On this episode, Alden Abbott, a Senior Research Fellow here at the Mercatus Center talks to Douglas Melamed and Joshua Wright about their different perspectives on pressing discussions around antitrust policy. If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.  Competition Corner by Alden Abbott

Welcome to the show! On this episode, Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, chats with Dr. Bruce Yandle about his latest economic situation report, including inflation, trade, the FTC, and much more. If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Check out Bruce's report here.

Welcome to the show! On this episode, Alden Abbott Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and former general counsel at the Federal Trade Commission, speaks with Commissioner Noah Phillips about all things FTC, including consumer protection, antitrust, monopolies, privacy, competition policy, and much more. If you would like to connect with a scholar featured on this episode, please email the Mercatus Outreach team at mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to The Bridge Policy Download, produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.  James Broughel discusses the US Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) proposed rule to rescind the Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely (SUNSET) rule finalized in January of 2021. The SUNSET rule attaches sunset provisions—i.e., expiration dates—to HHS regulations such that if HHS does not conduct assessments and reviews of regulations on a timely basis, then those regulations expire. Broughel explains the purpose of the SUNSET rule, lists his concerns with the proposed repeal, and then suggests alternative ways agencies can conduct retrospective analysis of regulations. If you'd like to learn more about this topic, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce’s latest economic situation report for December 2021, including the hot topic of late, inflation. They also talk about expectations for GDP growth and output, import competition, environmental regulations, and some financial advice Bruce received from his father that is still worth heeding today. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce’s latest economic situation report for September 2021, including the role of risk and uncertainty in what Bruce calls the Frankenstein economy. They talk about debt forgiveness, corporate tax and antitrust reform, the exploding demand for building materials, and much more. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today we’re bringing you a conversation between Alden Abbott, Senior Research Fellow here at Mercatus, Daniel Crane, the Frederick Paul Furth Sr. Professor of Law at the University of Michigan, and Kenneth Elzinga, the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia. They discuss the connection between the world of antitrust and Christianity, capitalism as a vehicle for good, protestant moral theology and antitrust policy, Dan and Ken's latest co-authored book chapter, and much more. Check out the book and their co-authored chapter here. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held between Karen Czarnecki, Vice President of Outreach, and Liya Palagashvili, Senior Research Fellow, both here at Mercatus, on independent workers, the gig economy, innovation, labor law, economics, and much more. With the rise of independent work--whether app-based, contracting, consulting, and beyond--and new flexible arrangements like fully distributed teams or hybrid office environments, barriers to entering the workforce are falling and workers are embracing this newfound flexibility. Liya walks us through how all workers are experiencing benefits from these changes, but new research shows the benefits accruing most to those who need or greatly value such arrangements--parents and familial caretakers, those with long-term illness or disability, and the formerly incarcerated among them. Poorly designed public policy risks preventing Americans from finding a job that works best for them and their specific situation, and evidence-based solutions are more important now than ever. If you’d like to contact the scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to The Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.  The executive director of the Mercatus Center, Dan Rothschild, has a conversation with Mercatus scholars David Beckworth and Christopher Russo about inflation and deflation, supply side bottlenecks, spillover effects, base effects, the velocity of money, the US debt/gdp ratio, black swan events, and why we shouldn’t fear a repeat of 70s-era inflation. If you would like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equal Liberty Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow here at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce’s latest economic situation report for June 2021, including turning the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic economy, current inflation stats, the difference between crises and serious problems American’s are facing today, and much more. If you’d like to contact the scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we co-hosted with the Classical Liberal Institute on the current immigration debate. The panel shares insight from their recent books and working papers on the topic and then go on to discuss the benefits of immigration, reform options for our current Congress, how and why reform efforts should be informed by policy research, and much more. If you’d like to contact the scholar involved in this webinar, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu Dr. Liya Palagashvili, Senior Research Fellow here at Mercatus, will be moderating the discussion. The panel: Robert Krol, Senior Affiliated Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason UniversityChandran Kukathas, the dean and Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Political Science at the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University Adam Cox, Robert A. Kindler Professor of Law at NYUAlex Nowrasteh, Director of Immigration Studies and The Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies

Welcome to The Bridge Policy Download, produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.  Zoning and land use policy regulations present the greatest barriers to affordable housing and increased urban density. Understanding how to navigate and remove these barriers allows for a dynamic housing market and paves the way for successful community development efforts. The study of the impact of land use and zoning policy began with Bernard Siegan in his pioneering 1972 study, "Land Use Without Zoning." In his book, Siegan first set out what has today emerged as a common-sense perspective: Zoning not only fails to achieve its stated ends of ordering urban growth and separating incompatible uses, but it also drives housing costs up and competition down. Drawing on the unique example of Houston—America’s fourth-largest city, and its lone dissenter on zoning—Siegan explored the impact of a different approach to land use policy and demonstrated how land use will naturally regulate itself in a non-zoned environment and yield a greater availability of multifamily housing. While we have gained a greater understanding of the issues created by overly burdensome land use restrictions, these policies still remain in place, restricting the growth of communities and keeping housing costs high. Our speakers discuss how land use reform battles have evolved over time, how community groups are working to remove these barriers and increase urban density, and how barriers to development can be challenged in court. Speakers and Topics • Jim Burling, Pacific Legal Foundation, on legal barriers to development and issues in modern land use policy • Tory Gattis, Center for Opportunity Urbanism, on Houston land use regulation after 1972 and lessons for other cities • Emily Hamilton, Mercatus Center, on the case for pre-emption and current Texas proposals Moderator • Charles Coats, Texans for Housing If you would like to contact a scholar featured in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. If you would rather watch the video from this webinar, you can find it here.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on Antitrust. Antitrust and other regulatory authorities around the world are busily assessing potential enforcement actions against big digital platforms, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon, among others. The panel addresses the following questions: Should governments establish regulations that sets clear rules of conduct for digital platforms?Can existing “consumer welfare” standards guiding antitrust enforcement effectively curb abuses by digital platforms?Are proposals to heighten antitrust prohibitions and reverse antitrust burdens of proof de facto regulation?   If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Don Boudreaux, Senior Fellow in the F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics here at Mercatus will be moderating this panel of leading antitrust scholars, regulators, and practitioners to address these timely questions about digital platforms. Meet the panel: Alden Abbott, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University Scott Hemphill, Moses H. Grossman Professor of Law at New York UniversityJohn Yun, Associate Professor of Law, Scalia Law School at George Mason University Nicolas Petit, Joint Chair in Competition Law at the Robert Schumann Centre for Advanced Studies, European University InstituteAurelien Portuese, Director of Antitrust and Innovation Policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Welcome to The Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.  India's COVID-19 cases have been rising at an alarmingly rapid rate since mid-March, and the virus is now killing thousands of people each day in India. Dan Rothschild, Executive Director here at Mercatus, talks to Shruti Rajagopalan, Senior Research Fellow and leader of Indian political economy research and Emergent Ventures India at Mercatus, about the rising COVID-19 cases in India, if lockdowns are the answer to halting India's rising cases, India's vaccine distribution, their hospital capacity, and how the United States can help one of their allies during this crisis.  If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you a conversation between Alden Abbott, Senior Research Fellow here at Mercatus, and Daniel Spulber, Professor of International Business, Strategy, and Law at Northwestern University. They take a deep dive into Professor Spulber’s latest book, The Case for Patents, they discuss what we can possibly expect from policy makers regarding patents in the coming years, and much more. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu. Order Daniel's book The Case for Patents here.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we're bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equity Initiative here at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce's latest economic situation report for March 2021, the latest COVID-19 stimulus package, forgiving student loan debt, the debate for raising the federal minimum wage, and much more. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this episode, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent virtual congressional briefing we held on the best arguments for and against paid federal leave. It is often noted that the United States is the only industrialized country without a federal paid leave program. While true, Dr. Veronique de Rugy points out that this doesn't necessarily mean that women in countries that have such government-mandated programs are doing better than women in the United States. In this Congressional staff briefing, de Rugy weighs in on expected outcomes of various proposed federal paid leave programs, based on a review of research from other countries. She also responds to each point in favor of a federal paid leave program with unanswered questions, the expected impact on women, and unintended consequences. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this briefing, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu If you'd prefer to watch the video from this virtual briefing, click here.  We've changed our name! What was formally known at the Mercatus Policy Download is now The Bridge Policy Download. Our goal has always been to provide our audience with smart policy ideas for a growing world, and that remains to be our goal. To learn more about The Bridge, visit mercatus.org/bridge. Subscribe to The Bridge Policy Download for all policy, no punditry, and a path forward, wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we're bringing you a conversation between Matthew Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Equity Initiative at Mercatus, and Dr. Bruce Yandle, Distinguished Adjunct Fellow at Mercatus. They discuss Bruce's latest economic situation report for December 2020, new life in the coronavirus economy, and much more.  Check out The Legacy of Bruce Yandle edited by Donald J. Boudreaux and and Roger Meiners here. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this webinar, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu We've changed our name! What was formally known at the Mercatus Policy Download is now The Bridge Policy Download. Our goal has always been to provide our audience with smart policy ideas for a growing world, and that remains to be our goal. To learn more about The Bridge, visit mercatus.org/bridge. Subscribe to The Bridge Policy Download for all policy, no punditry, and a path forward, wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on the future of innovation policy. Adam Thierer promotes his research and perspectives on technology and innovation policy alongside one of the world’s foremost thinkers on the subject, Matt Ridley. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this webinar, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu We've changed our name! What was formally known at the Mercatus Policy Download is now The Bridge Policy Download. Our goal has always been to provide our audience with smart policy ideas for a growing world, and that remains to be our goal. To learn more about The Bridge, visit mercatus.org/bridge. Subscribe to The Bridge Policy Download for all policy, no punditry, and a path forward, wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to the Bridge Policy Download produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Today, we’re bringing you the audio from a recent webinar we held on social security and progressive reforms. In a new research paper, “An Analytical Framework for Strengthening Social Security,” leading expert Charles P. Blahous details a number of problems facing Social Security and how they can be addressed. Ben Ritz and Jason Fichtner joined Blahous for a discussion to provide insight into the framework and share their research findings. If you’d like to contact a scholar involved in this webinar, please email mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu We've changed our name! What was formally known at the Mercatus Policy Download is now The Bridge Policy Download. Our goal has always been to provide our audience with smart policy ideas for a growing world, and that remains to be our goal. To learn more about The Bridge, visit mercatus.org/bridge. Subscribe to The Bridge Policy Download for all policy, no punditry, and a path forward, wherever you get your podcasts.