logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
53m 40s

Why Does the Richest Country in the Worl...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. Until recently, it looked as if Washington was about to change that. But then … Washington happened. 
Up next
Yesterday
How to Return Stolen Art (Update)
Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? And what does it mean to be a museum in the 21st century? (Part 3 of an updated series originally published in 2023.) SOURCES: Patricia Allan, museum consultant, former curator of wo ... Show More
50m 48s
Aug 26
“I Trust Almost Anyone More Than Myself” | Better in Person
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jennifer Egan talks about confidence, luck, and why it takes 35 drafts to get to the finish line. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan ... Show More
42m 42s
Aug 21
Is a Museum Just a Trophy Case? (Update)
The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners. Sounds simple, right? It's not. (Part 2 of an updated series originally published in 2023.) SOUR ... Show More
52m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
Why Fewer American Children Are Living in Poverty
<p>The high poverty rate among children was long seen as an enduring fact of American life. But a recent analysis has shown that the number of young people growing up poor has fallen dramatically in the past few decades.</p><p>The reasons for the improvement are complicated, but ... Show More
27m 15s
Feb 2016
Episode 189: America's Best Days - Poverty By County
Are America’s “best days” behind us? What makes some areas better at improving the lives of poor kids than others? Plus - capital punishment and the church, and the dangers of praying for atheists in England. 
50m 45s
Feb 2019
America's forgotten working class | J.D. Vance
J.D. Vance grew up in a small, poor city in the Rust Belt of southern Ohio, where he had a front-row seat to many of the social ills plaguing America: a heroin epidemic, failing schools, families torn apart by divorce and sometimes violence. In a searching talk that will echo thr ... Show More
14m 45s
Apr 2024
How to make America a better place to raise kids
Guest-hosted by Julia Carpenter: The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But when it comes to support for parents and families, we lag behind many of our peers. We have relatively high infant- and maternal-mortality rates and no national parental-leave ... Show More
28m 14s
Sep 2025
Home truths: Ukraine’s internal strains
A snapshot of the country reveals deepening military and economic problems—and, perhaps above all, political ones. America’s efforts to clamp down on skilled-worker visas will have far-reaching unintended consequences. And globally, more children today are obese than underweight. ... Show More
21m 15s
Aug 2025
More Money Was Supposed to Help Poor Kids. So Why Didn’t It?
<p>For many, the logic seemed unassailable: Giving poor families money would measurably improve the lives of their children. And so a few years ago, social scientists set out to test whether that assumption was right.</p><p>The results of the experiment have shocked them.<br /><b ... Show More
24m 28s
Sep 2025
Home truths: Ukraine’s internal strains
A snapshot of the country reveals deepening military and economic problems—and, perhaps above all, political ones. America’s efforts to clamp down on skilled-worker visas will have far-reaching unintended consequences. And globally, more children today are obese than underweight. ... Show More
21m 15s
Sep 2021
Orphaned by America
In Donald Trump's America, thousands of children who crossed the border from Mexico were separated from their parents. It's now clear that some of those families - perhaps hundreds - may never be reunited.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style ... Show More
47m 39s