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Expanding Economics
Expanding Economics

Expanding Economics

Bringing new ways of thinking to the dismal science. Produced in collaboration with CKUT 90.3fm Montreal.

Available Episodes 10

As the 2024 election season heats up, politicians are throwing around familiar economic buzzwords like “inflation,” “price gouging,” and “economic growth.” Behind these seemingly simple phrases lies a web of complex, interconnected issues that are often glossed over in campaign speeches. In this episode of the Expanding Economics Podcast, hosts Sasha and Zoya dive into the languages of the 2024 campaigns, exposing the true meaning—and potential misuse—of the economic buzzwords that dominate election debates.

We break down what these popular phrases mean in economics, peeling back the layers of political rhetoric to reveal how they’re often oversimplified, misrepresented, or manipulated for political gain. They explore the real-world implications of this “jargon” and how such language can shape public opinion, affect voter behavior, and even obscure critical economic issues that need more than catchphrases to solve.

If you’ve ever wondered whether the economic language used by politicians is honest or just a tool to manipulate public perception, this episode is for you. Join Sasha and Zoya as they analyze the political power of buzzwords and what these words really mean.

Find out more at https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co

In this episode, Sasha and Zoya explore the unique dynamic between the newly emerging legal market for cannabis and the long established black market. When faced with a choice between legal and illegal, why do some consumers still choose the latter? Together with special guest Dr. Tiffanie Perrault we discuss the driving factors that determine the success (or failure) of the legal market, why the black market persists, and where consumers fit in to this complex relationship.

This episode provides a comprehensive review of all things cannabis legalization: A primer on legalization and cannabis, the realities of legalization efforts from Uruguay to the Netherlands, and a discussion with Dr. Perrault about her critical work in this subject.

Dr. Perrault is an assistant professor of economics at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Prior to this she was a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University. Learn more about her and her work here: https://tiffanieperrault.github.io/

Papers mentioned in this epsiode: Weeding out the dealers? The economics of cannabis legalization - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268123003505

Flying High? Legalization and the Black Market for Cannabis -https://tiffanieperrault.github.io/docs/PerraultT_jmp_current.pdf

Check us out on social media! @expandingeconomics on instagram Learn more about us: www.expandingeconomics.com/

Find out more at https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co

Claudia Goldin is a labor economist at Harvard who is the most recent Nobel Laureate in economics “for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes”. Among her many accolades and contributions, she has made history becoming the first woman to get tenure in Harvard's economics department as well as the first woman to receive the Nobel prize in economics solo. We wanted to congratulate Claudia Goldin on receiving the Nobel Prize in Economics. However, as we began to explore her contributions to the fields of labor and feminist economics our attention was drawn to something else... Women economists or, lack thereof.

In this episode, first-time hosts Sasha and Zoya raise crucial questions about the roots of this disparity, starting with undergraduate education. Together, they discuss the far-reaching implications of this gender gap for the field of economics and actionable steps to foster inclusivity and equality. Tune in to gain insights and perspectives on dismantling barriers for women in economics on this episode of the expanding economics podcast.

The papers referenced in this episode: WHAT DID UWE DO FOR ECONOMICS: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w31432/w31432.pdf

Alice Wu Paper (Gendered Language on the Economics Job Market Rumors Forum): https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pandp.20181101

Check us out on social media!: https://www.instagram.com/expandingeconomics

Find out more at: https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co/

Find out more at https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co

In this episode, Sofia shares some of her previous work in Economic Sociology, a subfield that often clashes with Neoclassical economics in its analysis of various economic phenomena. Within it, the study of money and its social meanings is a central topic and subject to widespread debate. After outlining the various perspectives and theories posed by scholars in the field, Sofia searches to explain the rise of cryptocurrencies and other alternative monetary movements and the challenges they face.  We hope you enjoy!   Read the full paper and sources used here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TxIIG0UWcSZ84AO0Wn1qXPWMMcbKrTee/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106556826125274612654&rtpof=true&sd=true

Find out more at https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Expanding Economics! To follow up on our last episode on Degrowth Economics, we invited Jade to discuss the attempts to implement green growth policies and how effective they are at achieving C02 reduction targets. After talking a bit about her own experience at McGill and some of the pros and shortcomings of studying economics and political science, we touch on why green growth is more politically appetizing, some of the tangible policies that have been implemented in the Netherlands and what's next for tackling the ecological crisis.

If you want to get more involved with Expanding Economics, follow us on Instagram or Facebook for future opportunities! @expandingeconomics

Find out more at https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co

As we all grapple with the threats posed by the climate crisis, economists, politicians, and everyday people outside the ivory tower are searching for a way forward. The Degrowth movement offers a solution that challenges the traditional pursuit of perpetual economic growth as the ultimate goal for society. Instead, it proposes a steady state economy that prioritizes social and ecological well-being over economic growth, calling for a fundamental rethinking of our approach to the economy.

In today's episode, Sofia and JP will delve into the reasons why he believes that Degrowth is the way forward. They will also explore the steps that are being taken in this direction to achieve a more sustainable and equitable economic system. Stay tuned for our next episode on Green Growth and decide for yourself.

Check out JP's article in Climatalk: https://climatalk.org/2023/03/05/degrowth-post-growth-policies-green-economics-economy/?fbclid=IwAR3nUQInC-uMrfIoDvDztWu_Vq8tz_v0AF6MQxb3IY1LjfDGu51QxMehClc

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/expandingeconomics/

Find out more at https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co

Professor Kristen Ghodsee teaches Russian and East European studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She is known for her ethnographic work in post-soviet countries where she studies gender relations and other legacies of 20th century communism. In her book, Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism, she argues that when the state steps in to support families with reproductive labour and care work, women are able to gain financial independence which leads to more egalitarian and fulfilling romantic relationships. In this episode, Sofia and Professor Ghodsee discuss how exactly socialist state intervention impacted women's working lives behind the iron curtain, what this tells us about capitalism and what neoclassical economics has to do with any of this.

Read her original op-ed here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/opinion/why-women-had-better-sex-under-socialism.html

Access the full text: https://www.boldtypebooks.com/titles/kristen-r-ghodsee/why-women-have-better-sex-under-socialism/9781568588896/

Check out her future work: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Everyday-Utopia/Kristen-R-Ghodsee/9781982190217

Follow us for more updates: https://www.instagram.com/expandingeconomics/?hl=en

Find out more at https://the-expanding-economics-podcast.pinecast.co

In this episode we are joined by Michael Babcock; Ph.D. candidate at McGill University where he studies natural resource development and teaches Ecological Economics. After taking Michael's class myself, I felt that the way I viewed the discipline of economics and the world more broadly had been drastically changed. Economists of the future must be thinking about how we will go on to power society and the impacts that have on the environment, Ecological Economics provides an opportunity for us to update our economic thinking and goals to be better suited to what is arguably the most pressing issue of our time.

For the last few episodes the Expanding Economics team has been discussing inflation, crashing markets, and whatever other economic problems we uncovered along the way. This time, we wanted to hear from someone outside of the group and see how their economic perspective differs from ours. On this episode, we are joined by fellow economics undergrad Georges Rigas to see how well our education has (or has not) equipped us to discuss some of the most pressing economic questions of the moment. We hope you enjoy it - if you are interested in being our next podcast episode, contact us with a pitch! expandingecon.mtl@rethinkeconomics.org

In this episode Sofia and Andrew discuss NIMBYism and why it is pervasive and harmful to the Canadian housing market.

After months of consecutive record breaking highs, Canadian housing prices have finally begun to show signs of decline in response to rising interest rates, but what caused this boom in the first place? Has housing just become another speculative asset or do prices reflect market fundamentals of too much demand and constricted supply?