Synopsis
Hosted by David Beckworth of the Mercatus Center, Macro Musings is a podcast which pulls back the curtain on the important macroeconomic issues of the past, present, and future.
Episodes
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Matteo Maggiori and Jesse Schreger on Geoeconomics and its Policy Implications
04/12/2023 Duration: 01h02minMatteo Maggiori is a professor of finance at Stanford University and a returning guest to the podcast, and Jesse Schreger is an associate professor of economics at Columbia University. Matteo and Jesse, along with Christopher Clayton, have recently authored a paper titled, *A Framework for Geoeconomics,* and they join David on Macro Musings to discuss it. Specifically, Matteo, Jesse, and David also discuss the basics, core concepts, and real world examples of geoeconomics, the key elements of a global hegemon, the future of the discipline, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Matteo’s Twitter: @m_maggiori Matteo’s Stanford profile Matteo’s website Jesse’s Twitter: @JSchreger Jesse’s Columbia profile Jesse’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Donate to Macro Musings! Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *A Framework for Geoeconomics* by Christopher Clayton, Matteo Maggiori
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Matthew Raskin on Treasury Market Stability, Interest Rates, and the Fed’s Balance Sheet
27/11/2023 Duration: 51minMatthew Raskin is the US head of rates research at Deutsche Bank and was formerly a senior staff member of the Federal Reserve System. Matthew joins David on Macro Musings to talk about interest rates, QE, QT, and the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet. David and Matthew also discuss the inside story behind the Fed’s shift in operating system, Matthew’s framework for long-term interest rates, how to improve the liquidity and stability of the Treasury market, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Matthew’s LinkedIn profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Financial Market Effects of the Federal Reserve’s Large-Scale Asset Purchases* by Joseph Gagnon, Matthew Raskin, Julie Remache, and Brian Sack
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David Papell on the History, Motivations, and Current Applications of Monetary Policy Rules
20/11/2023 Duration: 54minDavid Papell is a professor of economics at the University of Houston and has published widely on monetary policy rules. David joins Macro Musings to talk about his recent paper, *Policy Rules and Forward Guidance Following the COVID-19 Recession,* as well as the origins, past uses, and current applications of monetary policy rules. Transcript for this week’s episode. David’s Twitter: @DavidPapell David’s University of Houston portal David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Fed Approaches the End of the Rate Hiking Cycle* by David Papell and Ruxandra Prodan *Policy Rules and Forward Guidance Following the COVID-19 Recession* by David Papell and Ruxandra Prodan *Policy Rule Legislation in Practice* by Alex Nikolsko-Rzhevskyy, David Papell, and Ruxandra Prodan *Policy Rules and Economic Performance* by Alex Nikolsko-Rzhevskyy, David Papell, and Ruxandra Pro
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Rachel Siegel on the Fed, Commercial Real Estate, and the Economics of the 2024 Election
13/11/2023 Duration: 58minRachel Siegel is a reporter for the Washington Post, where she covers the Federal Reserve and also reports on the domestic economy more broadly. Rachel joins Macro Musings to talk about the current Fed beat as well as her work on other economic issues, including how the Fed deals with physical cash, the precarious state of the commercial real estate market, the potential issues facing voters heading into the 2024 election, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Rachel’s Twitter: @rachsieg Rachels Washington Post profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Two Blocks from the Federal Reserve, a Growing Encampment of the Homeless Grips the Economy’s Most Powerful Person* by Rachel Siegel *The High-tech, Super-secure Government Warehouse Where Old Cash Dies* by Rachel Siegel, Joy Sharon Yi, Hannah Yoon, and Emily Wright *How the ‘Urban Doom Loop
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Will Bateman on the History and Evolving Nature of the Fiscal Fed
06/11/2023 Duration: 01h09sWill Bateman is an associate professor and associate dean of research at the Australian National University College of Law. Will has recently authored a paper titled, *The Fiscal Fed,* which takes a close look at the Fed’s fiscal functions during the two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the global financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Will joins Macro Musings to talk about this paper, the origins and evolution of the Fed, the implications for policymakers, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Will’s ANU profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Fiscal Fed* by Will Bateman *The Law of Monetary Finance Under Conventional Monetary Policy* by Will Bateman
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PJ Glandon on the State of Macroeconomics: Research and Pedagogy
30/10/2023 Duration: 52minPJ Glandon is an associate professor of economics at Kenyon College, where he also serves as chair of the economics department. PJ joins David on Macro Musings to talk about his recent co-authored article, *Macroeconomics Research: Present and Past.* David and PJ also more broadly discuss the state of macroeconomics as a discipline, both in terms of research and pedagogy. Transcript for this week’s episode. PJ’s Twitter: @pjglandon PJ’s Kenyon profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Macroeconomics Research, Present and Past* by PJ Glandon, Ken Kuttner, Sandeep Mazumder, and Caleb Stroup *Let’s Close the Gap: Updating the Textbook Treatment of Monetary Policy* by Jane Ihrig and Scott Wolla
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Ed Nelson on the Life, Work, and Legacy of Bennett McCallum
23/10/2023 Duration: 41minEd Nelson is a senior advisor in the Monetary Affairs Division of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Ed has also previously been a professor of economics at the University of Sydney and has worked at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank as well as the Bank of England. Most importantly, however, Ed was also a former student of, and co-author with, the late Bennett McCallum, and he rejoins David for this special live episode of Macro Musings to talk about Bennett McCallum’s life, his work, and his legacy within the field of monetary economics. Check out the entirety of the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Transcript for this week’s episode. Ed’s website Ed’s Federal Reserve profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch!
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Sam Hammond on AI, Techno-Feudalism, and the Future of the State
16/10/2023 Duration: 55minSam Hammond is a senior economist at the Foundation for American Innovation and is non-resident fellow at the Niskanen Institute. Sam is also a previous guest of the show, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about artificial intelligence and the future of the state. Specifically, David and Sam discuss the current AI environment, how private AI may replace functions of the state, key moments in the techno-feudalistic future of AI, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Sam’s Twitter: @hamandcheese Sam’s FAI profile Sam’s blog David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *AI and Leviathan: The Institutional Economics of an Intelligence Explosion* by Sam Hammond *AI and Leviathan: Preparing for Regime Change* by Sam Hammond *AI and Leviathan: A Timeline of Our Techno-Feudalist Future* by Sam Hammond *Attention is All You Need* by Ashish Vaswani et al.
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Marc Goldwein on the US Government Budget: Structure, Challenges, and Reform Strategies
09/10/2023 Duration: 53minMarc Goldwein is the Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), where he guides and conducts research on a wide array of topics related to fiscal policy and the federal budget. Marc joins Macro Musings to talk about the US government budget, its structure, its challenges, and its long-term trajectories. David and Marc also discuss the basics of government shutdowns and the budgetary process, how the most recent inflationary episode unfolded, how to fix the US budget over the long run, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Last chance to register for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Marc’s CRFB profile Marc’s Twitter: @MarcGoldwein David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know* by the Committee for a Responsible Federal
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Lev Menand and Josh Younger on *Money and the Public Debt: Treasury Market Liquidity as a Legal Phenomenon*
02/10/2023 Duration: 01h01minLev Menand is an associate professor of law at Columbia University and Josh Younger is a senior policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a lecturer at Columbia Law School. Lev and Josh also recently co-authored a paper titled, *Money and the Public Debt: Treasury Market Liquidity as a Legal Phenomenon.* They are also returning guests to Macro Musings, and rejoin the podcast to talk about this paper and its implications for the Treasury market. Lev, Josh, and David also discuss the transition from bank to market financing, whether an increasing level of debt is leading to more instability, the impact of recent regulations on the primary dealer system, how to restore the balance between public debt and money creation, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Josh’s Columbia Law profile Lev’s Columbia Law profile Lev’s Twitter: @LevMenand David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_
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Thomas Hoenig on Public Debt Sustainability and the Current State of the US Banking System
25/09/2023 Duration: 59minThomas Hoenig is a distinguished senior fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he focuses on the long-term impacts of the politicization of financial services as well as the effects of government-granted privileges and market performance. He was formerly the vice chair of the FDIC from 2012 to 2018 and the 20 years prior to that, he was president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Tom is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins to talk about the Treasury market, public debt sustainability issues, and the state of banking in the United States. David and Tom also discuss the history of Tom’s influence on the Jackson Hole Conference, the growing size of the US current account deficit, the Fed’s role as the primary Treasury market backstop, the dangers of risk-weighted capital regulation, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Thomas’s Twitter: @tom_hoenig Thomas’s Mercatus profile Da
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Robert McCauley on Bond Market Crises and the International Lender of Last Resort
18/09/2023 Duration: 01h11minRobert McCauley is a senior fellow at the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, an Associate Member of the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford, and was formerly at the Bank of International Settlements for 25 years and the New York Federal Reserve Bank for 14 years. Robert is also a returning guest to the show, and he rejoins Macro Musings to talk about his recent article titled, *Bond Market Crisis and the International Lender of Last Resort* David and Robert also discuss the basics of a bond market run, the policy reaction and implications of the 2020 “Dash for Cash”, the possible concerns with corporate bond facilities, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Robert’s Boston University profile Robert’s BIS archive David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Bon
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Joe Gagnon on Inflation Progress and the Path Ahead: Breaking Down Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole Speech
11/09/2023 Duration: 58minJoe Gagnon is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and was formerly a senior staffer at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Joe is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to talk about Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. Specifically, Joe and David talk about the future direction of r star, what current inflationary trends mean for the Phillips curve, the Fed’s commitment to a two percent inflation target, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Register now for the Bennett McCallum Monetary Policy Conference! Joe’s Twitter: @GagnonMacro Joe’s PIIE profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Low Inflation Bends the Phillips Curve Around the World* by Joe Gagnon, Kristin Forbes, and Christopher Collins *Fed Chair Powell’s Message in Jackson Hol
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Nicholas Anthony on the Current Prospects and Legislative Developments Surrounding CBDC
04/09/2023 Duration: 58minNicholas Anthony is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and works on issues relating to financial privacy, cryptocurrencies, and the use of money in society. Nicholas joins Macro Musings to talk about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the recent developments surrounding CBDCs at the Fed and in Congress. Specifically, David and Nicholas discuss the arguments for and against CBDCs, the preemptive, behavioral, and punitive applications of these currencies, who would benefit from the development of CBDCs, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Nicholas’s Twitter @EconWithNick Nicholas’s Cato Institute profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Central Bank Digital Currency: Assessing the Risks and Dispelling the Myths* by Nicholas Anthony and Norbert Michel *CBDC Legislation Recap* by Nich
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John Coates on *The Problem of Twelve: When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything*
28/08/2023 Duration: 01h01minJohn Coates is a professor of law and economics and the deputy dean of the Harvard Law School. John is also the author of a new book titled, *The Problem of Twelve: When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything,* and he joins Macro Musings to talk about it. David and John also discuss the basics and beginnings of index funds, how they may undermine capitalism, the issues with private equity, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. John’s Harvard Law School profile John’s publications archive David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *The Problem of Twelve: When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything* by John Coates *House Republicans Probe BlackRock, Vanguard on Their ESG Policies* by Steven Dennis *BlackRock Offers a Vote to Retail Investors in its Biggest ETF* by Brooke Masters
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Zac Gross on the Past, Present, and Future of Australian Monetary Policy
21/08/2023 Duration: 57minZac Gross is a senior lecturer at Monash University and was formerly an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia. Zac joins Macro Musings to talk about the Australian central bank and the recent review of its framework. Specifically, David and Zac also break down Australian monetary policy over the past few decades, the RBA’s yield curve control experiment, the future of its operating system, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Zac’s Twitter: @ZacGross Zac’s website Zac’s Substack David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Assessing Australian Monetary Policy in the Twenty-First Century* By Isaac Gross and Andrew Leigh *An RBA Fit for the Future* by Gordon de Brouwer, Renee Fry-McKibbin, and Carolyn Wilkins
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Larry White on Gold, Fiat, and Bitcoin: Determining the Ideal Monetary Standard
14/08/2023 Duration: 01h05minLarry White is a professor of economics at George Mason University and is the author of a new book titled, *Better Money: Gold, Fiat, or Bitcoin?* Larry is also a returning guest to Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to discuss this book and the comparison among those monetary standards. David and Larry specifically discuss the bottom-up vs. top-down theories of money, the basics and functionality of a gold, bitcoin, and fiat standards, the future of money, and more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Larry’s Twitter: @lawrencehwhite1 Larry’s Mercatus profile Larry’s GMU profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Better Money: Gold, Fiat, or Bitcoin?* by Lawrence White *Larry White on Stablecoins, Money Market Funds, and the History of Free Banking* by Macro Musings
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Ricardo Reis on the Macroeconomics of Financial Crises and the Recent Inflation Surge
07/08/2023 Duration: 01h01minRicardo Reis is a professor of economics at the London School of Economics and is the co-author of a new book titled, *A Crash Course on Crises: Macroeconomic Concepts for Run-ups, Collapses, and Recoveries.* Ricardo is also a previous guest of Macro Musings and he rejoins the podcast to talk about his new book as well as his overall assessment of the inflation surge of the past few years. David and Ricardo specifically discuss what constitutes a bubble, the Eurozone crisis as a story of capital inflows and misallocation, shadow banking and systemic risk during the 2008 financial crisis, Ricardo’s view of the Phillips curve, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Ricardo’s Twitter: @R2Rsquared Ricardo’s LSE profile Ricardo’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! *A Crash Course on Crises: Macroeconomic Concepts for Run-Ups, Collapses, and Recoveries* by Ricardo
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Macro Lit Review 4: Highlights from Mid-2023 with George Selgin
31/07/2023 Duration: 58minGeorge Selgin is a senior fellow and director emeritus of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute. George is also a frequent guest on Macro Musings, and he rejoins the podcast to talk about some of the recent developments in the monetary and financial policy space. Specifically, David and George discuss the history and present developments surrounding FedNow, the future of real-time payments, how to revise the Fed’s operating system, whether the Fed is currently delivering on a soft landing, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. George’s Twitter: @GeorgeSelgin George Cato Institute profile David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *George Selgin on False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery* by Macro Musings *Getting Up From the Floor* by Claudio Borio *Opening a Federal Reserve Account* by Julie Hill *Fro
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Bryan Cutsinger and Louis Rouanet on the Politics and Dynamics of Hyperinflation in Revolutionary France
24/07/2023 Duration: 54minBryan Cutsinger is an assistant professor of economics at Angelo State University and Louis Rouanet is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Texas, El Paso. Bryan and Louis join Macro Musings to talk about the French Revolution, France’s public finances, its bout with hyperinflation, and finally, the implications of this experience for macroeconomic theory today. Specifically, David, Bryan and Louis also discuss the creation and widespread dissemination of assignats, the emergence guillotine-backed currency in France, the state vs. market theories of money, and a lot more. Transcript for this week’s episode. Bryan’s Twitter: @BryanPCutsinger Bryan’s website Bryan’s ASU profile Louis’s Twitter: @LouisROUANET Louis’s website David Beckworth’s Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our new Macro Musings merch! Related Links: *Assignats or Death: The Politics and Dynamics of Hyperinflation in Revolutionary Fra