Free To Choose Media Podcast
222 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 123 ratingsThe Free To Choose Media Podcast takes some of the greatest thinkers of the 20th Century and brings them right to your streaming device. Hear the ideas of Milton Friedman, along with several other Nobel Laureates, as they conduct speeches and hold conversations about the very freedoms we are still fighting for today. Come back each week to see why these truly are not just ideas for our time, but ideas for all time.
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Episodes
Episode 72 – Conversations with the Framers – George Washington (Podcast)
April 09, 2020 12:02 - 37.3 MBToday’s episode is a new recording in our Conversations with the Framers Series, featuring Douglas Ginsburg, Federal Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, as he interviews historical reenactor Dean Malissa, in character as Founding Father, General George Washington. This conversation takes a unique look at the process of drafting the Constitution, though Washington’s eyes, as well as a stark realization as to how those original intentions of the Framers have played out thro...
Episode 71 – Friedrich Hayek and James Buchanan Part 2 (Podcast)
April 02, 2020 11:51 - 44.6 MBListen to the conclusion of this conversation between two of the most influential economists over the last half-century, Friedrich Hayek and James Buchanan. Centered around the American Constitution, some of these views remain as controversial now as they did when it was originally recorded, over forty years ago. Originally Recorded: 1978
Episode 70 – Friedrich Hayek and James Buchanan Part 1
March 26, 2020 11:51 - 48.1 MBTwo of the greatest economic minds over the past 50 years, Friedrich Hayek and James Buchanan, sound off in Part 1 of this 1978 recording covering the American Constitution, the role of government, and several other topics. Hear their unique perspectives that still resonate within our society over 40 years later. Originally Recorded: 1978
Episode 69 – Managed Care and Medicine (Podcast)
March 19, 2020 12:11 - 44.9 MBA lot has changed in healthcare since this 1993 recording, but the resounding problems have remained alarmingly similar: soaring costs, millions uninsured, and more questions than answers. What role should the government play? And which policies have done more harm than good? Listen in with Rita Ricardo-Campbell, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Kevin Hopkins, Senior Domestic Policy Aide during the Reagan Administration, in today’s discussion. Originally Recorded: 1993
Episode 68 – Friedrich Hayek and Tom Hazlett (Podcast)
March 12, 2020 12:04 - 36.9 MBHow does the rule of law evolve? Are changes to our society spontaneous, or are they organized with an endgame in mind by government? Join legendary economist Friedrich Hayek and Tom Hazlett, then a graduate student in economics, to discuss that subject in this conversation. Originally Recorded: 1978
Episode 67 – Efforts in Eastern Europe to Localize Government (Podcast)
March 05, 2020 13:03 - 25.5 MBWhen the Iron Curtain fell, Eastern European countries were left with the monumental task of building their governments and economies nearly from scratch. In today’s podcast, hear Robert Ebel, International Government Finance Economist, Milton Friedman, 1976 Nobel laureate in Economics, and Tom Hazlett, then Editor-in-Chief of The Wesleyan Review, discuss the pitfalls and triumphs of privatizing what were once solid socialist countries. Originally Recorded: 1993
Episode 66 – Friedrich Hayek and Jack High (Podcast)
February 27, 2020 12:55 - 54.3 MBToday’s podcast, originally recorded in 1978, is a discussion between legendary economist Friedrich Hayek and then economics graduate student Jack High. During the conversation, Hayek talks about his major influences in economics as well as his upbringing in the social sciences. As they dive into Hayek’s philosophical and professional development, they touch on famous names from history such as John Maynard Keynes, Ludwig von Mises, and George Stigler. Originally Recorded: 1978
Episode 65 – Economic Reasoning and Sexual Behavior (Podcast)
February 20, 2020 12:55 - 42 MBToday’s podcast is a conversation originally recorded in 1994 about the teaching of sexual legal issues in law schools around the United States. Richard Posner, former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals, Larry Lessig, former Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, and Tom Smith, former Director-General of the Social Survey at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago consider the long-term implications of the subject. Originally Recorded...
Episode 64 – Friedrich Hayek and Elaine Carver Leijonhufvud (Podcast)
February 13, 2020 13:05 - 40 MBThis conversation between legendary economist Friedrich Hayek and former economics writer Elaine Carver Leijonhufvud includes an intimate look into the life of Hayek as a young man. During the discussion, the two talk about Hayek’s memories of traveling to America as well as his perception of the tension between religious and scientific thought. Originally Recorded: 1978
Episode 63 – Condensed Matter Physics (Podcast)
February 06, 2020 12:55 - 40 MBPhysics is a complicated field, but when you start talking about the smallest particles we know of, things become even more complicated. Discover some of the guiding principles of the world of atomic particles and learn more about the complex systems in the human body. Former Nobel Prize winner in physics, Dr. Philip W. Anderson, and Princeton University Professor Shivaji Sondhi discuss the topic in today’s podcast. Originally Recorded: 1999
Episode 62 – Friedrich Hayek and Dr. Axel Leijonhufvud (Podcast)
January 30, 2020 13:07 - 65.5 MBToday’s podcast features a conversation between former Professor of Economics at UCLA, Axel Leijonhufvud, and famous economist Friedrich von Hayek. During the discussion, the two converse about the people that influenced Hayek’s work and thoughts, eventually diving into social and economic trends as well as monetary theory. Hayek expands on his earlier days as a student, and a young man, identifying the people who shaped his thinking on the world. He also talks about what type of literature h...
Episode 61 – Learning and Memory (Podcast)
January 23, 2020 13:13 - 30.4 MBThis episode of the Free To Choose® Media Podcast features three prominent intellectuals in the field of neuroscience. Dr. Timothy Tully, former Senior Staff Investigator at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Dr. Eric Kandel, former Senior Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and 2000 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology/Medicine, and Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic, Professor of Neuroscience at the Yale University School of Medicine. They discuss the results of their experiments on sho...
Episode 60 – Economic Reasoning Applied to Sociology (Podcast)
January 16, 2020 13:12 - 39 MBToday’s podcast features former United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, Judge Richard Posner, and former Nobel Prize winner Gary Becker. The two use their time to discuss the challenges confronting those who apply market analysis to social questions. Using examples like drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, and addiction, they discuss the possibilities of using economics to solve these problems while thinking about the government’s role in dealing with them. Originally Recorded: 1994
Episode 59 – Friedrich Hayek and Armen Alchian Part 2 (Podcast)
January 09, 2020 13:12 - 47 MBToday’s podcast is the second of a two-part conversation, originally recorded in 1978, between former Professor of Economics at UCLA, Armen Alchian, and famous economist Friedrich von Hayek. Continuing from last week’s episode, the two talk further about Hayek’s economic history and background with unique personal and professional stories from his past. Hayek discusses his interests in Adam Smith and his personal relationship with John Maynard Keynes. He also discusses several of his books an...
Episode 58 – Friedrich Hayek and Armen Alchian Part 1 (Podcast)
January 02, 2020 13:14 - 37.4 MBToday’s podcast is the first of a two-part conversation between former Professor of Economics at UCLA, Armen Alchian, and famous economist Friedrich von Hayek. This conversation provides a uniquely personal and entertaining look on Hayek’s life and works as they dive into past events and relationships Hayek formed along the way. Originally Recorded: 1978
Episode 57 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Bob Chitester (Podcast)
December 19, 2019 12:54 - 34.8 MBThis 2006 conversation between former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and the founder of Free To Choose Network, Bob Chitester, takes a deeper look at Shultz on a personal level. Throughout the conversation, Shultz speaks about his hobbies, childhood, parents, and upbringing through high school. Shultz talks about his interests in high school as well as how he got into economics, ultimately leading him to his career in government. Originally Recorded: 2006
Episode 56 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Gary Becker (Podcast)
December 12, 2019 12:56 - 36.9 MBThis 2006 conversation between former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and previous Nobel Laureate winner Gary Becker takes a hard look at the politics behind several economic areas from the International Monetary Fund to energy. The two discuss Shultz’s view on these important areas, including Shultz’s personal views on the establishment and role of the International Monetary Fund and what can be done to start shifting the country off of oil dependency. As they continue, they move into th...
Episode 55 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Robert Conquest (Podcast)
December 05, 2019 13:01 - 39.3 MBThis 2006 conversation is the ninth of eleven conversations with former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and features former Stanford University Hoover Institution research fellow Robert Conquest. This conversation includes an intimate look at U.S. relations with the Soviet Union during the Reagan era. Throughout the discussion, the two share stories from the past and delve into more recent relations between Russia and the United States at that time. Originally Recorded: 2006
Episode 54 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Chester Crocker (Podcast)
November 21, 2019 12:51 - 37.2 MBThis podcast, the eighth of eleven conversations with former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, features Shultz and former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester Crocker. Originally recorded in 2006, the conversation centers around the importance of individuals in influencing history. The two discuss what an individual can contribute within a framework of abstract forces such as technological development and economics. Shultz discusses his views on an individual’s impact r...
Episode 53 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Richard Pipes (Podcast)
November 14, 2019 12:50 - 24.6 MBThis conversation with George P. Shultz is the seventh of eleven conversations with the former Secretary of State. Originally recorded in 2006, Shultz speaks with a former National Security Council member and colleague in the Reagan administration, Richard Pipes. During the conversation, the two talk about their time in the administration and specifically discuss how they feel their time impacted world history. Shultz shares insight into Reagan’s conversations with Mikhail Gorbachev while dis...
Episode 52 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Abraham D. Sofaer (Podcast)
November 07, 2019 12:48 - 33.7 MBIn this 2006 conversation, the sixth in a series of eleven, former Secretary of State George P. Shultz talks with former State Department legal advisor Abraham D. Sofaer. Having been colleagues in the Reagan administration, the two discussed their years together and talked about Shultz’s 1984 speech on terrorism. They further investigated what it means to be prepared to use force in defense of the country, and used personal examples from the Reagan era to illustrate the concept of self-defens...
Episode 51 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Henry Rowen (Podcast)
October 31, 2019 12:10 - 29.8 MBFormer Secretary of State George P. Shultz and former Stanford Professor Emeritus Henry Rowen discuss foreign policy and national security, particularly the organizational question of the proper roles of the State Department and the White House in running U.S. foreign policy. Shultz begins by detailing his experiences at the State Department and how they worked inter-departmentally with other areas of the government. The discussion then moves on to individual people and their roles within the...
Episode 50 – George P. Shultz Conversations: David D. Friedman (Podcast)
October 24, 2019 11:57 - 34.7 MBIn this wide-ranging conversation, former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Economist David Friedman discuss the ways in which the world – especially the world of ideas – has changed over Shultz’s lifetime. This discussion dives into the ways in which peoples’ understanding of concepts like socialism are not what they were in the Cold War era. Using personal experiences, the two discuss the changing perceptions in the world about property rights, the role of government and even marriage...
Episode 49 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Shelby Steele (Podcast)
October 17, 2019 11:58 - 31.3 MBFormer Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Hoover Institution Fellow Shelby Steele discuss Shultz’s role as Secretary of Labor in the Nixon administration. Shultz also further reveals personal experiences in the Reagan administration that formed his thinking on civil rights and discrimination. As the discussion carries on, Shultz describes the difficulties he had in the Nixon administration dealing with race and immigration. As Shultz says during the discussion, “It’s a big problem becaus...
Episode 48 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Kelly Shultz (Podcast)
October 10, 2019 12:14 - 24.9 MBIn this conversation with his granddaughter, Kelly Shultz, former Secretary of State George P. Shultz talks about his goals when he was her age and about to enter Princeton. They discuss family gatherings, his experiences as a young Marine, and the important lessons learned in sports. Originally Recorded: 2006
Episode 47 – George P. Shultz Conversations: Kenneth W. Dam (Podcast)
October 03, 2019 12:01 - 40.4 MBToday’s Free To Choose Media podcast episode features a conversation with former Secretary of State George P. Shultz. Shultz speaks with University of Chicago Law Professor Kenneth Dam and talks about his long and varied career in academia, government and business. During the discussion they expand upon Shultz’s views on terrorism, negotiation, Israel/Palestine, and the connection between open political systems and open economic systems. This personal talk dives further into Shultz’s experien...
Episode 46 – The Search for E.T. (Podcast)
September 26, 2019 12:22 - 30.7 MBThe lines between science fiction and science fact are beginning to become strangely blurred. Technology is rapidly catching up to the stuff of imagination seen in movies. Could the confirmation of life on another planet be next? That question, and the research into it, have moved more into the mainstream over the years. Have we even invested the correct technology to connect with another civilization? What would happen if we ever did make contact? Nobel laureate, Dr. Charles Townes lays out ...
Episode 45 – Social Security (Podcast)
September 19, 2019 12:06 - 36.6 MB“Will Social Security be around when I’m old?” It’s a question that has been asked and sparked countless discussions for decades. As the years go by, the numbers change but the discussion remains the same. Is there a model already in place that will allow payers to see an actual return on their money? Or will we just keep finding ways to rob Peter in order to pay Paul? Originally recorded in 2003, Economist Casey Mulligan says that one solution, privatization, is not simply a catch-all term a...
Episode 44 – Jennifer Roback (Podcast)
September 12, 2019 12:05 - 54.9 MBAn open marketplace plays a part in more areas than most people realize. The role is often overlooked in the areas of segregation and discrimination. Supporters of free markets support the right to associate with whoever you wish, while at the same time abhor individual liberties being taken away based on race or an association to other groups. So where is the line? Can the two ever truly within a free market, absent of coercion? Originally recorded in 1987, economist Jennifer Roback had stud...
Episode 43 – Self-Interest (Podcast)
September 05, 2019 12:05 - 35.3 MBIndividuals act on self-interest. No, that doesn’t mean that people are only motivated by selfish materialism. It comes down to an understanding that actions made today will have consequences tomorrow. Those decisions drive our economy. They are based on the best choices someone can make today, which will provide the best future for themselves and their loved ones. So where do charity and altruism fit into that economic worldview? Nobel laureate Dr. Gary Becker says they play into each other ...
Episode 42 – Mystery Stories (Podcast)
August 29, 2019 11:57 - 22.8 MBWe’ve all read a bad novel at one point or another. You’ve probably thought to yourself that you could do better. Well, you’re not alone. Writing a full novel can be a painstaking and time-consuming process. It’s more difficult than people think, but not impossible. Have you ever wondered exactly what goes into writing some of your favorite novels? The frustrating, satisfying, and therapeutic properties of the writing process are all covered by a panel of authors in this week’s podcast. Autho...
Episode 41 – Midge Decter (Podcast)
August 22, 2019 11:52 - 54.7 MBWhile individuals remain the ultimate units within a society, their organization into families is often overlooked, even sacrificed. Human beings are social in nature and depend upon one another for survival. Nowhere else is this more evident than with the upbringing of children. Is it possible that by promoting the rights of some, while sacrificing the right of others, the family unit is suffering? Journalist Midge Decter thinks so, but that does not mean the end is near. “Because sometimes ...
Episode 40 – Origins of Life (Podcast)
August 15, 2019 12:09 - 33.6 MBHow life on our planet started and where it is going is an uncertainty that continuously plagues scientists. Even as science moves forward, the topic is ripe for exploration and discussion. Divine intervention, the luck of the draw, or a chain of repeatable chemical reactions? What are the forces that established life on Earth? What are the forces that drive it today and where can we expect it to go from here? The topic clearly lends itself to more questions than answers. Nobel Prize winner C...
Episode 39 – European Markets (Podcast)
August 08, 2019 12:00 - 26.9 MBEuropean countries in the Eastern Bloc were faced with a dilemma after the fall of Soviet Russia. They were tasked with transitioning from a centrally planned economy to a market-based one. That proved more difficult for some than for others. How quickly those countries should make the transition was also a hot topic of debate. Gently nudge the economy along, or rip off the bandage and change everything all at once? Nobel laureate Gary Becker lays out his main reason to fast-track the process...
Episode 38 – Constitution Crisis (Podcast)
August 01, 2019 11:52 - 32.2 MBWhat is the legitimate role of government in a free society? Most agree that there is one, albeit small. The Constitution lays out these roles, but they are ignored and trampled on year after year. Laws are passed, programs are implemented, and taxes are collected all in the name of progress. Yet most conflict directly with the liberties granted and restrictions imposed by the Constitution. The problem is not going away and seems to be getting worse. History is on our side. When governments h...
Episode 37 – Ed Crane (Podcast)
July 25, 2019 12:00 - 52.8 MBIs there a more market-based approach to government? Regardless of the outcome of elections, there seems to be a growing number of Americans who are dissatisfied with the result no matter which party is in control. Congressional control flips at a rate you can nearly set your watch to. What are Americans looking for? They’re looking for another way. They’re looking for a solution that the two-party system cannot provide; a choice of candidates that doesn’t force them to sacrifice a portion of...
Episode 36 – Science and Culture (Podcast)
July 18, 2019 12:25 - 41.3 MBWhere do science and culture meet? The rise in popularity of science fiction has shaped popular culture as of late, but remains a source of controversy in society as a whole. This divide traces back to the days when religion, not necessarily evidence, ruled the day. Still, after all this time, science is treated as an evil by some as opposed to a basis of rational thought. Why? With how far we have come since the days of Galileo and DaVinci, why is science still treated with disdain or indiff...
Episode 35 – Gary Becker (Podcast)
July 11, 2019 12:08 - 53.2 MBIt’s impossible to predict the behaviors and actions of any one individual. So how can economists ever hope to understand the effects a shift in policy will have on the consumers within the economy? While individuals behave irrationally, groups give us more insight into understanding behavior and the impact those decisions will have on economics. For economist Gary Becker, one of those fundamental groups is family, “One of the things that families do is to care for their children, to invest i...
Episode 34 – Julian Simon (Podcast)
June 27, 2019 12:05 - 53.1 MBWith a human population larger than any point in history, we are consuming more natural resources than at any point in history. So, how can we ever expect to maintain this pace without running out of resources? As it turns out, the people who seriously sound these alarm bells are forgetting one thing. Throughout history, bigger problems have produced bigger solutions. Had those initial problems never arisen, neither would have the solutions. As noted scholar Julian Simon put it, “We need our ...
Episode 33 – Culture War (Podcast)
June 20, 2019 13:20 - 52 MBWhat is liberalism? What is conservatism? The divide between the two opposing ideologies has widened recently, but why? It may have to do with the two sides not only believing that they are right, but believing they have the duty to impose their views on the other half. We’ve moved from an era from which politics and religion were separate. Now, we are walking the border of politics becoming religion. Will that shift result in a culture war, or are we already there? As theologian Dr. Kenneth ...
Episode 32 – Consumer Behavior (Podcast)
June 13, 2019 12:07 - 29.3 MBHumans are irrational beings. Choices differ from person to person, and even from lab experiments to the real world. So, with all that differentiation, how can economists expect to understand how market forces will impact the decisions that individuals make? It turns out that most individuals go about making decisions the same way, but the results of these decisions vary wildly. Nobel laureate Gary Becker attempts to explain how that process works, “To me, maximizing utility simply means the ...
Episode 31 – High Cost of Bad Science (Podcast)
June 06, 2019 12:12 - 31.5 MBThe vast majority of people agree that we should be doing what we can to help protect the environment, but are we doing it the right way? Regulations may be based in science, but they’re created by bureaucrats with only one singular focus. Whose job is it to look at the impact of these regulations on a larger scale? And is the situation being presented in a way to intentionally scare the public? Dr. Walter Williams would say so, as well as professor of environmental science Dr. Fred Singer, “...
Episode 30 – The Federal Reserve Myth (Podcast)
May 30, 2019 12:11 - 20 MBThe Federal Reserve was originally created to bring stability to our financial and monetary system. However, despite multiple failures, it has widely escaped criticism. There is a myth that the Fed is there to protect us. But upon closer inspection, does it? If you ask Nobel laureate Dr. James Buchanan, the answer is clear, “The Fed more or less just inherited this legacy of being a monopoly in control of a monetary institution. It’s not a constitutional body. It has never been explicitly exa...
Episode 29 – Privatization Trends (Podcast)
May 16, 2019 12:02 - 23.1 MBWhen the Soviet Union collapsed, countries in the Eastern Bloc were faced with a huge challenge. They needed to take their socialist societies and convert them into capitalist ones. How did they change a country where most property was state-owned into something that was based on private property? Each country handled it differently and the results are not surprising. Despite these challenges in the early 90’s, Milton Friedman remained optimistic, “The hopeful thing about this is that the ine...
Episode 28 – David Attenborough (Podcast)
May 09, 2019 12:39 - 23.3 MBWhat can nature teach us? It’s a question that mankind has investigated since the beginning of time. We’ve learned so much, but there’s still even more that we don’t know. That’s why people like David Attenborough dedicate their lives to studying the world around us. The lessons that David has learned over the years have filled multiple hours of television programming and even more publications and writings. One particular opinion of his, on the role of zoos in our society, stands out in toda...
Episode 27 – Morality of the Free Market (Podcast)
May 02, 2019 12:15 - 22.1 MBCritics of the free market system often point out that it is an unfair system due to it leaving some with wealth at the expense of oppressing others. What those critics often ignore is that exchanges in this economic structure are voluntary. Each side comes out of the interaction with their desired result. Since the seller is amassing wealth by helping others get the goods and services they need, isn’t that more moral than proposed socialist solutions? When it comes to the relationship betwee...
Episode 26 – Government Regulation (Podcast)
April 25, 2019 12:10 - 18.6 MBGovernment regulation is a force that influences nearly every aspect of our daily lives. The intentions are usually well-meaning. They are created to fix a problem or a perceived market failure. The problem that we run into time and time again is that the fixes usually create another problem, while only putting a temporary patch over the initial problem. The response is usually another patch with the same result. In the words of Nobel laureate George Stigler, “The trouble is that normally the...
Episode 25 – Money (Podcast)
April 18, 2019 12:33 - 38.9 MBWhat is money? For thousands of years currency was tied to a commodity, if the commodity itself wasn’t actually exchanged. Today, that relationship has drastically been altered. Money, as a human institution, has evolved from having a real value to only having a perceived value. Milton Friedman traces it back to one specific date. “It’s seldom that you can date precisely when there’s a major change in a human institution let alone in a monetary institution. But you know it’s an interesting fa...
Episode 24 – Science and Religion (Podcast)
April 11, 2019 12:19 - 31.5 MBAre science and religion incompatible? It’s a conversation that tends to get heated very quickly. Science has answered several of our questions about the universe, but the theological debate keeps returning to one point, the beginning. As you could expect, a balanced discussion on the topic eventually leads to more questions than answers. “How the earth formed, how life arose from the earth, how man evolved. All of that is explainable in a very satisfying way. Does that prove that God does no...
Episode 23 – Monetary Revolutions (Podcast)
April 04, 2019 12:10 - 28 MBWhat effects did world events, such as world wars and depression, have on the economies of nations such as Germany, and the former Soviet Union? As hyperinflation raged, the real value of currency in these nations became a question mark. Countries today are still ravaged with the same problem. As revolutions erupt and regimes change, the effect on purchasing power is hard to ignore. How can the problems of “out of control” inflation be solved? As Milton Friedman describes the issue, “Country ...