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The David McWilliams Podcast

David McWilliams & John Davis
Ireland
United States
Donald Trump
China
European Union
Russia
Ukraine
Germany
Economics
Tariffs
Middle East
Immigration
Israel
Dublin
Housing Crisis
Interest Rates
Housing Market
Venezuela
Federal Reserve
Inflation

The aim of this weekly podcast is to make economics easy, uncomplicated and accessible. With the world at a political, technological and financial tipping point, economics has never been so important to all of us and yet, it’s made inaccessible and complicated by so many.

I’ve always thought what is complicated is rarely important and what is important is rarely complicated.

That will be our motto... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes695Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

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Artwork for The David McWilliams Podcast

Latest Episodes

Is AI our new Prometheus, or have we just opened Pandora’s box? We dive into the risks of "techno-feudalism," why the "middleman" being replaced by robots is actually just us, and why 3,000 years of Greek wisdom might be more useful than a Silicon Va... more

Theoretical physicist Matt Fenlon joins the podcast to expose the systemic lack of transparency in Irish public expenditure. As the state budget doubles to €133 billion, Fenlon discusses the black hole in procurement, the surge in opaque consultancy ... more

Ireland has cash coming out of its ears, and nothing to show for it. Sinead O'Sullivan is back to expose the wild dysfunction inside the Irish state: no one is accountable, nothing gets finished, and the same problems get "solved" over and over again... more

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in a scrappy, dirty World Cup final, in what felt like 500 years of history playing out on a pitch in New Jersey. We use the final as an excuse to ask the big question: why did Spain's colonies end up poor and England's end u... more

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Recent Guests

Simon Cooper
Financial Times journalist and author on football economics
Financial Times
Episode: Why Social Democracies Win World Cups
Paul O'Callaghan
Founder/CEO of BlueTech Research; expert on water sustainability
BlueTech Research
Episode: The Coming Water Crisis
Noreen Fitzpatrick
Acting Director of Strategy and Communications at Solace
Solace
Episode: Why Trump Is About to Come for Ireland
Fergal O'Brien
Director of Lobbying and Influence for IBEK
IBEK
Episode: Why Nobody's Having Babies Anymore
Sinead O'Sullivan
Author and commentator on immigration policy
Episode: Immigration: What's The Plan?
Ronan Lyons
Professor, Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin
Episode: The Brittle Housing Market: Why the System Is Worse Than You Think - Part 1
Cory Doctorow
Science fiction writer, internet philosopher, and digital rights advocate
Electronic Frontier Foundation (former European director)
Episode: Did Big Tech Ruin the Internet? with Cory Doctorow
Brendan Muxwivna
UCG historian, expert on Irish American history
University of Galway / UCG
Episode: St Patrick's Day Special: Who Exactly Are The Irish Americans?
Demis Hassabis
Chief Executive of DeepMind; Nobel Prize winner in chemistry (context described in conversation)
DeepMind
Episode: Can Democracy Survive an AI Economy?

Hosts

David McWilliams
Host of The David McWilliams Podcast; central figure in economic commentary and analysis.
John
Co-host and regular on the show; contributes to framing discussions with historical and comparative context.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 5.5k ratings
  • Establishment puppet

    Cowardly conformist

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Lenboy70
    Ireland20 days ago
  • Brilliant understanding of our Entrepreneur deterring society. The Chancer😉. Thanks for covering it so well, from one Entrepreneur to another🙏

    Podcast Addict
    5
    billodea
    3 months ago
  • Insightful

    The three part series on Dublin's brittle housing market was excellent and very listenable for a non-Irish non-economist. I'm subscribed.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Tupppi
    Australia4 months ago
  • Dirty Money

    I loved this podcast until they started promoting betting firms that sponsor the podcast. Unsubscribed for now. Quite sure I’m not alone.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Coeny1
    Ireland4 months ago
  • Great Podcast

    Overall, I love this podcasts. However, you guys are far too kind to the British and their sordid history on your podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Disgruntled 1990
    Ireland5 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Viewers sometimes call out sponsorships and sponsorship-related content.
Some critique the tone as centrist or politically biased on certain episodes.
Longtime fans value the mix of economics, policy, and real-world anecdotes.
Guests and banter are often highlighted as a strength; production quality is frequently noted as high.
Listeners praise accessible explanations of complex topics and strong historical context.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#107
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#168
Australia/News
Spotify
#15
Ireland/Top Podcasts
Spotify
#26
Ireland/Trending
Apple Podcasts
#10
Ireland/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#248
United Arab Emirates/Top Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ireland's Silent Sell Off and the Employee Ownership Solution
Q: What incentives exist to encourage owners to choose employee ownership rather than a traditional sale?
Tax incentives or disincentives play a big role; in the UK they implemented capital gains tax relief to make the payout come later and potentially larger, which aligns with owners' long-term interests, while in Ireland such incentives are not yet in place, which dampens adoption.
Ireland's Silent Sell Off and the Employee Ownership Solution
Q: Alan, what is an Employee Ownership Trust and how does it fundamentally change who owns a business?
An Employee Ownership Trust is a structure where, instead of the founders selling to external buyers, the business is sold into a trust owned by the employees. The board and operations stay the same, but employees gain governance input, a profit share, and the company is run with the employees' collective best interests in mind.
How Trump Could Kill the Dollar
Q: What role do swap lines play in the dollar system and why are they politically risky?
Swap lines provide short-term dollar liquidity during crises by linking central banks, but if political conditions or dependencies are attached, these lines could weaponize the dollar and undermine the trust that keeps the dollar as a non-political anchor of global finance.
How Trump Could Kill the Dollar
Q: How did the euro-dollar system originate and what does it imply for sovereignty over currency?
Euro-dollars originated when banks in Europe issued dollar-denominated loans to American servicemen after World War II, creating a global dollar pool outside U.S. regulation. This means currencies can be created and circulated without direct Fed authorization, complicating the idea of a single sovereign dollar.
How Trump Could Kill the Dollar
Q: Explain the difference between money and finance.
Money begins as credit and is embedded in the balance sheets of banks through lending, while the underlying 'edge' token (coins) is secondary; the value and reliability of money come from the asset backing (loans, inventory, farms) and the regulation that supports it, not from coin alone.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The David McWilliams Podcast

What is The David McWilliams Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Accessible, sharp-edged economics and public policy analysis delivered with wit and historical context. The show blends macroeconomics, housing policy, technology's impact, and geopolitics through energetic banter between two Irish hosts, often grounding global ideas in Ireland's policy debates. Noteworthy are its deep dives into housing affordability, institutional reform, and the political economy of subsidies, always backed by real-world anecdotes and guest expertise. The format tends to mix provocative theses with practical policy ideas, making it a compelling listen for listeners who want clear explanations of complex issues and how they affect everyday life and national trajectories.

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Which podcasts are similar to The David McWilliams Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The David McWilliams Podcast:

1. The Other Hand
2. Path to Power
3. Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan
4. Indo Sport
5. The Indo Daily

How many episodes of The David McWilliams Podcast are there?

The David McWilliams Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 695 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The David McWilliams Podcast?

Recent guests on The David McWilliams Podcast include:

1. Simon Cooper
2. Paul O'Callaghan
3. Noreen Fitzpatrick
4. Fergal O'Brien
5. Sinead O'Sullivan
6. Ronan Lyons
7. Cory Doctorow
8. Brendan Muxwivna

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