Professors Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway explain how and why Americans came to believe that the “free market” was not only natural, but also moral, and the highest form of human interaction. Their deep archival research shows how the rise of free market fundamentalism was artificially created by business elites, trade associations, and allies in the media over the 20th century. Only by understanding this history can we imagine a future where markets will serve, not stifle, democracy. Episode 500.