What comes first, a prosperous economy or stable democratic institutions? Nobel Prize-winning economist and MIT professor Daron Acemoglu joins Preet to discuss the economic stakes of shifting institutional norms in the U.S. He weighs in on President Trump’s decision to fire key personnel at the Federal Reserve and Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as the announcement that the government will take a roughly 10% equity stake in Intel. 

Then, Preet answers a question about the latest developments in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation case and discusses Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent social media posts.

In the bonus for Insiders, Acemoglu discusses what people often overlook when comparing the Industrial Revolution to the AI revolution. 

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Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Editorial Producer: Noa Azulai; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Deputy Editor: Celine Rohr; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producers: Matthew Billy and Nat Weiner; Marketing Manager: Liana Greenway.

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: 

THE INTERVIEW:

• Daron Acemoglu, MIT
• Daron Acemoglu, “The real threat to American prosperity,” FT, 2/8/25

Q&A:

• Street Law 
• iCivics