Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

• Back to Basics Series: Is Economics Moral? (with Heather McGhee)

  For decades, orthodox economics has treated morality as irrelevant—as if economic decisions happen in a vacuum, separate from our values and social bonds. But that approach has failed spectacularly, giving cover to policies that divide and exploit us. In this episode, Heather McGhee joins Nick and Paul to argue that morality must be central to how we think about the economy. They explore how racial division has been weaponized to undermine collective action, why “structural racism” can’t be addressed without naming the powerful actors behind it, and how inclusive economic policies lead to more prosperity for everyone. Part of our Back-to-Basics summer series—essential listening for anyone ready to reject trickle-down and reimagine the economy as a moral system built on trust, justice, and cooperation. This episode originally aired April 2, 2019. Heather McGhee is a policy expert, author, and advocate for economic and racial justice. She is the former president of the progressive think tank Demos and currently serves as a Distinguished Senior Fellow. Heather is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Sum of Us, and her work has appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, The Nation, and NBC News. Further reading: The Moral Burden on Economists The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social TikTok: @pitchfork_econ Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Substack: ⁠The Pitch

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• Back to Basics Series: Where does economic growth really come from? (with W. Brian Arthur and Cesar Hidalgo)

  Is economic growth just about money, trade, and GDP? Or is something deeper at play? In this episode, economist W. Brian Arthur and physicist Cesar Hidalgo join Nick and Goldy to reveal the real drivers of rising prosperity: human knowledge, know‑how, and innovation. They challenge the old assumptions of growth and argue that innovation isn't a byproduct of a strong economy—it's a cause of economic growth. Once we understand that, it changes how we think about investing in people and shaping the economy. Part of our Back‑to‑Basics summer series. Essential listening for anyone who believes that growth should empower people, not enrich the status quo. This episode originally aired January 15, 2019. W. Brian Arthur is an economist and complexity theorist, renowned for his work on technology and innovation. A longtime researcher at the Santa Fe Institute and former Stanford professor, he’s the author of The Nature of Technology, in which he argues that economic growth stems from evolving combinations of existing technologies. Cesar Hidalgo is a physicist, professor at the Toulouse School of Economics, and Director at the Center for Collective Learning at Corvinus University of Budapest. He’s also the author of Why Information Grows, where he explores how knowledge and know-how shape economies, arguing that real prosperity comes from embedding insights in people and collaborative networks. Social Media: ‪@cesifoti.bsky.social‬ Further reading:  The Nature of Technology Why Information Grows Complexity Economics: A Different Framework for Economic Thought Economic Complexity: From useless to keystone Complexity Economics Shows Us Why Laissez-Faire Economics Always Fails Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Substack: The Pitch

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• Back to Basics Series: Is Econ 101 a Lie? (with Eric Beinhocker and James Kwak)

  Trickle-downers love to pretend that "Econ 101" is a convincing argument against policies like the minimum wage that invest in working Americans. But the truth is that mainstream economists are terrible at predicting how the economy will behave in the future…Is Econ 101 broken? In this key foundational episode for the podcast, we dismantle the myths of orthodox economics and expose Econ 101 for what it really is: not a science, but a simplistic story used to justify inequality and defend the status quo. Our guests Eric Beinhocker (The Origin of Wealth) and James Kwak (Economism) explain how outdated assumptions about markets, people, and growth have warped economic thinking—and why it’s time to write a new, better story about how the economy actually works. Part of our Back-to-Basics summer series. Essential listening for anyone ready to move beyond trickle-down talking points and think middle-out. This episode originally aired December 17, 2018. Eric Beinhocker is the Executive Director of the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the University of Oxford. He’s the author of The Origin of Wealth, which applies complexity science to economics and challenges traditional market thinking. James Kwak is a writer, law professor, and former entrepreneur. He co-authored 13 Bankers and wrote Economism: Bad Economics and the Rise of Inequality, a sharp critique of how Econ 101 ideology shapes public policy and deepens inequality. Social Media: @ericbeinhocker.bsky.social‬ Further reading:  The Curse of Econ 101 The Origin of Wealth: The Radical Remaking of Economics and What It Means for Business and Society Economism: Bad Economics and the Rise of Inequality Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Substack: ⁠The Pitch⁠

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• Back to Basics Series: What the hell are they talking about? Econ terms explained! (with Nick and Goldy)

  Ever find yourself halfway through a Pitchfork Economics episode thinking, “Wait… what’s a monopsony?” You’re not alone. In this listener-favorite episode, Nick and Goldy break down some of the most important—and most misunderstood—economic terms we use on the show. From ‘neoclassical’ and ‘neoliberal’ to ‘monopoly’, ‘monopsony,’ ‘stock buybacks,’ and ‘heterodox economics,’ we cut through the jargon so you can focus on what really matters: understanding how the economy works—and who it works for. Part of our Back-to-Basics summer series. Fun, clear, and essential episodes for new (or slightly confused) listeners. Social Media:  ‪@nickhanauer.bsky.social‬ @goldyha.bsky.social‬ Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Substack: The Pitch

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• Back to Basics Series: Why do we call it Pitchfork Economics? (with Ganesh Sitaraman & Walter Scheidel)

  In 2014, Nick Hanauer sounded the alarm: if economic inequality kept growing, the pitchforks would come—for him, and for the rest of America’s wealthy elite. Then 2016 happened. Donald Trump was elected president on a wave of economic populism that correctly identified massive inequality as a problem, but which offered all the wrong solutions. The inaugural episode of Pitchfork Economics lays the groundwork for everything that followed. We revisit the urgent warning that launched the show, explore the deep myths that still shape our economy, and explain why telling a better story about how the economy works is the first step toward building one that works for everyone. Part of our Back-to-Basics summer series—essential listening for anyone ready to ditch trickle-down and think middle-out. Ganesh Sitaraman is a law professor at Vanderbilt University and a leading expert on constitutional law, economic inequality, and political economy. He’s the author of several influential books, including The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution, The Great Democracy, and Why Flying Is Miserable and How to Fix It. Sitaraman has served as a policy advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren and co-founded the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator. Walter Scheidel is a historian at Stanford University whose work explores inequality, economic history, and the rise and fall of civilizations. He’s best known for his acclaimed book The Great Leveler, which argues that throughout history, extreme inequality has only been reduced through violent shocks like war, revolution, or plague. This episode originally aired December 11, 2018. Social Media: ‪@ganeshsitaraman.bsky.social‬ @walterscheidel.bsky.social‬ Further reading:  The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats by Nick Hanauer Website: ⁠http://pitchforkeconomics.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠@pitchforkeconomics⁠ Threads: ⁠pitchforkeconomics⁠ Bluesky: ⁠@pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social⁠ Twitter: ⁠@PitchforkEcon⁠, ⁠@NickHanauer⁠, ⁠@civicaction⁠ YouTube: ⁠@pitchforkeconomics⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠Pitchfork Economics⁠  Substack: ⁠The Pitch⁠

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