logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
43m 53s

Checks and Balance: Florida, man!

The Economist
About this episode

Florida was once dismissed as peripheral—a greying, golfing appendage to continental America. But the Sunshine State is now the country’s top migration destination and the 15th-largest economy in the world. How is this remarkable boom transforming the politics of a crucial swing state? And what lessons does Florida’s low-tax, low-spend model hold for the rest of America?

 

John Prideaux hosts with Jon Fasman and Alexandra Suich Bass, who has been driving the length and breadth of the state to talk to Florida natives and new arrivals alike. We go back to the 1970s to find out how the Democrats lost touch with so many Florida voters. And we hear from Francis Suarez, the Republican mayor of Miami, about whether his city’s success is a model—or an exception.


For full access to print, digital and audio editions as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod


Archive material courtesy of Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Archives



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Dune raider: Saudi is a video-game superpower
Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, is a huge video-game fan. Now his hobby is becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry for the kingdom, which is acquiring some of the world’s biggest gaming firms. How Finnish icebreakers became a focus for polar power politics. And ... Show More
19m 57s
Yesterday
Finally, a deal: the fragile peace in Gaza
Donald Trump has brokered an agreement between Israel’s government and Hamas. It’s a momentous breakthrough. Our correspondent analyses what comes next. We launch “The Economist Insider”, our new TV show for subscribers, where senior editors debate the news. And, do red-light mas ... Show More
23m 25s
Oct 8
Liberté, égalité, désordre: chaos in France
France’s newly-appointed prime minister has resigned only weeks into the job. Now President Emmanual Macron has given him 48 hours to come up with a plan for next year’s budget. Can Macron survive the turmoil? As driverless taxis take over San Francisco, what will happen to the h ... Show More
21m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Episode 2: Florida’s First War on Woke
Long before Governor Ron DeSantis declared a new war on wokeness, Florida lawmakers in the 1950s and 60s tried going after the NAACP, suspected communists and gay people in Florida schools and universities. The lawmakers upended life for countless numbers of their fellow Floridia ... Show More
42m 6s
Feb 2022
FT Weekend: Will Silicon Valley ruin Miami?
Miami is hot right now. In the pandemic, more people moved to Florida than to any other state by a long shot. Chief among them were the tech elite, who have made Miami—one of America’s most diverse cities—their next big conquest. But what happens when Silicon Valley falls in love ... Show More
26m 24s
Feb 2024
Swamp Notes: Is it the economy, stupid?
Description: For decades, common political wisdom has held that Americans vote based on their satisfaction with the economy. But even as the US economy booms, with persistently low unemployment and wage growth outpacing inflation, President Joe Biden’s approval rating continues r ... Show More
11m 15s
Oct 2020
The Field: The Fight For Voting Rights in Florida
This episode contains strong language. During much of this election cycle, Julius Irving of Gainesville, Fla., spent his days trying to get former felons registered to vote.He would tell them about Florida’s Amendment Four, a ballot initiative that extended the franchise to those ... Show More
43m 42s
Oct 2020
Trump’s Biggest Florida Influencer: A Cuban YouTuber with a Pet Monkey
Could one Cuban American Youtuber swing the presidential election? Four years ago, social media and the stars who populate its platforms already exerted an outsized influence on the election. In 2020, influencers are wielding even greater power. With a handful of swing states set ... Show More
25m 22s