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Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

Democracy at Work, Richard D. Wolff
Capitalism
Socialism
United States
China
Inequality
Trump Administration
Tariffs
Climate Change
Donald Trump
Artificial Intelligence
Karl Marx
Economic Inequality
Housing Crisis
BRICS
Gaza
Elon Musk
Communism
U.S. Economy
Feudalism
Democracy

Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a weekly nationally syndicated program produced by Democracy at Work and hosted by Richard D. Wolff. The program explores complex economic issues and empowers listeners with information to analyze not only their own financial situation but the economy at large. Beyond focusing a critical eye on the economic dimensions of everyday life - wages, jobs, taxes, ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes587Founded11 years ago
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PoliticsGovernmentNews

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Artwork for Economic Update

Latest Episodes

Today's entire program is devoted to tracing the origins and evolution of socialism through its splits and growth to become a global movement shadowing capitalism. Particular attention is paid to the specialist focus on capturing the state and the sp... more

Today's entire program approaches the economic role of the state in U.S. society, past and present. We analyze two major tensions: one between minimizing the state (liberalism/libertarianism) and maximizing it (New Deal/Trumpism), and the other betwe... more

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff delivers updates on U.S. businesses receiving refunds for Trump's illegal tariffs without lowering prices raised to cover them, a 24% decline in foreign students coming to the U.S., and an emerging labor ... more

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff delivers updates on new U.S. government rules that are universally hostile to international students, the reduction of prosecutions for white collar crime by the U.S. Justice Department while increasing p... more

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Recent Guests

Lucas Wilson
Ford Foundation Professor of Economics and Critical Race and Political Economy at Mount Holyoke College; restorative and transformative justice circles facilitator
Mount Holyoke College; Ford Foundation
Episode: The Resurgence of White Supremacy
Wilmer J. Leon III
Political scientist and host of Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon on Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM, Morgan State University, Howard University
Episode: DSA Revives Socialism in U.S. Politics
Donald H. Whitehead Jr.
Veteran homelessness, substance abuse, and racial equity expert; former executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless; comedian and actor
National Coalition for the Homeless
Episode: U.S. Housing Crisis Deepens
Tess Fraad-Wolff
Practicing psychotherapist featured on the program
New York City psychotherapy practice
Episode: U.S. Capitalism as a Crisis for Men
Ann Larson
Author of Cleanup on Aisle Five, Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View Behind the Supermarket Register
Debt Collective; Economic Hardship Reporting Project
Episode: Supermarket Jobs, Super Exploitation
Ida Susser
Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Graduate Center, CUNY
City University of New York
Episode: The Yellow Vests Mass Movement in France
Annie McGrew
PhD student and graduate worker in economics; member of the Center for Popular Economics
Center for Popular Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Episode: Center for Popular Economics: Goals and Achievements
Will Chaney
Director of the Center for Popular Economics; active in the five college area
Center for Popular Economics
Episode: Center for Popular Economics: Goals and Achievements
Harriet Fraad
Mental health counselor and hypnotherapist, host of Capitalism Hits Home
Harriet Fraad/Capitalism Hits Home
Episode: Economic Update: The Global "Birth Strike" Changes Everything

Host

Richard Wolff
Host of Economic Update, expert in Marxist economics and democratic workplace organizing

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 3k ratings
  • Great podcast. But they've gone video and i cant listen while i work without having my screen on.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    booger mcsugar
    3 months ago
  • My favorite

    Professor Wolff is one of my absolute favorite people. He explains complex concepts so well. He is also humble and personable and trustworthy. So glad he’s out here educating us.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Acyl
    United States4 months ago
  • Spittin Truth by Doc Wolff!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    RuminatingStoic
    5 months ago
  • Bias

    Our capitalist system gets stronger when natural disasters hit. Think of the tax raised from the overtime to repair workers, the materials ordered from factories (more income tax to those workers), the shelters, emergency food, etc.

    What if we decided to design a more resilient infrastructure that could sustain without the need for repetitive maintenance. We are far behind on the maintenance, raw sewage and water pipes burst or leak across the nation. Destroy the planet, make a dollar.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WilderLead
    United States7 months ago
  • Required Liatening

    This podcast continues to impress. Clear concise and fair presentation of important topics. Don’t miss “understanding capitalism”. It is required reading and should be a part of any exploration of democracy, capitalism, and economics

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BigErkki
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Dialogue is consistently accessible yet intellectually rigorous.
Shows clear explanations of complex economic ideas.
Some listeners feel the host's perspectives are strongly opinionated at times.
Guests are highly knowledgeable and bring diverse perspectives.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#153
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#186
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#214
France/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#220
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#224
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#59
India/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Resurgence of White Supremacy
Q: Is it reasonable to think that whenever the capitalist system runs into trouble, it uses divides within the working class to distract from those with real power?
Yes, the guest suggests that internal struggles among working class subgroups are a common tactic used by those in power to divert attention from the actual holders of wealth and control, especially during economic stress.
DSA Revives Socialism in U.S. Politics
Q: Do the recent victories of Democratic Socialists represent a significant change in American politics, or is this more a movement within a broader tradition?
Dr. Leon argues that these victories show the politics of the possible but do not constitute a dramatic, vacuum-explanatory shift; change is evolving over time and builds on historical currents rather than representing a sudden pivot.
U.S. Housing Crisis Deepens
Q: What is the Cicero Foundation and what role does it play in this dynamic?
The Cicero Foundation advocates for criminalization of homelessness and has connections to private prisons and surveillance ventures, backed by prominent venture capital figures. This illustrates how certain groups push punitive policies that benefit incarceration industries rather than addressing housing needs.
U.S. Housing Crisis Deepens
Q: Tell us about the criminalization of homelessness and whether it's happening in various states, and what that implies for policy and people's lives.
Criminalization involves fines, arrests, and jail for being homeless, often without sufficient shelter. Court decisions and limited shelter capacity have allowed such policies in hundreds of cities. The underlying issue is the shortage of affordable housing, and criminalization diverts resources from housing solutions toward punitive measures, worsening outcomes for those affected.
U.S. Housing Crisis Deepens
Q: All right, good. Let me begin with a blunt question, but one that I know is necessary for my own work around the country. What would you say is the size or the extent of homelessness in the US today?
Estimates vary, but the point-in-time count suggests about 750,000 people in shelter or on the streets on a given night, while annual figures indicate as many as around 5 million experiencing homelessness. Trends show a sharp rise between 2023 and 2025, with a recent slight decrease possibly due to isolation rather than real improvement.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Economic Update

What is Economic Update about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rigorous, theory-driven show that repeatedly analyzes capitalism through historical context, labor dynamics, and public policy. Episodes frequently explore wage stagnation, unemployment, housing precarity, and the distribution of wealth, often proposing democratic, worker-centered alternatives to traditional corporate governance. A standout trait is its willingness to connect macroeconomic trends to everyday life, using guests who contribute scholarly, activist, or practitioner perspectives to challenge conventional economic orthodoxies. Listeners may find dense but accessible explanations of complex concepts, along with practical discussions about organizing, policy reform, and democratic ownership models that aim to reimagine production... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with Economic Update:

1. Ralph Nader Radio Hour
2. The Chris Hedges Report
3. The Socialist Program
4. The Intercept Briefing
5. Jacobin Radio

How many episodes of Economic Update are there?

Economic Update launched 11 years ago and published 587 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Economic Update?

Recent guests on Economic Update include:

1. Lucas Wilson
2. Wilmer J. Leon III
3. Donald H. Whitehead Jr.
4. Tess Fraad-Wolff
5. Ann Larson
6. Ida Susser
7. Annie McGrew
8. Will Chaney

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