Insights from top economists to help you navigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Hosts Tess Vigeland and Eduardo Porter talk to University of Chicago economists about their research, revealing important new ways to make sense of this moment. Economics is at the heart of crucial decisions about how we confront the COVID-19 crisis. Topics range from global trade to the changing meaning of work. Pandemic Economics is produced by the Becker Friedman Institute and Stitcher and is part of the University of Chicago podcast network. Production and original music in this series by Story Mechanics. More information at http://pandemiceconomics.uchicago.edu/
Conflict-Free or Conflict Displaced? Mine Certifications and Conflict in the Congo
Many mines in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are controlled by armed groups that frequently engage in conflict with nearby civilians. In this episode of The Pie, Hans Christensen, Professor of Accounting at Chicago Booth, and Samuel Chang, PhD student in Accounting, discuss what happens when mines become certified as conflict-free. Hint: It’s not what you might expect.
1/23/2024 • 21 minutes, 21 seconds
Tearing Down Healthcare to Rebuild it for Everyone: A Panel on the Economics of Insurance Reform
Most observers are convinced that America’s healthcare system needs reform. This episode of The Pie features a discussion among MIT health economist Amy Finkelstein, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration and current Duke professor Mark McClellan, and professor at the Harris School Joshua Gottlieb on what these reforms should entail. Michael Greenstone, director of UChicago's Climate and Energy Institute, moderated the conversation.
1/9/2024 • 39 minutes, 56 seconds
We're Back with More of The Pie
Last season, we were at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, effecting every aspect of our lives and the economy. So this season, we're back looking at the aftermath of the global pandemic and beyond — talking with economists from the University of Chicago about their cutting-edge research on the issues of today.
Join us every other week for season two of The Pie, beginning Tuesday, October 4.
9/27/2022 • 3 minutes, 14 seconds
Economics of Courage
Economists and policymakers alike rely on the “value of a statistical life” to make important trade-offs. What are the merits of such a calculation? Can it be improved? Economists Michael Greenstone and Kyle Greenberg join to discuss groundbreaking research examining army reenlistment choices to show how US soldiers, in effect, price the risk of certain career options.
7/1/2021 • 24 minutes, 56 seconds
Vaccine Lotteries: Worth a Shot?
More than a dozen states have announced large lotteries to incentivize vaccinations. On this episode, Steve Levitt and Jeff Severts examine the economics and likely outcomes of the policy strategy. Is this a lottery where everyone wins big? When it comes to cash prizes, does magnitude matter?
6/17/2021 • 27 minutes, 11 seconds
Pay Now or Pay Later
With the rise in federal spending over the last several years, there are questions on how the US will pay those bills. Chicago Booth economists Austan Goolsbee and Eric Zwick demystify which rate changes actually impact revenue and expose how economists think about infrastructure spending. Delving into the details on capital gains taxes, they discuss strategies to close loopholes and, ultimately, increase total revenues.
6/3/2021 • 28 minutes, 27 seconds
College Sports: Show Me The Money
Division I schools make billions off athletic programs, with close to two-thirds coming from men’s basketball and football alone. Economist Matt Matt Notowidigdo has calculated that due to NCAA restrictions, only 7% of those revenues are paid to student athletes, with important distributional consequences. He joins this week with sports attorney Michael McCann to discuss the economic dynamics, who benefits most, and what is at stake in future court cases over this controversial issue.
5/20/2021 • 31 minutes
Discrimination is Expensive
Preventing people from entering careers where they could maximize their potential places massive costs on society, and economists can measure the real impact. Chang-Tai Hsieh and Erik Hurst have discovered that declining barriers to careers for women and Black men over the last 50 years accounts for 25-40% of all productivity growth in the US. They join to discuss the implications of their critical findings.
5/6/2021 • 20 minutes, 30 seconds
Are Carbon Offsets Bogus?
Some of the world’s largest companies (and biggest emitters of CO2) boast big investments in carbon offset programs to reduce their reported carbon footprint. Do these programs work ? If so, for whom? Michael Greenstone and Barbara Haya join to take a close look at proposed solutions to reducing on carbon emissions.
4/22/2021 • 24 minutes, 46 seconds
WFH… Forever?
The pandemic forced many Americans into a mass social experiment: working from home (WFH). Now, economists like Steve Davis are measuring the immediate and long-term impact of this massive shift. Davis and Kate Lister join this week to help us explore how time away from the office will change life — for workers, employers, and our cities.
4/8/2021 • 24 minutes, 57 seconds
Incentives and the Race to Vaccinate
With COVID-19 variants proliferating, administering vaccines as quickly as possible is a key policy priority. How can we ensure every level of the healthcare system pulls out all the stops in that pursuit? Joshua Gottlieb and David Pitrak join to discuss the urgent answers from their specialties of economics and medicine.
3/25/2021 • 26 minutes, 19 seconds
Is the Future Cashless?
When COVID lockdowns started a year ago, the use of cash plummeted. But the pandemic only accelerated a trend already underway. As we begin to emerge from global pandemic, is a fully cashless world on the horizon? Who benefits from using cash? Fernando Alvarez and Raghuram Rajan share research insights on the economic effects of banning – and introducing – cash in today’s markets.
3/12/2021 • 24 minutes, 40 seconds
The Surprising Results of Pandemic Unemployment Benefits
In March 2020, the CARES Act expanded who was eligible for unemployment benefits, how much they could collect and for how long. Economists are now finding patterns in job searches and spending during this enormous expansion that seem to counter common economic assumptions. Peter Ganong and Fiona Greig join to discuss the surprising effects they uncovered in the data.
2/25/2021 • 20 minutes, 45 seconds
When Good Debt Goes Bad
Nationally, student loan debt is at crisis level. The share of students behind on loan payments equals the share of homeowners in default at the peak of the housing crisis. What’s the best way to help students struggling under a huge debt burden? Is there a better way to finance college? Chicago Booth’s Constantine Yannelis and Seth Frotman of the Student Borrower Protection Center discuss the impacts of different loan forgiveness proposals under consideration, including who benefits.
2/11/2021 • 20 minutes, 51 seconds
Shots on Goal: How to Jumpstart the Economy
Which economic policies must be prioritized now to get the best returns in the future? This week, The Pie is breaking out the crystal ball. Austan Goolsbee and Randall Kroszner share what economists are learning from the pandemic and what we can expect in the weeks, months, and years ahead.
1/28/2021 • 28 minutes, 57 seconds
The Big Tech Threat?
The expanding market influence of tech companies has sparked new fear of an old economic problem – monopoly power. In this episode, Eric Posner and Chad Syverson discuss whether these corporate giants pose potential risks to the world economy. How urgent is the problem? Is there a policy solution?
1/14/2021 • 25 minutes, 35 seconds
The Pandemic Recession’s Gender Gap
Women suffered significantly in the early months of the current recession, raising important questions about the gender effects of this pandemic-fueled downturn. Yana Gallen and Heather Sarsons share research on labor force gender disparities and discuss the potential long-term implications of the recession on women’s employment choices and opportunities.
12/30/2020 • 19 minutes, 22 seconds
A Vaccine for Billions
The economic benefits of ending the COVID-19 pandemic even one day earlier are enormous. Michael Kremer and Canice Prendergast describe the urgency of vaccine delivery, the promise of production incentives, and why it pays to fail when developing a vaccine.
12/17/2020 • 26 minutes, 47 seconds
Pre-existing Confusion: The US Health Insurance System
The American health insurance system is complex, politically divisive, in need of reform, and facing a historic pandemic crisis. Economists Katherine Baicker and Matt Notowidigdo expose healthcare’s most urgent flaws and discuss potential remedies. Then, Dr. Stacy Lindau joins to discuss the crucial consequences for public health.
12/3/2020 • 26 minutes, 24 seconds
The Pie
Economists are always talking about The Pie - how it grows and shrinks, how it’s sliced, and who gets the biggest shares. Join hosts Eduardo Porter and Tess Vigeland as they talk with leading economists from the University of Chicago and other experts about the most pressing matters of today. Hear how the economic pie is at the heart of issues like COVID-19 vaccine development, gender dynamics in the workplace, energy policy, jobs, and more.
