“Wealth is the paramount indicator of economic prosperity and well-being,” says the economist Darrick Hamilton. He’s right. Policy analysis tends to focus on income, but it is wealth that often determines whether we can send our kids to college, pay for an illness, quit a job, start a business or make a down payment on a home. Wealth is also the source of so ... Show More
Sep 8
What ‘Hyperpolitics’ Explains About This Era
Behind the intense political movements of the last decade, from Trumpism to wokeness and back again, there’s a strange and erratic rhythm. Movements saturate the culture seemingly overnight, only to evaporate or spark backlash just as rapidly. We’re extremely politically engaged, ... Show More
1h 8m
Dec 2018
How "baby bonds" could help close the wealth gap | Darrick Hamilton
Hard work, resilience and grit lead to success, right? This narrative pervades the way we think, says economist Darrick Hamilton, but the truth is that our chances at economic security have less to do with what we do and more to do with the wealth position we're born into. Enter ... Show More
12m 44s
Oct 2020
Professor Darrick Hamilton on 'baby bonds' and the future of our economy post-COVID
Professor Darrick Hamilton is one of the country’s leading economists examining racial disparities. He joins Pete to discuss his impactful work in the emerging field of stratification economics, his ideas on how to close our wealth gap, how to make our economy more equitable, and ... Show More
32m 27s
Feb 2021
How you can shrink the wealth gap. Now. | Kedra Newsome Reeves
Did you know that in the US the average white family has ten times as much wealth as a black family? Ten times. But while we wait for government policies to shrink that gap, we all decide where our money goes. So how can we collectively chip away at that gap, now?In this episode, ... Show More
22m 56s
Sep 2021
475. Why Does the Richest Country in the World Have So Many Poor Kids?
<p>Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. How can that be? To find out, Stephen Dubner speaks with a Republican senator, a Democratic mayor, and a large cast of econo-nerds. Along the way, we hear some surprisingly good news: Washington is ... Show More
48m 51s
Nov 2020
“You Can’t Have Capitalism Without Capital"
In a country where policies blocking Black people from obtaining mortgages, land, and capital have created an immense wealth gap between Black and white Americans that persists to this day, inequality is a threat to our democracy, says Mehrsa Baradaran, professor of law and assoc ... Show More
33m 4s
Mar 2020
#189 — Wealth & Happiness
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Harris speaks with Scott Galloway about the connection between wealth and happiness. They discuss the problem of wealth inequality, the transfer of wealth from the young to the old, class warfare in Democratic politics, deficit spending, mea ... Show More
1h 11m
Apr 2023
Larry Summers on the Politics & Economics of Envy
We turn to economist and former Treasury Secretary, Lawrence Summers, to help us make sense of inflation, Silicon Valley Bank and what Biden should do next. Also on the agenda: why Summers believes in a politics and economics of opportunity — “not of envy.” Plus, why he thinks Am ... Show More
55m 3s