Ep. 34: John Kay On Smaller Government And Business Failure, And Why Greed Is Dead

John Kay is one of the UK’s leading economists. His books on the tax system, corporate strategy and banking have been widely praised. He helped establish the Institute of Fiscal Studies, is a fellow at St. Johns College Oxford, and was the first dean of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. In this podcast we discuss:

1. The importance of science for policymakers and why they do not use it more

2. The problem with the focus on short-term earnings

3. Why people are pro-social rather than individualistic

4. Why the 1970s failed and later why neo-liberalism failed

5. Why productivity could be under-estimated

6. The problem with the rights movements

7. The need for decentralization and disciplined pluralism

8. How the EU helps the creation of smaller states

9. Why regulation is helping big banks

10. The importance for businesses not to obsess about profits

11. Recent book that influenced John: The Secret of Our Success (Joseph Henrich)

You can find John’s latest books here: Greed is Dead and Radical Uncertainty. You can follow John’s other work here

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(The commentary contained in the above article does not constitute an offer or a solicitation, or a recommendation to implement or liquidate an investment or to carry out any other transaction. It should not be used as a basis for any investment decision or other decision. Any investment decision should be based on appropriate professional advice specific to your needs.)