How does the US produce its energy, and why does regulation sometimes get in the way of innovation? Paul Mueller chats with Julia Cartwright and Ryan Yonk to break down energy policy, electricity grids, and the future of nuclear, renewables, and fossil fuels in America.

The scholars explore how market forces, government decisions, and consumer choices shape the energy we rely on every day—and why understanding these dynamics matters for both affordability and innovation.

In this episode of The Economist Next Door, host Paul Mueller is joined by AIER research fellows Thomas Savidge and Julia Cartwright to examine the push for wealth taxes in the United States and around the world.

They explain how wealth taxes differ from traditional taxes on income and consumption, and what history reveals about their real-world effects. Drawing on examples from California, New York, and Europe, the discussion highlights capital flight, revenue volatility, and the unintended consequences of taxing accumulated wealth.

The episode also tackles common claims about billionaires "not paying their fair share," unpacks the complexity of the tax code, and explains why taxes aimed at the ultra-wealthy rarely stay confined to their original targets.

From the Smaug fallacy to the Tiebout Effect, the conversation introduces listeners to the economic ideas behind the debate—and shows how a seemingly "common sense" policy can carry serious consequences for growth, investment, and living standards.

How did a once-small federal government come to control a third of state budgets and shape everyday life across the country? Host Paul Mueller talks with AIER scholars Tom Savidge and Dave Hebert about the history of federal funding to states—from the Founding through the Great Society—and how Washington gradually became the dominant force in American governance.

As the saying goes, he who pays the piper calls the tune. Listen in to discover the real impact of federal dollars on state decision-making.

• A Brief History of Federal Transfers to the States by Thomas Savidge
• Understanding Medicaid by Thomas Savidge
• The Return of Quantitative Easing by Paul Mueller
• Defusing the Social Security Time Bomb by Thomas Savidge
• Fusionism: Past, Present, and a Conservative Liberal Future by Paul Mueller

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?