Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers

Justin Wolfers
  • 4.5 (432)
  • Courses
  • Updated Daily

From world events to everyday decisions, economics explains it all. Platypus Economics makes it clear, useful, and actually fun.

  1. 4h ago

    How Accountability Shapes National Borrowing Rates | The Professor Is In

    What's the relationship between journalism and borrowing costs? When a local paper shuts down, something surprising happens: the town starts paying higher interest on its debt. Justin Wolfers sits down with producer Augusta to answer viewer questions about why press freedom isn't just a civics-class ideal — it's an economic force that touches your mortgage rate, your government's bond yields, and the whole institutional plumbing that keeps prosperity running. Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

  2. 1d ago

    Why Trump's Diesel Export Ban Could Raise Gas Prices | Diving In

    The White House is floating a temporary ban on U.S. diesel exports, and the pitch sounds simple: keep the diesel here, and prices fall for farmers and truckers. In this episode of Diving In, Justin Wolfers walks through why that story falls apart the moment you follow the economics past its first sentence. Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

  3. 2d ago

    What Would It Take to Eliminate Poverty? | The Professor Is In

    In this episode of the Professor Is In, Justin Wolfers answers your questions about poverty in America. Justin walks through the official poverty measure ($32,649 for two adults and two kids), the newer supplemental measure ($41,701 for a renting family that adjusts for local costs and now counts internet and phone as essentials), and why the two disagree about how many people are poor. Justin also digs into the hard questions: is redistribution always a leaky bucket, or can fairness make the pie bigger? Why don't we just end poverty with a universal basic income? Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

  4. 2d ago

    The Economic Cost of Trump's War on The Press | Diving In

    When the White House pulled the press badges of CNN, MS Now, and Politico, most of us reached for the First Amendment. Justin Wolfers asks a different question: what does a free press actually DO for us? What happens to your wallet when a president gets leverage over the reporters? Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

  5. 4d ago

    What If We Just Gave Poor People Money?

    Official poverty fell to 10.2% — so why does the better measure show almost no change? The new poverty numbers are out, and the headline looks like good news: official poverty dropped to 10.2%, a third straight annual decline. But Justin Wolfers explains why that single statistic hides more than it reveals — and why the broader "supplemental" measure tells a very different story. Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com on Apple Podcasts 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/platypus-economics-with-justin-wolfers/id1523898793 on Spotify 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/4sOVMPFJmCROADLMDdDwjs Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

  6. 6d ago

    The Fed Raised Rates. Here's What It's Fighting. | Off The Clock

    The Fed just raised rates unanimously — and Justin Wolfers explains why that 12-0 vote matters more than the rate itself. Joined by Bloomberg Businessweek's Stacey Vanek-Smith on Off The Clock, Justin unpacks what "Silent Kevin" Warsh actually signaled, why the president's dream of 1% interest rates would light a fire under inflation, and why even a government that repays its debts can end up unable to borrow again. Then, Justin and Stacey debate whether "the feelings are the data," and Stacey builds the whole global economy into one bacon cheeseburger . Finally, Justin turns thousands of YouTube comments into a data set to show Americans something the U.S. media keeps missing: just how angry Canadians are, and why they'll accept real economic pain. Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

  7. Sep 18

    The Hawk Behind The Hike | The Professor Is In

    The Fed just raised its target rate by a quarter of a percentage point, the first hike since 2023 — but Justin Wolfers argues the number on the front page isn't the real story. In this episode of The Professor Is In, producer Augusta Chapman brings you audience questions, and Justin explains why the bigger signal was new Fed chair Kevin Warsh convincing markets he's a genuine inflation hawk. Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

  8. Sep 16

    Understanding The Fed’s Rate Hike Decision | Diving In

    Understanding The Fed’s Rate Hike Decision | Diving In The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday by a quarter of a percentage point. It’s the first time the Central Bank upped rates since July, 2023. All 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee, including Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, voted in favor of a rate hike. Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and founder of Platypus Economics, breaks down the Fed’s decision, and unpacks how it’ll impact your life. Subscribe: on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com on Apple Podcasts 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/platypus-economics-with-justin-wolfers/id1523898793 on Spotify 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/4sOVMPFJmCROADLMDdDwjs Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

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Hosts & Guests

4.5
out of 5
432 Ratings

About

From world events to everyday decisions, economics explains it all. Platypus Economics makes it clear, useful, and actually fun.

Information

  • Creator
    Justin Wolfers
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Clean

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