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Hayek Program Podcast

Hayek Program Podcast

Mercatus Center at George Mason University 235 episodes Latest May 27, 2026

The Hayek Program Podcast features audio from lectures, interviews, and discussions by scholars and visitors of the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The program focuses on teaching and research about institutional arrangements that support free and prosperous societies. It explores how societal choices of institutional arrangements can influence economic, political, and moral outcomes.

Episodes

Emily Chamlee-Wright — 2025 Markets and Society Conference Keynote Jun 10, 2026 39:45 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Emily Chamlee-Wright delivers a keynote lecture at the 2025 Markets & Society conference on the precarious state of liberalism and the cultural foundations necessary to sustain a free society. Drawing on the cultural economy framework she developed with Virgil Storr, Chamlee-Wright argues that liberalism faces not only overt constitutional threats
The Hayekian Triangle: The Wealth of Nations at 250 May 27, 2026 92:03 Welcome to our new series, The Hayekian Triangle. This series will feature a range of conversations between our hosts: Virgil Storr, Chris Coyne, and Peter Boettke. On this episode, the three sit down to mark the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations — and to ask a deceptively simple question: why are we still reading a book written a quarter-millennium ago?From the invisible han
Liya Palagashvili on the Startup Mindset: How to Build a Career in Economics May 13, 2026 55:57 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke and Liya Palagashvili reflect on her journey from undergraduate student organizer to public intellectual, policy analyst, and Director of the Labor Policy Project. They discuss how Liya has approached her career with a startup mindset — exploring her work on the gig economy and portable benefits to create more dynamic and resilient labor
Violent Saviors: A Conversation With Bill Easterly Apr 29, 2026 58:27 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke talks with Bill Easterly about his new book, Violent Saviors: The West’s Conquest of the Rest. Drawing on figures such as Adam Smith, P.T. Bauer, and Amartya Sen, Easterly argues that material progress alone cannot justify the denial of human dignity and consent. The conversation explores the idea of the “benevolent autocrat” and examines
Chandran Kukathas — 2023 Markets and Society Conference Keynote Apr 15, 2026 42:49 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Chandran Kukathas delivers a keynote lecture at the 2023 Markets & Society conference arguing that an open society is best understood as a regime of toleration—one that can never be perfectly realized because every regime ultimately relies on power. He explores why toleration cannot be neatly limited by moral theory, why appeals to justice often be
Senator Phil Gramm and Don Boudreaux on the Triumph of Economic Freedom Apr 1, 2026 57:04 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke talks with former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm and Don Boudreaux about their new book, The Triumph of Economic Freedom, a sweeping challenge to seven persistent myths about American capitalism. The conversation ranges from the Industrial Revolution and the Great Depression to the financial crisis. Along the way, they reflect on why these myths
David Schmidtz — 2024 Markets and Society Conference Keynote Mar 18, 2026 41:48 **Content Warning** This episode includes discussions of sexual assault, which may be distressing for some listeners. Please listen with care.On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, David Schmidtz delivers a keynote lecture at the 2024 Markets & Society conference on the idea of self-governance. Drawing on examples from economics, moral philosophy, and higher education, Schmidtz argues t
Reconsidering FDR With David Beito Mar 4, 2026 59:13 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke speaks with historian David T. Beito about his new biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. They discuss FDR’s record on civil liberties, including government surveillance and efforts to police speech; the administration’s approach to refugees and antisemitism; and early-career episodes like the Newport Sex Scandal. The conversation also cover
Perspectives on Peace — Taboo Lines and the Process of Peace Feb 18, 2026 98:55 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Chris Coyne talks with Abigail Hall and Jayme Lemke about Kenneth and Elise Boulding’s insights into what it means to build and sustain peace. Drawing on her paper “In Search of Stable Peace,” Hall explores Kenneth Boulding’s framework for understanding peace and war, focusing on the roles of strain and strength and the shifting taboo lines that shape
Chris Coyne — 2023 Markets and Society Conference Keynote Feb 4, 2026 41:37 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Chris Coyne delivers a keynote lecture at the 2023 Markets & Society conference on the foundations of peace. He contrasts “top-down” peacemaking driven by elites with “bottom-up” peacemaking that emerges from the everyday practices of ordinary people.Coyne argues that much of the social-scientific and policy conversation treats peace as a public go
Perspectives on Peace — What Should Economists Teach? Jan 21, 2026 49:45 **This episode was recorded September 29, 2025.On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Chris Coyne speaks with Amy Crockett and Erwin Dekker about how economics shapes our understanding of peace, conflict, and cooperation, drawing on the work of Kenneth Boulding and James Buchanan.First, Coyne speaks with Amy Crockett about her upcoming paper, “Addressing Peace in Undergraduate Economics Tex
Mario Small — 2024 Markets and Society Conference Keynote Jan 7, 2026 61:34 On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Mario Small delivers a keynote lecture at the 2024 Markets & Society conference on financial institutions and racial inequality—using payday lenders as a lens to understand how place and institutional context shape economic life.Small begins with a deceptively simple question: how often is it easier to reach a payday lender than a traditional bank—

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