EconoFact Chats

Economic policy in the second Trump administration continues to undergo significant change. Many of these changes have been enacted through executive orders. What effect have these policies had on economic growth, scientific research, and on American institutions thus far? How might they impact U.S. leadership over the long-term? Simon Johnson joins EconoFact Chats to discuss these questions, drawing on a new book he co-edited, 'The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration: A Preliminary Assessment.' Simon is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he heads the Global Economics and Management Group. He served as Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund in 2007–2008 and was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2024.

Homeownership has been part of the traditional American dream. But increases in home prices, borrowing costs, and home insurance are making it harder for many Americans to buy a home. The cost of renting is also rising. These increases have recently been more widespread across the country. What's driving the higher cost of housing? What policies could help alleviate the challenge of housing unaffordability? Jeff Zabel joins EconoFact Chats to discuss these, and other, questions about housing in America. Jeff is a Professor of Economics at Tufts University. He is co-editor of the Journal of Housing Economics and serves on the editorial boards of Real Estate Economics and the Journal of Regional Science and Urban Economics.

In a recent article, The Economist Magazine noted that “talk about affordability mixes phantom concerns with real ones.” In this episode of EconoFact Chats, Jason Furman argues that “affordability,” which is not well defined, is not necessarily worse now than a year or two ago, or even decades ago. But he notes that there are real concerns as well -- especially with the costs of housing, childcare, and medical care. Jason discusses whether recent policies can address these concerns, and also highlights the scope for government actions to address the rising cost of living. Jason is the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy at Harvard. He was previously the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

It's been nearly ten years since Britain voted to leave the European Union. The run-up to the referendum was marked by competing claims regarding the consequences of Brexit, with Leave supporters claiming Brexit would restore British sovereignty over economic and social policies, while Remain advocates warned of self-inflicted economic harm. What have the actual consequences of Brexit been? And what lessons does it offer for nations seeking to disengage from the global economy today? Nicholas Bloom joins EconoFact Chats to discuss his recent research on these questions. Nick is the William D. Eberle Professor in Economics at Stanford. He is also the Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has been the subject of very public attacks by President Trump, and a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice. These are seen as efforts to influence the Fed to lower interest rates for short-run political advantage. But there has been widespread pushback to these efforts. Kenneth Kuttner joins EconoFact Chats to discuss how and why central banks are set up to be insulated from political pressure, and the economic consequences of a failure of central bank independence. Ken is the Robert F. White Class of 1952 Professor of Economics at Williams College. He has also served as Assistant Vice President in the Research Departments of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

New technologies often result in significant change. Perhaps the most salient effect of automation has been labor displacement. At the beginning of the 20th century, agricultural employment gave way to more productive, and higher paying, manufacturing jobs. The growing middle class generated demand for new products and new industries. But more recent technological changes have shrunk manufacturing jobs with workers moving to lower-paying service employment. Even more recently, Artificial Intelligence may displace workers who are at the higher end of the income distribution. Eduardo Porter joins EconoFact Chats to discuss these issues, as well as cryptocurrencies. Eduardo is a columnist for The Washington Post where he is also a member of its editorial board. He has formerly written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg. Note: This podcast was first published on 17th November, 2024.

For many Americans, episodes of stress are often temporary. But for marginalized communities -- especially black people, and those living in poverty, stress is, too often, an ongoing part of life. And this has dire consequences on health and well-being. Our guest on EconoFact Chats this week, Arline Geronimus has done pioneering work in understanding the consequences of chronic stress, especially as it relates to maternal and infant health; contributing, counterintuitively, to poorer birth outcomes for babies born to older black mothers, as compared to those born to younger ones. Arline is a Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan. She is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academies of Science. Her newest book is “Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society.” Note: This podcast was first published on 28th May, 2023.

In a new article in Foreign Affairs, 'The New Economic Geography: Who Profits in a Post-American World?,' Adam Posen, the President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, argues that the policies and institutions the US has helped put in place over the past eight decades have not only bolstered its own economic fortunes, but have helped much of the world thrive. Adam joins EconoFact Chats to discuss the article, and point out how the Trump administration's pursuit of an America first policy could render the US, and much of the world, less economically stable. He also discusses who might benefit from America's retreat from global leadership. Note: This podcast was first published on 5th October, 2025.

Trade restrictions are a common theme on campaign trails, and the general public is often suspicious of the net benefits of trade. Are these suspicions warranted? This week on EconoFact Chats, Michael Klein, and Kadee Russ of the University of California at Davis discuss the current landscape of international trade. Note: This podcast was first published on 5th October, 2020.

The US economy has faced many challenges in 2025: the direct effects of a government shutdown and the associated uncertainty because of the unavailability of economic statistics; the imposition of high, and varying, tariffs; concerns about affordability; and plunging consumer confidence. But, as Mark Zandi points out in this episode of EconoFact Chats, the economic fortunes of people vary across income groups, with the top third of the distribution benefitting from the strong stock market, the middle third concerned about their jobs and the cost of living, and the bottom third facing painful price increases, cuts in government support, and stalled hiring. Much remains uncertain as we finish the year and look ahead to 2026, and Mark discusses what to look for and how things may play out. Mark is Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics. He serves on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, and is the lead director of Reinvestment Fund, one of the nation’s largest community development financial institutions.

John Cassidy joins EconoFact Chats to discuss his latest book, 'Capitalism and its Critics.' In the book, and in the conversation, Cassidy argues that capitalism has proven to be a remarkably protean system, able to adapt through numerous crises, and discusses the ways in which widening inequality, the ecological crisis, technological transformation, and resurgent authoritarian politics could force capitalism to adapt again. John has been a staff writer at The New Yorker for three decades. His previous book, 'How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities,' was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

EconoFact Chats regularly hosts a panel of distinguished economic journalists to take stock of key issues affecting the U.S. economy. Since the panel last met in September, the U.S. has been through the longest government shutdown on record, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments on the legality of the Trump administration's tariffs, and the Democrats outperformed expectations in a few elections. This week, EconoFact Chats welcomes back Binyamin Applebaum of The New York Times, Larry Edelman of The Boston Globe, Scott Horsley of NPR, and Claire Jones of The Financial Times to discuss these events, as well as recent shifts in consumer sentiment, Fed independence, inflation, and the impact of tariffs and lower immigration on the economy.

It's been over six months since the so-called 'Liberation Day' tariffs -- a 10% baseline tariff on all US imports, and additional country-specific tariffs determined by their trade surplus with the US -- came into effect. The Trump administration argued these tariffs would result in a stronger economy, and a revival of American manufacturing. Have they? Chad Bown joins EconoFact Chats to discuss the rollout and consequences of the sweeping tariffs thus far, and how they compare to the tariffs enacted during the first Trump administration. Chad is the Reginald Jones Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Some of the key economic challenges facing the U.S. include its large federal debt and the possibility of a fiscal crisis, as well as the disruptions (and perhaps promises) of the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence. Greg Mankiw discussed these challenges in an EconoFact Ask Me Anything webinar held on October 15, 2025. This EconoFact Chats episode is an abridged recording of that webinar. Greg is the Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics at Harvard University. He served as the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the George W. Bush administration. He is the author of the bestselling Principles of Economics and Macroeconomics textbooks. EconoFact’s monthly Ask Me Anything Webinars are exclusively available to our Premium Subscribers. The modest $50 annual fee for becoming a Premium Subscriber supports EconoFact and its efforts to bring timely, accessible, unbiased, and nonpartisan analyses on important economic and social policy issues to the public. You can sign-up for a Premium Subscription here: https://secure.touchnet.net/C21525_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=157

In a new report 'Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States: A 10-Year Update,' The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) notes that child poverty reduction has proved readily responsive to federal and state policy choices. The percentage of children living in poverty fell to a historic low of 5% in 2021, even as COVID slowed the economy, because programs like the expanded Child Tax Credit supported families. When these programs were wound down, even as the economy recovered, the child poverty rate rose, reaching 13% by 2024. Leslie Boissiere joins EconoFact Chats to discuss the report, highlighting the long-run economic and social costs of childhood poverty, and the role of public policy in addressing this problem. Leslie is the Vice President for External Affairs at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. She oversees the foundation's KIDS COUNT effort, as well as the areas of policy reform and advocacy, strategic communications, organizational effectiveness, and national partnerships.

The United States fostered a post-World War II rules-based international economic order that benefitted both itself and many other countries. But recent changes in United States’ policies have altered trade relationships and the international role of the dollar. Oleg Itskhoki joins EconoFact Chats to discuss the sources and consequences of these shifts in the international economic order, discussing topics like the role of an economic hegemon, recent outcomes in foreign exchange, stock, and bond markets, and whether tariffs can reduce trade deficits. He also highlights the risks of a more fragmented world economy as the United States pursues a confrontational, rather than cooperative, international economic policy. Oleg is a Professor of Economics at Harvard. He was awarded the prestigious John Bates Clark Medal by the American Economic Association in 2022 which recognizes the American economist under the age of forty who is judged to have made the most significant contribution to economics.

In their new book 'Fixed: Why Personal Finance is Broken and How to Make It Work for Everyone,' John Campbell and Tarun Ramadorai highlight how personal finance markets in the US and across the globe often benefit the wealthy and more educated at the expense of those with fewer advantages. This feature of financial markets, along with the inherent difficulty in making financial decisions, makes it difficult for regular consumers to make sound decisions about investing and borrowing. John joins EconoFact Chats to discuss his book, offering practical advice on topics like saving for college, getting a mortgage, making investment decisions, and creating an emergency fund for hard times. He also proposes some solutions to make personal finance work better for everyone. John is the Morton L. and Carole S. Olshan Professor of Economics at Harvard University.

While it is often thought that adolescence begins and ends with puberty, new research shows that the development of cognitive skills, emotional development, and social skills that starts in the early teen years continues into the mid-twenties. In her new book 'Thrive,' Lisa Lawson, President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, points out that failure to build on investments throughout this longer period of adolescence can result in missed mental and emotional growth, leaving young people less well equipped to lead independent, successful lives. Lisa joins EconoFact Chats to discuss her new book, and highlight how fam­i­lies, com­mu­ni­ties and pub­lic sys­tems can support programs and policies that build strong, resilient young people.

This week, EconoFact Chats features an abridged version of an EconoFact Ask Me Anything Webinar held on September 17th featuring Tara Watson, Director of the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity at the Brookings Institution. The AMA focused on the role of immigrants in the U.S. labor force, the extent and types of deportations seen currently, the economic effects of stepped-up immigration enforcement, and the availability of reliable immigration and deportation data. Tara is the John C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair, and a Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings. Her most recent book is 'The Border Within: The Economics of Immigration in an Age of Fear.'   EconoFact’s monthly Ask Me Anything Webinars are exclusively available to our Premium Subscribers. The modest $50 annual fee for becoming a Premium Subscriber supports EconoFact and its efforts to bring timely, accessible, unbiased, and nonpartisan analyses on important economic and social policy issues to the public. You can sign-up for a Premium Subscription at https://secure.touchnet.net/C21525_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=157

The post-war international economic order was based on two fundamental pillars: American leadership and multilateralism. Both of those are, to some extent, under threat today. The United States is on a different path with respect to international economic relations, than had been the case over the past decades. Increasing tariffs are just one example of a reversal of prior efforts aimed at greater globalization and more economic integration. This reversal has not just occurred in the United States: Brexit stands as a prime example. What have been the forces driving a splintering in globalization? Are there historical precedents for this? What type of international economic regime is likely to emerge? Professor Jeffry Frieden joins EconoFact Chats to address these questions and discuss present and past linkages between domestic politics and international economics. Jeff is Professor of International and Public Affairs and Political Science at Columbia University, and Professor of Government emeritus at Harvard University. His teaching and research focus on the politics of international economic relations.