Optimist Economy

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All We've Tried is Nothing!

Season 1 · Episode 1

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 • Duration 18:29

Who are we and what in the world is an “optimist economy?”

For our first show, we (economist Kathryn Edwards and editor Robin Rauzi) introduce ourselves, explain how we met, and lay out our goals for our new podcast.

We want Optimist Economy to empower listeners to understand the economy we have, but also the one we can have so they feel good about the future. The truth is, America’s best economic era is yet to come. It has to be, because there are so many good solutions out there that U.S. policymakers have never tried.

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy

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Welcome to Optimist Economy

Monday, March 17, 2025 • Duration 01:05

Here at Optimist Economy, we recognize that today’s economy isn’t great for a lot of Americans. That is exactly why now’s the time to talk about how it could be so much better — whether you’re hunting for a first job or worried about the future of Social Security.

Co-hosts Kathryn Edwards (a labor economist) and Robin Rauzi (an editor) decided to make Optimist Economy because everyone deserves an economy worth looking forward to. Join us here every week as we work through what that is, one problem and solution at a time.

New episodes every Tuesday wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Music from #Uppbeat

License code: JZHPJQCUS5BJ8LML

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An Elegy for the DEI Boogeyman

Season 1 · Episode 2

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 • Duration 30:34

Rapidly changed government and corporate policies mean the era of DEI is coming to a screeching halt. But gross racial discrimination in the U.S. labor market persists. Just one example: The black unemployment rate is almost always double the white unemployment rate. In this episode we muddle through what can be said about DEI now at its funeral that wasn’t said during its lifespan.

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy

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Is This a Recession or Not?

Season 1

Friday, March 28, 2025 • Duration 47:20

Wouldn’t it be funny if we launched a podcast called “Optimist Economy” at the very moment the economy started to slide? Nice timing, us! In this bonus episode we dive into the data that has folks spooked. We also talk about if willy-nilly tariff policy (technical economic term there) is to blame, whether a recession is more like a wildfire or a hurricane, and how a recession might affect you. Also, who gets to declare, “Recession on!” Can we squeeze an ounce of optimism out of a recession episode? We try. You be the judge.

Some of the stuff we talk about:

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Social Security Don’t Miss

Season 1 · Episode 3

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 • Duration 52:45

What’s with the persistent narrative of Social Security's impending doom? Are the baby boomers draining the trust fund? Are Americans living too long? No and no. There are just two of the many misunderstandings people have about what economist Kathryn Edwards will tell you (for hours if you let her) is, truly, the most popular and effective public program in U.S. history. She’s also optimistic that Congress will make necessary reforms just before the trust fund is depleted in 2035. Which is good. Because Robin does want to be able to retire.

✨ Support the Optimist Economy podcast at: https://optimisteconomy.substack.com/subscribe or https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy ✨

Read More:

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Robin Loves a Tax Story

Season 1 · Episode 4

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 • Duration 33:27

The United States is more than 20 years into a tax experiment – an era of a cumulative $7 trillion in tax cuts. So, asks economist Kathryn Edwards, how’s that working out? Well, we have worsening income inequality and public faith in the tax system is cratering. Meanwhile every social policy is conceptualized as some kind of tax cut/credit. The question for our optimistic future is, are you ready for tax fairness if that means you don't get that deduction?

✨ Support the Optimist Economy podcast at: https://optimisteconomy.substack.com/subscribe or https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy ✨

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Work Rules for the Modern World

Season 1 · Episode 5

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 • Duration 38:28

Never heard of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938? It’s why there’s a minimum wage, overtime pay, and 12-year-olds can’t legally have a job. It’s also due for a 21st-century update. What would these “New Work Standards” include? Let’s start with the right to request remote work, part-time schedules, or non-traditional hours. This shift would be a game-changer for folks with disabilities, parents juggling young kids, or anyone going through tough personal times. This is also a way to grow the economy by keeping people attached to the workforce. Consider this part one of – if Kathryn has her way – a 63-part series on how to update the FLSA.

Read More:

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 [U.S. Dept of Labor history page]
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau [PDF]
The TurboTax Trap [ProPublica]
The 988 Lifeline

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

Support us by becoming a paid Substack newsletter subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy

AI Suggested Five Horrible Titles for This Episode

Season 1 · Episode 6

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 • Duration 45:43

A recent article in the Washington Post proposed that U.S. labor data has just started to show the bite artificial intelligence is taking out of U.S. jobs – in this case, for computer programmers. Is AI going to cause mass joblessness? Silicon Valley bros seem to think so. Journalists seem to think so. So what’s with economist Kathryn Edwards' ho-hum reaction? The long view: The United States has seen lots of technological progress over time, but technology has been the most villainized since 1980—also the era of declining worker power. It’s our gutted worker protections that make periods of technological transition so painful.

✨ Support the Optimist Economy podcast at: https://optimisteconomy.substack.com/subscribe or https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy ✨

Majority of U.S. adults think AI will eliminate jobs over next two decades, but experts’ views are more mixed [Pew Research Center]

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Paid Sick Days for Lady Gaga (and Everyone Else Too)

Season 1 · Episode 7

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 • Duration 42:31

In the category of low-hanging policy fruit, why won’t any politician pluck the ripe, juicy goodness of federally mandated paid sick leave? About 30 million American workers not only don’t get a paid day off when they have the flu, there’s no law on the books to prevent them from being fired if they call in sick. Economist Kathryn Edwards points out that research has found that the job-protection aspect alone is worth $2,000 a year to vulnerable working moms. Of course this also keeps communities healthier because who needs to be exposed to baristas with bronchitis?

✨ Support the Optimist Economy podcast at: https://optimisteconomy.substack.com/subscribe or https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy ✨

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

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Progress is a Long Game

Season 1 · Episode 8

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 • Duration 51:04

What sparks progress? The right political conditions? Social pressure? Economic upheaval? In response to two listeners’ questions, Kathryn Edwards says… both none of those and all of the above. (Also, "not a historian.") Still, as an example, we talk through just one bit of the New Deal in the 1930s, which was the law to limit child labor. That movement started decades earlier, and continued decades afterward. For those keeping score at home, this a sneaky third installment of Kathryn’s 68-part series on the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

✨ Support the Optimist Economy podcast at: https://optimisteconomy.substack.com/subscribe or https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy ✨

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

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Optimist Economy – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Optimist Economy – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other42

Tik Tok1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other42

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Apple Podcasts

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