Power and Consequences

Episode 29: What Happened to Japan?

Gary and Simon discuss Japan, examining its rise as a global economic powerhouse post-World War II, the valuation bubble that popped in 1990, and the policy mistakes cont

Episode 28: Does the Fed Have Inflation Under Control?

Gary and Simon discuss the complexities of inflation and the Federal Reserve's role in managing it. What effect do political pressures have on the Fed's decision-making p

Episode 27: When Will the Iran War End?

Gary & Simon discuss the ongoing Iran war. When is it realistic for the conflict to end? What are the impacts on energy prices, inflation, the economy, and mid-term elect

Episode 26: What Is The Bond Market Saying?

Simon and Gary discuss the recent increase in long-term interest rates. How will this affect the federal government budget? Will mortgages, credit cards, and auto loans b

Episode 25: What Will AI Do To Jobs?

Simon and Gary discuss the relationship between artificial intelligence and labor. How will AI change productivity levels? Will changes in productivity be distributed fai

Episode 24: Does Science Matter?

Simon and Gary unpack science funding, tackling the value of basic science, the different roles that the government and private backers play, and the serious effects of t

Episode 23: Is The Global Dollar System In Decline?

Simon and Gary dive into how the U.S. dollar became the currency hegemon, how this status influences the actions of countries around the world, and what it would take for

Episode 22: Is The U.S. Federal Debt Unsustainable?

Simon and Gary discuss the cyclic history of the U.S. federal debt, why the current debt situation is unique, and what can be done to lower the debt-to-GDP ratio. For bo

Episode 21: Is the Supreme Court Weakening U.S. Institutions?

Simon and Gary unpack key decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court's most recent term, tackling the impacts of presidential supremacy, birthright citizenship, and tariffs, a

Episode 20: What are the Consequences of the AI Race?

In the second episode of a two-part series, Simon and Gary discuss how the AI race is affecting countries that aren't currently investing in their own models, how those c

Episode 19: Who's Winning the Global AI Race?

In the first episode of a two-part series, Simon and Gary once again dive into AI, asking which country currently has the advantage in the sector. What factors go into de

Episode 18: Happy 250th Birthday! What's Next...?

On the eve of America's semiquincentennial, Simon and Gary discuss three people who shaped the country's technological history, the progress made and setbacks faced on th

Episode 17: Mega IPOs

Simon and Gary unpack key questions surrounding the recent SpaceX IPO and potential future IPOs from Anthropic and OpenAI: why these companies are choosing to go public,

Episode 16: The Business of Space

Simon and Gary discuss the final frontier. How did the U.S. get so ahead on space launches? Has this success undermined the competitiveness of the sector? And what does t

Episode 15: What Will Happen to Cuba?

Simon and Gary tackle what's happening in Cuba, what guides the United States's policy decisions on this topic, and what the possible outcomes are for Cuba going forward.

Episode 14: To Do or Not To Do... Industrial Policy

Simon and Gary discuss the history of industrial policy in the US, why we've seen a new era of industrial policy in the last ten years, and how to ensure these policies d

Episode 13: Can AI Behave Responsibly?

Simon and Gary take a deep dive into the issue of responsible AI usage, exploring what agentic AI may be capable of doing, how AI safety should be evaluated, and whether

Episode 12: Big Challenges Facing the New Fed Chair

Newly confirmed Fed Chair Kevin Warsh will have to contend with a host of issues during his term. Simon and Gary discuss how these issues, which include AI, the desires o

Episode 11: Will China Take the Lead?

Ahead of President Trump's meeting with President Xi Jinping, Simon and Gary tackle the economic and technological race between the U.S. and China. What are the numbers b

Episode 10: Why Does the Rule of Law Matter?

Simon and Gary have a wide-ranging discussion about the rule of law, tackling, among other topics, the causes of democratic backsliding, current threats to the rule of la