Hosted by David Beckworth of the Mercatus Center, Macro Musings pulls back the curtain on the important macroeconomic issues of the past, present, and future.
Brian Albrecht on Business Dynamism, Greedflation, and Antitrust
Brian Albrecht is the chief economist for the International Center for Law & Economics and is the coauthor of the economics newsletter Economic Forces. In Brian’s first appearance on the show, he discussed the data behind business dynamism, the notion of greedflation, the recent developments in antitrust, the update Econ 101 needs to make in regard to tariffs, and much more. Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links. Recorded on January 6th, 2025 Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow Brian Albrecht: @BrianCAlbrecht Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:00:51) – Brian’s Education and Career (00:08:03) – Market Structure and Business Dynamism (00:31:07) – Greedflation (00:45:25) – Trump and Tariffs (00:55:51) – Outro
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56:33
The Fed Framework Review: Macro Musings’ Greatest NGDP Targeting Hits
On this special greatest hits compilation episode our host David Beckworth primes listeners for the Fed Framework Review by highlighting the best snippets from past shows discussing nominal GDP targeting. This episode includes Mary Daly’s thoughts on NGDP targeting, Evan Koenig on the basics of NGDP targeting, George Selgin on Powell’s hesitations with NGDP targeting and how it responds to supply shocks, Jim Bullard on the financial stability of NGDP targeting, Eric Sims on the New Keynesian argument for NGDP targeting, Carola Binder on the benefits of NGDP targeting, Charlie Evans on the prospects of NGDP target, and much more. Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links. Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:31) – Mary Daly on Nominal GDP Targeting Considerations for the 2024-25 Fed Framework Review (00:06:13) – Evan Koenig on the Basics and Preferred Structure of a Nominal GDP Targeting Framework (00:14:17) – George Selgin on Chair Powell’s Concerns About Nominal GDP Targeting (00:21:35) – Jim Bullard on the Financial Stability Argument for Nominal GDP Targeting (00:24:12) – Eric Sims on the New Keynesian Rationale for Nominal GDP Targeting (00:28:23) – Carola Binder on Two Major Benefits of Nominal GDP Targeting (00:33:40) – George Selgin on How Nominal GDP Targeting Would Handle Supply Shocks (00:46:55) – Charlie Evans on the Prospects for Nominal GDP Targeting During the 2024-25 Fed Framework Review (00:50:57) – Bonus Segment: Enhancing the Nominal GDP Targeting Framework (00:53:08) – Gauti Eggertsson on the Merits of a Cumulative Nominal GDP Level Target (00:55:50) – Scott Sumner on Targeting a Nominal GDP Futures Contract (01:04:25) – Outro
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1:05:05
Peter Conti-Brown on the Fed under Trump 2.0, Reforming the Discount Window, and Providential Moments
Peter Conti-Brown is a historian and legal scholar of the Federal Reserve System and an associate professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Peter returns to the podcast to discuss the state of Federal Reserve leadership under the incoming Trump administration, expectations for Fed independence, a new proposal for limiting stigma at the discount window, stories about a life lead by faith, and much more. Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links. Recorded on January 10th, 2025 Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow Peter Conti-Brown on BlueSky: @PeterContiBrown Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:23) – Reaching Audiences Through Various Forms of Media (00:10:30) – Federal Reserve Under Trump 2.0 (00:21:33) – Jerome Powell (00:25:56) – Michael Barr (00:34:52) – New Discount Window Proposal (00:40:27) – Faith Life (00:56:28) – Radical Uncertainty (01:00:15) – Outro
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1:00:56
David Bahnsen on the Incoming Trump Administration and the Financialization of the US Economy
David Bahnsen is a Wall Street veteran and currently is the managing director of The Bahnsen Group. In David’s first appearance on the podcast, he talks through multiple questions about the incoming Trump Administration, the problem with the growing indebtedness of the US government, shifts in the Republican party, the notion of financialization of the US economy, and much more. Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links. Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow David Bahnsen on X: @DavidBahnsen Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:50) – David Bahnsen’s Career Path (00:04:39) – Shifts in the Republican Party (00:12:20) – Trump Administration 2.0 and Growth, the Fed, and the Financial Sector? (00:33:38) – Financialization and Missed Boats (00:54:02) – Outro
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54:43
Marijn Bolhuis on Fiscal R-star and its Implications for Macroeconomic Policy
Marijn Bolhuis is an economist in the World Economic Studies Division of the IMF’s research department. In Marijn’s first appearance on the podcast he discusses his new paper, which introduces the idea of a fiscal r-star, and expands on another paper which helps economists understand why consumer sentiment is so depressed, despite relatively low unemployment and inflation coming back to target. Check out the transcript for this week’s episode, now with links. Follow David on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow Marijn on X: @MA_Bolhuis Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:38) – Marijn Bolhuis’ Career Path (00:06:02) – Fiscal R-Star (00:45:30) – Cost of Money and Consumer Sentiment (00:51:43) – Outro
Hosted by David Beckworth of the Mercatus Center, Macro Musings pulls back the curtain on the important macroeconomic issues of the past, present, and future.
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