You Don't Have to Yell

Redefining Conservatism for Millenials | Josh Lewis of Saving Elephants

Josh Lewis was a longtime conservative who began to question the GOP after their embrace of Trump and his brand of populist nationalism. In an attempt to find a solution, Josh studied conservative thinkers going back decades and began Saving Elephants, a blog and podcast dedicated to defining the conservative movement for the next generation. Josh talks about his journey and the difficulty of balancing restraint in government with the need for action. Josh's blog and podcast can be found...

What the Advent of Radio Can Teach Us About Tech Regulation | Paul Matzko

Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments challenging Section 230, which gives tech companies immunity from content posted on their platforms. At the core of the debate is whether the government should take a more active role in policing how tech platforms moderate content. In the 1920s, America was in the midst of a similar debate as the radio gained rapid adoption and gave Americans access to an unprecedented variety of information over the airwaves. In this episode, Paul Matzko, hi...

Debt, Austerity, and the Decline of a Global Superpower | Ben Studebaker

In the 19th century, Great Britain found itself saddled with debt after funding the Napoleonic Wars in continental Europe. In this episode, Ben Studebaker and Dan revisit how austerity measures taken by the British government ultimately led to its decline as a world power, how falling into the trap of "sensible spending" often forgoes investments for the future, and how the United States could fall into the same trap. For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, s...

The Economic Fallout of the Debt Ceiling Debate | Marc Goldwein

Last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the federal government would hit the debt ceiling limit sooner than expected, and "extraordinary measures" would need to be taken to keep the government functioning. In this episode, Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget discusses how a lack of congressional oversight has led to unchecked spending, the financial crisis that would follow a default, and the slow-motion catastrophe that will come if we don't tackle...

CORRECTED EP: The Growing Momentum of Ranked Choice Voting | Nathan Lockwood

CORRECTION: If you happened to download this episode and find the prior week's episode instead, apologies. This is the correct file. Nathan Lockwood of Rank the Vote discusses his journey from volunteer to Executive Director of a nationwide grassroots organization promoting ranked-choice voting nationwide and the growing momentum the electoral reform movement has seen in recent years. You can learn more about Rank the Vote at www.rankthevote.us For additional commentary on this episode...

How Expanding Immigration Could Tame Inflation | Gordon Hanson

Gordon Hanson of the Harvard Kennedy School discusses how increasing the number of work visas issued for skilled and unskilled labor could help curb the short-term problem of inflation while ensuring the US economy remains competitive over the long-term. America Needs More Immigration to Defeat Inflation, an article Gordon co-authored with Matthew J. Slaughter of Dartmouth, can be found here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/america-needs-more-immigration-defeat-inflation Fo...

The Election of Kevin McCarthy and the Perils of a Non-Governing Government

With Kevin McCarthy's victory as Speaker of the House secured after 15 tries and a series of concessions, Data Mike joins Dan to discuss the implications this could have on regulation and the global economy as we continue to grapple with the nation's debt.

Nationalism, Race, and American Party Politics | Leonie Huddy

Since the election of Donald Trump in 2016, a party once based on free markets and multilateralism pivoted to a more nationalistic approach to immigration, trade, and military alliances. In this episode, Leonie Huddy discusses how - despite the fact nationalist sentiment has declined in the US over the last 20 years - a mix of political opportunism and economic conditions have led to the adoption of nationalist policies by the GOP. Leonie's paper, The Rise of Populism in the USA: Nationali...

A New Year Message from Your Host

A short review of what we've learned in 2022, and what's in store for 2023.

REBROADCAST: Political Polarization and the Federal Budget. How Rising Interest Rates Could Hurt Us All. | Maya MacGuinaes

In this rebroadcast (originally published in Feb 2002), Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget discusses how an inherently political process for allocating federal funds combined with an increasingly contentious political climate has put the United States in a fiscally dangerous situation. You can learn more about the CFRB at https://www.crfb.org/ For commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email list at https://www.ydhty.com

Political Polarization and Income Inequality | Nolan McCarty

(NOTE: This episode was republished due to a flaw in the original file. Apologies if your were among the afflicted) Income inequality has been blamed for the rise in populism and political polarization over the last decade, but is the link causal or coincidental? In this episode, Nolan McCarty of Princeton University explains the evidence linking income inequality with polarization, and how this trend began long before the rise of the Occupy Movement, the Tea Party, and Donald Trump. You...

The Connection Between the Energy Supply and Political Polarization | Carey King

Carey King of the Energy Institute of the University of Texas at Austin discusses how the last 80 years of American history have shown a connection between energy consumption, economic output, and political polarization. Carey's book, The Economic Superorganism, can be purchased here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-50295-9 For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email newsletter here: www.ydhty.com/news

Nuclear Power: The Accidental Death of a Zero Carbon Energy Source | Mark Nelson

Almost 80 years ago, the world discovered a carbon-free way to generate vast amounts of energy via nuclear power. While it remains the most reliable source of zero-carbon electricity, it's barely mentioned in conversations around combatting climate change. In this episode, Mark Nelson of Radiant Energy Group discusses how a mix of market forces, government interventions, and resistance from the environmental movement stopped nuclear's rise, and how current government interventions in the e...

REBROADCAST: Removing Donald Trump from Twitter and The Red Scare | Ben Studebaker

The removal of Donald Trump and other prominent conservatives from social media platforms prompted cries of censorship from the right. Elon Musk's decision to reinstate these figures on Twitter has prompted similar pushback from the left. In this episode (originally published in August of 2021) Ben Studebaker discusses the parallels between the current debate over speech on tech platforms and what America saw during the Red Scare, and how our reaction to Americans embracing controversial i...

Why Economic Models Neglect Energy, and Why That's a Problem | Jed Dorsheimer

As the Fed raises interest rates to fight inflation, the economic models they use include energy as a small part of the overall picture. Is that model flawed? Jed Dorsheimer, head of Group Head of Energy & Sustainability at William Blair and former advisor on US Energy Policy to the Obama Administration explains how dependent economic activity is on energy and an innovative framework that takes this into account. You can learn about Jed's work at www.williamblair.com or at www.bpeinstit...

What the Midterms Tell Us About the Two Party System | Mark Bauer

Mark Bauer of Rank the Vote joins Dan to discuss the surprising impact independent candidates had in this year's midterm elections, Donald Trump's political future, and what that means for electoral reforms such as ranked choice voting. All opinions expressed are solely those of Mark and Dan and do not reflect those of Rank the Vote and other affiliated organizations. You can learn more about the benefits of Ranked Choice Voting and how to get involved at www.RanktheVote.us

Is the Nation State an Outdated Concept? | Ben Studebaker

Globalization has resulted in higher living standards, cheaper products, and brought many out of poverty. It's also reduced the ability of states to manage their economies and safeguard the well being of their citizens. Ben Studebaker discusses how nationalist movements and autocraticies have gained strength as a result of states becoming weaker in recent decades. You can read more of Ben's work on the subject here: https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/studebaker_ct_vol10...

Growing Up Undocumented

The discussion around undocumented immigrants often devolves into numbers and statistics, without much thought to the lives of those affected. In this episode, Dan speaks with David, whose came to the United States from Colombia with his mother at 8 years of age and lived undocumented until his late teens.  David discusses navigating work and school while trying to remain under the radar, and how our current stance on undocumented immigrants creates gaps the black market is more than willi...

How the Rich World has Shut Out the World's Poor | Reece Jones

Reece Jones, political geographer from the University of Hawaii Manoa, discusses how borders across the developed world have become more militarized as the economy has become more interconnected, and how the US has inadvertently created a nationalized police force whose powers extend further into the country than most Americans realize. Reece's most recent book, White Borders: The History of Race and Immigration from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Border Wall, can be purchased here: htt...

How the Crisis at the Southern Border Began in China | Julia Young

Julia Young of Catholic University discusses how economic interests competed with nativist fears in America's debate over immigration, how the effort to secure the US border with Mexico was originally out of concern about Chinese immigrants, and how the Irish and Italians once evoked the same fears many express over those crossing our southern border today. Julia's article, which served as the basis for this conversation, can be accessed here: https://www.immigrationresearch.org/system/fi...

Does American Immigration Policy Reflect American Values? | Karina Breceda

Karina Breceda is a lifelong resident of El Paso, TX with family on both sides of the border. For the past decade, she's worked with migrant women and children in Juaréz, Mexico, who are often the victims of violent crime and exploitation as they seek asylum in the United States. In this episode, we discuss how both Democratic and Republican administrations have met a humanitarian crisis at the border with a military solution, and whether that aligns with our values as Americans. You ca...

Abolitionism, National Identity, and the Economics of Slavery | Christopher L. Brown

Is modern society more prosperous because we're freer, or are we freer because we're more prosperous?  In this episode, Christopher L. Brown of Columbia University discusses the history of the transatlantic slave trade, the role national identity played in dismantling the institution of slavery, and whether economic drivers carried more weight than moral ones in the rise of the abolitionist movement. Chris's book, Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism, can be purchased here...

What the hell is a special master and why should we care? | Gabe Roth | FIx the Court

While the appointment of a special master in the case involving ex-president Donald Trump's handling of classified documents raised eyebrows, the use of special masters in federal cases at large has risen 300% in the past 20 years and is the symptom of a much larger problem in the courts. Gabe Roth of Fix the Court discusses how judicial vacancies and an unproductive legislature create an environment where judges rely more and more on outside help and both victims of crime and those wrongl...

The Financial System, Income Inequality, and Climate Change: The Case for a New Bretton Woods | Kevin Gallagher & Richard Kozul-Wright

In 1944, 44 nations came together to create a set of economic reforms designed to promote economic stability and a lasting peace. Almost 80 years later, this order has given way to a runaway financial sector that has destabilized the world economy with repeated financial crises and asset bubbles, and increasing hazards created by climate change.  In this episode, Kevin Gallagher of Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center and Richard Kozul-Wright of the United Nations Conferenc...

Why Does College Cost So Much? | David Feldman

David Feldman, Professor of Economics at William and Mary University, discusses the drivers behind the cost of education, why its rising costs can be a good sign for the economy as a whole, and how rising levels of income inequality contribute to the current problem. You can find David's paper with supporting data here: https://www.mhec.org/sites/default/files/resources/mhec_affordability_series7_20180730_2.pdf For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sig...

The Economic Impact of Student Loan Debt Relief | Marc Goldwein

What impact will President Biden's executive action providing debt relief to those with student loans have on the cost of education and the economy as a whole? Marc Goldwein from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget discusses the impact this will have on inflation and how this program might make student loans more expensive in the long run. For additional information on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's email list at www.YDHTY.com/news You can find ...

Would you want a single-payer system under the Trump Administration?

Michael Chernew of Harvard Medical School discusses the problems with taking a purist stance on government-sponsored or free market solutions to healthcare, how recent innovations that address healthcare consumption could help contain costs, and why there's no silver bullet that will solve the problem of access to affordable care in its entirety. Michael's study on the impact a payment reform known as AQC had on healthcare costs in Massachusetts can be found here: https://www.nejm.org/doi/...

How Do Americans Feel About Single-Payer? | Arjun Moorthy

Arjun Moorthy and his colleagues at The Factual ran two polls on healthcare reform to see how Americans felt about single-payer healthcare and the more modest public option. In this episode, he shares the arguments for and against both and reveals one point of consensus all Americans share on the subject of America's healthcare system. You can find more polls and underreported news from The Factual here: thefactual.com Stay up to date on the latest episodes via YDHTY's weekly newsletter ...

Romneycare, Obamacare, and How Polarization Drives Smart People Out of Government | Jonathan Gruber

Jonathan Gruber played a critical role in the passage of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama's respective healthcare reform bills by helping include the individual mandate for insurance coverage in both. In this episode, Gruber discusses the process of working with both administrations, the backlash he faced as the debate over the ACA became more contentious, and whether our political environment discourages smart people from entering public service.

The Tradeoffs of Healthcare Reform | Dan Gorenstein

We're kicking off our third season with Dan Gorenstein, host of the Tradeoffs podcast, and was the healthcare reporter for NPR's Marketplace before that. We call that cred around the YDHTY offices.   Dan discusses the state of healthcare in America, what more needs to be done to ensure everyone has access to quality care, and how the solutions are more complex and involve more trade-offs than the solutions we commonly hear of.   You can find links to Dan's podcast and a slew of addit...

Rebroadcast: The World in 2030 | How We Prepare for a Decade of Change | Mauro Guillén

In this rebroadcast of YDHTY, Dan speaks with Mauro Guillén on his new book 2030: How Today's Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything. In it, they discuss how an aging population, increasing automation, and the rise of the sharing economy will fundamentally change the economy as we know it. Mauro's book can be purchased here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250268181/2030howtodaysbiggesttrendswillcollideandreshapethefutureofeverything

Rebroadcast: Eat Yourself Sick, Part 1: Obesity, the Environment, and Agricultural Policy

In this rebroadcast of YDHTY, originally aired in the spring of 2021, Dan speaks with Chris Bosso of Northeastern University about how a change to US agricultural policy in the 1970s came at the expense of our health and the environment. For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter at ydhty.com/news

Rebroadcast: The Rise of Bitcoin & the Case for a New Global Reserve Currency

Originally recorded in February of 2021, Dan and the Data Monk the then-nascent bitcoin bubble and the potential for bitcoin or something like it to serve as the next global reserve currency. For additional commentary on this episode and other issues of the day, sign up for YDHTY's weekly newsletter via the following links: https://www.ydhty.com/news https://youdonthavetoyell.substack.com/

Rebroadcast: Does America Have a Centrally Planned Economy?

Has late-stage capitalism produced the same results as late-stage communism? In this rebroadcast of the June 25, 2020 episode of YDHTY, the Data Monk and Dan explore how US monetary policy has effectively served as a method of central planning. A recap of the episode can be found here: https://blog.ydhty.com/is-america-a-centrally-planned-economy For deeper analysis of this week's episode, sign up for the weekly email newsletter here: ydhty.com/news Or on Substack here: https://youdont...

How Declining Interest Rates Make for Rising Populism | Data Monk

The Data Monk returns to discuss how easy money policies have created a feedback loop of unsustainable consumption in the United States and contributed to wage stagnation, income inequality, and rising populism. Time limitations created an unfortunate cliffhanger at the end of this episode, however you can learn more about Dan's proposal for a new global reserve currency via next week's newsletter at www.ydhty.com/news or at youdonthavetoyell.substack.com  

Bretton Woods 2.0 | The Case for a New Monetary System | Ben Studebaker

Ben Studebaker discusses how trade imbalances enabled by monetary policy have increased political polarization at home, instability abroad, and how reforming our current monetary system is necessary, but unlikely to happen without further unrest. Additional commentary on this episode and other resources are available via YDHTY's weekly email. Subscribe here: ydhty.com/news

Pro-Life Feminism and the Fate of Roe v Wade | Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa

With the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v Wade this month, Dan speaks with Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa of New Wave Feminists, a pro-life feminist organization focused on addressing the issues that make motherhood a difficult proposition for many women in America. In this conversation, we explore the nuances of a complex issue that's too often made out to be black and white. You can learn more about Destiny's organization at www.newwavefeminists.com For an overview of the polling ...

Food, Climate Change, and Political Conflict | Cullen Hendrix

What impact do agricultural markets have on political stability today, and how might climate change alter that? In this episode, Dan speaks with Cullen Hendrix, Professor at the University of Denver's Korbel School of International Studies, whose work focuses on the intersection of environment, food security, and conflict. Cullen explains how the financialization of the global food market has led to food insecurity in the developing world, how climate change will alter what we eat and wher...

How Do Police Feel About Gun Control? | Jesus Eddie Campa

Jesus "Eddie" Campa, former Chief Deputy of the El Paso County Sheriff's Department and former Chief of Police for Marshall Texas, discusses the recent school shooting in Uvalde and how loose restrictions on gun ownership complicate the lives of law enforcement. Sign up for Dan's new weekly newsletter here, which will give additional resources on each episode, and previews of upcoming episodes: https://www.ydhty.com/news Eddie's book and other content can be accessed at https://jesuseddi...

The Link Between Diet and Democracy | Andrey Scherbak

Andrey Scherbak of HSE St. Petersburg discusses how changes in diet are often a predictor of democratic reform, and the surprising role lactose tolerance played in democratizing Europe. You can read Andrey's paper and the data he used to support his conclusion here: A Recipe for Democracy? The Spread of the European Diet and Political Change

How Fossil Fuels Made the Human Race Dependent on a Finite Resource | Carey King

Carey King of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin discusses how the last 70 years of economic and population growth have been fueled by the transition to petroleum, how a decreasing supply of it has increased political polarization, and what the future might hold as supplies continue to dwindle. Carey's book, The Economic Superorganism: Beyond Competing Narratives on Energy, Growth, and Policy can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Economic-Superorganism-Beyon...

Imported Deflation, Exported Demand: How Debt Fueled Consumption is Eating the World | Data Monk

The Data Monk rejoins YDHTY after a long hiatus to explain how the current debt driven model of global trade fuels consumption at the expense of future growth.

Do Americans Support Roe v Wade?: What the Polling Says | Arjun Moorthy | The Factual

A recently leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision indicates the court might plan to overturn Roe v Wade has added heat to an already contentious issue. While the abortion debate seems to be a war between two intractable sides, a large group of Americans stand in the middle who are both uncomfortable with the practice of abortion and supportive of Roe v Wade. Arjun Moorthy from The Factual discusses some recent polls that show Americans' opinions on the subject are far more nuanced than t...

Will Saudi Arabia Begin Selling Oil in Yuan? | Anas Alhajji

The Saudi government made headlines in March by hinting they might take payment for oil in China's currency, the yuan, breaking with a long history of buying and selling oil exclusively in USD. In this episode, Dan speaks with world renowned energy expert, Anas Alhajji, and learns why this is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Anas can be found on Twitter at @anasalhajji His research on the correlation between the US dollar and oil futures on the Shanghai Energy Exchange can be found here...

The Imperial Dollar: The Price of US Hegemony | Bob Swarup

Macro-commentator, author, and PhD in Cosmology (not kidding), Bob Swarup, explains how the US built an economic empire around the dollar, how the last imperial era ended in two World Wars, and how the current trend of deglobalization could land us back in the same spot. Bob's book "Money Mania: Booms, Panics, and Busts from Ancient Rome to the Great Meltdown" can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Money-Mania-Panics-Ancient-Meltdown/dp/1608198413

Will the Renminbi Become a World Currency? | Benjamin J. Cohen

In last week's episode, we discussed China's ambition to replace the dollar as the world's global currency. In this episode, Benjamin J. Cohen of UCSB takes the conversation a step further as we discuss how the US became the dominant international currency, why China would need to implement democractic reforms to take its place, and why this is unlikely to happen. Benjamin's book, "Currency Statecraft: Monetary Rivalry and Geopolitical Ambition" lays the groundwork for our conversation. ...

PetroDollars vs PetroRenminbi

Recording (at least some of it!) from San Juan, Puerto Rico this week, You Don't Have to Yell is the home for the politically homeless, and a haven for anyone that sees politics in colors other than red and blue.   Following up on last week's PetroDollar primer, we're jumping right into the thick of it. China recently offered to buy oil in Yuan/Renminbi (it's a context thing). As of press time, Saudi Arabia is considering the option. What comes next could rock the global economic landscape...

Redback vs Greenback: China's Plan to Replace the Dollar | Zoe Liu

Recording (at least some of it!) from San Juan, Puerto Rico this week, You Don't Have to Yell is the home for the politically homeless, and a haven for anyone that sees politics in colors other than red and blue.   Following up on last week's PetroDollar primer, we're jumping right into the thick of it. China recently offered to buy oil in Yuan/Renminbi (it's a context thing). As of press time, Saudi Arabia is considering the option. What comes next could rock the global economic landsca...

How Oil Markets Maintain US Economic Power (Rebroadcast) | Jerry Robinson

How Far Are Americans Willing to Go in Ukraine? | Arjun Moorthy | The Factual

Arjun Moorthy from TheFactual.com shares polling of his readership that shows the surprising lengths Americans would be willing to go to support Ukraine, and the red lines that might trigger deeper involvement. Source polls can be found here:  https://www.thefactual.com/news/poll/341/Should-NATO-join-the-Ukraine-conflict-if-Russia-uses-chemical-weapons- https://www.thefactual.com/news/poll/330/Does-the-war-in-Ukraine-make-the-case-for-an-increase-in-nuclear-arsenal- https://www.th...