Optimist Economy breaks down the economy we have—and builds the case for the one we could have.
Each week on the podcast, economist Kathryn Anne Edwards and editor Robin Rauzi answer the question, “What would it take for the U.S. to have nice things?”
Like a minimum wage that prevents poverty? Paid sick days for everyone? Child care that doesn’t cost more than rent? Social Security that Gen Z can count on?
Season 2 coming in January 2026.
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About
Optimist Economy explores the fundamentals of the economy and the future that the U.S. can build, one problem and solution at a time. The United States has a remarkable economy — and yet for tens of millions of Americans it is not performing up to its potential. There is a long list of good ideas that could make our economy more open to aspiring workers, less hostile to change, safer for workers, less risky for retirees, and so on. We just haven't tried them.
The good news is that we can. Economist Kathryn Anne Edwards and editor Robin Rauzi tackle these questions on the podcast, in our newsletter, and across all our content.
To stay connected with Optimist Economy, subscribe to the podcast and join our newsletter to get the latest episodes and insights delivered directly to you.
The Hosts
Kathryn Anne Edwards, a.k.a. keds_economist
Kathryn is a Ph.D. economist who wears a lot of hats. For many years she worked at RAND, which is a research institution that is hired to solve public policy problems. A few years ago she started her own policy and research business, and she's proud to run her own shop.
She's also a working writer and columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and has one foot in the Bloomberg media ecosystem, sometimes appearing on radio, TV, or live data releases to comment on economic news. But you probably know her as keds_economist, the handle she uses to make videos and posts for social media explaining the economy and policy.
Robin Rauzi, editor
Robin is an editor who specializes in op-eds, commentary, essays and other forms of nonfiction. She was on the staff and a contributing editor at the Los Angeles Times for many years. As an articles editor for the Op-Ed page, her job was collaborating with activists, academics, politicians and other subject matter experts to craft lively and convincing opinion essays. She started her freelance editing business, Get Rauzi Editorial Services, in 2009.
When she's not editing for clients, who run the gamut from major orchestras to venture capital firms, she runs an online program for personal writing called 40 Days + 40 Writes.
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