# Optimist Economy A podcast by 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 Feed: https://publicfeeds.net/f/14811/feed-rss.xml ## Latest episodes - [Immigration Economics Part II: Smaller is Worse](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/a5f6f42df033) (2026-10-27, 42 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/c2411378-7e8e-4893-86a8-3334425a98c5/261027_OE_231_Immigration_Final_Clean.mp3 - [Americans Feel Awful About the Economy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/b4cf9d7a8517) (2026-10-20, 49 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/61650522-5ffd-446b-87f3-6fa6402c6dbd/261020_OE_230_ConsumerSentiment_Final_Clean.mp3 - [The U.S. is in the Hole. Will We Stop Digging?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/86afb3efa445) (2026-09-01, 52 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/11172910-ccee-4210-8c8c-9475b05f1bbe/260901_OE_ReRun_NationalDebt.mp3 - [Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising: The Invitation (Ep. 1)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/231421e942cd) (2026-08-11, 39 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/51d325de-c5a8-4961-8b22-f42f31a17426/OWS_E01_FINAL__ad_free_.mp3 - [Stop Donating Your Vacation Days to Your Boss](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/212e2a2d7e69) (2026-08-04, 51 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/4763e6cf-19e5-4505-9382-dfd72d4fe917/260804_OE_228_Vacation_Final_Clean_3.mp3 - [The Government is Already Paying for Your Health Insurance, Buddy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/f738a619103a) (2026-07-28, 49 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/933bf4a0-cd38-4178-b5a2-115f0cd4b822/260728_OE_227_HealthCare_Final_Clean.mp3 - [Mr. Justin Time Sets a Cruel Work Schedule](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/b1dc3b40a819) (2026-07-21, 49 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/6c97957f-eade-43b7-81e3-8160f6d14f88/260721_OE_226_WorkHours_Final_Clean.mp3 - [Young Americans Should Be Raising Hell About Social Security](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/16f2a95113fb) (2026-07-14, 45 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/487709be-60a8-4758-8647-f4f2d304155f/260714_OE_225_SocialSecurity_Final_Clean.mp3 - [Simple Immigration Economics: Bigger is Better](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/c71755cb89f8) (2026-07-07, 53 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/c90e6781-4826-48bb-b3b4-f2a8db494d2f/260707_OE_224_ReRun_Immigration_FINAL.mp3 - [America at 250: Case for the Defense](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/71334c9c357d) (2026-06-30, 53 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/8677041c-3a08-429a-9fb9-1abb2e88d002/260630_OE_223_America250_Final_Clean.mp3 - [Optimist Q&A: The AI Bubble, the Rapture, and Free Lunch](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/5393456438d2) (2026-06-23, 53 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/ff2f25f7-a8bd-4b92-bd82-750bb9d86055/260623_OE_222_QAJune_Final_Clean.mp3 - [Inflation Risk is the Wrong Recession Lesson](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/ca4ea4b4cadd) (2026-06-16, 50 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/8c7fa140-5517-46ef-a546-b4cd27dc7ddb/260616_OE_221_Recessions_Final_Clean.mp3 - [Make the Economy Work for Freelancers, Too (#askingforafriend)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/326d9a9a631a) (2026-06-09, 49 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/29e209ce-5f0e-455e-ac5f-a8357b70fcc1/260609_OE_220_Freelancers_Final_Clean.mp3 - [About That College Grad Who Can’t Find a Job…](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/37d996eb6348) (2026-06-02, 59 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/aa60f743-6ec6-4651-ae67-b4c282e6f83e/260602_OE_219_Rerun_YouthUnemployment_Final_1.mp3 - [Should We Cherish the Ultra-Wealthy? (a.k.a. ‘The Cornfield’)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/c0c55f37430f) (2026-05-26, 43 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/3b5ded39-3061-42b3-a698-610758c4ee8a/260526_OE_218_RichPeople_FINAL.mp3 - [No Overtime for the Supervisor of Sandwiches](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/fe6b37434e76) (2026-05-19, 49 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/629d1841-4232-47f5-a3b7-7366023963f1/260519_OE_217_Overtime_FINAL.mp3 - [Can the U.S. Go ‘Cashless?’](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/67e79f1af98f) (2026-05-12, 45 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/68fc4d14-4f04-48d3-8473-4736262b85bd/260512_OE_216_Cash_Final.mp3 - [The 2026 Economy: Make it Make Sense](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/99c5b998bf1a) (2026-05-05, 59 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/1930983f-f418-45e0-a755-b6e3bf109f0f/215_EconCheckUp_Final.mp3 - [Progress is a Long Game](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/ec178afcc04f) (2026-04-28, 50 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/a16f69ec-4f13-4715-81c5-a9a63922f48e/260427_OE_214_LongGameReRun_Final2.mp3 - [The Great Wage Stagnation](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/2fdd53c4f8d3) (2026-04-21, 47 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/bdd2fe6e-4855-418c-b6e9-1df6dbb6baee/260421_OE_213_Wages_Final.mp3 - [Tax Reform Gone Wild](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/460f60e97d2c) (2026-04-14, 46 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/bf546786-afcc-431a-bf91-6893e1012033/260414_OE_212_Taxes_FINAL.mp3 - [Nobody's Pulling Up Stakes Anymore](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/7d9ab7e88b53) (2026-04-07, 46 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/f068f6ca-1c7e-4444-a940-ddb6a3c96f79/260407_OE_211_Moving_Final_2.mp3 - [The Optimists Have Questions…](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/deb815076af6) (2026-03-31, 55 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/bd5debe4-e5dc-4dde-a2d4-93c13542aa88/260331_OE_210_Q_A_Audio_Final_1.mp3 - [Corporate Profits Are Up. Their Tax Bill Should Be Too.](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/74b4439f550a) (2026-03-24, 43 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/b3f35a83-7d45-4fde-8c37-686a7467e54d/260324_OE_209_CorporateTaxes_Final-Chapters.mp3 - [If AI Gets Hired, America Can Handle It](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/d9e0fe34f686) (2026-03-17, 52 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/519b896e-0966-4cab-bc24-22fe410da6c3/260317_OE_208_AIJOBS_FINAL-Chapters.mp3 - [Boomers Didn’t Ruin Everything. Really.](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/4567042bb9ff) (2026-03-10, 50 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/c49c5bb1-2d0c-4389-b3b8-c8300b1fe7f8/260310_OE_207_Boomers_Final_Chapters.mp3 - [Can $1,000 at Birth Make Us a Country of Savers?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/480d63e7b483) (2026-03-03, 49 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/c4300817-5d7b-43f8-a398-73ee39789204/260303_OE_206_TrumpAccounts_Final-Chapters.mp3 - [Social Security Upgrades for Retirement's Realities](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/0ca0f0663c0e) (2026-02-24, 58 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/31fc4a02-1dde-44e9-a440-e505c6d448fa/260224_OE_S205_SocialSecurity_FINAL_Forecast-Chapters.mp3 - [What The Actual Fed.](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/6061973433a9) (2026-02-17, 53 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/8246672e-ad62-498f-8e72-e9eef729f058/260217_OE_204_THE-FED_FINAL-Chapters.mp3 - [We Don't Have a Housing Shortage. We Have a Paycheck Shortage.](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/d9bee3a672cb) (2026-02-10, 46 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/0f667bd1-576d-4fb7-840d-a3767c4f8be4/260210_OE_S203_HOUSING_FINAL-Chapters.mp3 - [Affordability vs. the Poverty Line](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/a9623a754a7e) (2026-02-03, 49 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/4c435975-73df-4144-b5b2-7faf01b7ee69/260127_OE_S2_140KPOVERTY_FINAL-Chapters.mp3 - [$79 Trillion Worth of Income Inequality](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/1c5d884b5c64) (2026-01-27, 50 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/811e9c73-2b57-4c97-b8d1-bafd71b454e1/260127_OE_S2E1_WEALTH_FINAL-Chapters.mp3 - [We're Back with a Backlog of Optimism](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/57658863e955) (2026-01-20, 1 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/ca90cb46-6420-400a-bc59-c46c5bcd25cc/260120_OE_S2_Trailer_BigList_3.3_Final.mp3 - [What’s the Skinny on Laws that Make Salaries Public?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/6fc5c54cf41b) (2025-12-10, 16 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/a6f219f4-d5df-4127-8707-b355d84a9628/2025_12_09_15_30_43_77b11aae-0f3e-4dcd-a134-10092b12e066.mp3 - [Thanksgiving Prep: An Optimist’s Guide to Dinner Table Debate](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/660e91bf7704) (2025-11-20, 54 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/2d849692-baa7-4a9e-b24e-d453c21c60dd/2025_11_19_19_50_26_1ca80d64-d633-4013-95b0-9e4289915995.mp3 - [Retcon on Season One (+ Executive Orderpalooza)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/aa5462369884) (2025-10-21, 42 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/3a078268-c508-43d0-a85f-cc583cba1e6b/524722f4-b2c3-41e0-96a5-d37530ee4ddf.mp3 - [How Health Insurance Got Shackled to Jobs](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/295fe733677d) (2025-10-14, 52 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/ee3a9a82-0404-478d-8c0f-fbe9187ef444/e1fda2fb-174a-45df-954f-e5dcb96387c1.mp3 - [Optimist Q&A: Evidence for UBI, What to Do About Billionaires, and Where Will the U.S. Economy Be After Trump?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/24e31e5a2a50) (2025-10-07, 53 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/b0814181-a71c-4fd8-8651-d7a42872ba93/08838986-364c-48bc-81e7-922973cc6847.mp3 - [Can We Fix America's Broken Unemployment Insurance System?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/248043b8efa3) (2025-09-30, 68 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/28806b4d-8c5f-429d-8cfd-def202e05ee2/08861416-e420-40a3-a0ab-283b302b36c7.mp3 - [The Ghost Recession: A Brief Economic History of Now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/ce980a888b67) (2025-09-23, 61 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/b7938d3f-b3f9-49ea-bd89-27cf5f41d15e/68f9e4fa-3656-4cb2-aeeb-da37f79d2ccd.mp3 - [The Cash-for-Kids Study: Misread and Misrepresented](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/a77582db1346) (2025-09-16, 50 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/78bad4ec-eb72-4b7d-93ce-83df29382f28/4b760e16-0904-4696-a47f-d25e0ade5d7e.mp3 - [The Case for Going Big on Paid Leave](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/9f854995371f) (2025-09-09, 55 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/904723a2-c1f1-40fc-96ce-5e990d39d370/295fd720-95d3-4cc9-8d51-cda9d349bcdf.mp3 - [Aren’t Free School Meals a Conservative's Dream Policy?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/7952bd7e7ac4) (2025-09-02, 55 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/710c58a7-7442-4cf0-8e83-91ffd64c849f/a5cb3003-6128-446c-9aa4-32f6bfa45699.mp3 - [Looking Beyond the Unemployment Rate](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/4deff4d9da2d) (2025-08-26, 58 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/0b77260e-77b2-4fce-85b5-d6a9c6172813/325ec02d-9a93-4368-9746-c2108f4d6dde.mp3 - [GDP Was Never Going to Make You Happy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/142cec54c126) (2025-08-19, 54 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/bec849b0-7112-44e2-8945-c7cd57a031d9/7c618875-47e2-4c38-87fd-1d4035a381eb.mp3 - [How to Actually Help Young Men Struggling in Our Economy](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/bbb53ed991eb) (2025-08-12, 60 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/491627ae-5d56-436c-85d7-9fb5d9bef0ff/6692ad8b-0d8b-4937-963e-e8b8215ef660.mp3 - [What You Don’t Know About Poverty](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/5eb6d098566b) (2025-08-05, 48 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/a2024369-020f-422f-8b71-db74737fdaea/c541add8-0380-4876-adda-e808687a6ddc.mp3 - [Q&A Part 2: Working Two Jobs, Incentives vs. Handouts, the Gold Standard, and Government ROI](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/b00a911578dd) (2025-07-31, 32 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/63042c48-1fd5-4b5d-9476-9a0e72addf43/ff9b11aa-bd00-473f-8de5-f5d2fb4a9e85.mp3 - [Q&A Part 1: Tax Philosophy, Liberal vs. Conservative Economists, Marriage vs. Poverty and More](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/be110b188b66) (2025-07-29, 44 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/6e514dda-7d6b-442d-b700-8907c12af3b1/a3a88ca2-12f1-4ed9-9283-2a3f423cb6e2.mp3 - [A Million Reasons to Raise the Minimum Wage](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1802625282/b85b4b305072) (2025-07-22, 59 min): audio https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/14811/4cecb0cf-1173-4dd8-a943-00771111b7c4/773ff970-9d66-41a2-9995-b58207a2b515.mp3 Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.