At the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we work to break the chains of monopoly power in all sectors of our economy. From challenging incumbent cable monopolies in order to promote better Internet connectivity to pointing out how Amazon pushes local retailers out of the market, our researchers develop positive policy prescriptions to improve local economies. This podcast series provides a first glimpse at some of our newest original research and a unique economic perspective on today's most pressing topics.
Latest episodes
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26 min
Internet as a Human Right: Christopher Mitchell on Community Networks
You'd think a company with as many resources, employees, and facilities as AT&T or Comcast would have good customer service. Surely, with all the billions of dollars flowing throug…
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30 min
Why Solving Waste Has To Be Local: Brenda Platt on Sustainability and Community
We hear it again and again on this show: neighborhoods that are presumed less likely to fight back are taken advantage of by huge corporations and monopolies. Through predatory dec…
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27 min
Why Clean Energy Is Not Enough: John Farrell on Lessons from David Morris
When ILSR co-founder David Morris published his pamphlet The Dawning of Solar Cells in 1975, nearly the only people using solar power were those in the Apollo program at NASA. Yet…
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26 min
The Problems You Can Solve: Stacy Mitchell on David Morris’s Legacy
On this week's episode of Building Local Power, we continue our series honoring ILSR's co-founder David Morris, who passed away in June. One way to measure the impact of someone's…
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34 min
What Cities Can Do: Remembering David Morris
Here at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we recently received some shocking news as we learned of the sudden passing of our beloved co-founder, David Morris. A giant in the a…
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Increasing Internet Access at the Speed of Trust: Sean Gonsalves on the Digital Equity Act
The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represented one of the largest ever investments in broadband infrastructure. Many in the digital equity space believed the bill woul…
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23 min
The Human Side of Government Work: Paola Santana on Procurement
The United States government is one of the biggest purchasers in the world. Few people or entities spend more money on more goods and services. Add state and local governments to t…
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24 min
The Champion of Local Champions: Recast City’s Ilana Preuss
One way to build local power is to catalyze change directly in your community. Another, equally important method is to catalyze the catalysts. To really make change and build susta…
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The Diner Building Community In Times of Crisis: Ladybird’s Meg Heriford
Saturday, March 14, 2020, was even busier than the typical bustling Saturday at Ladybird Diner in Lawrence, Kansas. Bottles of handmade hand sanitizer were perched on each table. I…
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28 min
Where Things Are Happening: Ron Knox on the State(s) of Antitrust
Ron Knox was a successful reporter covering antitrust and antimonopoly issues until he couldn't take it any more. His growing passion for the fight against corporate power didn't m…
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23 min
Civil Unrest, Group Chats, and Representation: Rachel Hernandez on Governing as a First-Gen Mayor
In late 2024, Rachel Hernandez ran a successful campaign to become mayor of Riverbank, California. A small town at the top of the state's central valley, Riverbank may not fit into…