EP 745 Trickle Down Economics Is Not Ordained: A More Just Economy is Possible

  Economics, often called the ‘dismal’ science, may be less akin to science, say physics, than many want us to believe. The neoliberalism of the last forty years was best summarized by Britain’s late Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who suggested that this brand of economics(call it top down with a helping side of profit maximization)is the ONLY way.  Economics has a political and moral dimension as we create a tax code, wage standards and labor policies, which all play into economic outcomes.  Our guest, a writer for the New Yorker magazine, Nick Romeo, captures the possibilities for a different way of looking at economics in his new book, “The Alternative: How to Build a Just Economy.”  Pointing to several real-world models that show us the way, like true-pricing of consumer goods, job guarantees and gig-work platforms that operate as public utilities, he’s trying to remove the scales from our eyes so we can see that there exist new models worthy of our attention so that we can begin to address the dramatic problems we face with income inequality and growing political dissatisfaction.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download