Are the President's tariffs protecting American industry, or making the economy less efficient and more vulnerable to political favoritism? On this episode of The Economist Next Door, host Paul Mueller sits down with AIER Senior Fellow Dave Hebert and Phil Magness of the Independent Institute to examine the economic and political costs of protectionism. They discuss the shifting landscape of Trump's tariff policy, the realities of American manufacturing, the Jones Act, rare earth minerals, and the case for free trade. They also explore how tariffs create opportunities for cronyism, entrench special interests, and distort markets, often in ways that outlast the policies that created them.

But are tariffs really as harmful as most economists suggest? Listen to find out. And don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and leave a review.

The government is spending more on interest payments than on national defense. How did America get here? And why do politicians keep spending more than they collect in taxes?

On this episode of The Economist Next Door, host Paul Mueller is joined by AIER Research Fellow Tom Savage and Duke University professor Richard Salsman to explore the political economy of government debt. They examine how excessive borrowing affects inflation, interest rates, affordability, and economic growth; why neither tariffs nor faster growth are likely to solve the problem on their own.

The conversation also explores why both political parties have incentives to perpetuate deficits, whether bond markets can force fiscal discipline, and what reforms might help put government finances on a more sustainable path. I

s a debt crisis inevitable, or can America change course before the costs become even harder to ignore?

Who really controls corporate America—the shareholders who own companies, or the executives and institutions managing their money?

On this episode of The Economist Next Door, AIER's Paul Mueller is joined by Alan Mendenhall of The Heritage Foundation and Steve Soukup of the State Financial Officers Foundation to examine the growing influence of stakeholder capitalism, ESG investing, and political activism in America's financial markets.

From BlackRock's enormous influence over corporate decisions to the controversial use of public pension funds, the conversation explores how investment managers can pursue political agendas with money that isn't theirs.

The discussion also challenges the promise of ESG investing: Does prioritizing environmental and social goals actually produce better outcomes, or does it undermine profitability, accountability, and shareholder rights?

As more financial power becomes concentrated in fewer hands, one question becomes increasingly important: Who gets to decide how your money is used?

The Economist Next Door is brought to you by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), making complex economic ideas accessible. No PhD required.