The Hinckley Institute Radio Hour (Original Air Date: April 13, 2022) — This week, on the program, a panel of experts discusses inflation and its relation to consumption, labor and corporate power.
In July, the Federal Reserve increased interest rates to 5.5 percent—the highest rate since 2001—in its effort to curb inflation. The latest rate hike is the eleventh such increase in less than a year and a half. While inflation has come down, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated interest rates could be raised further if economic and wage growth don’t slow down substantially. Commentators and politicians have criticized the Fed’s policy for its negative impact on the job market and its potential to cause a recession.
This week’s panel attempts to demystify the causes of inflation and offers public policy solutions that could ease the squeeze felt by consumers. The panel includes Dr. Ivan Mendieta-Munoz, assistant professor of economics at the University of Utah; Phil Dean, public finance senior research fellow at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute; and Marshall Steinbaum, assistant professor of economics at the University of Utah. Moderating the panel is Rudi Von Arnim, associate professor in the Economics Department at the University of Utah.
This forum was recorded on March 2nd, 2022.
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