The Economics Of It

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has delivered on his promise to freeze rents on rent-stabilized apartments. And while rent control is nothing new in New York, support for the policy is growing across the country. Who actually benefits from controlled rents? And what happens when tenants need to move, landlords need to make repairs, or families need more space?

Ryan Bourne and Alex Tabarrok explore the economics of rent control, from housing supply and maintenance to who really benefits from lower rents. Drawing on Tabarrok’s visual essay Rent Control: The Ceiling Trap, they examine the unintended consequences of trying to make housing cheaper by controlling its price.

Read more on rent control:

Rent Control: The Ceiling Trap https://mason.gmu.edu/~atabarro/RentControl/
New Meta-Study Details the Distortive Effects of Rent Control https://www.cato.org/commentary/new-meta-study-details-distortive-effects-rent-control
Rent Control: An Old, Bad Idea That Won’t Go Away https://www.cato.org/commentary/rent-control-old-bad-idea-wont-go-away
The Politics of Price Controls https://www.cato.org/commentary/politics-price-controls
Book: The War on Prices https://www.cato.org/books/war-prices

Host & Producer: Ryan Bourne
Senior Producer: Barbara Galletti
Video Editor: Lena Popilieva
Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman
Director of Photography: Darren Walker
Assistant Producer: Nathan Miller
Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields
Original Music: Cecil Sherman
Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who are the rich in America? Tech billionaires and Wall Street financiers dominate the headlines, but roughly three million private-business owners are worth at least $5 million each, scattered right across the country.

Economists Eric Zwick and Owen Zidar, the authors of The Everywhere Millionaire, join host Ryan Bourne to explain who these “Main Street Millionaires” are, how they got rich, and what their stories tell us about the health of the American Dream.

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250378508?lv=shuf&hvlocphy=9007525&hvptwo=&hvnetw=g&mcid=&hvext=372818529804&hvadid=812902853505&language=en_US&hvpone=&hvlocint=&hvcampaign=23946702469&hydadcr=10515_13903858_2508815&hvpos=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvocijid=17587560212302598051--&hvqmt=a&hvexpln=0&tag=smgglusdsadts-20&hvtargid=kwl-2484167636399&adgrpid=197419383013&hvrand=17587560212302598051&channelId=500&ref_=&plpRedirect=mhFallback

More on this topic:

Angus Deaton Inadvertently Shows Why We Shouldn’t Care about Economic Inequality Stats: https://www.cato.org/commentary/angus-deaton-inadvertently-shows-why-we-shouldnt-care-about-economic-inequality-stats

Failures of Wealth Taxation: https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/failures-wealth-taxation

Exploring Wealth Inequality: https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/exploring-wealth-inequality

Host & Producer: Ryan Bourne
Senior Producer: Barbara Galletti
Video Editor: Lena Popilieva
Audio Engineer: Sedona LaMarre
Director of Photography: Darren Walker
Assistant Producer: Nathan Miller
Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields
Original Music: Cecil Sherman
Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is a prediction market just gambling in a financial suit? Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour says no: a casino bets against you, while an exchange simply matches buyers and sellers and takes no side.

Host Ryan Bourne asks him about prediction markets' forecasting records, how businesses can use these event contracts to hedge risk, and the turf war over who regulates them, Washington or the states.

The Wisdom of Crowds: An Intro to Prediction Markets, Cato Weekly Podcast: https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/wisdom-crowds-intro-prediction-markets

Prediction Markets Are Not ‘Just Gambling’ Platforms: https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/10/prediction-markets-are-not-just-gambling-platforms/

Prediction Markets Should Not Be Subject to Fragmented Regulation: https://www.cato.org/blog/prediction-markets-should-not-be-subject-fragmented-regulation

Ban prediction markets? That didn’t go well in 1591: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/09/24/prediction-markets-should-not-be-treated-like-casinos/

Host & Producer: Ryan Bourne
Senior Producer: Barbara Galletti
Video Editor: Darren Walker
Audio Engineer: Cecil Sherman
Director of Photography: Darren Walker
Assistant Producer: Nathan Miller
Motion Graphics: Jonathan Fields
Original Music: Cecil Sherman
Executive Producer: Kristina Kendall
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Economics isn't just about stock markets or GDP numbers. It's the study of the choices we all make when time, money, land, energy, and attention are limited.

On The Economics of It, Cato Institute economist Ryan Bourne sits down each week with leading economists, thinkers, and authors to uncover the hidden economics behind today's biggest debates. From rent control to tariffs, AI to the cost of war, if it's making headlines, there's economics behind it.

Each episode goes beyond the talking points with clear economic reasoning, asking how policies actually play out, who benefits, who bears the costs, and what unintended consequences follow.

New episodes every Thursday, starting October 29th. Subscribe so you don't miss one.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.