Are Legislators Beating The Market With Insider Information?

Are Legislators Beating The Market With Insider Information?

Author: University of Chicago Podcast Network October 12, 2022 Duration: 49:33
There might not be a more controversial political hack than members of Congress being legally allowed to trade stocks. Infamously, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, has been regularly accused of insider trading. Recently the House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would prohibit members of Congress, their spouses, and children, from trading stocks. Although the bill has stalled, it's renewed a really important lingering question: are members of Congress actually advanced investors, and how much are they benefiting from inside information? In a 2014 paper by University of Chicago's Andy Eggers and Stanford University's Jens Hainmueller titled, Political Capital: Corporate Connections and Stock Investments in the U.S. Congress, they look at a wide data set of investments made by hundreds of members of Congress between 2004 and 2008, to see whether or not they're getting an unfair advantage. The results may surprise you.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant churn of political news, where hot takes often replace deeper understanding. Not Another Politics Podcast cuts through that noise by grounding current events in the tools of political science. Hosted by Harris School of Public Policy professors William Howell, Anthony Fowler, and Wioletta Dziuda, this conversation from the University of Chicago Podcast Network moves past opinion and anecdote. Instead, each episode applies rigorous scholarship, analysis of large data sets, and foundational theory to the day’s biggest stories. What you’ll hear is a thoughtful examination of the mechanisms, institutions, and voter behaviors that actually drive outcomes, offering clarity where there is typically confusion. This isn’t a reactionary debate show; it’s a space where academic insight meets practical politics, giving you a more durable framework for understanding power, policy, and elections. Tune in for a genuinely fresh perspective that prioritizes evidence over echo chambers, making this podcast a resource for anyone who wants to move beyond the headlines and understand the why behind the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Not Another Politics Podcast
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