Income and wealth inequality have skyrocketed. According to Pew Research, a well-known pollster, between 1983 to 2016, the share of wealth belonging to upper-income households increased from 60% to 79%. Meanwhile, the amount held by middle-income households has been reduced by half, decreasing from 32% to 17%. Lower-income households only had 4% of wealth in 2016, down from 7% in 1983. Meanwhile, millions of young people are shut out of the real estate market and can’t afford their first house. I can’t help but wonder what Henry George would say if he could see the state of the world in 2023. A history of George’s life, how he formed his ideas, and the movements he inspired may help us parse that out.

Mr. Dodson attended Shippensburg University and Temple University where he received an economics degree. Ed worked for Fannie Mae, a public-private partnership to help distribute home mortgage loans. During his time at Fannie Mae, Mr. Dodson held numerous management and analyst positions within the Housing & Community Development group, helping revitalize neighborhoods and local communities. This gives him an interesting perspective on land use and reform, and how it can reduce inequality. He also has extensive experience as a history lecturer at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute and the Learning is For Everyone program at Burlington County College. Ed has written many papers on history and the political economy and is the author of a three-volume book series titled "The Discovery of First Principles."

Together, we discussed Henry George in the context of economic history, his ideas, and how the Georgist community can turn back into a movement.

Often when we talk about competition between two nations, the US and China is the perfect example for today, we get arguments that are boiled down to broad ideas; like East vs the West and capitalism vs communism. But when we do this, we often lose a lot of nuance and miss some important details.

Not too long ago, the US and the West were competing with the USSR and pooled their resources towards containing the spread of communism. Fast forward to now and some of the satellite states and former Soviet Union nations have turned into development success stories. Nations like Poland have increased their GDP by 179% since the fall of the USSR in 1990; Estonia’s GDP per capita in 1995 was $3,134, and in 2021 it’s just below $28,000.

Today our discussion comes from our most recent annual conference: Why is Housing so Unaffordable? Causes and Solutions.

We were lucky enough to have John Krinsky join us today. Dr. Krinsky is a professor of Political Science at the City University of New York (CUNY).

Thus far, we’ve looked at a lot of trends and changes within the housing industry. We’ve heard a lot about programs and solutions, but, so far, have heard very little about the people inhabiting these homes. Today, we want to talk about the conditions facing the people these solutions are trying to help.

Dr. Krinsky earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University and focuses on public policy, urban politics, and modern protest and activist movements. He is the author of "Who Cleans the Park" and "Free Labor." Both offer examinations of labor and job policies from state and local levels. Dr. Krinsky is also the co-editor of two journals: Metro-politics and Social Movement Studies. In addition to his work in academia, he is also the founder of New York City Community Land Initiative, a grassroots collective of non-profits and NGOs that promote community land trusts and housing for all.

Together, we discussed some of the failures of market-based approaches, evaluating policy responses to poverty & inequality, and the differences in exchange- or monetary-value versus use-value.

Today our discussion comes from our most recent annual conference: Why is Housing so Unaffordable? Causes and Solutions. For the next twelve weeks, our discussions will revolve around the topic of housing and house prices with three subtopics. The first will be root causes, followed by an evaluation of current policy responses, and finishes with alternatives to current policy and thinking around affordability.

We were lucky enough to speak with Brendan Cheney. Brendan is the Director of Policy and Communications at the New York Housing Conference. The New York Housing Conference is a policy and advocacy non-profit dedicated to advancing state, local, and federal housing policies.

Our affordable housing crisis will require comprehensive solutions, which will require reliable data. With good data, we can formulate the best possible policy, understand what areas need the most relief, and empower those shut out of the market due to unaffordability.

With organizations like the New York Housing Conference, policymakers can prevent gentrification, and buyers have help navigating the market. We’re glad to have our guest on at such a pivotal moment in the housing crisis.

Brendan earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and his master’s in public administration from Syracuse. He has extensive experience as a policy analyst and consultant. Mr. Cheney was also a staff writer for Politico, writing about housing policy and homelessness, often using data to communicate trends and complex ideas. As Director of Policy and Operations, he oversees all advocacy and policy efforts on behalf of the conference.

Together, we talked about the priorities of Governor Kathy Hochul, got into the weeds of federal and state housing policy, and explained the concept of “affordability depth.” It was quite the conversation.

We hope you enjoy this talk, and make sure to check back on our page every week for a brand-new episode!

Today we were lucky enough to speak with Ross Karp. Ross is the Downstate Development Director of Home and Community Renewal (HCR), an agency within New York State. HCR is part of the state’s Executive branch and is in charge of administering housing policy.

When you think of homebuilders, who do you think of? If I had to guess, you were probably thinking about real estate developers or even construction companies. And while they are important factors in our analysis, they are only one piece of the puzzle. State and local governments have a huge influence on housing outcomes, and getting their policies right can be tricky. 

Building new homes requires grants and loans, navigating zoning regulations, and ensuring building codes and standards are met. But doing this all quickly and in large quantities is an uphill battle, to say the least. That’s where state and local government institutions come in. They can either facilitate this process or slow things down and hinder construction.

That’s why I’m thrilled to have our guest on today. New York’s Governor, Kathy Hochul, created a housing plan with $25 billion in funding. As Development Director, Mr. Karp helps oversee these funds and achieve New York’s goal of maintaining and revitalizing communities.

Mr. Karp received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago, and his master’s in city planning from MIT. He has extensive policy and governance experience working for both the City of Chicago and New York and within the State of New York.

Together we discussed some of the housing initiatives under Governor Hochul, a few financing options available to developers, and why New York struggles to increase the supply of housing.

We hope you enjoy this talk, and make sure to check back on our page every week for a brand-new episode! 

Mr. Manekin is a social entrepreneur and community organizer from the Baltimore area. I first met him at a professional development training camp where he gave a speech about social entrepreneurship and how we can become the change within the communities that we want to see. Thibault is the cofounder of PeacePlayers and Seawall. PeacePlayers is an international non-profit that helps bridge divides and empower youth through sports and education. Seawall is a real estate development company that operates as a social business. Collaborating with the community, Seawall has successfully renovated and developed quintessential parts of the Baltimore area, giving them new life and a new look. They have successfully built three apartment buildings offering discounts to local teachers, renovated Baltimore’s famous Lexington Market, as well as many other examples, all while shaping their plans based on the community’s needs and input.

I encourage you to think about Thibault’s idea of social entrepreneurship and how his philosophy penetrates not just into his business model but how he views the idea of work as a whole. 

Together, we discussed how state and local governments, along with the private sector, can cooperate to help communities develop, how your values can impact your business practices, and how real estate and land can impact society. 

Ms. Brown is a community organizer and mayoral candidate for the City of Toronto. She received her bachelor’s from Ryerson University in public administration and governance, and her master's from Humber College in human resource management and administrative services. Chloe has spent her life advocating for change within her community. Her campaign focuses on issues of inequality, land use, and quality of life. Many of her solutions revolve around an equitable use of land or progressive taxation that would distribute benefits to the working class.

When listening to this talk, think about land ownership and all the different benefits of it. If you are a renter or someone who just likes to move around a lot in this age of digital nomads, what are the economic or political benefits you miss out on? Ms. Brown looks to solve this problem by removing the mutual exclusivity of land ownership and rights. I encourage you to think about how expanding liberty to those without ownership of land could diffuse power, and how that would create different economic outcomes. 

This week we discussed how Toronto can improve housing, why relying on real estate developers can lead to unaffordable housing, and how taxation can be used to incentivize equitable development. 

Dr. Tideman is a Georgist economist, whose family have been Georgists for generations. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from Reed College and his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago. He has spent his career immersed in economics, teaching at numerous universities such as Harvard, the University of Buckingham, and Virginia Tech, where he currently teaches. Dr. Tideman reached the pinnacle of his career in the 1970’s working for the president's council of economic advisers. He has held advisory positions within the Office of Management and Budget and Treasury Department. He is the author of many journal publications and is the author of two books: Collective Decisions and Voting and Land and Taxation; both examine collectivist economic models and decision-making.

This week we discussed left-libertarianism, how land values and taxes can be systematized, and why a carbon tax is insufficient for promoting equality but good for the environment.

Dr. Cohen received his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam, both in economics. Before his academic career, Dr. Cohen worked as a management consultant at Accenture. He has spent over 24 years studying and understanding the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. Josh’s expertise ranges from regulatory practices to drug discovery and has over one hundred publications in numerous journals. In addition to his publications, Josh has also written for numerous periodicals and is currently a contributor to Forbes. 

Together, we discussed the changes within the pharmaceutical industry caused by the IRA, how drug prices are formulated from manufacturer to consumer, and why the IRA is more of a reform than it is large-scale change.

We hope to see you all at our Annual Conference! The link is below:

https://www.hgsss.org/annual-conference-2023/

Dr. Bauman earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Reed College, and his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Economics. Known as the first and only “Standup Economist” Dr. Bauman likes to inject humor into his teachings and analyze economic issues through a comedic lens. He is the author of several books including, "Tax Shift" and "The Cartoon Introduction to Economics." The former is an analysis of how to align our environmental goals with our tax system, while the latter is a beginner's book to learning economics. When he is not writing, Dr. Bauman performs his routine at companies, colleges, and conferences. He has performed for events hosted by Time Magazine, PBS, and NPR. He is also an activist, supporting and leading multiple environmental movements, most prominently, Clean the Darn Air, a movement created to encourage more environmental ballot initiatives in his home state of Utah.

Dr. Bauman joined the Henry George School to discuss reforming economics education, how Canada implemented a carbon tax, and how taxing land value can improve welfare outcomes.

Mr. Marinescu graduated from the University of Waterloo with a mathematics and computer science degree. Floyd is the founder and CEO of C4Media, InfoQ, and UBI Works. C4Media and InfoQ is a news organization that spreads information about computer software and SaaS (software as a service). UBI Works is an organization Mr. Marinescu created in order to raise awareness of the benefits of UBI and its socioeconomic benefits. When he is not working towards either of these endeavors, he is also an angel investor for several startups that look to make a social impact. 

When listening to our guest, I find it immensely helpful to consider his intellectual journey, and how he arrived at his conclusions. I find it very formative in understanding our guest’s logic.

Together, we discussed the benefits of having common and public goods, how rent-seeking negatively impacts well-being, and the pros and cons of incremental vs systemic change.

Dr. Rasmus is a professor at St. Mary’s college in California where he focuses on inequality and economic crises. Dr. Rasmus began his career in journalism and is the author of numerous books on the political economy, such as "Central Bankers at the End of Their Rope?", "The Scourge of Neoliberalism," and "Epic Recession." He has served as a negotiator, organizer, and president of multiple local unions. He is the host of the radio show "Alternative Visions" and has contributed to multiple magazines, such as "World Financial Review," "European Financial Review," and "World Review of the Political Economy."

We discussed the monetary response to Covid-19 and its macroeconomic impact, how modern technology impacts communication in politics, and Dr. Rasmus' critique of mainstream monetary theory.

We hope you enjoy this talk and make sure to check back on our page every week for a brand-new episode! 

Mr. Harrison received his bachelor's from Oxford University and his master’s from the University of London. He is a veteran journalist who has served in multiple news agencies such as "The People" and "Wellington Journal." In 1988 he became the Research Director of the Land Research Trust, London, and has advised several corporations and international governments on tax and economic policy. Fred emphasizes the housing market and its interaction with the economy. He is the author of many books, including "The Corruption of Economics," "The Power in the Land," and "A Philosophy for a Fair Society," all of which critique mainstream economic thinking. Most of today’s discussion will center around Fred’s book "#WeAreRent," which offers policy solutions that empower societies to adapt to crises and transform governance for the common good. When listening to this episode, I encourage you to listen to Fred’s solution to rent-seeking, which requires a more moralistic approach to capitalism. It is also worth considering how land comes into play and how Mr. Harrison’s solutions impact property values. Together, we discussed how land value taxes could lower rents, why progressive policies can be unpalatable to most people, and how old ideas perpetuate the issues progressives try to solve. 

Dr. Chiu received her bachelor’s from Smith College, her master’s from Northwestern, and her Ph.D. from Oxford University, all in English. Dr. Chiu is a critic of contemporary politics and philosophy, but not through traditional means. Her unique perspective instead comes from a literary point of view. Her research is conducted on how reform politics is represented in literature from the 18th to 20th century. Her most recent project on Thomas Paine has received national recognition, as she currently teaches the only class on Paine’s philosophy. Dr. Chiu has contributed to many articles, books, and other publications, her most recent being The Routledge Guidebook to Paine's Rights of Man. She is currently a professor at the New School, where she focuses on gender and identity, history, and political science. In her teachings of Thomas Paine, Dr. Chiu often revisits his old ideas with new perspectives. I urge you to focus on her concept of what Paine thought of as “small” or “limited government”, which was much more anti-elitist than most conservative schools of thought. I urge you to consider how this idea of anti-elite small government intertwines with modern conservatism, and how conservatives discuss limited government. Together, we discussed the Founding Father’s ideas for how to build a constitutional democracy, how personal versus national interests conflicted in the drafting of the Constitution, and how power originally became concentrated within elite circles.

Mr. Marohn received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and his master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota. Charles leads an industrious career in City and Urban Planning. He is the founder and current president of Strong Towns, a non-profit dedicated to making cities habitable and safe through collaborative local government. Charles analyzes public policy through an engineering lens, which leads him to find inefficiencies that work against the public’s best interest. He is the author of "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer", "A World Class Transportation System", and "Strong Towns"; all of which discuss how urban planning can improve living standards and better develop communities. Mr. Marohn has a very unique idea of what he calls “Finished Cities” which can be characterized as static adaptation. I urge you to pay attention to how this concept connects with the financial system and local government. We were lucky enough to join Mr. Marohn in discussing his idea of how cities can become more adaptable to the future, how our ideas around urban planning changed over time, and how public policy failed to prevent the deterioration of Detroit. 

Dr. Charles Clark earned his bachelor’s degree from Fordham University in economics, and his master’s and Ph.D. from the New School in the History of Economic Thought and Industrial Organization. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Vincentian Center and previously served as President of the Association for Evolutionary Economics and the Association for Institutionalist Thought. Dr. Clark has authored over 150 different journal publications and two books: "Rich and Poor" and "Rediscovering Abundance"; both examine the role of inequality and how it impacts policy. Dr. Clark is currently a professor at St. John’s University, the University College of Cork, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. When he is not teaching, Dr. Clark works on fiscal policy consulting, tax, and welfare reform, and serves as Advisor to the Holy See Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Together we discussed Universal Basic Income (UBI). Most conversations around UBI focus on costs or how they will impact individuals’ incentives. However, our talk was a little different. We instead chose to talk about UBI through an ethics and human-flourishing lens. When listening to this talk, I encourage you to think of quality of life, and how UBI would impact standards of living. 

Mr. Doyle is a former senior economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As a senior economist, he headed their Europe division but later resigned after becoming highly critical of IMF leadership. Peter earned his bachelor’s from the University of Oxford and has focused his research on macroeconomics, international development, and the environment. Before his time at the IMF, Peter worked at the Bank of England and was a fellow at the Overseas Development Institute. Mr. Doyle has written articles for numerous journals and think tanks including, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, the Huffington Post, and the Financial Times. We were lucky enough to join Peter in discussing slavery, how human rights are central to economic philosophy, and how social democracy can help reorient economics towards outcomes that improve general welfare.