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The Pie: An Economics Podcast

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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 host Tess Vigeland as she talks with leading economists from the University of Chicago about their cutting-edge research and key events of the day. Hear how the economic pie is at the heart of issues like the aftermath of a global pandemic, jobs, energy policy, and more.

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All Episodes

Podcast episode • Sep 19, 2023

How Much Would it Cost to Save the Rainforest?

As a massive carbon sink, the Brazilian Amazon plays a crucial role in stabilizing the global climate. It’s also valuable farmland. How do economists measure this tradeoff? Lars Peter...
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Podcast episode • Sep 5, 2023

Lessons from Pandemic Unemployment Benefits: When Government Generosity Becomes Necessity

The U.S. government swung into action when the ranks of the pandemic unemployed swelled almost beyond recognition. Three years on, economists are continuing to study the effects of the...
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Podcast episode • Aug 22, 2023

The Hidden Economic Forces That Determine How Much You Earn

How much effect do government policies have on doctors’ wages? And when those wages are high, does it drive inequality in other jobs? And how does Taylor Swift factor...
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Podcast episode • Aug 8, 2023

A Case for Public School Choice? Lessons from Los Angeles

When the Los Angeles Unified School District combined some neighborhood high schools into Zones of Choice, schools had to compete for students. The result? Achievement gaps narrowed, and more...
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Podcast episode • Jul 25, 2023

Do You Even Crypto, Bro?

The use of cryptocurrency is on the rise, but who exactly is on the bandwagon? Chicago Booth’s Michael Weber has examined the crypto market – who’s in it, why...
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Podcast episode • Jul 11, 2023

Social Distancing in 2023: The Economic Costs of Lingering COVID Fears

Many, if not most, citizens of working age have gone back to their jobs in the three-plus years since the start of the pandemic – but not everybody has....
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Podcast episode • Jun 27, 2023

Harvesting Green Investments: The Promise and Perils of ESG

In the stock market, we all want to do well, but for some investors it’s also important to do good. In this episode, Chicago Booth’s Lubos Pastor joins to...
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Podcast episode • Jun 6, 2023

How Debt Relief Raised Debts: The Untold Story of the Student Loan Moratorium

Did borrowers and the American economy benefit from the federal government’s 2020 student debt moratorium? The picture is complicated according to new research from UChicago Economics’ Michael Dinerstein and...
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Podcast episode • May 30, 2023

Quid Pro Vote: The Politics and Economics of Vote-Buying

Vote-buying, or influencing voters’ decisions through favors or gifts, is pervasive in areas such as Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. UC Berkeley’s Frederico Finan, the TC Liu Distinguished...
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Podcast episode • May 16, 2023

Can ChatGPT Describe Company Performance Better than… the Company?

The number of ways we can use AI is exploding, and it’s expected to change how entire industries function. Chicago Booth professor Maximilian Muhn and PhD student Alex Kim...
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Podcast episode • May 3, 2023

Misperceived Truths: Global Support for Women in the Workplace is More Than You Might Think

Around the world, people underestimate support for basic women’s rights. In new research, UChicago Economics’ Leonardo Bursztyn documents these misperceptions and shows how they restrict women’s progress. Aligning people’s...
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Podcast episode • Apr 18, 2023

Inflation: The Good, the Bad, and the Baffling

Nobody ever wants to pay more for anything, especially when prices rise drastically – but can inflationary episodes be good for the economy? Harris Policy’s Carolin Pflueger joins The...
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Podcast episode • Apr 4, 2023

Sometimes Bigger IS Better: The Case for Bringing Rural Healthcare to Urban Hospitals

When rural patients need care that local medical facilities can’t provide, what’s the best way to ensure they get the care they need? Chicago Booth’s Jonathan Dingel and Harris...
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Podcast episode • Mar 21, 2023

Social Media Algorithms: How You’re Curating a Biased News Feed

Social media behaviors, moving at an ever faster pace, may not reflect what users really want, according to new research from economists Sendhil Mullainathan (Chicago Booth) and Amanda Agan...
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Podcast episode • Mar 7, 2023

Evaluating US Healthcare 3 Years after Lockdown

At the third anniversary of COVID-19 lockdowns, this episode takes a look at ongoing healthcare market failures and the pandemic’s role in making them plain. Katherine Baicker, healthcare economist...
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Podcast episode • Feb 21, 2023

Scavenging for Answers: The Human Toll of Vulture Population Collapse

What can vultures and economics tell us about the cost of losing a keystone species? New research from environmental economist Eyal Frank of the Harris School of Public Policy...
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Podcast episode • Feb 7, 2023

Law of Unintended Consequences: Welfare Reform and Crime

When policymakers passed a historic welfare reform law in 1996, they likely did not anticipate what would happen when youth with disabilities turned 18 and lost their support. We...
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Podcast episode • Jan 24, 2023

Economics of Discrimination: How to Measure Systemic Injustices

How can discrimination by race, gender, or other factors be measured – especially when its causes may be systemic in nature? Chicago Booth’s Alex Imas studies behavioral science and...
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Podcast episode • Jan 10, 2023

What Drives Racial Differences in Speeding Tickets and Fines?

New research finds minorities are 24-33% more likely to be stopped for speeding and will pay 23-34% more in fines, relative to a white driver traveling the exact same...
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Podcast episode • Dec 27, 2022

2023: An Economic Nudge for the New Year

Can ‘nudges’ improve your New Year’s resolutions? Today we’re looking back at one of our most popular episodes. Host Tess Vigeland sat down with Nobel laureate Richard Thaler in...
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Podcast episode • Dec 13, 2022

China Faltering? Why the End of Zero Covid Won’t Fix Its Economic Problems

How will China’s economy respond after the lifting of ‘Zero Covid’ policy? UChicago economist Chang-Tai Hsieh joins The Pie to discuss the surprising party response to political protests, emerging...
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Podcast episode • Nov 30, 2022

Economic Warfare: Are Russian Sanctions Working?

Ten months into a devastating war, the Russian and Ukrainian economies are struggling yet resilient. Russian-born economist Konstantin Sonin joins The Pie to provide an update on the economic...
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Podcast episode • Nov 15, 2022

Fighting Inflation: Is the Fed’s Work Just Beginning?

The Federal Reserve’s latest 75 basis point rate hike brought interest rates up again on everything from mortgages to car loans and credit cards. Will it be enough to...
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Podcast episode • Nov 1, 2022

Tax vs Ban: The Unexpected Results on Gun Sales

In this episode, we’re talking about guns. Chicago Booth economist Brad Shapiro has quantified—for the first time—American consumer demand for guns, and how that demand shifts in response to...
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Podcast episode • Oct 18, 2022

COVID and Schools: Elementary Lessons

Did closing schools during the COVID-19 pandemic serve students and society at-large? As part of a World Bank Advisory Panel, University of Chicago economist Rachel Glennerster is taking a...
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Podcast episode • Oct 4, 2022

WFH… Gone Global

The remote work revolution is now more than two years old, and it’s a worldwide phenomenon, at least in wealthier countries. Chicago Booth economist Steven Davis has been studying...
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Podcast episode • Sep 26, 2022

We’re Back with More of The Pie

Last season, we were at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, affecting every aspect of our lives and the economy. This season, we’re back looking at the aftermath of...
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Podcast episode • Mar 30, 2022

How Does Access to Safe Water Affect Child Mortality?

A new meta-analysis by Michael Kremer and co-authors suggests water treatment could reduce child mortality by about 30% in low- and middle-income countries, making it a highly cost-effective treatment...
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Podcast episode • Dec 2, 2021

Global Warming, Local Impact: The Economic Landscape of Climate Change

Which economies will suffer most from global warming, and by just how much? Will others see benefits? The differences are key to understanding how the global economy will look...
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Podcast episode • Oct 21, 2021

Can Monetary Policy Solve Inflation and Unemployment?

Inflation has spiked, even while the economy still recovers. What can the Fed do? It’s one of the biggest and most rapidly evolving questions facing macroeconomists today. In this...
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Podcast episode • Aug 5, 2021

Nudge: The Final Edition Book Talk with Richard Thaler

How can a small nudge make a big impact? Since publishing the first edition of Nudge more than 10 years ago, Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler have changed the...
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