Optimist Economy

Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi
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Economist Kathryn Anne Edwards and co-host Robin Rauzi talk about the fundamentals of the economy and how to build a better future one problem and solution at a time. Our premise is that the United States has remarkable economy — and yet for tens of millions of Americans it is not performing up to its potential. It could be more open to aspiring workers, less hostile to change, safer for workers, less risky for retirees, and so on. ✨ Support the podcast at: optimisteconomy.com ✨ Ask questions or share your economic worries with us at: optimist.economy@gmail.com

  1. Affordability vs. the Poverty Line

    17H AGO

    Affordability vs. the Poverty Line

    An essay went viral by claiming that $140,000 is what a family of four needs to just get by — a number higher than what 70% of American households earn. Conservative economists called it idiotic. Kathryn dismissed it and got a nasty DM. What’s the real controversy? It’s not that the poverty line is misleading. It's that we have no measure for our current affordability crisis. And the American mindset has been so warped by decades of bad economic policy that we think the only way to get help is to prove that we’re poor. END NOTES: The essay in question: Part 1: My Life Is a Lie - by Michael W. Green, What economists thought: Viral essay says $140,000 should be the new poverty line - The Washington Post ; Cato: The $140,000 ‘Poverty Line’ Is Laughably Wrong, So Why Does It Feel Right? ; AEI: How Not to Redefine Poverty How U.S. poverty measures actually work: Two Ways the U.S. Census Bureau Measures Poverty to Capture Clearer Picture of Poverty in America  Kathryn on Money with Katie (at min. 35) Watch video clips from this episode at the Optimist Economy YouTube channel⁠⁠. Follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@optimist_economy. Follow us on TikTok at ⁠⁠@optimist_economy. Read some stuff on our Substack. Consume leisure in an O.E. hat or shirt: https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/optimisteconomy Support us and our tireless editors and producers by donating: https://optimisteconomy.com And send your economic questions, concerns, or executive orders: optimist.economy@gmail.com

    48 min
  2. $79 Trillion Worth of Income Inequality

    JAN 27

    $79 Trillion Worth of Income Inequality

    Our own optimist economist Kathryn Anne Edwards worked on a research project several years ago to measure income inequality. Its massive headline number has taken on a life of its own in columns, talking points, memes. We explain how Kathryn and co-author Carter Price managed to answer this question: What would have happened to Americans’ incomes if they’d grown at the same rate as the U.S. economy overall? Spoiler alert: 90% of us would be a lot better off.Read the working paper Kathryn co-wrote in 2020: Trends in Income From 1975 to 2018 and Carter Price’s update going through 2023. Watch video clips from this episode at the Optimist Economy YouTube channel⁠⁠. Follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@optimist_economy. Follow us on TikTok at ⁠⁠@optimist_economy. Read some stuff on our Substack. Consume leisure in an O.E. hat or shirt: https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/optimisteconomy Support us and our tireless editors and producers by donating at https://optimisteconomy.com Send your economic questions or executive orders to optimist.economy@gmail.com

    49 min

  3. SEASON 2 TRAILER

    We're Back with a Backlog of Optimism

    Hey optimists! Season two of Optimist Economy is finally here. New episodes coming on Tuesdays starting January 27. More at www.optimisteconomy.com

    1 min
  4. What’s the Skinny on Laws that Make Salaries Public?

    12/10/2025

    What’s the Skinny on Laws that Make Salaries Public?

    Listener Max did his grad thesis on pay transparency laws in Colorado and found that they narrowed the gender wage gap by 8 cents on the dollar. But some big-name economists reported that such laws can actually reduce wages. So what’s the deal? Kathryn’s answer during our October Q&A was so overlong and multipart that we jokingly called it, “The Max Show.” So here it is, as a mini-episode. Holiday shopping for the optimists in your life? Check out our shirts and hats at optimisteconomy.com

    16 min
  5. Thanksgiving Prep: An Optimist’s Guide to Dinner Table Debate

    11/20/2025

    Thanksgiving Prep: An Optimist’s Guide to Dinner Table Debate

    Your drunk uncle calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Your crypto-bro cousin thinks tariffs make China pay. Your grandfather blames working women for tanking wage growth. Economist Kathryn Edwards takes on a dozen hostile dinner-table challenges to help optimists everywhere prepare for dinner table debate. Robin plays every annoying relative you've ever argued with. Pass the [expletive] gravy. Ready to rep Optimist Economy with a shirt, hat or tote bag? Hit up our new website and merch store at optimisteconomy.com Take the listener survey first to get a code for a free Original Optimist sticker: https://tinyurl.com/op-econ-survey

    53 min
  6. Retcon on Season One (+ Executive Orderpalooza)

    10/21/2025

    Retcon on Season One (+ Executive Orderpalooza)

    Optimist Economy got its start almost exactly one year ago with a phone call that began, "Hear me out…" Thirty-two episodes later we ask, “What have we done?” Mostly we conditioned ourselves to keep our eye on the ball – the better U.S. economy and future that are possible – through a lot of very bad news days. In the background, we both moved. Kathryn kept a lot of pregnancy symptoms hidden. We incorporated a nonprofit. And somehow, we managed to drop a new episode every Tuesday. Thanks to all our listeners for being our spiritual sponsors on this journey. Take Our Listener Survey!https://tinyurl.com/op-econ-survey

    41 min
  7. How Health Insurance Got Shackled to Jobs

    10/14/2025

    How Health Insurance Got Shackled to Jobs

    Why is anyone’s health insurance tied to their job? It's because of a superintendent in Dallas, World War II wage freezes, a 1953 tax code quirk, and decades of inertia. This accident of history costs America $384 billion a year in tax breaks to corporations for providing coverage. And what do we get for that? A system that locks people in jobs they'd otherwise leave, suppresses wages of those who look "expensive to insure," and disadvantages small businesses that can't afford gold-level health plans. In a different historical timeline, President Harry S. Truman’s 1945 national health plan would've given us universal coverage, paid medical leave, and government-funded medical schools. But of course we’re not living in that timeline. Take Our Listener Survey!https://tinyurl.com/op-econ-survey

    51 min
  8. Optimist Q&A: Evidence for UBI, What to Do About Billionaires, and Where Will the U.S. Economy Be After Trump?

    10/07/2025

    Optimist Q&A: Evidence for UBI, What to Do About Billionaires, and Where Will the U.S. Economy Be After Trump?

    In the final Q&A of the season, economist Kathryn Edwards answers listener questions on recent universal basic income experiments, legislative budgeting tricks, and the value of more aggressive IRS auditing. She also explains what eradicating the minimum wage exemption might mean, particularly for disabled and incarcerated workers. We also discuss what people actually do for money when they stop job hunting. Fair warning: this one runs long and the keeping it f-bomb free resolution lasted about five minutes. Take Our Listener Survey! Help us plan for Season 2: https://tinyurl.com/op-econ-survey

    52 min
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About

Economist Kathryn Anne Edwards and co-host Robin Rauzi talk about the fundamentals of the economy and how to build a better future one problem and solution at a time. Our premise is that the United States has remarkable economy — and yet for tens of millions of Americans it is not performing up to its potential. It could be more open to aspiring workers, less hostile to change, safer for workers, less risky for retirees, and so on. ✨ Support the podcast at: optimisteconomy.com ✨ Ask questions or share your economic worries with us at: optimist.economy@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Optimist Economy 2025
  • Show Website
    Optimist Economy

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