Econtalk: Robert Frank on Inequality
From Oxford College Principles of Microeconomics Course by Professor Daniel Ludwinski
December 3, 2025 · 1h 2m · Season 4
About this episode
Robert Frank discusses the role of public policy in addressing income inequality with Russ Roberts.
From Econtalk: Robert Frank of Cornell University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about inequality. Is there a role for public policy in mitigating income inequality? Is such intervention justified or effective? The conversation delves into both the philosophical and empirical evidence behind differing answers to these questions. Ultimately, Frank argues for a steeply rising tax rate on consumption that would reduce disparities in consumption. This is a lively back-and-forth about a very timely topic.
People in this episode
Host: Russ Roberts
Guest: Robert Frank
Topics covered
- inequality
- public policy
- taxation
- consumption
- economic disparities
Keywords
- inequality
- public policy
- tax rates
- consumption
- economic disparities
- Econtalk
- Robert Frank
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cornell University
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