Book · 2022 · Business & Economics
The Rise and Decline of Nations
Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities
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We talk a lot about a book, I dunno if you've run into this one, but it's by Mancur Olson, who's sort of a Founder of Public Interest Economics, and it's called The Rise in Decline of Nations, this is like a very famous book, libertarians love this book, and I love this book.
Ezra Klein · Lex Fridman Podcast · Mar 2025 Listen at 1:51:46 The best things said about it
We talk a lot about a book, I dunno if you've run into this one, but it's by Mancur Olson, who's sort of a Founder of Public Interest Economics, and it's called "The Rise in Decline of Nations.
That's related to the things maner Olson wrote about 40 years ago in the rise and decline of nations in which in a stable Society insiders basically figure out how to rig the game for themselves.
And so this sort of massive harming of the young, and in some sense this is a larger phenomenon that's related to the things Mancur Olson wrote about 40 years ago in 'The Rise and Decline of Nations' in which, in a stable society, insiders basically figure out how to rig the game for themselves.
Where and when it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
Why people recommend it
The Rise and Decline of Nations by Mancur Olson is a famous public interest economics book that explores how institutional bargaining structures and rigidities develop in stable societies over time. Ezra Klein discussed the book on the Lex Fridman Podcast, noting that libertarians love the work and explaining how it addresses the ways incumbent insiders figure out how to rig the game for themselves. Derek Thompson also mentioned Olson's work during the same podcast episode, discussing its central economic arguments. On Freakonomics Radio, Ed Glaeser brought up the book to illustrate how stable societies create a maze of rules and regulations where insiders protect their interests, resulting in a massive harming of the young and the wider public. Ezra Klein additionally referenced the book on The Ezra Klein Show, though he noted a minor critique that the text perhaps spends too much time assuming every individual is purely selfishly trying to secure their own piece of the pie and financial gain. Overall, the podcast guests consistently recommended and discussed the volume as a foundational text for understanding how national economic stagnation, regulatory capture, and interest group politics take root over long periods of societal stability and peace.
Every mention
Ezra Klein We talk a lot about a book, I dunno if you've run into this one, but it's by Mancur Olson, who's sort of a… 2
“We talk a lot about a book, I dunno if you've run into this one, but it's by Mancur Olson, who's sort of a Founder of Public Interest Economics, and it's called The Rise in Decline of Nations, this is like a very famous book, libertarians love this book, and I love this book.”
“it pushed me back to thinking about this book by mansar Olson on the rise and decline of Nations which I don't think is a book that's correct in every respect and I think that it spends way too much time assuming everybody's selfishly trying to get their piece of the pie and you know get money for themselves”
Derek Thompson We talk a lot about a book, I dunno if you've run into this one, but it's by Mancur Olson, who's sort of a… 1
“We talk a lot about a book, I dunno if you've run into this one, but it's by Mancur Olson, who's sort of a Founder of Public Interest Economics, and it's called "The Rise in Decline of Nations"”
Ed Glaeser that's related to the things maner Olson wrote about 40 years ago in the rise and decline of nations in whi… 1
“that's related to the things maner Olson wrote about 40 years ago in the rise and decline of nations in which in a stable Society insiders basically figure out how to rig the game for themselves”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
“And so this sort of massive harming of the young, and in some sense this is a larger phenomenon that's related to the things Mancur Olson wrote about 40 years ago in 'The Rise and Decline of Nations' in which, in a stable society, insiders basically figure out how to rig the game for themselves.”
