Trumponomics
Episodes
Fix Inequality Now? Be Careful What You Wish For
22 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Widening inequality is a blight on the modern economy and will ultimately undermine growth. But wait. Let's not hurry to fix it because history shows ...
`Hamilton the Protectionist' Is a Show Trump Might Like
16 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has had plenty to say about the smash hit musical "Hamilton": "Highly overrated," for one. But if we focus instead on Hamilton's economic...
Surprise! Your Cash Is Now Worthless
08 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The nation's leader takes a sudden action that only a handful of people know about beforehand. His populist base loves it, even if it could disrupt th...
Trump Heartland Depends on -- And Loathes -- Globalization
02 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Even in Deep Red America, the cosmopolitan world of Chardonnay and dual passport-holders is alive and well. Right alongside is a middle class enmeshed...
Trump Says the Jobless Rate is Phony. Try These Stats Instead
25 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
"Make America Great Again," Donald Trump's campaign slogan, became the government's guiding policy when he was sworn in last week as the 45th U.S. pre...
The Swiss Steak Heist And How The Central Bank Made It Happen
19 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Too often the study of economics and exchange rates can seem very arcane. What does it mean in real life? For one meat smuggler, the end of 15 years o...
70: Cafe Con Leche Can Track Hyperinflation in Venezuela
12 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows inflation is out of control in Venezuela. But the government long ago stopped publishing figures on a regular basis, leaving economists...
69: Thought 2016 Was Bad? Wait Until You See 2017
29 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Brexit. A Trump win. 2016 was full of unexpected surprises that rocked the global economy in ways that even most experienced market observers couldn't...
68: Taking the Long (240-Year) View of U.S.-China Relations
21 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has pledged to get tough with China on trade and currency, already tensing up relations with the world's second-largest economy. But it c...
67: The Fed Takes a Hike. What Should You Do?
14 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
America's central bank finally got around to raising interest rates for the first time in a year and signaled borrowing costs will keep rising from th...
66: Planes, Trains and Automobiles
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From a fatal highway bridge collapse in Minneapolis to LaGuardia Airport's "third-world" experience, America's failing infrastructure is no secret. To...
65: Dear Donald, Some Advice on China. Sincerely, Jon Huntsman
29 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Donald Trump is on the verge of igniting a trade war with China. He might want to first listen to Jon Huntsman's thoughts on why that'...
64: Make France Great Again
22 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
First came Brexit. Then Trump. Now the world's attention turns once again across the Atlantic to France, where a presidential election is coming up an...
63: How to Get a Job After You Commit a Felony
16 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of Americans could help solve a looming labor shortage for certain U.S. industries. Problem is, they're felons. Are ex-cons who can't get job...
62: What Have We Done?
09 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of Donald Trump's surprise presidential victory, the Benchmark team has a few questions: Is trade with Mexico destined to end? Is our rela...
61: Thanksgiving Will Be Cheaper This Year and That's Not Good
02 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Falling food prices may be good for your Thanksgiving tab this year, but they're doing a number on the U.S. economy. Food commodity prices have fallen...
59: O Trucker, Where Art Thou?
19 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How tight is the U.S. labor market? So much that one trucking company is offering $5,000 signing bonuses to lure new drivers. Yet millions of American...
58: Childcare Costs Are Too Damn High
12 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
If U.S. childcare costs are so expensive, why do people who walk your dog make more money than the workers who take care of your kids? Is there any wa...
57: JD Vance and the Rise of the White Working Class
05 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How did a diminishing slice of Western economies come to so dominate the political narrative? The roar of the white working class, mainly in onetime i...
56: Actually, You Probably Can't Make It in New York
28 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
And you might want to cross San Francisco off the list, too. In the past 30 years, the most expensive metro areas in the U.S. have seen their housing ...
Benchmark Special: Here's What You Need to Know About the Fed
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The world's most powerful central bank kept interest rates unchanged today, but the Federal Reserve also suggested an increase is imminent -- perhaps ...
55: The App That Runs China's Economy
15 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Can a nation's entire economy fit on one smartphone app? In China, that day is almost here. More than 700 million Chinese -- more than double the enti...
54: The Optimist's Guide to the Economy
07 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
More than a decade after the first Internet boom, U.S. productivity growth has stagnated and the economy has been unable to break out of 2 percent exp...
Benchmark Special: Five Questions From the August Jobs Report
02 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes the monthly U.S. jobs report delivers a clear signal on the labor market and the economy. This is not one of those times. Fortunately, the B...
53: Why Are Weddings So Expensive? Blame Econ 101.
31 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Happily ever after doesn't come cheap in the U.S. Couples looking to tie the knot pay an average of about $30,000 between things like caterers, flower...
52: Ever Since Texting, It's Been Downhill for the U.S. Economy
24 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When phone companies implored U.S. customers in 2003 to text more because they were lagging behind the rest of the world, it was all over. Almost. Whi...
51: Fancy Face Cream, South Korea's Next Economic Engine
17 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Benchmark team takes a look at one of South Korea's most promising new exports: beauty products. Seoul is pivoting away from the country...
50: 'Hamilton' -- From Smash Musical to Economics Syllabus
10 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As much as economics permeates our lives, the concepts behind the subject can often be rather dry. Fortunately, the smash Broadway musical "Hamilton" ...
49: Slaves of Brazil — An Economic History
03 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Now that slavery, of all things, has popped up as one of the weirder talking points in the bizarre U.S. presidential campaign, we figured it might be ...
48: Why Do Sports Make Sane People Lose Their (Economic) Minds?
27 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Police strikes, threats of Zika and a $20 billion tab: Welcome to the 2016 Summer Olympics games in Brazil. But Rio's position isn't just matter of ba...
Benchmark Special: Five Things to Know About the Fed Meeting
22 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
No one thinks the Fed is going to raise interest rates at its next meeting. Chair Janet Yellen isn't scheduled to hold a press conference, and there w...
47: Looking Back on President Trump's First Six Months
20 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How would the U.S. economy fare under President Donald J. Trump? Hosts Scott Lanman and Kate Smith journey one year into the future to track the Bench...
46: Brexit Is Really All About China
13 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
China wasn't on the ballot when U.K. citizens made the surprise decision to leave the European Union. But it has played a major role in the forces of ...
45: The Economics Behind the Boom in Anti-Immigration Sentiment
06 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From the U.S. to the U.K., immigration and its consequences are flaring up as never before. But how exactly do they shape the economy, and how are nat...
44: Cure Cancer, Boost Global Growth
29 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Drug companies and researchers have made huge advances in recent years to treat cancer, possibly the world's leading cause of death. And more breakthr...
Is Norway's `EU Decaf' a Post Brexit Lifeline?
29 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Why is Norway attracting attention in a post-Brexit Britain? Saleha Mohsin, who followed Norwegian politics and economics for Bloomberg, joins Dan Mos...
Episode 43: What have they done?
24 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Have British voters rejected more than the EU? The vote to leave the Union, which grew from the idea seven decades ago that enmeshed economies won't w...
42: When I'm Sixty-Four
15 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Will the government still feed me when I'm 64? How about 74, or even 84? Americans are living longer than ever, but the retirement age has barely budg...
41: Venezuela Is at a Breaking Point
08 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Venezuela, home to the world's biggest oil reserves, is in the throes of economic crisis. With inflation projected at nearly 300 percent this year, ho...
40: How to Earn $250/Hour in the Gig Economy
01 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Every day the gig economy gets bigger, whether you're talking about drivers on Uber or programmers on Upwork. Are these workers freed from the drudger...
39: What Al Franken Really Thinks About Deadlock in Washington
25 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Washington is once again mired in political gridlock, this time involving the Supreme Court. A seat on the highest court in the land has been open sin...
38: The Quiet Epidemic That's Killing White Americans in Droves
18 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
After decades of progress in U.S. mortality rates, scores of white middle-aged Americans are dying or reporting that their health is deteriorating and...
37: The International Plot to Kill Big Bills
12 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For criminals looking to sell drugs, fund terrorism, evade taxes or bribe government officials, cash is king. That's why a growing chorus of academics...
36: Puerto Rico's $70 Billion Crisis Just Might Be Catastrophic
04 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Puerto Rico missed a $400 million debt payment on Sunday, and bigger, more consequential defaults could follow. But how did things get so bad in the f...
35: Why Are We Still Fighting About Obamacare?
27 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Affordable Care Act is back in the news, as insurers around the nation complain they're losing money in exchanges designed to bring health coverag...
34: Japan Just Can't Catch a Break
20 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Japan's been having a tough time lately. The central bank used unorthodox tools to jumpstart growth -- and has little to show for it. It's closing in ...
33: How Monetary Policy is Now Being Outsourced (Sort Of)
13 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Reserve has two mandates: price stability and full employment. Yet now many wonder whether the Fed, like many large and powerful organizat...
32: Your Sex Drive Is Widening the Income Inequality Gap
06 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It seems as if everywhere you turn these days you hear the same refrain: The rich are getting richer at the expense of the poor. Economists blame ever...
31: Will You Ever Be Able to Buy Your Own Home?
31 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Home prices are surging around the world and in many of our favorite U.S. cities. It doesn't get much worse than tech-fueled San Francisco, where the ...
30: Everything You Thought You Knew About Saudi Arabia Is Wrong
24 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, women in Saudi Arabia know how to drive. They can vote, at least in local elections. And every Saudi citizen, men and women, may be about to see ...
29: From Apple to Chick-fil-A: When Companies Play Politics
17 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As U.S. election rhetoric reaches a fever pitch, politicians aren't the only ones taking a stand on issues. Some of the biggest brands around -- Chipo...
Episode 28: China's Demographic Time Bomb
10 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Worries about China's slowdown have dominated headlines since the beginning of the year. But beneath the day-to-day volatility is a simmering crisis: ...
Episode 27: Can Slow Growth and the American Dream Coexist?
03 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Presidential candidates including Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Jeb Bush have touted plans that will inspire growth twice as fast as what the U.S. ...
Episode 26: What's Holding India Back?
25 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
India has the world's fastest-growing major economy and a population that's on course to be the world's largest -- eclipsing China -- within a decade....
Episode 25: Negative Rates -- Another (Delayed) 2008 Hangover
18 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Bank of Japan's new rules on negative interest rates went into effect this week, with a quarter of the global economy now run by central banks tha...
Episode 24: The World's Best Country for Working Women
11 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
If there's one place in the world that's close to cracking the secret on gender equality, it's Norway. But even this Scandinavian utopia has some way ...
Episode 23: Kill A Mosquito, Help The Global Economy
04 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Mosquitoes don't have very many redeeming qualities. They drink our blood, they make us itch and they carry illnesses like Zika, a virus that's explod...
Episode 22: Has Cheap Oil Become Bad For The Economy?
28 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. is awash in inexpensive oil. That's usually been a plus for the economy, because even though energy companies get squeezed, drivers get a bre...
Episode 21: What Are Your Odds of Becoming a Millionaire?
21 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Who wants to be a millionaire? Most people we know, at least. But individuals' odds of accumulating that much wealth diverge wildly as race, age and e...
Episode 20: Stocks are Melting Down. Is The Economy Next?
14 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Financial markets around the world have been rocked as investors worry that a slowdown in China will spread to other nations as well. But how closely ...
Episode 19: 7 Economics Tricks To Help Keep Resolutions
07 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Every year, millions of people make New Year's resolutions. Every year, millions fail, often wasting money and working against their be...
Episode 18: Will Your Job Disappear by 2024?
30 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- As everyone else makes predictions for 2016, we zoom ahead to 2024. Which jobs will be on the rise, and which jobs will disappear? Heid...
Episode 17: When Does it Make Sense to Cheat?
23 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- This year has been full of cheaters. From bad boy pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli to the Patriots' Tom Brady to Volkswagen, all...
Episode 16: The Fed Finally Raised Interest Rates. Now What?
17 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve finally raised its main interest rate, after years of keeping it near zero to help pull the U.S. out of a severe re...
Episode 15: Take Paternity Leave Like a Boss
10 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Many soon-to-be parents worry about the impact that paternal leave will have on their careers. One of them is our very own Dan Moss, wh...
Episode 14: Adele and the Future of Music
03 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Adele's new album, "25," has been flying off the shelves. Was she smart to withhold it from Spotify? Tori and Aki discuss the economics...
Episode 13: How to Give Holiday Presents Like an Economist
25 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- With Black Friday kicking off retailers' most important shopping season of the year, economist Joel Waldfogel shares his advice for buy...
Episode 12: Could the U.S. Make College Free?
19 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Americans now owe a record $1.2 trillion in student loans, and a growing chorus is asking why they should even have to go into debt to ...
Episode 11: What It Takes to Be Rich
12 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- How much money do you need to be rich, ultra rich and out-of-your-mind rich? Tori and Aki discuss, along with what growing income inequ...
Episode 10: Does Manufacturing Still Matter for America?
05 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- It's been both a depressing month and decade for U.S. manufacturing. But with the economy transitioning to one driven by services, why ...
Episode 9: The U.S. Government's $18 Trillion Debt Problem
29 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- It's that time of the year again, when Washington erupts in heated debate over the decision to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. How worried...
Episode 8: How to Keep a Robot from Stealing Your Job
22 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Are social skills the last barrier between you, your job and a robotic replacement? Aki, Tori and Dan, with a little help from Siri, ex...
Episode 7: What It's Like to Win the Nobel Prize
15 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- There's one honor that trumps all others in economics, and it's winning the Nobel Prize. Tori catches up with the 2015 winner Angus Dea...
Episode 6: A Tale of Love And Euros
08 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Hosts Aki and Tori discuss foreign exchange markets through the lens of a very special event: the Portguese wedding of Bloomberg data e...
Episode 5: The World Isn't Getting Pricier Fast Enough
01 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Prices around the globe aren't rising as fast as they need to, a phenomenon that's got economists and central bankers debating how to fix it. But what...
Episode 4: The Millennials Go Rogue
24 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- With Dan on vacation, Tori and Aki take the chance to talk about their generation: the millennials. They push past the stereotypes and ...
Episode 3: Will You Get a Raise This Year?
17 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Hosts Tori Stilwell, Aki Ito and Dan Moss talk paychecks. Why have Americans' wages been stagnant for more than six years, when will th...
Episode 2: Should You Be Freaking Out Over China?
15 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- When stocks crash in the world's second-largest economy, people pay attention. In this bonus episode, Brookings senior fellow Kenneth L...
The U.S. Economy's Silent Menace
11 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Every week, hosts Tori Stilwell, Dan Moss, and Aki Ito bring you a jargon-free dive into the stories that drive the global economy. In ...
The Benchmark Preview
04 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to episode zero of the Bloomberg Benchmark Podcast! Every week, hosts Tori Stilwell, Dan Moss, and Aki Ito bring you a jargon-f...