Robert Smith

Government. The Big G. We like to imagine the free market and the invisible hand as being independent from political influence. But Nobel laureate, Simon Johnson, says that influence has been there since the birth of economics. Call it political economy. Call it government and business. Call it our big topic each Wednesday through Labor Day.

We're kicking off another semester of Planet Money Summer School asking the biggest question: Why are some nations rich and others poor? With stories from India, New York City and Peru, we look at the ways in which government bureaucracy can help make or break an economy.

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The series is hosted by Robert Smith and produced by Eric Mennel. Our project manager is Devin Mellor. This episode was edited by Planet Money Executive Producer Alex Goldmark and fact-checked by Emily Crawford and Sierra Juarez. Engineering by Neal Rausch.

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The childcare industry has been having a tough go of it. It's already expensive; pandemic-era programs have ended; plus there are too few providers. Enter a new challenge: increasing liability insurance premiums. Today, we look at why these premiums are rising for childcare providers, and how they're impacting both businesses and consumers.

Related episodes:
Baby's first market failure (Apple / Spotify)
When Uncle Sam stops paying the childcare bill (Apple / Spotify)

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The Planet Money team discovered an old superhero languishing in the public domain, a superhero that seems perfect for a radio network. Could NPR rescue him?

To figure out why evergreens are so costly this year, the Planet Money team decided to get into the tree business. NPR shares what they've found.

How the card game Magic: The Gathering deflated a speculative bubble.

We try to figure out what makes cents.

The U.S. and Europe just can't agree on car safety standards. That puts car companies in a weird position, makes car cost more and just seems kind of random and wasteful.

We talk to Kid Rock about how he tried to cut scalpers out of the business, then compare that to what Taylor Swift did.

The first lottery was a royal affair with poems, golden flatware and invited criminals. Also, how someone won the lottery over and over.

We try to tell the difference between correlation and causation.

How one man took the onion market hostage.

Today on the show: Could New Jersey become the next Napa?

Competition between companies is supposed to keep prices down, but if companies stop competing and start colluding, how do you stop it? In this case economists used text messages and clever design.

What happens when a group of economists applies the number one rule of economics... to number two?

Tax carbon emissions. That's basically the whole plan. What's the hold up?

It takes strategy and skill to sell snacks at a baseball game. Meet the hot dog vending legend of Fenway Park.

Team Indicator takes on the World Cup. We drink, we cheer, we watch the game and, of course, we bring our economic indicators.

California has a ton of solar power. But as soon as night falls, it's gone. Today on the show: How to bottle the sun.

In game theory, sometimes the best way to win, is to lose.

Gene Freidman built a taxi empire. We visited him before he was in legal trouble.