Optimist Economy

Weekly economics discussions on work, housing, healthcare and retirement AI summary

Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi Visit website › Government · EN · 72 episodes · latest 2026-11-10

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What it is about

Optimist Economy is the anti-doomscroll economics podcast. Work rules, tax fairness, healthcare, housing costs, retirement security — the economic forces shaping American life have real problems. But also real solutions. Each week, economist Kathryn Anne Edwards and editor Robin Rauzi break down one problem and solution with data, history, humor, and a belief that tools to build a better economy exist. We just haven't tried them. New episodes on Tuesdays. ✨ Support the podcast at: optimisteconomy.com ✨ Ask questions or share your economic worries with us at: optimist.economy@gmail.com

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
Optimist Economy 2026

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Latest episodes

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Worker

2026-11-10 · 42 min · Season 2, episode 33

Working from home, a new study in the journal Science says, leaves employees lonelier, sadder, and more likely to be depressed. So does that mean everybody get back to your office desks so morale improves? The authors…
Sports Betting Is This Generation's Big Tobacco

2026-11-03 · 48 min · Season 2, episode 32

Since the U.S. Supreme Court let states legalize betting on sports in 2018, gambling has exploded. More than half of men ages 18 to 49 say they have an active account with an online sportsbook. Want to bet on a game, a…
Immigration Economics Part II: Smaller is Worse

2026-10-27 · 41 min · Season 2, episode 31

Over a year into the administration's anti-immigration agenda, we’re seeing the economic fallout. For the first time in at least 50 years, estimates are that we lost immigrants on net; far fewer than usual arrived and a…
Americans Feel Awful About the Economy

2026-10-20 · 48 min · Season 2, episode 30

The Consumer Sentiment Index has tracked how Americans experience the U.S. economy through bouts of runaway inflation, a mortgage crisis, stock market bubbles, and six recessions. And yet the scores right now are lower…
The U.S. is in the Hole. Will We Stop Digging? E

2026-09-01 · 52 min

(Originally aired June 10, 2025) The national debt is $36 trillion. That could be a panic-inducing big number. So maybe it will help to understand how we ran up that debt. We've blown 37% of it on tax cuts, with…
Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising: The Invitation (Ep. 1)

2026-08-11 · 38 min

Optimist Economy is on break this month, but we know that optimist listeners are interested in tales of economic history, issues of inequality and movements for change. So we thought some of you might enjoy "Occupy!" a…
Stop Donating Your Vacation Days to Your Boss

2026-08-04 · 50 min · Season 2, episode 28

Nearly 90% of private-sector workers get paid vacation days from their job, but a Pew survey found 46% leave at least some of it on the table. Government survey data also show that the share of workers who are on…
The Government is Already Paying for Your Health Insurance, Buddy

2026-07-28 · 48 min · Season 2, episode 27

About 18% of U.S. GDP every year gets spent on health care. Half of that, 9%, is coming from the government, which is about the whole cost of other countries’ public health programs. In other words, for what the U.S.…
Mr. Justin Time Sets a Cruel Work Schedule

2026-07-21 · 49 min · Season 2, episode 26

Just-in-time scheduling lets an algorithm decide when — and whether — millions of people work. Surveys find 40% of shift workers (mostly in retail and food service) don’t know their schedule a week in advance. They can…
Young Americans Should Be Raising Hell About Social Security

2026-07-14 · 44 min · Season 2, episode 25

Nobody has more riding on any changes to Social Security than people under 40. The trust fund is currently projected to run dry in the fourth quarter of 2032, but it could be sooner. Every election, starting in…

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Publisher details

Oldest episode in feed: 03/2025 · over a year
Typical length: 47 min
Format: Episodic Newest first, episodes stand alone

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