The Curious Task

Fiona Harrigan - How Does Immigration Make Us Freer?

Alex speaks with Fiona Harrigan about the state of immigration in the United States and elsewhere, and the ways in which "outsiders" make "insiders" better off - both instrumentally and categorically. 

Episode Notes:

• The Government Is Turning Border Surveillance on Everyday Americans by Fiona Harrigan https://reason.com/2023/03/28/the-government-is-turning-border-surveillance-on-everyday-americans/  
• Cutting Legal Immigration Won’t Help Low‐​Skilled American Workers By Alex Nowrasteh https://www.cato.org/blog/cutting-legal-immigration-wont-help-low-skilled-american-workers 
• NFAP study on Immigrant-founded startups https://nfap.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Immigrant-Entrepreneurs-and-Billion-Dollar-Companies.DAY-OF-RELEASE.2022.pdf 
• “Title 42 has ended. Here’s what it did, and how US immigration policy is changing” by Colleen Long https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d 

James Harrigan - What’s Wrong With Utopias?

What's the harm in dreaming big? Significant, James Harrigan believes. Alex and James discuss the many ways in which Utopian theory has led to disaster in practice - From Plato to Lenin and into the present day. 

Episode Notes:

• Keynes on Eugenics, Race, and Population Control https://mises.org/wire/keynes-eugenics-race-and-population-control 
• Phillip W. Magness, James R. Harrigan; John Maynard Keynes, H. G. Wells, and a Problematic Utopia. History of Political Economy 1 April 2020; 52 (2): 211–238. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/00182702-8173298
• Plato’s Republic - Ethics and Politics https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/ 
• Thomas Moore’s Utopia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(book) 
• “The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design” - F.A. Hayek

Daniel Weinstock - Should Adolescents Vote?

Daniel Weinstock makes the case for lowering the voting age and extending the right to vote to teens who have much more in common with the general voting public than we may think.

Episode Notes:

Daniel Weinstock - “What’s So Funny about Voting Rights for Children?”, in Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy, vol. 18, no. 2 (2021), pp. 751 – 771. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/public-policy-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2021/09/Weinstock.pdf 

• Kant’s views on voting rights and the “underclasses” https://academic.oup.com/book/4831/chapter-abstract/147152492?redirectedFrom=fulltext 
• Rousseau on “the general will” and deliberation, the force of the better argument. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rousseau/#PoliPhil 
• John Stewart Mill on weighted votes and plural voting https://www.jstor.org/stable/26220010 
• “Votes for children! Why we should lower the voting age to six” by David Runciman https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/16/reconstruction-after-covid-votes-for-children-age-six-david-runciman 

 

Jacob Levy - Is Liberalism Neutral?

Alex speaks with Professor Jacob Levy about the concept of neutrality within the history of liberalism and how many historical thinkers have approached the subject within that tradition. 

Episode Notes:

• Michael Oakeshott on “adverbial rules” https://lawliberty.org/forum/michael-oakeshott-on-the-rule-of-law-and-the-liberal-order/ 
• John Locke’s religious beliefs https://rb.gy/1yg43 
• Heresy of Americanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americanism_(heresy) 
• Deirdre McCloskey’s Bourgeois Virtues Thesis https://www.deirdremccloskey.com/docs/bv_selection.pdf 
• Ronald Dworkin “Liberalism” https://www.scribd.com/document/313373358/Ronald-Dworkin-Liberalism# 
• Stephanie Slade, "Must Libertarians Care About More Than the State?" https://reason.com/2022/03/19/two-libertarianisms/ 
• Alexis De Toqueville’s concerns about the rising liberal democratic order https://www.economist.com/schools-brief/2018/08/09/de-tocqueville-and-the-french-exception 
• John Stuart Mill “On Liberty” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Liberty 

Aurelian Craiutu - Why Not Moderation?

Alex speaks with Aurelian Craiutu about the importance of moderation when it comes to virtue, political discourse, and the balancing of extremes in a world full of radicals. 

 

Episode Notes: 

 

• Aurelian Craiutu - Why Not Moderation? Letters to Young Radicals https://a.co/d/1LVcadG
• Aurelian Craiutu - Faces of Moderation: The Art of Balance in an Age of Extremes  https://a.co/d/6cVwv5F 
• Thomas Osborne - Moderation as Government: Montesquieu and the Divisibility of Power  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10848770.2023.2172780 
• The Golden Mean in Philosophy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_mean_(philosophy) 
• The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence Paperback by Balthasar Gracian https://a.co/d/hgyXcYG 
• The 48 Laws of Power Paperback by Robert Greene   https://a.co/d/96ifKoz 
• A Propensity to Self-Subversion by Albert O. Hirschman https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674715585 

Jason Kuznicki - Why Is It So Hard To Think About Freedom?

Alex speaks with Jason Kuznicki about the societal tendency towards stagnation - and away from liberalism - and its roots in some of the earliest human civilizations. 

References

1. “Technology and the End of Authority: What Is Government For?” by Jason Kuznicki

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Technology-End-Authority-What-Government/dp/3319486918 

2. Jason’s previous episode “What Is Government For?” on The Curious Task 

Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-12-jason-kuznicki-%e2%80%94-what-is-government-for/ 

3. “The Domus Mindset: The Origins of Civilization, the Ruling Class, and Why It’s so Hard to Think About Freedom” by Jason Kuznicki

Link: https://pacification.substack.com/p/the-domus-mindset 

4. “The Future and Its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress” by Virginia Postrel

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Future-Its-Enemies-Creativity-Enterprise/dp/0684862697

Monica Guzman - How Can Curiosity Fix Polarization?

Alex speaks with Monica Guzman about the need for curiosity as a remedy for the increasing polarization in American discourse and her recent book on the subject "I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times"

Monica's book:

https://a.co/d/j6xKME7 

Nolan Gray - Do We Need Zoning?

Alex and Nolan discuss a novel solution to many of the difficult issues surrounding housing in North America: the elimination of zoning laws.

Further Reading and References:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/zoning-housing-affordability-nimby-parking-houston/661289/

https://reason.com/2022/06/21/abolish-zoning-all-of-it/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-04/how-houston-s-zoning-can-help-hurricane-harvey-recovery

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-26/manufactured-homes-are-the-cheap-housing-fix-we-need

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-28/cities-don-t-use-zoning-to-exclude-families-with-kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUbDvMpyCM&ab_channel=VancouverPublicLibrary

https://marketurbanism.com/2018/07/30/how-should-we-interpret-jane-jacobs/

https://marketurbanism.com/2016/02/21/who-plans-jane-jacobs-hayekian-critique-of-urban-planning/

https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/121786-jane-jacobs-and-zoning

Mike Munger - What Is The Difference Between Directionalism and Destinationism?

Alex and Mike Munger discuss two strains of thought within the liberty movement - one concerned with philosophical purity and cohesion, the other with advancement towards a common ideal of greater freedom for all. 

Episode Notes:

Mike's article "The Right Kind of Nothing": https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-right-kind-of-nothing/

An introduction to Coasian bargaining:

http://www.ejolt.org/2015/09/coasian-bargaining-2/ 

The Piece commissioned by Leonard Read by Milton Friedman and George Stigler on Rent Control:

https://fee.org/resources/roofs-or-ceilings-the-current-housing-problem/ 

Mike Munger's piece "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"

https://www.aier.org/article/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things-directionalists-vs-destinationists/ 

James Buchanan on Relatively Absolute Absolutes

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11127-021-00883-0 

Dennis Rasmussen - Who Wrote The American Constitution?

Alex and Dennis discuss the very colorful character who, unbeknownst to many, wrote the American Constitution. 

Episode Notes:

Dennis' book "The Constitution's Penman"

https://a.co/d/iKnulei 

The American Constitution https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

The Federalist Papers https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/The+Federalist+Papers

Roosevelt's biography of Morris

bit.ly/3zEEVlU

Gouverneur Morris' speech on the franchise for slaves: 

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1787-gouverner-morris-curse-slavery/ 

William Pierce's description of Morris:

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/resource/convention/delegates/morris_g/#:~:text=William%20Pierce%20stated%20that%20%E2%80%9CMr,Morris.%E2%80%9D 

 

 

Sabine El-Chidiac - How Is Classical Liberalism Doing In Canada?

Alex and Sabine speak about the state of classical liberalism in terms of individual rights and economic freedom in Canada today.

Works referenced:

Hayek's "Why I Am Not A Conservative": https://press.uchicago.edu/books/excerpt/2011/hayek_constitution.html 

 

Noah Schwartz - Does Canada Have A Gun Problem?

Alex speaks with Noah Schwartz about gun control in Canada and how recent attempts to review firearms policy have failed to address root issues and the causes of violence and crime.

References

1. “On Target: Gun Culture, Storytelling, and the NRA” by Noah Schwartz

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Target-Gun-Culture-Storytelling-NRA/dp/1487548443/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

2. “Firearms Act, 1995” by Justice Laws Website

Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/f-11.6/ 

3. “Firearms Licensing” by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Link: https://rcmp.ca/en/firearms/licensing 

4. “A Right to Bear Arms? Canadian Cases” by Leonid Sirota

Link: https://doubleaspect.blog/2012/04/15/a-right-to-bear-arms-canadian-cases/ 

5. “Nova Scotia Shooting Incident - Timeline” by Public Safety Canada

Link: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20200730/021/index-en.aspx 

6. “Bill C-21” by the Parliament of Canada

Link: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-21

Liya Palagashvili - What Is The State Of The Gig Economy?

Alex speaks with Liya Palagashvili about the state - and the meaning - of the gig economy and how history can show the not-so-novel nature of modern labour.

References

1. Liya’s articles, The Mercatus Center

Link: https://www.mercatus.org/scholars/liya-palagashvili?utm_source=ad_link&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=scholar_branding&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgJa6BhCOARIsAMiL7V_UHKSWyzs0ydt2lCaeIHXRbhZXVi_aQuJgZo1Wo_T-Ijxa6Esw8DEaAg-REALw_wcB 

2. Liya’s Substack

Link: https://liyapalagashvili.substack.com/ 

3. “Employee vs. Independent Worker” by Liya Palagashvili and Paola Suarez

Link: https://www.mercatus.org/research/working-papers/employee-vs-independent-worker 

4. “Survey of Household Economics and Decision Making” by the Federal Reserve

Link: https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/shed.htm

Jay Goldberg - Does Canada Have A Censorship Problem?

Alex speaks with Jay Goldberg about Canada's Bill C-11 and the implications of the government's attempt to change what Canadians see on the internet.

References

1. “Bill C-11: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts” by the Government of Canada

Link: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c11_2.html 

2. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Website

Link: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/home-accueil.htm 

3. “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Handmaids-Tale-Margaret-Atwood/dp/038549081X 

4. “Gotta Love Trump” Documentary 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Gotta-Love-Trump-Gene-Ho/dp/B0B6LMLHM1

Bryan Caplan — What’s a University Degree Worth?

As the university school year begins to wrap up, we're bringing back a classic episode of the Curious Task! Alex Aragona speaks with Bryan Caplan about the value of a formal education, and compares the alleged benefits against the reality.

References from The Curious Task Special Episode 15 with Bryan Caplan

• You can purchase Bryan Caplan’s New York Times best-seller, The Myth of the Rational Voter from Amazon Canada at this link. His other publications include Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids (book), The Case Against Education (the book upon which this episode was based), and Open Borders (graphic novel). 
• This is an outline of Bryan’s upcoming work on Poverty: Who to Blame.
• You can refer to a breakdown of Bryan’s study of the Economic Models of Education, where he operationalizes his definition of “human capital purism” here.
• Bryan builds off of Michael Spence’s work on signaling. One of Michael’s publications, Signaling in Retrospect and the Informational Structure of Markets, can be accessed with an active JSTOR account.
• Bryan briefly uses the term Catch-22 that was coined by Joseph Heller’s novel of the same name, which can be purchased through Amazon Canada.
• There is a reference to the Indian caste system when Bryan was comparing the inclinations of degree-bearers to marry those who have a degree at a similar level. A thorough study of the sociopolitics of identity and status under the Indian caste system may be read here. 
• While discussing how to discipline thinking about the intelligent life in the universe, Bryan references the Drake Equation whose analysis by Leonor Sierra (University of Rochester) can be reviewed on NASA’s website.
• The Corporate Finance Institute published a rundown on the meaning of “austerity,” which can be read here.
• You can watch The Pianist, which Bryan references while forecasting relevancies in employer consideration, on Amazon Prime.

Neil Boyd - Does Drug Decriminalization Work?

Alex speaks with Neil Boyd about the effects of drug decriminalization and legalization in Canada and around the world, and how regulation and criminalization can have positive or negative impacts on users of various substances and the communities around them.

References

1. “Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, 1996” by the Justice Laws Website

Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/ 

2. “Cannabis Act, 2018” by Justice Laws Website 

Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-24.5/

Vincent Geloso - What Effects Income Mobility?

Alex speaks with Vincent Geloso about income mobility, distinguishing it from income inequality and the effects of markets and government regulations on each. 

References

1. Vincent’s Articles

Link: https://vincentgeloso.com/publications/ 

2. Vincent’s previous episode “Should We Care About Inequality?” on The Curious Task podcast

Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-28-vincent-geloso-%e2%80%94-should-we-care-about-inequality/ 

3. “Growth is Good for the Poor” by David Dollar and Aart Kraay 

Link: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/pt/419351468782165950/pdf/multi0page.pdf 

4. “Who are the champions? Inequality, economic freedom and the Olympics” by Vadim Kufenko and Vincent Geloso

Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-institutional-economics/article/who-are-the-champions-inequality-economic-freedom-and-the-olympics/BEEA6B8F9473A7B8652A08E54E00C365 

5. “Intergenerational Income Mobility and Economic Freedom” by Justin T. Callais and Vincent Geloso

Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3939909

6. “Growing Public: Social Spending and Economic Growth since the Eighteenth Century” by Peter H. Lindert

Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Growing-Public-Spending-Economic-Eighteenth/dp/0521529166

7. “Economic Freedom Improves Income Mobility: Evidence from Canadian Provinces, 1982-2018” by Vincent Geloso and James Dean

Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3875551 

David D’Amato - Should Intellectual Property Be Part Of A Free Society?

Alex speaks with David D'Amato about the modern concept of intellectual property and how such a thing could exist at all in a free society. 

References:

Copying is not theft cartoon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeTybKL1pM4 

Jeremy Horpedahl - Why Do Baptists Need Bootleggers?

Alex speaks with Jeremy Horpedahl about the unusual political alliance between Baptists and Bootleggers - both figuratively and literally - and what these ties can tell us about public choice economics.

 

Sources Referenced:

1. Horpedahl, Jeremy. "Bootleggers and Baptists Revisited: A Reply to Critics." Journal of Law and Economics, vol. 62, no. 2, Oct. 2019, pp. 557-576. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26546700.
2. Regulation (Cato Institute Journal) Spring 2021 issue
3. "Not So Unlikely Coalitions" article by Thomas W. Hazlett in the Regulation (Cato Institute Journal) Spring 2021 issue.

 

Scott Beyer - What Does Urbanism Look Like Around The World?

Alex speaks with Scott Beyer about the insights he's gleaned from travelling the world in search of the most market-friendly urban centers and what other countries can teach us about central planning, solutions to homelessness, and more. 

References

1. The Market Urbanist Website

Link: https://www.marketurbanist.com/ 

2. Scott’s previous episode “What Is Market Urbanism?” on The Curious Task podcast

Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-33-scott-beyer-%e2%80%94-what-is-market-urbanism/ 

3. “Scott Beyer’s Market Urbanism World Trip” by Market Urbanist

Link: https://www.marketurbanist.com/scott-beyer-market-urbanism-world-trip 

4. “Startup Cities Tour” by Market Urbanist

Link: https://www.marketurbanist.com/startup-city 

5. “Barrios Tropicales: The Making of Green Neighborhoods” by Scott Beyer

Link: https://catalyst.independent.org/2023/02/20/barrios-tropicales/