Optimist Economy
Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi
Optimist Economy is the anti-doomscroll economics podcast. Work rules, tax fairness, healthcare, housing costs, retirement security — the economic forces shaping American life have real problems. But also real solutions. Each week, economist Kathryn Anne Edwards and editor Robin Rauzi break down one problem and solution with data, history, humor, and a belief that tools to build a better economy exist. We just haven't tried them. New episodes on Tuesdays.✨ Support the podcast at: optimisteconomy.com ✨Ask questions or share your economic worries with us at: optimist.economy@gmail.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
10 snips
May 12, 2026 • 44min
Can the U.S. Go ‘Cashless?’
They dig into why cash still matters for millions who are unbanked or underbanked. They unpack ChexSystems, payday lenders, and how discriminatory banking practices widen racial gaps. They explore postal banking as a public alternative and what keeping cash means for privacy, choice, and limiting finance-sector power.
35 snips
May 5, 2026 • 58min
The 2026 Economy: Make it Make Sense
A clear-eyed checkup on U.S. macro signals: why GDP felt meh and which events drove weak growth. A tour of collapsing consumer sentiment, rising delinquencies, and the paradox of steady spending. How tariffs, oil shocks, deportations, and a government shutdown explain current price and job puzzles. Scenarios for where the economy could go next and why long-term reforms still matter.
8 snips
Apr 28, 2026 • 50min
Progress is a Long Game
They trace how major reforms unfold over decades using the long fight to end child labor as a case study. They detail organizing tactics like photography, labels, and data used to build support. They explore political pushback, legal battles, and how the Depression reframed debates. They consider why elites embraced some reforms and what modern pressures, like demographics and childcare, might drive future change.
13 snips
Apr 21, 2026 • 47min
The Great Wage Stagnation
They trace wage stagnation since the 1970s and show how changing workforce composition hides the problem. They explore explanations from skill-biased tech and trade to shrinking unions and weakened labor standards. They introduce monopsony and employer concentration as a modern driver. They discuss evidence from fast-food wage hikes and policy ideas like stronger labor law and antitrust enforcement.
9 snips
Apr 14, 2026 • 46min
Tax Reform Gone Wild
They debate state-level millionaire and billionaire taxes and why states are improvising instead of the federal government solving childcare, health care, and affordability. They question proposals to remove many people from the tax system and warn about growing tax complexity and the rising costs of tax preparation. They challenge the idea that rich people will flee and note a renewed appetite for tax reform.
22 snips
Apr 7, 2026 • 46min
Nobody's Pulling Up Stakes Anymore
A deep look at why Americans move far less than they used to and what that means for regional inequality. Conversation about how migration affects wages, worker power, and the divide between booming and struggling cities. Exploration of barriers to moving like housing, information, and remote work. Discussion of concrete policy ideas to boost mobility and strengthen labor markets.
16 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 54min
The Optimists Have Questions…
A rapid-fire Q&A tackling retirement savings fixes, first-time homebuyer tax credit risks, and capital gains incentives. They probe institutional buyers in housing, ways to quickly reduce inequality, and whether big reforms will arrive in time. Policy trade-offs on rent caps, care economy solutions, tariffs and price gouging, and funding public projects with hotel taxes also make the cut.
10 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 42min
Corporate Profits Are Up. Their Tax Bill Should Be Too.
A lively dive into how 2017 tax changes shrank corporate tax bills while after-tax profits hit historic highs. They explore who actually pays corporate taxes and whether higher rates would chase companies away. Research on tax incentives, relocation claims, and the big dollar gap between corporate gains and workers' share gets spotlighted.
20 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 51min
If AI Gets Hired, America Can Handle It
A conversation about how AI-driven job changes mirror past tech shifts and take years to reshape the workforce. A case for rebuilding unemployment systems to triage short-term jobseekers and people needing career pivots. Discussion of training limits, the need for health coverage and apprenticeships, and which sectors will still need workers. Practical policy ideas to reduce stigma and support transitions.
15 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 50min
Boomers Didn’t Ruin Everything. Really.
They question the narrative that baby boomers alone caused today’s economic problems. They unpack how generational labels are made and misused. They explore who actually benefits from blaming a whole generation. They highlight racial and income differences within the boomer cohort and why perceived wealth can be misleading.
