Consider the chicken nugget. Many of us can see its round shape in our minds, and recall its salty taste. But what is its history? And what does this history […]

Popular discussions of U.S. politics often distinguish “social” issues from “economic” issues. Laura Briggs shows us how looking at recent U.S. history through the lens of reproductive politics challenges this […]

Since the most recent election, we’ve heard a lot of news about the so-called working class. But all too often, this term seems to refer to white men instead of […]

Before Amazon bought Whole Foods, the shopping chain got its start as an activist business more focused on politics than profits. Join us to discuss the rise and fall of […]

It has become well known that none of those most responsible for the 2008 recession have faced significant prosecutions or gone to prison for their actions. But one bank did […]

We often talk about “economic conservatism” and “social conservatism,” as if they’re entirely divorced topics. Emily Hobson tells us about gay and lesbian activists from the 1960s through the 1990s […]

In Nancy MacLean’s new book—Democracy in Chains—she unveils a long history of efforts by right-wing officials and intellectuals to undermine democracy. She foregrounds the importance of the economist James Buchanan […]

Why do budgetary crises tend to lead to politicians and business leaders calling for governments to tighten their purse strings? How can we understand austerity as politics, not just common business […]

The name John Maynard Keynes is an important one in the history of economic thought. Keynes’s ideas became popular between during the interwar period, between World War I and II, […]

In our first interview with a novelist, we speak with Jennifer Haigh about Heat and Light, her novel about fracking in rural Pennsylvania. Check out the episode here! Jennifer Haigh […]