Becker Friedman Institute University of Chicago Courses

At What Age Does Family Income Most Shape Your Future? Timing and Intergenerational Mobility

Discover how parental income during ages 12-18 shapes adult outcomes more than early childhood income, exploring intergenerational mobility research and economic trajectories.

• YouTube
• 44 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Why Banks Fail - Runs, Regulation, and the Risks of Short-Term Debt

Discover why financial crises stem from short-term debt as Nobel laureate Douglas Diamond explains bank runs, regulation, and his role in advising during the 2008 crisis.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 6 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Venezuela After Maduro - What Comes Next?

Explore Venezuela's political transition and regional implications with UChicago scholars analyzing the nation's decline, migration crisis, and uncertain future.

• YouTube
• 43 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Who Really Paid for the Tariffs - Liberation Day's Economic Aftermath

Discover how 2025's tariffs actually impacted the economy as UChicago economist Brent Neiman reveals who truly bore the costs and China's dramatic decline as a US trading partner.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Stuck - How Housing Regulation Ended America's Mobility Revolution

Explore how housing regulations created a two-tier system limiting American mobility and economic opportunity, featuring insights from economist Peter Ganong and journalist Yoni Appelbaum.

• YouTube
• 49 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Law of Unintended Consequences - How Dobbs Changed Contraceptive Choices

Discover how the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision unexpectedly transformed contraceptive choices across America through analysis of millions of health insurance claims and data patterns.

• YouTube
• 23 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Finding Your Why at Work - The Economics of Purpose

Discover how self-reflection workshops boost workplace performance through UChicago research on 3,000 employees connecting personal purpose to daily work for better fulfillment and business outcomes.

• YouTube
• 34 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Bad Medicine: Why Different Systems of Organized Crime Demand Different Solutions

Explore how crime is organized in Chicago, Medellín, and San Salvador with Chris Blattman, who presents evidence for tailored policy responses to different criminal systems.

• YouTube
• 44 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Human Capital for Humans - An Accessible Introduction to the Economic Science of People

Discover how human capital theory applies to everyday life through an accessible exploration of Gary Becker's Nobel Prize-winning economic insights on investing in people's skills and knowledge.

• YouTube
• 58 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Talk as Capital - AI-Powered Parenting Intervention to Reduce Early Childhood Skill Gaps

Discover how AI-powered messaging tools can reduce early childhood skill gaps by encouraging parent-child conversations that build language and socio-emotional development.

• YouTube
• 43 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Economics of Early Childhood - Why the First Five Years Matter Most

Discover why the first five years of life are economically crucial through Nobel laureate James Heckman's insights on brain development, early intervention programs, and lifelong outcomes.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 45 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Economic Cheat Codes - How Game Theory Can Help You Win at Work, Love, and Life

Discover economic "cheat codes" using game theory to navigate workplace dynamics, decode performance reviews, and find your true market value in today's rigged economy.

• YouTube
• 36 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Transformation of Capitalism

Explore how giant firms have transformed capitalism from Adam Smith's vision, examining production concentration, ownership diffusion, and the paradoxical blend of centralization.

• YouTube
• 45 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

AI, the Economy, and Public Policy

Explore how AI impacts today's economy and future implications with UChicago economists, policy experts, and Anthropic researchers discussing economic trends, policy considerations, and innovative AI applications.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 8 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Economics of Biodiversity Losses

Explore how biodiversity losses impact human wellbeing through economic analysis and natural experiments, examining the connection between species extinction and ecosystem services.

• YouTube
• 46 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video