Podcasts series

The Pie: An Economics Podcast in Partnership with WBEZ Chicago

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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.

Podcasts episode·Jul 1, 2021

Economics of Courage

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Kyle Greenberg, and Michael Greenstone
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...
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Podcasts episode·Jun 16, 2021

Vaccine Lotteries: Worth a Shot?

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Steve Levitt, and Jeff Severts
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...
Topics: COVID-19
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Podcasts episode·Jun 3, 2021

Pay Now or Pay Later

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Austan Goolsbee, and Eric Zwick
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...
Topics: Fiscal Studies
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Podcasts episode·May 19, 2021

College Sports: Show Me The Money

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Matthew J. Notowidigdo, and Michael McCann
Division I schools make billions off athletic programs, with close to two-thirds coming from men’s basketball and football alone. Economist Matt Notowidigdo has calculated that due to NCAA restrictions, only 7% of those revenues are...
Topics: Employment & Wages, Higher Education & Workforce Training
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Podcasts episode·May 6, 2021

Discrimination is Expensive

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Chang-Tai Hsieh, and Erik Hurst
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...
Topics: Employment & Wages
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Podcasts episode·Apr 22, 2021

Are Carbon Offsets Bogus?

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Michael Greenstone, and Barbara Haya
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...
Topics: Energy & Environment
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Podcasts episode·Apr 7, 2021

WFH … Forever?

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Steven J. Davis, and Kate Lister
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...
Topics: COVID-19, Employment & Wages
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Podcasts episode·Mar 25, 2021

Incentives and the Race to Vaccinat‪e‬

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Joshua Gottlieb, and David Pitrak
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...
Topics: COVID-19, Health care
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Podcasts episode·Mar 12, 2021

Is the Future Cashless‪?‬

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Fernando Alvarez, and Raghuram Rajan
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...
Topics: COVID-19
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Podcasts episode·Feb 25, 2021

The Surprising Results of Pandemic Unemployment Benefit‪s‬

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Peter Ganong, and Fiona Greig
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...
Topics: COVID-19, Employment & Wages
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Podcasts episode·Feb 11, 2021

When Good Debt Goes Bad

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Seth Frotman, and Constantine Yannelis
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...
Topics: Higher Education & Workforce Training
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Podcasts episode·Jan 28, 2021

Shots on Goal: How to Jumpstart the Economy

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Austan Goolsbee, and Randall S. Kroszner
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...
Topics: COVID-19
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Podcasts episode·Jan 13, 2021

The Big Tech Threat?

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Eric Posner, and Chad Syverson
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...
Topics: Technology & Innovation
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Podcasts episode·Dec 31, 2020

The Pandemic Recession’s Gender Gap

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, and Yana Gallen
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...
Topics: COVID-19, Employment & Wages
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Podcasts episode·Dec 17, 2020

A Vaccine for Billions

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Michael Kremer, and Canice Prendergast
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...
Topics: COVID-19, Health care
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Podcasts episode·Dec 3, 2020

Pre-existing Confusion: The US Health Insurance System

by Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Katherine Baicker, Matthew J. Notowidigdo, and Stacy Lindau
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,...
Topics: COVID-19, Health care
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Podcasts episode·Nov 29, 2020

Trailer: Introducing The Pie

by Eduardo Porter and Tess Vigeland
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...
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