scripod.com

Summer School 5: The many ways governments influence industry

Planet Money

2025/08/06
Planet Money

Planet Money

2025/08/06

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

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.
09:31
BlackBerry factory grew from 60 to over 2,000 workers in Tierra del Fuego.
12:07
The BlackBerry model produced in Argentina was outdated and expensive, leading to low sales.
24:32
China's industrial policy enabled it to dominate the global solar market through subsidies and infrastructure support.
28:45
Xi's new U.S. solar venture follows rising tariffs on Chinese panels
31:23
China's decisive intervention in solar energy lowered global prices in the 2010s.

Chapters

When Governments Try to Build Tech at Home: Argentina’s BlackBerry Experiment
00:00
The High Cost of Political Economic Bets: Why Argentina’s Tech Dream Fell Apart
12:07
How China Turned Solar Power into a Global Advantage with Smart Industrial Strategy
18:23
From Boom to Bust and Back: The Rise and Fall of China’s Solar King
27:55
State Power in the Global Market: Protectionism vs. Strategic Export Growth
31:23

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...