Economics In Ten

Have you ever found yourself considering the "economic" view of the world with a sense that something vital is missing? This was very much Herman Daly's viewpoint. He wondered why economic models didn’t include where resources came from and where they went afterwards, once used. This surprisingly caused quite a lot of controversy and so did his call for a ‘steady-state’ economy. He also coined the distinctly unfashionable term ‘uneconomic growth’. In this episode, your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, take you on a journey to explore the life and ideas of the founding father of Ecological Economics, Herman Daly and ask why his ideas have never been fully accepted by the economics profession. Along the way, you’ll find out about famous people who suffered from polio, why BP and Shell are not helping as much as they could be with regards sustainability and of course, you’ll hear a wonderful poem about our economist. Technical support as always comes from ‘Mr San Francisco’ Nic.

Irving Fisher was once lauded by fellow economist Joseph Schumpeter as the ‘greatest economist America has ever produced’. This is high praise indeed but one could easily argue that the most recent Economic Nobel Prize laureates owe Fisher a considerable debt for their award. The financial crisis of 2008 spurred a renewed interest in Fisher’s work after what could be seen as a lengthy period of neglect.  In his own life-time he went from being the first "celebrity economist" to seeing his reputation in tatters after some overly optimistic and in hindsight ill-advised comments on what was to turn out to be the eve of the Great Depression.  In this episode, your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, take you on a journey or rediscovery to find out more about this fascinating man and his ideas. We suspect you will find yourself agreeing at least in part with the accolade Schumpeter laid at his feet. Along the way, you’ll find out why it’s important to chew your food for your health and wellb

When it comes to influencing the macroeconomy, governments have two big levers at their disposal - monetary policy and fiscal policy. In this new special by Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists,  we delve into the second of these, fiscal policy. As always we discuss 10 key questions, which will hopefully give the listener a good overview of what fiscal policy is and provide some insight into some of the key debates surrounding how it is used (and abused). Along the way, you will come across a quiz about fiscal policy including questions about the Chancellor's famous ‘red box’ and other historical minutiae about the UK Treasury. As always you will come away confidently armed with the economic terminology needed to bust through the jargon and engage more fully in economic debate (this is as close as we get to a mission...).  We even finish triumphantly with a poem about Fiscal Policy that is even worse than our Monetary Policy one! Technical support as always comes from Nic. Enjoy. PS

When economists discuss inequality, they often quote the Gini Coefficient, but who was the man behind the maths? In this episode, your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav investigate the life and ideas of Corrado Gini. Was he on the side of good or evil? Along the way, you will find out about his often over-looked association with Mussolini and the discredited "science" of eugenics, Pete’s love of Stanley Tucci, our catchy slogan to conserve energy within the home and why Gini would have made a great Bond villain given his somewhat sinister love of Perspex boxes. There is also a quiz and given Gini's Italian background, you’ll be unsurprised to hear that it’s based around pasta! Technical support as always comes from ‘Norovirus’ Nic.  Footnote:  Gini died in 1965 and was 81 - we know at least one of our listeners is keen on these biographical facts and we forgot this detail...

When it comes to economic policy making, there are two big levers that a government can pull - monetary policy and fiscal policy. In this new special by your friendly neighbourhood economists Pete and Gav, they delve into the first of these, monetary policy. As always 10 questions are discussed and this will give the listener a good overview of what monetary policy is and some of the controversies surrounding its use. Along the way, you will come across a quiz based on a recent visit to the Bank of England museum and you can even learn about some Greek legends! It even finishes on a poem all about Monetary Policy. Technical support as always comes from Nic. Enjoy. PS In the current turbulent world that is the UK economy it is more relevant than ever to have a good grasp of the basic of economics. To recall the late, great Joan Robinson "The purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to avoid being deceived by economists." 

An economist that hunted crocodiles? An inventor who constructed prison camp radios and hydraulic models of the economy? An adventurer that could speak five different languages and was arrested for spying? Who is this ‘Indiana Jones of Economics’ as he was once described? We discuss in this episode the remarkable life and times of A.W. Phillips or ‘Bill’ as he was known to his friends. He has one of the most incredible life stories of any of the economists we have covered in our show whilst remaining immensely relevant to modern economic discussion. His formulation of a curve bearing his name still helps form the framework for debates about trade-offs in the macroeconomy.  In this podcast from your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, you will discover all about the life of A.W. Phillips and his contribution to economics. There is a quiz as always and a great poem that ends the episode! Technical support as always comes from ‘Del Boy’ Nic, who this time, next year, will be a millionaire!

George R R Martin once wrote “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.”  Here at EconomicsInTen we have always been keen to share our love of reading (and economics), therefore once again, Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists have put together another Summer Reading special for you to enjoy. In a change from our usual format we ask each other the same simple question 10 times; what book would you recommend to read this summer and tell our listeners why they should read it? All the books are linked to economics in some way and if you read them all, you will become a better economist and who knows, perhaps a better human being too! So while away those long summer days catching up with our podcast and reading these beauties.   As always, this podcast comes with technical support from the great Nic. Hopefully these gems will see you through to Autumn and beyond! NB At one point Gav refers to Bank of England economist and author as Jack

In 1890, the British Economic Association was formed, which would later become the Royal Economic Society. At that meeting was Millicent Fawcett and ten or eleven other women. Better known as one of the foremost leaders of the movement for women's suffrage, she was also at the heart of the economic establishment of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, not only through her marriage to renowned economist Henry Fawcett but also, as is less well known, as author of one of the most popular economics textbooks of the day.  In this podcast from your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, you will find out about the life of Millicent Fawcett and her contribution to economics. Along the way, you can find out more about the forgotten women of the world of Victorian economics and also dip a toe into the modern day field of Feminist Economics. There is a quiz as always and technical support comes from chief wizard Nic, pulling another podcast rabbit out of his hat. 

At the moment everyone seems to be talking about the cost of living crisis and it's not hard to see why. Drive past a garage forecourt in the UK and you'll see that petrol prices have reached their highest average on record. Energy bills are rocketing making some households reluctant to put on the heating. The cost of your weekly shopping bill is more expensive than last week and yet this seems to be happening EVERY week!!! Other countries around the world are seeing a similar reduction in the spending power of their hard-earned cash with levels of inflation not seen for decades. So, in this 'cost of living' special, your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, answer 10 questions that help explain why this is occurring now and also discuss what the solutions might be to stop this from happening again in the future. Along the way there is a quiz based on 1992 (the last time inflation was this high) and a new poem linked to a famous Budweiser advert. Technical support as always comes from covid N

What should governments do to stop problems such as consumers overeating or producers polluting? Many economists would encourage what is known as a Pigouvian tax that increases the price, reduces demand and creates revenue for the government, all at the same time. But why is it known as a Pigouvian tax? In this podcast from your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, you will find out about the life and ideas of Arthur C. Pigou, who the tax is named after. The man who bridged the gap between Marshall and Keynes, Pigou is sometimes the forgotten man of economics and was probably the last of the classical economists but arguably his ideas about market failure are more relevant than ever. Along the way, you can test your knowledge on famous Olympians, consider whether Pigou was a misogynist and wonder how good you would be at Cumberland wrestling! As always technical support comes from Nic ‘Brailsford’ and music comes from Jukedeck. You can make your own at Jukedeck.com.

What do we expect from our public servants? We assume they do their jobs in order to make the world a better place and improve the welfare of society but James M Buchanan had other ideas. He saw those in power looking to do what’s best for them rather than for the people they represent and unfortunately the news cycle seems to support this seemingly cynical view. Public Choice Theory won Buchanan the Nobel Prize in Economics and in this third episode of our fifth season, your friendly neighbourhood economists Pete and Gav, take you through the life and ideas of James Buchanan. Along the way, you can test your knowledge on middle names, consider the viewpoint that the free market is the most ethical economic system and whether you would like to drink zucchini wine! As always technical support comes from Nic and music comes from Jukedeck. You can make your own at Jukedeck.com.

It's Christmas!!! AGAIN! And what more could you want this festive season than another Economics In Ten Christmas Special...it's almost becoming a tradition! So grab a mulled wine and a mince pie and listen to your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, discuss 10 questions that will teach you some economics and give you some festive cheer. Although take note...you will hear the most depressing Christmas poem ever!! Sorry. As always, there is a festive quiz and some wonderful present suggestions. Technical support (and jingle bells) as always come from Father to 3 Christmas Nic and music comes from Jukedeck. You can create your own at Jukedeck.com. Merry Christmas everyone!!! HO! HO! HO!

As they sing in Oliver! - Food, glorious food...and we LOVE our food. We love being in the kitchen, we love coming up with recipe ideas and we love gifting food-related books like Snoop Dogg’s glorious cookbook... but what can food (and drink) teach us about economics? Lots of course! In this special, Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists, stuff so much economics into ten questions about 10 ingredients, you’ll have to loosen your belt to take it all in! And at the end, there are even ideas for a four course meal based around the ingredients mentioned. Wow! How good is that? Technical support as always comes from Marco Pierre Nic. Music comes from Jukedeck and you can create your own at jukedeck.com. Bon Appetit everyone!!

'A Study of Economics as if People Mattered' was the subtitle of E F Schumacher's most famous work, 'Small is Beautiful'. It might seem jarring to non-economists that people might not "matter" in economic theory but Schumacher's contention was that the "simplifying" assumptions of mainstream economics were decidedly non-trivial - they were "assuming away" the very essence of our humanity. Seen by many as the godfather of the modern environmental movement Schumacher viewed with alarm the alienation caused by the rapid industrialisation of the modern era and with even greater concern the devastating ecological impact of mankind's frenetic race to produce more and more. On the eve of COP26 Schumacher's ideas are arguably more relevant that ever. In the second episode of our fifth season, your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, take you on a journey through the colourful life and evolving intellectual landscape of Ernst Friedrich Schumacher. Along the way you can test your knowledge on other famous

To establish whether you are in good shape a doctor might take your pulse. In economics, Gross Domestic Product (aka GDP) is the go-to metric for determining economic health. Governments can be toppled off the back of disappointing GDP data - think recessions  (or even worse the dreaded double-dip recession!).  But who was the man behind the creation of this powerful if often misunderstood concept and what might he make of the latter-day uses and abuses of GDP today? In the first episode of our fifth season, your friendly neighbourhood economists, Pete and Gav, explore the life and ideas of Simon Kuznets. A man of mystery, they hunt down how he became such a hugely influential figure in the world of economics and how he ended up having at least two curves named after him, the ultimate if unspoken dream of every academic economist. Along the way, you can test your knowledge of Belarus, the birth place of Kuznets and hear us (!) eating some food related to his Jewish background. As always, technical s

“A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood. Many of the great economists we have looked at in our past episodes were voracious readers, and whilst we in no way put ourselves in their company we are great believers in reading widely. Simply put we at EconomicsInTen are great believers in the power of reading and the power of words.  Therefore in this sequel to the first Summer Reading special, your friendly neighbourhood economists Pete and Gav answer one simple question 10 times. What book would they recommend and why? All the books are linked to economics in some way and if you read them all, you will become a better economist and who knows, perhaps a better human being too! So while away those long summer days catching up with our podcast and reading these beauties.   As always, this podcast comes with technical support from the great Nic and comes with music from Jukedeck – create your own at jukedeck.com. PS Apologies for the delay in this episodes release; we hoped to g

Have you heard of the ‘Randomistas’? Seemingly they are taking the economics world by storm and at the heart of this group of research economists is a French-American named Esther Duflo. With her husband Abhijit Banerjee and colleague Michael Kremer, she became only the second woman to win the Nobel Prize for Economics, for her use of Randomised Control Trials, aimed at testing the efficacy of different social policies in combatting poverty and other ills in the developing (and in parts of the developed) world. Lauded by world leaders (and philanthropists with deep pockets) they have put forward a vision of economics unclouded by prejudice and politics.  But in a profession seemingly divided between free marketeers and interventionists, does she successfully cut through the noise by dealing only in the data? In other words is it possible or even desirable to be free of ideology in the pursuit of economic truth and "what works"? This question and many more surrounding the life and ideas of Duflo, are disc

Quiz Question: Who is the only economist to win the Nobel Peace Prize? Answer: Muhammad Yunus.... and yet strangely he has never been in the running to win the equivalent Economics Prize.  Is there a reason why his ideas,  and those of the institution he founded - The Grameen Bank - have been so welcomed by US Presidents and other dignitaries and yet not been as well received by his peers? It could be the fact that microfinance, his big idea to solve poverty, has proved somewhat controversial in the world of development economics... Whatever you believe we think you will find Yunus's life and thoughts fascinating, particularly if you have ever struggled to get credit or been a member of the Scout Movement. Warming themselves around the podcast campfire as always are Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists. Technical support is provided by "Akela" Nic and music comes from Jukedeck. You can create your own at Jukedeck.com

How do you know if a country is "doing well" economically? How can we say that one country is "more developed" than another? For many years incomes (GDP) and other measures of how much "stuff" a country was making were the standard yardstick but then along came Amartya Sen and changed our viewpoint on how development was measured forever. Those ideas, shaped by a childhood that spanned the partition of India, would eventually win him the Economics Nobel Prize but there is so much more to the man, even though he rejected  'The Mother Teresa of Economics' moniker. Guiding you through Sen's life and ideas as always are Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists. Technical support is provided by 'WD40Man' Nic and music comes from Jukedeck. You can create your own at Jukedeck.com Note - in our India quiz, Pete gets 3 out of 5 correct. In the boardgame question, there are in fact two right answers. Apologies...do not shout at the podcast when the error arises!

Are you lucky enough to own your own home or business? But do you ever stop and think about what you would do if someone tried to take it from you, or bulldoze it? Do you ever stop and reflect on the economic power that legally protected property gives you? It's very easy to take property rights for granted but one economist is convinced that they are the key to the success of capitalism and unlocking the entrepreneurial power of the developing world; his name is Hernando de Soto. So if you are interested in the ideas of the man Bill Clinton calls 'the world's greatest living economist' then have a listen and discover the potential power of 'dead capital'! Guiding you through as always is Pete and Gav, your friendly neighbourhood economists. Technical support is provided by our good friend Nic (or 'The Weaver' as we like to call him) and music comes from Jukedeck. You can create your own at Jukedeck.com.