The David McWilliams Podcast Podcast By David McWilliams & John Davis cover art

The David McWilliams Podcast

The David McWilliams Podcast

By: David McWilliams & John Davis
Listen for free

The aim of this weekly podcast is to make economics easy, uncomplicated and accessible. With the world at a political, technological and financial tipping point, economics has never been so important to all of us and yet, it’s made inaccessible and complicated by so many.

I’ve always thought what is complicated is rarely important and what is important is rarely complicated.


That will be our motto.


Every week we are going to tease out some big economic or political issue facing us, not just here in Ireland but in Europe and further afield. Globalisation has brought us all together. We all face similar challenges whether you live in Dublin, London, Minnesota or Milan.


If you would like to enjoy all of our content ad-free and have early access to episodes, subscribe to DMCW+ on Apple Podcast.


Want to join our crew? Join at davidmcwilliams.ie/crew, where you can enjoy ad-free listening, as well as exclusive bonus content such as premium episodes, our macroeconomics course, early access to episodes and pre-sale access to tickets for Dalkey Book Festival & Kilkenomics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David McWilliams Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Is America Losing Control?

    Is America Losing Control?
    Apr 28 2026
    The global economy runs on one thing: the US dollar. What happens when trust in that system starts to crack? In this episode, we go deep into the mechanics of global finance, from dollar “swap lines” to shadow banking, to explain how the United States became the financial centre of the world, and why that dominance may now be under threat. At the heart of it all is a simple but unsettling reality: America doesn’t just produce goods, it produces money. The rest of the world needs dollars to trade, invest, and survive financial shocks. That gives the US enormous power, but also creates dangerous imbalances. We explore how decades of financialisation have concentrated wealth and influence in a small group of investors, reshaping both the American economy and global politics. Meanwhile, rising geopolitical tensions, particularly around Iran, raise a bigger question: could a single strategic misstep do to the US what the Suez Crisis did to Britain, quietly ending its era of dominance?

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    44 mins
  • The Premature State: Why Ireland Can’t Build Itself

    The Premature State: Why Ireland Can’t Build Itself
    Apr 23 2026
    Ireland is one of the richest countries in Europe, so why does it feel like it isn’t? We sit down with economist and engineer Sinead O'Sullivan to unpack a deceptively simple but deeply uncomfortable idea: Ireland is a premature state. Despite extraordinary wealth on paper, everyday life tells a different story. Housing is broken, infrastructure lags behind, public services struggle to deliver. So where is all the money going? The answer, as Sinead argues, is structural. Ireland has become exceptionally good at spending money, but never properly learned how to build systems. For centuries, key functions of the state were outsourced, first to the British Empire, then the Church, then the EU, and now multinational corporations. The result is a country rich in resources, but lacking the institutional muscle to turn that wealth into a functioning society. We also take on the reaction to this kind of thinking; the “nitpickers” who focus on minor details to avoid confronting big, uncomfortable truths. If Ireland’s problem isn’t money, but capacity, then the implications are far more serious than any short-term fix.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    44 mins
  • Subsidies, Strikes and the Coming July Clash

    Subsidies, Strikes and the Coming July Clash
    Apr 21 2026
    Ireland has bought itself three months of peace, but at what cost? This week, we unpack the fallout from the recent fuel protests and what they reveal about the deeper fragility of the Irish system. A small, highly organised group of farmers and truckers managed to bring the country to a standstill, exposing just how vulnerable the state really is. So far, the response has been to just throw money at the problem. With subsidies set to expire in July, long summer nights, rising tensions, and the spotlight of the European presidency arriving, all the ingredients are in place for a perfect storm. Add in growing populism, rural frustration, and anti-immigration sentiment, and the question becomes unavoidable: has the government just incentivised the next crisis? At the heart of it all is a bigger issue, a state that increasingly relies on cash instead of control, short-term fixes instead of long-term thinking, and political optics over real strategy.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
All stars
Most relevant
I genuinely love the David McWilliams Podcast. What really keeps me coming back is the way David and his co‑host banter back and forth, it feels relaxed, curious, and sharp without ever being intimidating. They don’t just throw big economic ideas at you; they ask the questions you’re already thinking, then break down the answers in a way that actually makes sense.
I feel like I'm sitting on the couch having a pint listening and learning from these geniuses

Economics explained like it should be

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent perspective from a former central bank ‘chair’. Clearly expressed breadth of knowledge. Excellent interviews

Antidote anecdote

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.