The Rule of Law and the Economics of Freedom

In this episode of Liberty + Leadership, Roger Ream sits down with Dr. Ekaterina Brancato, a member of the TFAS faculty who teaches Economics for the Citizen in the D.C. Academic Internship Program.

Dr. Brancato reflects on growing up in the Soviet Union, coming to the United States through the Bill Bradley Future Leaders Exchange Program and later returning to the United States to study economics and business at Hillsdale College. She explains how her experience living under socialism shaped her understanding of freedom, responsibility, institutions and the rule of law.

Roger and Dr. Brancato discuss how she brings these lessons into the TFAS classroom, helping students understand that economics is not just a subject but a way of seeing the world. She shares how field trips, classic economic texts and personal stories help students connect abstract ideas to real life, from incentives and spontaneous order to preference falsification and the dangers of institutional collapse. The conversation also explores the promise of TFAS students and the importance of preparing young people to become thoughtful, courageous leaders to contribute to a free and flourishing society.