595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President?
4 July 2024 - 1 hour 1 minAmerican politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competition. We revisit a 2018 episode to explain how the political industry works, and talk to a reformer (and former presidential candidate) who is pushing for change.
SOURCES:Katherine Gehl, former president and C.E.O. of Gehl Foods.Michael Porter, professor at Harvard Business School.Andrew Yang, co-chair of the Forward Party and former U.S. presidential candidate.
RESOURCES:"Why U.S. Politics Is Broken — and How to Fix It," by Andrew Yang (TED, 2024).The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy, by Michael Porter and Katherine Gehl (202...
Series Episodes
637. What It’s Like to Be Middle-Aged (in the Middle Ages)
The simplicity of life back then is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack of ibuprofen. (Part two of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)
45 mins
20 June Finished
636. Why Aren’t We Having More Babies?
For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)
50 mins
13 June Finished
An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)
A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making can teach us about global manufacturing — and the proper role of government in the economy.
39 mins
11 June Finished
635. Can a Museum Be the Conscience of a Nation?
Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I'm not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about looted objects, the basement storerooms, and the leaking roof. We take the guided tour.
50 mins
6 June Finished
634. “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job”
Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why the Fed’s independence is non-negotiable, and why tariffs could bring the economy back to the Covid era.
1 hour 2 mins
30 May Finished
633. The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of
Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors of "The World for Sale", help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders.
1 hour 5 mins
23 May Finished
