PODCAST

Choosing Better

Enoch Hill and Tim Taylor

Conversations about wacky ideas, economics, and the art of living well.

science social sciences

All Episodes

00:52:38

The Marriage Premium: Why Men (may) Need to Settle Down

Choosing Better ·

2025/05/23

Fact: Married adults tend to live longer than their non-married counterparts. They also tend to make more money, have lower suicide risk, work more stable jobs, and are evenmore likely to avoid incarceration. But these differences are most seen among men! Women tend to have similar outcomes regardless of their marital status while men seem to differ quite a bit. Enoch and Tim discuss these differences and then ask if marriage makes better men or if better men tend to get married. The conversation is

00:41:06

[Bonus Episode] India and Pakistan: Unpacking the...

Choosing Better ·

2025/05/16

Join Tim and Enoch as they sit down with former CIA executive, Tim Buch — an insider who’s briefed four U.S. presidents and ran the Near East and South Asia office — for an exclusive look at the past, present, and future of India and Pakistan. From recent tensions to the deep-rooted history of the subcontinent, this is one conversation you won’t want to miss.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Recording

00:55:42

Morality and the Law: Right, Wrong, and the Rules We...

Choosing Better ·

2025/05/09

How do we know the difference between right and wrong? Laws often legislate morality, but we cannot necessarily use laws to inform our knowledge and behaviors on good versus evil. Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss laws and morality as a means to guide our behaviors. They consider when laws should enforce morality for all and how we should live in a diverse pluralistic society where we do not necessarily agree.Note: A previous episode, Just Price or Just a Price? is referenced in the

00:53:43

The Upside of Unequal: Is Inequality Always Bad?

Choosing Better ·

2025/04/25

Inequality is generally presented as a major problem to be corrected. It has become such a talking point that many people even conflate inequality with poverty. But should we truly seek a society of equality where everyone is given the same number of resources… does the same go for compliments? Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss what may be lost when equality becomes the driving force of a workplace or community.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center

01:01:21

Cultivating Generosity: Should We Receive Pleasure...

Choosing Better ·

2025/04/11

Is one being generous if they enjoy the very act of giving? Or is giving only a virtue if it hurts in some way? Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss the pleasure in generosity and why we may want to cultivate in ourselves, and others, the “warm glow” that comes from altruism. They tell stories and question whether we should consider efficiencies and effectiveness in our giving. Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics &

00:47:56

[Bonus Episode] Liberation Day: The Tariff Wall Is Here

Choosing Better ·

2025/04/04

On April 2nd, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the most expansive set of tariffs (taxes on imports) in modern history with the United States setting a baseline tariff rate of 10% on over 180 countries. And further tariffs will be added to particular countries including China, Japan, Taiwan, and the European Union. Rarely does a global event intersect so closely with the academic work of both Enoch and Tim, so they too are stepping into unprecedented terrain in recording a bonus episode on a

01:18:41

Patriot Games: A National(ism) Past Time (recorded...

Choosing Better ·

2025/03/28

In a world where even waving a flag feels like picking a fight, what does it really mean to belong to a nation? Is nationalism a unifying force or a political powder keg? Come join Dr. Taylor and Dr. Hill in their first ever live recording as they try to untangle the good, the bad, and the downright weird of national identity—when it inspires, when it divides, and when it just gets awkward. Enoch and Tim record their first podcast with a live audience at Wheaton College!Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew

01:04:02

What Makes a Good College?

Choosing Better ·

2025/03/14

In this episode Enoch and Tim invite special guest and beloved colleague Denise Daniels to join them in reflecting on the question of, "What makes a good college?" Specifically, they discuss what they valued from their undergraduate experiences, what professional college ranking websites consider, and what they desire(d) regarding college selection for their children. Along the way, we hear about both Denise and Tim's college pranks and how Tim's punishment led to his favorite part

01:00:26

What do you know?

Choosing Better ·

2025/02/28

Inside everybody's head is a large set of things they know. We're made out of a whole bunch of tiny little atoms, the earth revolves around the sun, if I sneeze on someone they might get sick, the sun is really, really hot, we will (not) exist after death, vaccines (do not) work.Most of this knowledge wasn't obtained through your own empirical observations. For the first three, you would have likely believed something very different had you been born a couple centuries earlier

00:59:35

Agreeable Disagreement

Choosing Better ·

2025/02/14

Most of us would agree that the art of disagreeing well is a dying one. In this episode Enoch and Tim discuss what it means to effectively navigate different perspectives. In the process, they discover that, in the quest to disagree better, the stakes are far greater than they expected.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics & Economics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Recording Date: 24 October 2024

00:59:59

Trading Places: Tariffs and the Economics of...

Choosing Better ·

2025/01/31

Will imposing tariffs, a tax on imports, benefit the economy? World history is rife with suspicion of international trade, but barriers to trade fell after World War II so that global markets have been fairly open throughout our lifetimes. As voters and politicians view trade with pessimism, Enoch and Tim discuss the nature and use of tariffs. How “America First” is blocking imports from our neighbors and who benefits (or loses) from international trade? Stories are told and theories are explained

01:01:56

History’s Greatest Hits: A Conversation with Jason...

Choosing Better ·

2025/01/17

What are the greatest inventions in history and how should we think about gains for human wellbeing? Join Enoch and Tim alongside special guest Dr. Jason Long, an economic historian at Wheaton College, as they discuss the greatest moments for growth and standards of living in economic history. In this episode, we explore key technologies and inventions that have fundamentally improved human livesand made daily existence healthier, safer, and more connected. The conversation concludes with a look at

01:02:19

Lawn and Order: Zoning Laws and the Balance of...

Choosing Better ·

2025/01/03

The war on uncut lawns and drabby clothes lines is being waged across great cities and small towns alike! But is it reasonable to place limits on how one can use their own property when they live in neighborhoods where any one person’s actions affect their neighbors? Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss the purpose and use of zoning regulations and how these rules impact the private spaces of our homes.Their commitments to individual liberties are stressed as they consider when, if ever, constraints

00:59:48

Who Owns the Baby? Fertility and the Limits of the...

Choosing Better ·

2024/12/20

When couples struggle with infertility and want their own baby, should they turn to the marketplace? Advances in modern medicine provide an array of options to individuals and couples, but should we be concerned when we put a price on fertility and childbirth? Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss the complexity of the modern global market for sperm, eggs, embryos, and surrogacy. They grapple with their commitments to individual free choice and what may be lost when we buy and sell the very components

01:05:53

Birth Dearth: Why the World Stopped Having Babies

Choosing Better ·

2024/12/06

The world will get smaller. Birth rate have fallen continuously for decades and are predicted to continue to decline. How big of a problem is this? And what is causing men and women across the world to choose smaller families? Join Enoch and Tim as they explore reasons for the decline in fertility and what, if anything, should be done to address the birth dearth. And be sure to listen as Enoch casually shares a personal revelation midway through the episode which surprises Tim to no end.Credits:

00:53:37

We Measure What We Value… and We Value What We Measure

Choosing Better ·

2024/11/22

We cannot help but measure–whether it is what we look at or talk about – we are assessing. But we need to be careful about what we select to measure because it reflects what we value. And as we agree on particular measurements, they quickly influence the very things we value! Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss their favorite measurements and examine how our values are formed by our assessments. We choose better measurements which orient our hearts toward relationships and the good life.Credits:

00:55:13

Is The Gain Worth the Pain? The Use and Effectiveness...

Choosing Better ·

2024/11/08

The United States makes the most prolific use of economic sanctions in global affairs. But are these sanctions even effective? And are the benefits worth thecosts? Join Enoch and Tim as they discuss the logic of sanctions and their effectiveness while exploring whether the carrot is more beneficial than the stick. And have some fun while wandering into topics of integrity and the Summer Olympics. Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith,

00:44:54

Reality Check or Dream On? Debating Idealism vs. Realism

Choosing Better ·

2024/10/25

Better to be a realist or an idealist? Economists and political scientists often stress a view of how the world is rather than what it ought to be. But how should we as individuals view our world and the people inhabiting it? Enoch and Tim discuss the merits of both perspectives as they think through when we should choose to be realists and when is it better to be idealists.Credits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Drew Elliot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (music) with additional thanks to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics &

01:07:07

Show Me the Money: Is Universal Basic Income (UBI)...

Choosing Better ·

2024/10/11

What is the best way to craft a welfare system which bestmaximizing the flourishing of citizens? Tim and Enoch discuss the nature of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a replacement to existing welfare programs and review findings on the effectiveness of UBI. As usual, the discussion goes beyond economics and politics as they discuss why lower income populations have worse outcomes such as life expectancy and whether adding money will meaningfully address the problem. They end while reflecting on the

01:08:44

A Genuine Conversation on Artificial Intelligence...

Choosing Better ·

2024/09/27

Richard Hughes Gibson, a Professor of English at Wheaton College, joins Enoch and Tim to discuss the history and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society. How is AI distinct from other technological advances and how will it shape the course of history? Professor Gibson has written extensively on the topic and shares his insights as well as assuages fears for an imminent apocalypse. If you want to read Dr. Gibson on the intellectual origins of today’s text generators, try his article

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Choosing Better

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