The Grumpy Economist

COVID Quandaries

John Cochrane guides listeners through some of the toughest questions around the coronavirus: Just how deep will unemployment actually go? What kind of recovery are we in store for? How much do civil liberties have to be sacrificed to restore economic liberties? And is the Federal Reserve justified in printing more money to keep the economy afloat?

Thinking Through Phase II

John Cochrane looks at the economic and public health complications that will arise from trying to restart the American economy in the wake of COVID-19

The Road to (Partially) Reopening America

John Cochrane discusses the fertile middle ground between a complete shutdown of the American economy and a premature return to business as normal.

Coronavirus and the Road to Recovery

John Cochrane describes the kind of economic policies that can help America return to normal — and the kind that could impede a recovery.

Econ in the Time of Coronavirus

John Cochrane explains how to contain the economic fallout from the Coronavirus while avoiding fiscal profligacy — and explains how to insulate markets from similar disruptions in the future.

How We Broke (and May be Fixing) Housing

John Cochrane examines the government’s role in housing, from restricting development to subsidizing low-income options to giving preferential treatment to homeowners. The good news? Some of the more extreme distortions are generating a backlash that may lead to more affordable housing in the not-too-distant future.

The Economics of a Pandemic

John Cochrane looks at the many economic dimensions of the coronavirus pandemic, from the Federal Reserve’s rate cut to proposed stimulus measures to the possible need for bailouts.

The Inequality Obsession

In the inaugural installment of The Grumpy Economist podcast, John Cochrane explains why concerns over economic inequality in America are vastly overblown, why a wealth tax is an especially pernicious form of taxation, and why anxiety over the super-rich playing a disproportionate role in American politics are misplaced.