Summer School 5: The many ways governments influence industry
Planet Money
2025/08/06
Summer School 5: The many ways governments influence industry
Summer School 5: The many ways governments influence industry

Planet Money
2025/08/06
Shownote
Shownote
LIVE SHOW: August 18th in Brooklyn. Tickets here. Traditional economics says the market is guided by the forces of supply and demand. Customers decide what they want to buy, and private enterprise responds to that need. So what makes government think tha...
Highlights
Highlights
Governments have long tried to influence economic growth by backing certain industries, but the results can be unpredictable. From Argentina's attempt to build smartphones locally to China's rise as a solar energy powerhouse, industrial policy can either drive innovation or lead to failure. This episode delves into how different nations have wielded state power to shape markets, boost domestic industries, and compete globally.
Chapters
Chapters
When Governments Try to Build Tech at Home: Argentina’s BlackBerry Experiment
00:00The High Cost of Political Economic Bets: Why Argentina’s Tech Dream Fell Apart
12:07How China Turned Solar Power into a Global Advantage with Smart Industrial Strategy
18:23From Boom to Bust and Back: The Rise and Fall of China’s Solar King
27:55State Power in the Global Market: Protectionism vs. Strategic Export Growth
31:23Transcript
Transcript
Robert Smith: Come see Planet Money live August 18th at the Bell House in Brooklyn.
Juan Ricart-Uggett: We're taping the finale of Planet Money Summer School, where we're going to crown our valedictorian. It'll be a fun night out with storytelling, specia...