Mostly Economics

Center for Economic and Policy Research and Dean Baker
  • 4.6 (23)
  • POLITICS

Mostly Economics is a weekly show hosted by Center for Economic and Policy Research Senior Economist and co-founder, Dean Baker, about ways US economic policies affect everyday lives—from household budgets to global trade relationships. New episode released every Thursday.

  1. 11/27/2025

    Season 1 Finale: Your Questions Answered with Jared Bernstein

    In the Season 1 finale, Dean Baker and Jared Bernstein answer listener-submitted questions on the biggest economic issues of the moment: the affordability crisis gripping American families, the surprising Democratic victories in off-year elections, and how the government shutdown is erasing critical economic data. From policy solutions to political implications, Dean and Jared tackle your questions with their wonderful blend of expertise and candor. Thank you for supporting our first season of Mostly Economics. We will return in 2026!

    49 min

  2. 11/21/2025

    Mostly Economics Podcast #30: What Real Freedom Requires with Joseph Stiglitz

    Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz discusses his book "The Road to Freedom," explaining why real economic freedom means more than just keeping government small. Stiglitz breaks down how access to healthcare and education creates freedom, why drug companies profited from taxpayer-funded vaccines, and how pollution is really about property rights. Despite exploring serious inequality challenges, he shares an optimistic vision for building an economy that works for everyone.

    39 min

  3. 11/14/2025

    Mostly Economics Podcast #29: The Assault on Federal Workers with Sasha Abramsky

    Dean talks with Sasha Abramsky, freelance writer for The Nation and author of the forthcoming book "American Carnage," which examines how the Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE systematically targeted federal workers in 2025. Abramsky shares stories from CDC employees, IRS workers, and National Park staff who faced mass layoffs through automated quota systems rather than performance reviews, revealing the human cost of dismantling vital government services and the impact on public health, environmental protection, and consumer safety.

    47 min

  4. 11/06/2025

    Mostly Economics Podcast #28: Fighting the Media Oligarchy with Milo Vassallo

    This week Dean speaks to Milo Vassallo, Executive Director of the Media and Democracy Project, about wresting back the free press from media oligarchs. As corporate consolidation has gutted local newsrooms and created vast news deserts, communities can rebuild civic journalism from the ground up.

    53 min

  5. 10/30/2025

    Mostly Economics Podcast #27: Why America's Wage Gap Keeps Growing with Kim Weeden

    This week Dean speaks to Kim Weeden, Professor of Sociology at Cornell University and Director of the Center for the Study of Inequality, about why America's wage gap keeps growing. While protections for minimum wage workers have weakened over the past 40 years, the rules that protect high earners have only gotten stronger.

    44 min

  6. 10/23/2025

    Mostly Economics Podcast #26: The ACA and the Shutdown with Sarah Lueck

    Health policy expert Sarah Lueck of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities joins Dean Baker to discuss the Affordable Care Act's future amid a prolonged government shutdown. They unpack how expiring premium tax credits could raise costs for millions, the ACA's major achievements, and why congressional action is urgently needed.

    40 min

  7. 10/16/2025

    Mostly Economics Podcast #25: Why the IMF Model Keeps Poor Countries Poor with Ha-Joon Chang

    Today on Mostly Economics, Ha-Joon Chang, Professor at the Department of Economics at SOAS University of London and Senior Research Fellow at CEPR, critiques the IMF and World Bank's Washington Consensus model. He explains how neoclassical economics locks poor countries into existing capabilities. Chang contrasts South Korea's transformation through state-directed industrial policy with Mexico's stagnation under NAFTA. He exposes how the World Bank manipulated data to falsely claim economic progress. Chang also reveals how patent monopolies contradicted free market principles during COVID-19, preventing lifesaving technology sharing.

    46 min

  8. 10/09/2025

    Mostly Economics Podcast #24: Rethinking Worker Power with Suresh Naidu

    Dean Baker speaks with Suresh Naidu, Professor of Economics at Columbia University, about unions' role in reducing inequality, how employer wage-setting power shapes labor markets, sectoral bargaining experiments in California and Minnesota, the problems with H-1B visa programs, and why Democrats shifted away from labor policy toward tax-and-transfer approaches in recent decades.

    44 min
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4.6
out of 5
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About

Mostly Economics is a weekly show hosted by Center for Economic and Policy Research Senior Economist and co-founder, Dean Baker, about ways US economic policies affect everyday lives—from household budgets to global trade relationships. New episode released every Thursday.

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  • Creator
    Center for Economic and Policy Research and Dean Baker
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 by Center for Economic and Policy Research and Dean Baker
  • Show Website
    Mostly Economics