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.
37 Available Episodes (37 Total)Average duration: 00:24:23
Apr 18, 2023
Inflation: The Good, The Bad, and the Baffling
00:19:31
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 Pie to discuss different types of inflation, how they affect the economy, and what her research tells us about monetary policy in the world of newly rising prices.
Apr 04, 2023
Sometimes Bigger IS Better: The Case for Bringing Rural Healthcare to Urban Hospitals
00:27:14
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 Policy's Joshua Gottlieb explore how larger cities and rural areas trade medical services, and challenge assumptions about the best ways to improve both access and care.
Mar 21, 2023
Social Media Algorithms: How You’re Curating a Biased News Feed
00:28:56
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 (Rutgers University). They join The Pie to discuss how algorithms feed off our lizard brains to magnify biases.
Mar 07, 2023
Evaluating US Healthcare 3 Years after Lockdown
00:25:06
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 and newly appointed Provost of the University of Chicago, joins to take stock of the US healthcare system and discuss the challenges that remain.
Feb 21, 2023
Scavenging for Answers: The Human Toll of Vulture Population Collapse
00:27:58
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 explores the social and economic cost in India, where a plummeting population of vultures may serve as a warning for the future.
Feb 07, 2023
Law of Unintended Consequences: Welfare Reform and Crime
00:24:30
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 talk with UChicago economist Manasi Deshpande about her novel research studying what portion of them ended up in the criminal justice system.
Jan 24, 2023
Economics of Discrimination: How to Measure Systemic Injustices
00:21:41
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 economics, and is conducting research that is expanding the scope and ambition of discrimination research. He joined The Pie to discuss the creative new ways economists are capturing discrimination.
Jan 10, 2023
What Drives Racial Differences in Speeding Tickets and Fines?
00:25:14
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 speed. UChicago economists John List and Justin Holz join The Pie to discuss how they designed research drawing on high-frequency Lyft data, and its broader implications for future research and policy.
Dec 27, 2022
2023: An Economic Nudge for the New Year
00:36:22
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 2021 to discuss new material from his book, Nudge: The Final Edition – including home mortgages, retirement savings, credit card debt, climate change, organ donation, COVID-19, healthcare, and even “sludge.”
Dec 13, 2022
China Faltering? Why COVID Is Not Its Biggest Economic Problem
00:22:35
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 dynamics affecting the Chinese economy today, and what the future may hold.
Apr 18 | 00:19:31
Inflation: The Good, The Bad, and the Baffling
Apr 04 | 00:27:14
Sometimes Bigger IS Better: The Case for Bringing Rural Healthcare to Urban Hospitals
Mar 21 | 00:28:56
Social Media Algorithms: How You’re Curating a Biased News Feed
Mar 07 | 00:25:06
Evaluating US Healthcare 3 Years after Lockdown
Feb 21 | 00:27:58
Scavenging for Answers: The Human Toll of Vulture Population Collapse
Feb 07 | 00:24:30
Law of Unintended Consequences: Welfare Reform and Crime
Jan 24 | 00:21:41
Economics of Discrimination: How to Measure Systemic Injustices
Jan 10 | 00:25:14
What Drives Racial Differences in Speeding Tickets and Fines?
Dec 27 | 00:36:22
2023: An Economic Nudge for the New Year
Dec 13 | 00:22:35
China Faltering? Why COVID Is Not Its Biggest Economic Problem
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