Words & Numbers

Rob McDonald returns for the second of a two-part series in which we discuss the Founding and his new book, The American Revolution. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/ Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Misunderstanding Research https://www.thecollegefix.com/scholar-forced-to-resign-over-study-that-found-police-shootings-not-biased-against-blacks/ https://www.pnas.org/content/116/32/15877 Faithless Electors https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rules-faithless-electors-can-t-go-rogue-electoral-n1231394 Foolishness of the Week Kanye West https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/07/06/kanye-west-used-his-presidential-announcement-as-a-lure-to-sell-merchandise-online-this-afternoon Topic of the Week Rob McDonald https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/the-american-revolution-professor-robert-mcdonalds-new-core-document-collection/ Books https://www.amazon.com/Robert

Rob McDonald joins us this Fourth of July week for the first of a two-part series in which we discuss the Founding and his new book, The American Revolution. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/ Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits 30 Hour Work Week? https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2020/06/01/adam-grant-on-how-jobs-bosses-and-firms-may-improve-after-the-crisis Woodrow Wilson https://www.bloombergquint.com/politics/princeton-axing-woodrow-wilson-s-name-from-public-policy-school Foolishness of the Week L’Oreal https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/504865-loreal-will-remove-words-whitening-fair-and-lightening-from Phil Magness on Civil War Monuments https://www.aier.org/article/what-the-data-say-about-civil-war-monuments/ Topic of the Week Rob McDonald https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/the-american-revolution-professor-robert-mcdonalds-new-core-document-coll

Clark Neily joins us to discuss policing, the origin and effect of qualified immunity, and what the courts have said about whether police have a duty to protect citizens. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/ Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Lottery Winners https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/arizona-couple-win-dollar410-million-mega-millions-jackpot-thanks-to-family-birthdays-lucky-penny/ar-BB15J25k Invite Someone to Dinner to Berate You https://reason.com/2020/02/04/white-women-saira-rao-dinner-regina-jackson-liberal/ Police Ordered to Turn off Body Cameras https://reason.com/2020/06/19/san-francisco-police-were-ordered-to-turn-off-body-cameras-in-raid-on-journalists-home/ Foolishness of the Week Minnesota Mayor Finds “Chief” Offensive https://www.foxnews.com/politics/duluth-minnesota-mayor-remove-chief-microaggresion https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/06/19/minnesota-city-

In this episode, we answer listener questions that we didn’t have time to cover in the previous listener special episode. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! https://isi.org/books/cooperation-and-coercion/ Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Deepfake https://www.forbes.com/sites/robtoews/2020/05/25/deepfakes-are-going-to-wreak-havoc-on-society-we-are-not-prepared/#3748f25d7494 https://www.instagram.com/p/BypkGIvFfGZ/ Oscars https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/movies/oscars-diversity-rule.html Foolishness of the Week VA Hospital https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/62-year-old-patient-missing-since-may-found-dead-va-hospitals-stairwell/EBWXDSM3IJBCLNGXOHLUYPAVYY/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.c

Deficit Day - the hypothetical day on which the federal government’s tax revenues for the year run out - lands on June 21. Not only is that the earliest Deficit Day has fallen since World War II, the date will get revised to even earlier in the calendar if the government undertakes more stimulus spending.

The riots sweeping the country are the result of a perfect storm. It’s about racism, but more. It’s about police accountability, but more. It’s about too many people being out of work, but more. The first step to solving our problems is understanding that they are often more complicated than they appear. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits SpaceX https://www.spacex.com/ Food Prices https://apnews.com/54f1efe0afa71b0a939fda91cf917366 Foolishness of the Week Minneapolis Mayor https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minneapolis-jacob-frey-white-supremacists-out-of-state-instigators-george-floyd-protests Topic of the Week: Riots and Police Response https://streamable.com/u2jzoo https://v.redd.it/jjclrdzp8x151 https://v.redd.it/zepg0b43ly151 https://v.redd.it/v8x8isj0xz151 https://v.redd.it/mztm15kh00251 https://gfycat.com/misguidedrecklesscod https://v.redd.it/bluggpbl

In this episode, we answer listener questions. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Doordash https://themargins.substack.com/p/doordash-and-pizza-arbitrage Joe Biden https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/amazon-joe-biden-taxes Foolishness of the Week Biden Aims at Charter Schools https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgVbi0oD8uM Topic of the Week Your Questions! Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

In New York City, stop and frisk was controversial because it was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. As implemented, police would stop and frisk people without showing probable cause that the people were committing, or might be committing, a crime. The courts subsequently required that police demonstrate probable cause. But social distancing laws appear to be poised to take the place of stop and frisk, creating the opportunity for police to violate people’s Fourth Amendment rights. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Microsoft Wrong about Open Source https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/18/21262103/microsoft-open-source-linux-history-wrong-statement Elon Musk https://www.chron.com/news/article/As-it-prepares-to-fly-humans-Elon-Musk-s-SpaceX-15275155.php] Foolishness of the Week Don’t Swim in New York https://www.the-sun.com/news/847367/bill-de-blasio-anyone-s

This week is part two of Stossel in the Classroom meets Words & Numbers. We continue the conversation with John Stossel about economics, politics, and society. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Peer to Peer Charging https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339350758_P2C2_Peer-to-Peer_Car_Charging Baseball! https://apnews.com/6195fbe572aa83a0616053e9133a8551 Foolishness of the Week Lorena Gonzalez https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2020/05/10/san-diegos-lorena-gonzalez-slams-elon-musk-over-tesla-threat-to-leave-california/ Topic of the Week Stossel in the Classroom https://stosselintheclassroom.org/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter

John Stossel joins us this week to talk about economics, politics, and society. This is part one of two, so be sure to tune in next week for more exciting discussions! Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Naomi’s Potato https://twitter.com/khaleesi_101/status/1255817022551863296/photo/1 Glass in the Soviet Union https://www-jstor-org.authenticate.library.duq.edu/stable/4202738?seq=7#metadata_info_tab_contents South Korean Baseball https://www.thewrap.com/espn-finds-a-sport-will-air-south-korean-baseball-games/ Foolishness of the Week Students Sue Colleges for Their Money Back https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/angry-undergrads-are-suing-colleges-for-billions-in-refunds/ar-BB13t6wd Topic of the Week Stossel in the Classroom https://stosselintheclassroom.org/ Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/

A depression differs from a recession in both the severity of the downturn and the duration. Recessions typically last months; the Great Depression lasted a decade. Importantly, the Great Depression started as an economic phenomenon, but the current “Great Suppression” started as a policy phenomenon. State governments deliberately shut down an otherwise vibrant economy. As we prepare to restart our economic engine, we consider things the government did right and did wrong in attempting to restart the economy during the Great Depression. Live with Stossel May 1st, 2020 @12 pm ET http://sitc.org/live Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Disincentives of Unemployment Benefits https://www.npr.org/2020/04/21/838879361/bitter-taste-for-coffee-shop-owner-as-new-600-jobless-benefit-closed-her-busines Forgivable Loan Backfire https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/22/she-got-a

In times of crisis, humans develop a dangerous, asymmetric view of events. We readily see the damage the crisis causes, but we don’t readily see the potential damage that proposed solutions can cause. And when information is uncertain, we tend to believe the worst about the crisis while tending to believe the best about proposed solutions. There is mounting evidence that this is playing out right now with the decision to shut down the economy in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits How We Deal with Lockdowns https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/15/coronavirus-police-maryland-town-urge-residents-wear-pants/5140750002/ Ghosts https://www.indy100.com/article/indonesia-ghosts-terrifying-coronavirus-lockdown-stay-home-9462511 Australia Trend https://www.sadanduseless.com/bin-isolation-outing/ Italian Toas

Vernon Smith, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics joins us on this episode to talk about the economic impact of the coronavirus and why, though we will have to push through some pain, we can be optimistic about the future. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Sweden’s Approach to Coronavirus https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/10/europe/sweden-lockdown-turmp-intl/index.html Non-essentials https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-walmart-target-stop-selling-non-essential-items-select-states-2020-4 Michigan Governor https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/11/gretchen-whitmer-gardening-seeds-non-essential/ Foolishness of the Week Pope Francis – On Universal Wage https://www.businessinsider.com/pope-francis-it-might-be-time-to-consider-universal-basic-wage-2020-4 On “Nature’s Response” https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/491734-pope-says-coronavirus-outbreak-

In response to the virus, state and city governments are exercising powers that they wouldn’t have in normal times. State and local governments are ordering businesses to close, restricting people’s right to travel, and talking about legally suspending rent and debt payments. This week, Clark Neily joins us to discuss the black, white, and gray constitutional areas of governmental powers in times of crisis. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! https://isi.org/cooperation-and-coercion-preorder/ Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Math Teacher https://twitter.com/DakSt8Football/status/1243687140799766532/photo/1 Venezuelan Warship https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52151951 Earliest Recorded Use of the F-Word https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8189047/Worlds-earliest-record-F-word-discovered-manuscript-written-bored-Scottish-student.html Foolishness of the Week The Social Distancing Police https://www.forsythnews.co

In the debate over the future of public schooling in the U.S., charter schools may show the way forward. Similar to public schools, charter schools are open to all students and are funded by and answerable to state and local governments. Like private schools, charter schools are free to experiment with curricula and teaching styles, unencumbered by state and local government meddling. Pinnacle Classical Academy, in Shelby, NC, is one example of educational experimentation made possible by charter schools. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Coronavirus and Subsidiarity https://reason.com/2020/03/25/despite-coronavirus-sweden-refuses-to-shutter-businesses-and-limit-gatherings/ Sweden’s Response https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/world/europe/sweden-coronavirus.html Baby Chickens https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/style/chicken-eggs-coronavirus.html Foolishn

Lincoln Chafee is possibly the only politician in US history who has served as mayor, governor, and US Senator and been elected as a Republican, a Democrat, and an Independent. Now Gov. Chafee is running to be the Libertarian Party’s candidate for President of the United States. Gov. Chafee brings the broadest of perspectives on American politics to this week’s Words & Numbers. Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Quick Hits People Being Nice to Each Other https://lithub.com/big-hearted-strangers-turn-little-free-libraries-into-little-free-pantries/ IHOP to Go https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/westmoreland-restaurant-helping-out-churches-organizations-impacted-by-fish-fry-cancellations/ Best Buy’s Employee Solution https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akwq8a/best-buy-employees-work-voluntary-coronavirus-paid-two-weeks T-Mobile & Sprint Providing Unlimited

The laws of economics aren’t social conventions that we can choose to follow or ignore as it suits us. When demand for a product outstrips supply, the price of the product rises. Calling it, “price gouging,” and outlawing doesn’t make the price increase go away. It simply hides it in other forms. When it comes to price gouging laws, we only think we are choosing between a high price and a low price. We are actually choosing between a high price and a shortage. Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! https://isi.org/cooperation-and-coercion-preorder/ Quick Hits Dayton University Pepper Sprays Its Students https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200311/police-fire-pepper-balls-at-disorderly-crowd-near-university-of-dayton-after-coronavirus-dorm-closing-announcement People Calling 911 for Toilet Paper https://www.fox5ny.com/news/do-not-call-911-just-because-you-ran-out-of-toilet-paper-oregon-police-say Foolishness of th

When a person harms another, the harmed party can go to the courts to seek redress. But the Supreme Court sets police and prosecutors above the law. If someone who works in these professions harms you, you will likely be prohibited from suing the person. This week on Words & Numbers, Clark Neily joins us to discuss the ramifications of immunity protections. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Get your copy of Cooperation and Coercion now! https://isi.org/cooperation-and-coercion-preorder/ Quick Hits Price Gouging https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/tech-news-briefing/amazon-works-to-remove-price-gouging/C761B7C8-0535-40E7-B039-3203306C789B Racism and Sexism https://reason.com/2020/03/06/sexism-didnt-kill-the-warren-campaign-the-warren-campaign-killed-the-warren-campaign/ Foolishness of the Week Lenin Statue https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/first-lenin-statue-western-germany-erected-gelsenkirchen Topic of the Week Terms of Engagement https:

Ten years ago, an explosion on the oil rig Deepwater Horizon killed almost a dozen people and resulted in the worst oil spill in US history. This week, economist and environmental and regulatory expert Peter Van Doren joins us to discuss the incentives in play that contributed to the tragedy. Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits California’s Universal Basic Income https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB2712 Wal-Mart as a Health Care Provider https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-25/walmart-takes-on-cvs-amazon-with-low-price-health-care-clinics Foolishness of the Week Gender Neutral Stores https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article240601601.html Topic of the Week Deepwater Horizon https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/26spill.html Peter Van Doren https://www.cato.org/people/peter-vandoren Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com

Karl Marx’s thoughts on socialism are popular among politicians and humanities professors, but not so much among business people and economics professors. In this episode, Phil Magness, economic historian and author of The Best of Karl Marx, joins Words & Numbers to talk about how Marx’s teachings were on the way out but got resurrected by political leaders and academics. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Jeff Bezos Giving $10 Billion https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/jeff-bezos-giving-away-10-billion-in-grants-for-fighting-climate-change/ Coronavirus Threatens Chinese Economy https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/millions-of-chinese-firms-face-collapse-if-banks-don-t-act-fast Foolishness of the week Flat Earth Experiment https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/23/mad-mike-hughes-killed-homemade-rocket-crash-california/4849772002/ Topic of the week The Best of Karl Marx https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZY9TGTX