Videos
Industrial Policy: The Case Of Shipbuilding
The United States produces very few ships. China produces many. Why?
November 11, 2026
This week on Uncommon Knowledge, authors Joseph Epstein and Andrew Ferguson discuss where liberal arts came from and what has happened to them. Liberal arts, they say, emerged from an ancient stream of thought, learning, and belief about what is important in life, yet liberal arts degrees are not held in high regard today. (30:57)
Recorded on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Cast
Joseph Epstein
Andrew Ferguson
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Limiting Federal Spending Growth to Balance the Budget
Many think that balancing the federal budget would require deep cuts in entitlement programs. This paper shows to the contrary that the budget can be balanced within 15 years through modest and sustained federal spending restraint and moderately higher economic growth. Key to this restraint is to limit the growth in the average future value of entitlement benefits per recipient to today’s level, after adjusting for inflation and rising healthcare costs.
November 10, 2026