Does economic freedom make the rich richer and the poor poorer?

I had the pleasure of talking with Justin Callais about his research — the first causal investigation of this important question.

In episode 6 of The Cause and Effect, we dive into Justin’s research on how economic freedom affects both economic growth and inequality — and what this means for ordinary people, not just for GDP statistics.

We discuss:

✅ What economic freedom actually measures

✅ Who benefits from economic freedom

✅ How countries with higher freedom perform across different income groups

✅ Why improving economic institutions might be key to reducing poverty

✅ How his empirical design allows him to causally examine this question

Justin shares compelling data showing that economic freedom raises incomes across the entire income distribution — and doesn’t necessarily increase inequality. The poor, as well as the rich, benefit significantly when institutions improve.

It’s a conversation that challenges important assumptions about growth, fairness, and opportunity.

📺 Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/uF8f9M8hTn4📝 Read more on our Substack:https://substack.com/@thecauseandeffect🎧 Subscribe and follow for weekly episodes connecting economic research to real-world problems—without the jargon.#EconomicFreedom #Economics #Podcast #Inequality #Growth #PublicPolicy #Development #JustinCallais #TheCauseAndEffect #Liberty #EconomicGrowth #IncomeInequality #EconomicPolicy #SocialMobility #FreeMarkets

Guest: Rohen Shah

We've all heard it: “If you want to truly learn something, teach it.” But does the research support this idea?

In this episode, economist and educator Rohen Shah shares his insights on why teaching others may be the most effective learning strategy—especially for students and self-learners. Based on evidence from real-world applications, including platforms like Khan Academy, we explore how peer instruction and active explanation enhance understanding and retention.

🎯 Topics include:

· How teaching activates deeper cognitive processing

· Why “teaching to learn” is powerful even for beginners

· How peer instruction improves outcomes in classrooms

· What this means for education policy and learning design.

🎧 Listen now on your favorite platform: ⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/the-cause--effect⁠

📝 Read more on our Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@thecauseandeffect

How fair is the college admissions process? In this episode, economist Tyler Ransom joins host Vitor Melo to explore one of the most controversial and impactful issues in U.S. education: racial discrimination in college admissions.

Together, they examine the data behind who gets into college—and who doesn’t. Does race play a role? What about class? And how do policies like affirmative action shape access to higher education?

📊 Based on Tyler's research, this episode digs into the evidence, the misconceptions, and the real-world consequences of admissions decisions at selective colleges.

🎯 In this episode, you'll learn:

· What the data says about racial disparities inadmissions

· The limits and impacts of affirmative action policies

· Why some groups are consistently underrepresented

· How admissions criteria may unintentionally favor some students over others

· The difference between equity and equality in education

🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: ⁠https://youtu.be/pYTWuXxJz6o

📝 Read more on our Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@thecauseandeffect⁠

🌐 Learn more:

Vitor Melo – ⁠https://melovitor.com⁠

Tyler Ransom – ⁠https://tyleransom.github.io/

⁠

🎧 Subscribe and follow for weekly episodes connecting economic research to real-world problems—without the jargon.

#TheCauseAndEffect #TylerRansom #CollegeAdmissions #AffirmativeAction #EducationPolicy #Inequality #Discrimination #HigherEd #PublicPolicy