Season 9 - Episode 3 - Henry George

Which books have been the biggest bestsellers in the history of economic thought? You might be surprised to find out that one contender is ‘Progress and Poverty’ by Henry George which at the time of its release, was second only to the bible in terms of sales, selling over 6 million copies. His central idea of a ‘single tax’ led to a movement called ‘Georgism’ (and his ideas were immortalised in the game ‘Monopoly’ by one of his followers Lizzee Magee). Clearly Henry George was a big thinker back in his day but what has happened since? Have his idea proved naive or impractical? Or inconvenient for the monied, landed classes? The rise of the billionaire class in the 21st century has arguably lead to a revival of the single tax idea, as we shall see. In this third episode of Season 9, your friendly neighbourhood economists Pete and Gav, discuss the life and times of Henry George and look at his influence today. As always there is a quiz, some musical suggestions and the story of two drinks - one delightful and one disgusting. Technical support comes from our good friend Nic who needed a welcome distraction.