Economics, Applied
Economics Applied is a podcast from the Hoover Institution that makes cutting-edge economic research accessible to policymakers, business leaders, and engaged citizens. Hosted by economist Steve Davis, it translates complex economic ideas into clear, actionable discussions. Each episode examines the forces driving markets, labor dynamics, government policies, and global economies. The show offers research-backed analysis that goes beyond headlines, helping listeners interpret and anticipate economic change.
Episodes
The Fed’s New Communications Regime | Steven J. Davis, Mary Daly | Hoover Institution
Steve Davis welcomes Mary Daly for a return appearance on Economics, Applied – this time directly from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. They discuss the Fed’s new communications regime, how the Fed should respond to demand overheating and inflationary supply shocks, and how Daly thinks about the implications of AI technologies for the conduct of monetary policy. Other topics include wage
Fintechs, Stablecoins, and Competition | Steven J. Davis, Wenxin Du | Hoover Institution
Steve Davis welcomes Harvard’s Wenxin Du to discuss her analysis of how to cost-effectively transfer funds across international borders. Perhaps surprisingly, the all-in costs of using stablecoins for small-amount transfers (less than $10,000) greatly exceed the cost of using fintech apps and sometimes exceed the cost of relying on commercial banks. Along the way, Wenxin’s analysis also highlights
Innovations in the Payments System | Steven J. Davis, Stefano Scarpetta | Hoover Institution
At the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, OECD chief economist Stefano Scarpetta joins Steven J. Davis to discuss how distributed ledger technology, stablecoins, and tokenization could make transactions more efficient and less expensive, while expanding access to financial markets.
Scarpetta explains that for these technologies to perform successfully at scale, users need to have confidence i
AI and the Euro-Area Economy | Steven J. Davis, Philip Lane | Hoover Institution
ECB Executive Board Member Philip Lane joins Steven Davis at Jackson Hole to discuss AI’s impact on Euro-area economies, why Europe lags the United States in this area, the role of regulations and VC financing, and the challenges of integrating AI technologies into workflows and production pipelines.
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Real Interest Rates and Fiscal Prudence | Steven J. Davis, Kenneth Rogoff | Hoover Institution
Ken Rogoff joins Steve Davis at Jackson Hole to discuss our limited understanding of real interest rates, the risks associated with high government debt levels, and what it all means for the conduct of fiscal policy. They also discuss how the external political environment and incentives within the economics profession can, and did, lead to imprudent advice about fiscal policy from leading profess
How Should the Fed Respond to Supply Shocks? | Steven J. Davis, Austan Goolsbee | Hoover Institution
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee joins Steve Davis to discuss his recent speech on how central banks should respond to supply shocks. Goolsbee argues that the Fed should not simply “look through” supply shocks but should instead treat them as persistent or recurring and, hence, as a call for tightening by the Fed. The discussion ranges widely from oil shocks and inflation in the 1970s to supp
Recent US Treasury Interventions in Bond and FX Markets | Steven J. Davis, Anil Kashyap | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis asks Anil Kashyap to unpack recent US interventions in the Treasury bond market and the Yen-Dollar FX market and whether they can meaningfully influence borrowing costs.
They also examine fiscal pressures in the United States and Japan and what Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech signals for inflation, interest rates, and monetary policy.
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The Promises and Risks of Digital Finance | Steven J. Davis, Kristalina Georgieva | Hoover Institution
How can we reap the benefits of financial innovation while ensuring a sound, trustworthy financial system? Steven Davis asks IMF head Kristalina Georgieva at Jackson Hole.
Their conversation touches on tokenization, stablecoins, cross-border payments, and regulatory frameworks. Georgieva describes strong institutions as the fertile ground for dynamic and stable financial innovation as well as the
Can Central Banks Rescue Us from High Interest Rates and Rising Debt? | Steven J. Davis, Raghuram Rajan | Hoover Institution
Raghuram Rajan, former Reserve Bank of India governor, joins Steve Davis at the Jackson Hole Symposium to offer his take on Fed chairman Kevin Warsh’s speech and Treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s recent intervention in bond markets. Rajan explains why attempts to push down long-term yields can distort important market signals, and why rising debt-servicing costs could ultimately force policymaker
The Fiscal Outlook and Housing Affordability | Steven J. Davis, Tom Barkin | Hoover Institution
Tom Barkin, president and CEO of the Richmond Fed, chats with Steve about Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium. They also discuss Ken Rogoff’s lunchtime remarks about the end of low real interest rates and what that means for the US fiscal outlook. They wrap up with reflections on lessons learned about housing (un)affordability by driving around Maryland, West Virginia, Vir
Kevin Warsh, the Fed, and the Future of Payments | Steven J. Davis, Jeffrey Schmid | Hoover Institution
Jeffrey Schmid sits down with Steven Davis at the 49th edition of the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium. They chat about Kevin Warsh’s keynote speech, innovations in the payments system, digital assets, competition for banks, and what it means for crisis management by the Fed and other central banks.
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An Economic and Moral Case for Capitalism | Steven J. Davis, Ross Levine | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis chats with Ross Levine about how the rule of law and competition foster prosperity and freedom in a system of market-based capitalism. They highlight the moral dimensions of the case for capitalism and its limits. They explain why the state is necessary for well-functioning markets, and how state power can undermine competition, prosperity, and freedom. They also discuss the toughest
AI-Powered Business Formation | Steven J. Davis, Liya Palagashvili | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis chats with Liya Palagashvili about her new paper on “Artificial Intelligence and the Rise of Independent Work.” They start with a discussion of why, as a matter of economics, it’s plausible that generative AI tools make it easier to operate solo businesses. They then turn to Liya’s evidence, which suggests that AI has helped spur the growth of one-person businesses since 2024 in the U
AI for Hearing-Impaired Workers: A Good-News Story | Steven J. Davis, Yanyou Chen, Mitchell Hoffman | Hoover Institution
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are deaf or hard of hearing, which can impair job performance. Can AI tools help? Steven Davis speaks to two researchers who study the effects of a new AI tool on the productivity and wages of hearing-impaired workers in the food delivery business. They also discuss how the profit motive drove the adoption and diffusion of the new AI tool, raising th
Focused Deterrence: A Strategy for Reducing Homicides in American Cities | Steven J. Davis, Aaron Chalfin, Max Kapustin | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis speaks to Aaron Chalfin and Max Kapustin about “focused deterrence,” a strategy that concentrates policing and social services on persons at high risk of gang-related gun violence. After Baltimore implemented this strategy in early 2022, its homicide rate fell 60% over three years. Aaron and Max explain the strategy, and Steve asks them what we know about how and why it works. They al
Prescription for Disaster: Drug Deaths in America | Steven J. Davis, William Evans, Ethan Lieber | Hoover Institution
Steve speaks with William Evans and Ethan Lieber about the heartbreaking rise of deaths due to drug misuse in the United States. A major shift in prescription practices for pain management after 1995 drove higher levels of opiate use and misuse and contributed to an explosion of illicit opiates in the 21st century. It’s a disturbing story of professional misjudgments, deceptive marketing, policy m
Chokepoints and Supply-Chain Vulnerabilities | Steven J. Davis, Soumaya Keynes, Chad Bown | Hoover Institution
Cross-border supply chains bring great efficiencies but also present vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit. How should we think about these vulnerabilities and their implications for economic and national security? How can we identify, assess, and respond to these vulnerabilities? Steve asks two noted trade policy experts, Chad Bown and Soumaya Keynes.
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Should States Enforce Noncompete Agreements? | Steven J. Davis, Evan Starr | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis speaks to Evan Starr, a leading expert on the economics of noncompete clauses. They discuss the prevalence of noncompete clauses in employment agreements; the pros and cons for employers, workers, and society; where to draw the line in disallowing noncompete clauses; the role of antitrust in policing noncompete clauses; their effects on the pace of innovation; and whether the United S
Online Buddies for Jobseekers | Steven J. Davis, Michèle Belot, Philipp Kircher | Hoover Institution
When job loss leads to a long spell of unemployment, it causes a big blow to self-esteem, a lasting drop in living standards, and serious hardship for the job loser’s family. Is there a low-cost way to help job losers navigate the search process and find rewarding new work? Yes, say two economists at Cornell University, based on their insightful new study. Steve discusses the study and underlying
The Economic Price of War | Steven J. Davis, Jonathan Federle, Moritz Schularick | Hoover Institution
How does war affect national output, productivity, and consumer prices in belligerent countries and economies worldwide? Two economists, Jonathan Federle and Moritz Schularick, investigate how war and its intensity relate to national output, productivity, consumer prices, and international trade. They exploit 150 years of data for 60 countries. Steven Davis chats with them about what they learned.
America’s Mid-Life Mortality Gap | Steven J. Davis, Jonathan Skinner | Hoover Institution
Mortality rates fell sharply for college-educated Americans in recent decades but not for other Americans. Mortality trends also differ sharply between rural and urban areas of the United States and across US counties. Steven Davis asks Jonathan Skinner about these puzzling and troubling trends, and how to explain them. According to Jonathan’s recent research, “Deaths of despair,” “the China shock
Tariffs and Trade Deficits | Steven J. Davis, Brent Neiman | Hoover Institution
Tariffs: How high? Who pays? And what’s their impact on trade deficits?
Steven Davis speaks to Brent Neiman about President Trump’s approach to tariff policy and the latest data on trade deficits. While tariffs are up in 2025, Brent’s research reveals that actual tariff rates are only half as high as headlines suggest. Steve and Brent also discuss who pays Trump’s tariffs, how we know, the damage
What Next for Venezuela? | Steven J. Davis, Ricardo Hausmann | Hoover Institution
US military forces captured Nicolás Maduro last month, but the Chavista regime remains intact, at least for now. How can Venezuela find its way back to the rule of law, human rights, democracy, and prosperity? What role should the United States play? Steven Davis asks renowned economist Ricardo Hausmann.
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From Asia, with Skills and Aspirations | Steven Davis, Gaurav Khanna | Hoover Institution
The United States has looked to Asia for software developers, scientists, engineers, and physicians in recent decades. How has that worked out for Americans? For other countries?
Immigrants from five Asian countries — India, China, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines — account for much of the growth in U.S. software developers, scientists, engineers, and physicians since 1990. What forces dro
The Licensing Racket, and How to Fix It | Steven Davis, Rebecca Haw Allensworth | Hoover Institution
The U.S. occupational licensing system is riddled with problems and conflicts of interest. How can we fix it?
Rebecca Allensworth joins Steven Davis to talk about her new book on occupational licensing, which covers one-fifth of all American jobs. Licensing reduces supply, limits competition, raises prices, and harms consumers, benefiting incumbent practitioners at the public's expense. The US app
Cool New Work on Remote Work | Steven Davis, Nicholas Bloom | Hoover Institution
Nicholas Bloom joins Steven Davis to discuss cool new research presented at the annual Hoover-SIEPR conference on remote work: How much do employers save on wages when they let employees work from home? Why does remote work raise productivity in some settings but lower it in others? Do children perform better at school when parents work from home? What does the rise of remote work mean for cities?
Inflation: A View from the FOMC | Steven Davis, Jeffrey Schmid | Hoover Institution
Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) member Jeffrey Schmid speaks with Steven Davis about inflation, labor market conditions, and US monetary policy. They discuss the state of the economy, the thinking behind recent monetary policy decisions, the public’s intense dislike of inflation, central bank credibility, how the recent government shutdown challenged policymakers, and the need to rethink econ
Why Some Highly Educated Women Choose to Have Many Children | Steven Davis, Catherine Pakaluk | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis speaks to Catherine Pakaluk, author of an audacious book on highly educated American women who choose to have many children. How do these women explain and understand their choices to have large families? What do their stories say about the broader forces that influence fertility decisions? What are the lessons for families and communities?
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How Do Small Towns Grow? | Steven Davis, Tom Barkin | Hoover Institution
Richmond Fed President, Tom Barkin, joins Steven Davis to consider what it takes for small towns to prosper, and why it matters for families and communities. They also discuss how policymakers and civic leaders can address concerns about the downsides of economic development.
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Construction Productivity: Strange and Awful | Steven Davis, Austan Goolsbee | Hoover Institution
Austan Goolsbee joins Steven Davis to consider “The Strange and Awful Path of Productivity in the U.S. Construction Sector.” Strange because construction productivity has stagnated for decades. Awful because it makes homes less affordable for American families. They probe the issue, drawing on Austan’s recent research with Chicago Booth Professor Chad Syverson.
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Why So Few Births? | Steven Davis, Claudia Goldin | Hoover Institution
Claudia Goldin joins Steven Davis to discuss the “The Downside of Fertility,” her essay presented at the 2025 Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium. She offers an explanation for why fertility rates fell around the world as women gained greater agency in multiple domains (marriage, reproduction, education, labor markets). When women gain agency, Goldin argues that a “mismatch” between men and wom
Central Bank Communications | Steven Davis | Mary Daly, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco | Hoover Institution
Mary Daly joins Steven Davis to discuss how the Fed communicates with the public about monetary policy. How precise should the Fed be about its actions and goals? How transparent about its reasoning and internal deliberations? How should the Fed weigh the need for flexibility in responding to unforeseen shocks against the desire for clarity and guidance? How can the Fed improve its communications?
Engaged Fathers, Flourishing Children | Steven Davis, Brad Wilcox, Ian Rowe | Hoover Institution
Engaged fathers help children build happy, prosperous lives, as Steven Davis discusses with sociologist Brad Wilcox and educational entrepreneur Ian Rowe. Brad and Ian also share their ideas on how to strengthen fatherhood and help children choose better life paths.
RELATED SOURCES
Good Fathers, Flourishing Kids: The Importance of Fatherhood in Virginia by Brad Wilcox, Nicholas Zill, Richard Reev
The International Economic System: A Fork in the Road | Steven Davis, Maurice Obstfeld | Hoover Institution
The international economic system has reached a major turning point. Challenges include the rise of China, U.S. ambivalence about its role on the global stage, and Trumpian trade policy disruptions. What comes next, and what are the potential consequences?
RELATED SOURCES
“The International Monetary and Financial System: A Fork in the Road,” Andrew Crockett Memorial Lecture delivered by Maurice O
The US-Centric International Economic System after World War II | Steven Davis, Maurice Obstfeld | Hoover Institution
Since the end of World War II, the United States has played the leading role in designing, supporting, and governing the international economic system. How did the system operate, and what were its underlying principles, goals, and challenges? Steven Davis speaks to Maurice Obstfeld about the international economic system that emerged after World War II, the central role of the United States, and
The Opioid Epidemic and US Political Realignment | Steven Davis, Carolina Arteaga, Victoria Barone | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis speaks with Carolina Arteaga and Victoria Barone, two Econ professors, about the US opioid epidemic. They discuss Purdue Pharma’s marketing strategy, its influence on physicians, and policy factors as drivers of the epidemic. Next, they consider economic consequences, the odd character of how the media covered the epidemic, the (slow) response of most politicians to a mounting tragedy
The Great Trade Policy Hack | Steven Davis, Richard Baldwin | Hoover Institution
Richard Baldwin joins the podcast to speak with Steve about Trumpian Trade Policy, its underlying political logic, its lack of economic coherence, and its consequences for the American and global economies. They also discuss economic and political forces that led to the current protectionist moment in US trade policy, and whether it will endure. Finally, they outline four scenarios for the future
Dollar Dominance | Steven Davis, Kenneth Rogoff | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis speaks with Kenneth Rogoff about the dominant role of the US Dollar in the international monetary and financial system, drawing on Ken’s new book, Our Dollar, Your Problem. They review how the Dollar became pre-eminent, the benefits and costs, the relationship to U.S. monetary policy, and the forces that could undermine Dollar Dominance. These include geopolitical tensions between the
Reducing Gun Violence in America | Steven Davis, Jens Ludwig | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis chats again with Jens Ludwig about his new book on gun deaths in America. The conversation focuses on low-cost policy solutions that can reduce gun deaths without remaking American society. The solutions include pocket parks, predictive policing, and programs that help people think about behavior in stressful situations.
Recorded on April 23, 2025.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Jens Ludwig is th
Understanding Gun Violence in America | Steven Davis, Jens Ludwig | Hoover Institution
Steve Davis speaks to Jens Ludwig about his deeply-researched new book on gun deaths in America. They discuss why America has so many gun deaths, how traditional narratives fail to explain most gun violence, and why past policies failed to reduce the deadly toll. Ludwig also advances a fuller explanation for gun violence, grounded in evidence and behavioral insights.
Recorded on April 23, 2025.
AB
Trade Policy Rupture | Steven Davis, Chad Bown, Doug Irwin | Hoover Institution
Steve queries Chad Bown and Doug Irwin about the rupture in U.S. trade policy under Trump 2.0, the economic consequences, and what it would take to restore confidence in the United States as a reliable trade partner.
Recorded on April 16, 2025.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Chad Bown is a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, former Chief Economist for the U.S. State Department
The 1920s Immigration Clampdown | Steven Davis, Ran Abramitzky | Hoover Institution
In the 1920s, the US government sharply restricted immigration inflows from countries in Eastern and Southern Europe. At the time, most immigrants from these countries had modest skills. Steve speaks to Stanford economist Ran Abramitzky about these immigration cutbacks, their effects on the earnings of US-born workers, and how the economy adapted.
Recorded on April 2, 2025.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Ran
Do Government Statistics Yield Better Business Outcomes? | Steven Davis, Feng Chi | Hoover Institution
Steve speaks to Feng Chi about her research on the commercial value of the Decennial Census of Population and Housing. Using a creative empirical approach, Feng offers evidence that fresher government statistics yield better business outcomes and more value for consumers. Steve and Feng also discuss how government statistics improve the value of statistics generated in the private sector.
Recorde
American Lives | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis, Stelios Michalopoulos | Hoover Institution
In the 1930s, as part of the New Deal, the U.S. government hired unemployed writers to interview older Americans and record their life stories. Today’s guest examines those stories to investigate the sources of meaning, happiness, and hardship in the lives of everyday Americans. One theme to emerge is the central role of work as a source of meaning for many people. Another key theme is that men an
GenAI in the Workplace | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis, David Deming | Hoover Institution
Steve speaks to Harvard professor David Deming about his recent research on the use of GenAI tools in the workplace and what it means for productivity. David’s evidence suggests that GenAI tools have already boosted U.S. labor productivity, with more gains to come. They also highlight the role of unfettered market-based experimentation in sorting out where GenAI tools work well, and where they don
Immigration and the Education of US-Born Children | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis, David Figlio, and Paola Sapienza| Hoover Institution
Many parents – indeed, many Americans – worry that immigrant children in the classroom could detract from the quality of schooling received by U.S.-born children. It’s a reasonable concern. Today’s episode considers new evidence on how more vs. less exposure to immigrant students affects the educational performance of U.S.-born children, drawing on rich data for students at public schools in Flori
The Chinese Exclusion Act and U.S. Economic Development | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Nancy Qian | Hoover Institution
Many Chinese nationals migrated to the western United States after 1840 to work in mining, railway construction, manufacturing, and personal services. By 1880, they made up 18 percent of the workforce in the western United States. That led to strong social and political backlash among whites, rooted partly in concerns about jobs and wages. Congress responded with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,
Economic Sanctions on Russia | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis, Oleg Itskhoki, and Elina Ribakova | Hoover Institution
Oleg Itskhoki and Elina Ribakova join host Steven Davis to discuss two big questions about economic statecraft: How have economic and financial sanctions on Russia affected its economy and its war-fighting capabilities? More broadly, when are sanctions likely to be effective, ineffective, or downright counterproductive?
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Oleg Itskhoki is a professor of economics at Harvard, a re
New Insights on Remote Work | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Nicholas Bloom | Hoover Institution
Hoover Senior Fellow Steven Davis and Stanford Economics Professor Nick Bloom review insights from the latest research on remote work, drawing on a recent conference at Stanford University. Steve and Nick discuss Return-to-Office mandates (RTOs) and their impact on company performance, and long-distance CEOs and why companies hire them. They also explore how remote work facilitated a boom in busin
Recent U.S. Immigration: How Big? Who? What Impact? | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis, Wendy Edelberg and Madeline Zavodny | Hoover Institution
Host Steven Davis engages Wendy Edelberg and Madeline Zavodny to discuss the recent wave of U.S. immigration and some of its implications. They discuss the surge in immigration since 2021, the extent to which it reflects unlawful entry, its impact on employment growth, its fiscal consequences, and the failure of U.S. statistical authorities to accurately measure the scale of the surge in real time
Markets for the People | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Glenn Hubbard | Hoover Institution
Host Steven Davis sits down with guest Glenn Hubbard, former dean of Columbia Business School and chairman of the US Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush. They critique industrial policy as practiced under Presidents Trump and Biden and contrast that practice to the insights of Adam Smith, Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek. They also sketch some elements of an economically
Immigrants and Innovation in the United States | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Rebecca Diamond | Hoover Institution
Immigrants directly account for one-quarter of the economic value generated by U.S. patents. They account for more than one-third of that value after factoring in the collaboration benefits that immigrant inventors bring to native American inventors. Immigrant inventors also play a major role in the two-way flow of scientific and technical knowledge between the United States and other countries. C
Coffee Shops and Business Formation | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Jorge Guzman | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis interviews Professor Jorge Guzman about the effects of coffee shops on business startups. Starbucks and other sit-down coffee shops offer social spaces where people can converse, exchange ideas, and build trust. In his recent research, Guzman investigates whether and when this networking aspect of coffee shops leads to more business formation in the local neighborhood. Tune in for an
Zero-Sum Thinking: Roots and Policy Implications | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Sandra Sequeira | Hoover Institution
Sandra Sequeira joins host Steven Davis for a discussion of zero-sum thinking, the idea that one group’s gain is another group’s loss. They draw on Sandra’s research to delve into several questions: How prevalent is zero-sum thinking? What are its roots? How does it shape policy preferences? How does zero-sum thinking relate to the partisan divide?
Can We Predict Police Misconduct? | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Jens Ludwig | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis speaks to Jens Ludwig about his recent work on "Predicting Police Misconduct.” They delve into whether we can predict which police officers are most at risk of serious misconduct. The potential benefits of accurate prediction are large, but it also challenging to develop and implement robust prediction models.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Jens Ludwig is the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distin
The Political Reaction to Immigration | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Marco Tabellini | Hoover Institution
Host Steven Davis is joined by Marco Tabellini from Harvard Business School to explore the political reactions to immigration. They discuss whether economic or cultural concerns drive backlash, and how these reactions influence policy outcomes. The conversation delves into historical and contemporary issues, providing insights into the complex economic, social, and political effects of immigration
Whatever-It-Takes Policymaking during the Pandemic | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Kathryn Dominguez | Hoover Institution
Central banks responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with large-scale purchases of bonds, commercial paper, and other financial assets. In some cases, central banks announced “open-ended” programs, with no explicit limits on the scale or duration of asset purchases. Did these open-ended interventions have larger effects on interest rates? On exchange rates? Is this type of purposeful policy vagueness
Two Parents or One? What It Means for Children and Society | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Melissa Kearney | Hoover Institution
It’s easier for two parents to provide the time, attention, love, and financial resources that help children thrive and lead successful lives than it is for a single parent. Yet the share of American children who live with two parents has plummeted in recent decades. The decline is especially steep outside of the college-educated class. Why are so many parents now raising children outside of marri
Russian Economic History – A Conversation with Sergei Guriev | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis | Hoover Institution
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
“Russia is the home of not one, but two lost empires: The Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.” So writes our guest, Sergei Guriev, in a sweeping survey of recent research on Russian Economic History. Join Sergei and our host, Steven Davis, for a spirited conversation on Russian economic developments in the 19th and 20th centuries, the failures of central planning, and t
The Political Economy of Populism: A Conversation with Elias Papaioannou | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis | Hoover Institution
Host Steven Davis and guest Elias Papaioannou discuss the resurgence of populism in Europe and the United States over the past fifteen years. They define populism, identify its economic drivers, and consider how democratic institutions moderate and respond to populist pressures. They also consider the implications for economic performance. They wrap up their conversation with some remarks on the o
US Labor Markets since March 2020: A Conversation with Ayşegül Şahin | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis | Hoover Institution
Host Steven Davis and guest Ayşegül Şahin explore the extraordinary behavior of US labor markets since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. They explain how the global crisis spurred remote work, instigated the "great resignation," drove job vacancy rates to all-time highs, restrained overall wage growth, and altered the structure of wages. Steve and Ayşegül also discuss how the recession and recov
The Power of Proximity: A Conversation with Emma Harrington | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis | Hoover Institution
Steven Davis speaks with Emma Harrington about her recent study on the power of proximity in facilitating mentoring, employee feedback, and learning on the job. According to the study, software engineers give more written feedback to team members when working in the same building, as compared to working in nearby buildings or from home. Physical proximity has stronger effects on the feedback given
Remote Work, Real Estate Prices, and Cities: A Conversation with Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis | Hoover Institution
Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh joins Steven Davis to explain how the remote work revolution affects urban property values, municipal tax revenues, and the outlook for cities. Stijn and Steve also consider how policymakers can respond to the challenges facing cities. In this regard, they discuss the conversion of vacant commercial buildings to new housing units, the need for regulatory reforms that lower c
How Flexible Jobs Can Help Women: A Conversation with Suhani Jalota | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis | Hoover Institution
Suhani Jalota joins Steve to discuss her study of how digital jobs can draw women into paid work in countries like India. The jobs, performed on smartphones, produce data that help train and evaluate AI models. Several job design features help overcome practical barriers to work and sidestep social norms that inhibit work for pay by married women. Jalota tells Steve how this idea can work in pract
Managing a Remote Workforce | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Raj Choudhury | Hoover Institution
Raj Choudhury joins Hoover Institution fellow Steven Davis to talk about work from home and other flexible working arrangements. They discuss Raj’s study of the transition to remote work by US patent examiners, including its effects on productivity and employee morale. Next, they consider which jobs and organizations are suited for remote work, which are not, and what it takes to successfully mana
Work from Home and Productivity – A Conversation with Nick Bloom | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis | Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution fellow Steven Davis and Nick Bloom discuss the big shift to work from home, what it means for productivity, why perceptions in this regard often differ between managers and workers, and why – on balance – the big shift is a blessing.
For more information on the Economics, Applied podcast series, visit https://www.hoover.org/podcasts/economics-applied.
Introducing the new ”Economics, Applied” podcast series from the Hoover Institution
"Economics, Applied" is a new podcast series from the Hoover Institution hosted by senior Fellow Steven Davis.
Each episode of "Economics, Applied" features Steven Davis in conversation with leaders and researchers about economic developments and their ramifications. The goal is to bring evidence and economic reasoning to the table, drawing lessons for individuals, organizations, and society. The
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