Political Economy with Jim Pethokoukis

About Political Economy with Jim Pethokoukis

Tune in each week as James Pethokoukis interviews economists, business leaders, academics and others on the most important and interesting issues of the day. You can find all episodes at AEI, Ricochet, and wherever podcasts are downloaded, and look for follow-up transcripts and blog posts at aei.org.

Publisher

AEI Podcasts

Category

news · news · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Sept 2018

Latest episode

11 Nov 2025

Latest episodes

16 of 219 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   11 Nov 2025

   Hal Brands: Allies, Autocrats, and AI

   Today on Political Economy, I’m chatting with Hal Brands (https://www.aei.org/profile/hal-brands/) about America’s place in the changing global order. Under the Trump administration, the US has acted less as an “ordering power,” as Brands puts it, than it has over the past century. We talk about the evolving relationship between the US and its allies, in addition to the role of emerging technology in the competition with China. Brands is a senior fellow here at AEI, where he researches US foreign policy and defense strategy. He is also the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (https://sais.jhu.edu/). His newest book, The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World (https://www.aei.org/research-products/book/the-eurasian-century-hot-wars-cold-wars-and-the-making-of-the-modern-world/), is available now.

2. 

   30 Sept 2025

   Tobias Peter: Solving the US Housing Shortage

   Today on Political Economy, I’m talking with Tobias Peter (https://www.aei.org/profile/tobias-peter/) about housing: From homeownership rates to construction types, we go over the many factors that play into a healthy housing market and explore what is holding back US homeowners. Tobias is the codirector of the Housing Center (https://www.aei.org/centers/housing-center/) at AEI. As a senior fellow, his research focuses on housing risk and mortgage markets. Tobias has testified before Congress and has contributed to major publications from the Wall Street Journal to Business Insider.

3. 

   19 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Mackenzie Eaglen: The State of US Military Preparedness

   Today on Political Economy, I talk with Mackenzie Eaglen (https://www.aei.org/profile/mackenzie-eaglen/) about the Pentagon’s evolving strategy to confront today’s national defense challenges. Mackenzie and I take a look at the military doctrine of recent administrations compared to that of today. We discuss America’s state of preparedness, the changing defense-industrial base, and the role of automation. Eaglen is a senior fellow here at AEI where her research focuses on defense strategy, budgets, and readiness. She is a member of the Commission on the Future of the Navy and is one of 12 members of the US Army War College Board of Visitors. She serves on the US Army Science Board, and was a staff member on both the National Defense Strategy Commission and the National Defense Panel.

Inside a recent episode

Mackenzie Eaglen: The State of US Military Preparedness

Published 19 Aug 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] It just means they're going to be sailing in hopefully within the next 10 year with armadas of unmanned robotic drone trucks whether that's undersea or surface or India carrying fuel weapons whatever it is cargo of some sort that's the future. To me it would seem profoundly weird that when we talk about what are the strengths of America right there at the top of the list people would say our entrepreneurial culture our startups obviously Silicon Valley being a big part of that to me it would seem weird if that somehow wasn't also a national security strength and it seems like maybe it hasn't been as much as it could have been until now. […]

Who has been a guest on Political Economy with Jim Pethokoukis

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Christopher Scalia
• Edward Glaeser
• Deirdre McCloskey
• Andrew Biggs
• Derek Scissors

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

127 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

79

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

95

Contact Political Economy with Jim Pethokoukis

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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