- Regulation & Property Rights
- Innovation
- US Labor Market
- Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies
- Understanding the Effects of Technology on Economics and Governance
Richmond Fed President, Tom Barkin, joins Steven Davis to consider what it takes for small towns to prosper, and why it matters for families and communities. They also discuss how policymakers and civic leaders can address concerns about the downsides of economic development.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tom Barkin is President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and a member of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed’s chief monetary policy body. Previously, he was a senior partner and CFO at McKinsey & Company, where he also oversaw McKinsey’s offices in the Southern United States. He holds bachelor’s, MBA, and law degrees from Harvard University.
Steven Davis is the Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Hoover Institution and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). He is a research associate of the NBER, IZA research fellow, elected fellow of the Society of Labor Economists, and a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He co-founded the Economic Policy Uncertainty project, the U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes, the Global Survey of Working Arrangements, the Survey of Business Uncertainty, and the Stock Market Jumps project. He also co-organizes the Asian Monetary Policy Forum, held annually in Singapore. Before joining Hoover, Davis was on the faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, serving as both distinguished service professor and deputy dean of the faculty.
RELATED SOURCES
- How Do Small Towns Grow? Tom Barkin's speech at the Investing in Rural America Conference, 20 May 2025
- Tom Barkin’s webpage, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Each episode of Economics, Applied, a video podcast series, features senior fellow Steven Davis in conversation with leaders and researchers about economic developments and their ramifications. The goal is to bring evidence and economic reasoning to the table, drawing lessons for individuals, organizations, and society. The podcast also aims to showcase the value of individual initiative, markets, the rule of law, and sound policy in fostering prosperity and security.
For more information, visit hoover.org/podcasts/economics-applied.
