E125: How Bureaucracy Took Over Everything - w/ Barry Lam
Philosophy professor and Hi-Phi Nation host Barry Lam joins Jesse to discuss his new book Fewer Rules, Better People. They dive into the rise of bureaucracy in American life, from healthcare to housin...
15 Mar 20251h 16min
E124: Why Government Rules Make Homes Unaffordable - w/ Bryan Caplan
Economist Bryan Caplan joins the show to discuss his new graphic novel Build Baby Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation. We unpack how housing prices have skyrocketed due to artificial s...
8 Mar 202549min
E123: Development or Destabilization? The Truth About USAID - w/ Prof. Tim Gill
In this episode, sociologist and Venezuela expert Dr. Timothy Gill joins us to unpack the controversy surrounding USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and America’s post–World War II global in...
4 Mar 20251h 22min
E122: Are Schools Failing Our Kids? The Data Says Yes - w/ Rick Hess
AEI’s Rick Hess joins Jesse for a wide-ranging conversation on the collapse of academic performance in American schools. They unpack why test scores haven’t recovered since the pandemic, the long-term...
1 Mar 202546min
E121: Elon vs. D.C. - Can DOGE Fix America’s $36 Trillion Debt Bomb? w/ Dr. Dirk Mateer
In this episode, Jesse is joined by Dr. Dirk Mateer, award-winning educator and professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin. Together, they dive deep into the growing U.S. national deb...
22 Feb 20251h 2min
E120: Why DOGE Needs to Cut More or it Will FAIL - w/ Tad DeHaven
Policy analyst Tad DeHaven (Cato Institute, former deputy budget director of Indiana) joins Jesse to break down why America’s spending problem runs much deeper than "waste, fraud, and abuse." They dig...
19 Feb 20251h 14min
E119: America’s Toxic Work Culture & Work-Life Crisis - w/ Adam Chandler
Why do Americans ask “What do you do?” before “Who are you?” In this episode, journalist and author Adam Chandler joins Jesse to explore America’s deep-rooted obsession with work — and how it compares...
14 Feb 20251h 15min
E118: Why Netflix is Dumbing Down TV, Peak TV & DeepSeek Disruption – w/ Emily Forlini
From prestige TV to background noise—what happened? In this episode, tech journalist Emily Forlini joins Jesse to break down her viral article on how Netflix is quietly telling writers to simplify scr...
9 Feb 20251h 8min
