An Extra Slice of the Pie: Choosing with Uncertainty
How can policymakers make choices when confronted with uncertainty? What happens when the public loses confidence in scientific authority? Are scientists, including economists, overconfident? Nobel Laureate and UChicago economist Lars Hansen, a leading authority on uncertainty in economic decision-making, tackles these and related questions in this Extra Slice of The Pie, hosted by BFI Executive Director, Ben Krause. The answers will surprise you.
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48:40
Tariffs, Trust, and the Twilight of Norms: U.S.–China Relations in the Trump Era
What happens when trust in longstanding economic norms starts to break down? In this episode, economist Chang-Tai Hsieh explores the geopolitical and economic consequences of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, particularly its approach to China. From China’s post-COVID recovery stumbles to a global flood of low-cost EVs, Hsieh unpacks the domestic roots of China’s malaise, the surprisingly muted bite of Trump-era tariffs, and why Canada, not China, may be the unexpected target of economic aggression.
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27:08
War Economies: How Ukraine and Russia Are Adapting in Year Three
More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war continues to reshape not only geopolitical alliances but also the economies of both countries. In this episode of The Pie, host Tess Vigeland is joined by Konstantin Sonin, John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, for a discussion about the economic realities on the ground in Ukraine and Russia, and what might lie ahead.
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24:58
Crypto’s Fatal Flaw: Trust, Scale, and the Economics of Blockchain
Crypto’s most groundbreaking innovation, permissionless consensus, may also be its greatest vulnerability. In this episode, Chicago Booth economist Eric Budish breaks down the core mechanics of blockchain trust, the staggering energy costs behind mining, and why these systems are fundamentally exposed to majority attacks. Tune in for a deep dive into the economic limits of cryptocurrencies, and what they mean for the future of decentralized finance.
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46:00
Will They or Won't They? A Former Fed Official on This Week’s Interest Rate Decision
This week, the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee meets to decide whether to adjust interest rates or keep them steady. What should we expect amid today's economic and political uncertainty? On this episode of The Pie, Randy Kroszner, former Federal Reserve Governor and Norman R. Bobins Professor of Economics at the Booth School of Business, discusses the factors influencing the Fed’s decision.
Economists are always talking about The Pie – how it grows and shrinks, how it’s sliced, and who gets the biggest shares. Join host Tess Vigeland as she talks with leading economists from the University of Chicago about their cutting-edge research and key events of the day. Hear how the economic pie is at the heart of issues like the aftermath of a global pandemic, jobs, energy policy, and more.
Colombia