Affordability continues to dominate the concerns of American families, and for good reason. As prices remain elevated, energy costs are squeezing household budgets, housing has become increasingly out of reach, and the value of every dollar continues to erode. But these problems didn’t appear out of nowhere; much of today’s affordability crisis is the result of years of bad policy.

In this episode of This Week’s Economy, we’ll examine why inflation remains a persistent burden, how housing shortages and overregulation continue driving up living costs, why tax and spending reforms matter for long-run affordability, and what the future of the Federal Reserve under Kevin Warsh could mean for restoring sound money and economic discipline.

Watch the full episode and visit my website for more information about my work at Ginn Economic Consulting at vanceginn.com and show notes at vanceginn.substack.com.

Is Texas still living up to its reputation as a model for freedom and prosperity?

In Episode 200 of the Let People Prosper Show, Vance Ginn talks with Jeramy Kitchen, president of Texas Policy Research, about the growing gap between Texas’s conservative branding and the reality of rising government spending, high property taxes, corporate welfare, and expanding bureaucracy.

They discuss:

• transparency in the Texas Legislature,
• spending growth and fiscal restraint,
• property tax reform,
• school choice,
• corporate subsidies,
• and what a truly pro-liberty Texas agenda should look like.

This milestone 200th episode is also a reflection on the importance of accountability, citizen engagement, and the protection of the principles that helped Texas prosper.

Subscribe today, and get show notes at vanceginn.substack.com.

America spends more on healthcare than any country in the world, yet patients often feel powerless, overcharged, and disconnected from their care.

In today's episode of This Week’s Economy, we discuss why the healthcare system is failing patients and how market-based reforms can improve affordability, transparency, and patient choice.

Topics include healthcare costs, employer-sponsored insurance, regulatory BURRDEN, No-Limit Health Savings Accounts, and restoring the patient-doctor relationship.

More at: https://vanceginn.com

Why are prices still so high across the economy?

In this episode of the Let People Prosper Show, Vance Ginn talks with Patrick McLaughlin of the Hoover Institution about the hidden economic costs of regulation.

They discuss how freight rules, transportation bottlenecks, and regulatory accumulation quietly increase prices, slow growth, and reduce competition. The conversation also explores the East Palestine rail derailment, why symbolic regulation often fails, and what smarter regulatory reform should look like.

Topics include:

• Regulation as a hidden tax
• Transportation and economic growth
• Freight costs and inflation
• Small business burdens
• Innovation and productivity
• Smarter regulatory reform

Subscribe today. Learn more at vanceginn.com and get show notes at vanceginn.substack.com.

One of the biggest myths about capitalism is that it concentrates power among elites. In reality, free-market capitalism decentralizes power by allowing millions of individuals to make decisions through voluntary exchange, entrepreneurship, investment, and competition.

In this episode of This Week’s Economy, we explore why strong institutions matter, how economic freedom disperses power, and why centralized government control often weakens prosperity and opportunity.

We also discuss:
• Property rights and the rule of law
• Federal Reserve distortions and overspending
• Regulatory burdens and economic costs
• Healthcare competition and certificate-of-need laws
• School choice and decentralized education
• Why spending restraint matters at every level of government

The closer decision-making stays to individuals, families, and communities, the stronger and more resilient society becomes.

For show notes, more commentary, and resources:
https://vanceginn.com
https://vanceginn.substack.com

Politicians often promise to tax “the rich” to fund bigger government. But what happens when high earners leave?

In Episode 198 of the Let People Prosper Show, Jack Salmon of the Mercatus Center joins me to explain how taxes influence migration, investment, entrepreneurship, and state competitiveness.

We discuss why high-income taxpayers are more mobile than politicians assume, why wealth taxes often underperform, and why states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee continue attracting people and capital while high-tax states struggle.

The takeaway: sustainable prosperity comes from spending restraint, growth, and economic freedom—not punishing success.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more conversations on policies that let people prosper. See show notes and more about my work at Ginn Economic Consulting at vanceginn.com.

The economy may be growing on paper—but millions of Americans still feel squeezed.

In Episode 163 of This Week’s Economy, we break down the latest economic data and explain why inflation, debt, regulation, and bad incentives continue making life more expensive for families and businesses.

We cover:
• The rise of the “K-shaped economy”
• Why gas prices keep climbing
• How government overspending fuels inflation
• Why Americans are moving toward lower-tax states
• The future of the Federal Reserve
• Why healthcare affordability requires more competition and patient control

The conflict is simple:
Washington keeps managing symptoms while ignoring root causes.

The payoff:
Policies focused on growth, energy abundance, spending restraint, and economic freedom can still turn things around.

🎧 Listen now to Episode 163 of This Week’s Economy and subscribe for weekly economic analysis grounded in free-market principles.

📖 Show notes at vanceginn.substack.com

Electricity bills are rising. Gas prices are volatile. And families across the country are feeling it. But here’s the uncomfortable truth policymakers don’t like to admit: High energy costs are not just the result of markets—they’re the result of policy choices.Too often, lawmakers pass rules that sound good politically but quietly drive up costs, reduce reliability, and limit economic opportunity. And when prices rise, they blame everything except the policies that caused it. That needs to change.In Episode 197 of the Let People Prosper Show, I interviewed Lora Current of the American Legislative Exchange Council to break down what’s really driving energy costs—and what states can do to fix it. If you care about affordability, economic growth, and getting policy right, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.Watch the full episode on YouTube, Apple Podcast, or Spotify, visit my website at vanceginn.com for more information about my work at Ginn Economic Consulting, and see show notes on my newsletter at vanceginn.substack.com.