Optimist Economy | Substack

With Rising Inequality, the American Dream Needs a Reboot

Q&A with Kathryn Edwards and Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab at New America.

Aug 1, 2025 • Optimist Economy

Most Popular

An Elegy for DEI

Apr 15, 2025 • Kathryn Anne Edwards

Bonus Episode! Merch! Hiatus Updates!

Nov 20, 2025 • Optimist Economy and Robin Rauzi

Where did this $79 Trillion income inequality number come from?

Jan 27 • Optimist Economy and Robin Rauzi

Hey America, Are You Really Ready for Fair Taxation?

Apr 29, 2025 • Kathryn Anne Edwards

Welcome, Optimist! Want to join us? Subscribe here for updates.

Podcast Excerpts

Social Security Should Get Credit for the Fact that We Retire at All

The program changed everything about aging in America. Now it needs to catch up.

Mar 1 • Optimist Economy

Trump's Pick For Chairman of the Fed: Kevin Warsh

A qualified choice with one dangerous unknown—will he stay independent?

Feb 23 • Optimist Economy

The Fed's High-Wire Act From 2020 to Now

How the fight against inflation went from soft landing to political takeover

Feb 23 • Optimist Economy

This Isn't Your Grandfather's Housing Shortage

Why post-WWII lessons don't apply when the problem is wages, not supply

Feb 23 • Optimist Economy

The Housing Crisis is About More Than Just Lack of Supply

There's a $500-a-week housing expense gap that building more houses won't fix.

Feb 23 • Optimist Economy

When $100K Feels Poor—But Isn't

Claiming 'poverty' reaches six figures undermines both accurate economics and the people who actually need help.

Feb 23 • Optimist Economy

Support Us

Become a paid subscriber here

Buy Me a Coffee!

Literally or figuratively.

The Podcast

Listen on your phone

Listen on your laptop

Yeah, we stream here too.

Social

Optimist Economy on TikTok

For everyone who doesn't get TikTok

Videos plus the full pod

Transcript

Transcript: Can $1,000 at Birth Make Us a Country of Savers?

Season 2 Episode 6

Mar 3 • Optimist Economy

Transcript: Social Security Upgrades for Retirement's Realities

Season 2 Episode 5 complete Transcript

Feb 24 • Optimist Economy

Transcript: $79 Trillion Worth of Income Inequality

Season 2 Episode 1 complete Transcript

Feb 23 • Optimist Economy

Transcript: What the Actual Fed.

Season 2 Episode 4. Economist Kathryn Anne Edward explains the history of the Fed, why we needed it 100+ years ago, the vital work it does now, and what…

Feb 17 • Optimist Economy

Essays

With Rising Inequality, the American Dream Needs a Reboot

Q&A with Kathryn Edwards and Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab at New America.

Aug 1, 2025 • Optimist Economy

Baby Boom? Baby Bust?

Entering the sometimes weird world of fertility policy

May 14, 2025 • Kathryn Anne Edwards

Hey America, Are You Really Ready for Fair Taxation?

The Need (and Appetite) for Reform of the U.S. Tax System

Apr 29, 2025 • Kathryn Anne Edwards

An Elegy for DEI

An essay inspired by the second episode in our podcast, “An Elegy for the DEI Boogeyman.”

Apr 15, 2025 • Kathryn Anne Edwards

Newsletters

Where did this $79 Trillion income inequality number come from?

For the dramatic season 2 opener of Optimist Economy, we explore an alternate history where 1950s-style income growth lasted into the 21st century.

Jan 27 • Optimist Economy and Robin Rauzi

Bonus Episode! Merch! Hiatus Updates!

Get ready for any tense Thanksgiving conversations with Optimist Economy's 12-topic guide to bringing debate-style Optimism to the dinner table. Pass…

Nov 20, 2025 • Optimist Economy and Robin Rauzi

The U.S. Economy Doles Out Pain on the Regular

One question to ask ourselves is, "How to we want to respond when it does?"

Oct 1, 2025

Does Cash Make a Difference for Kids?

It might depend on how you define 'difference.' And what you expected to begin with.

Sep 16, 2025 • Optimist Economy and Robin Rauzi

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts