The Inequality Podcast

Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility

Inequality

Meritocracy

Wealth Inequality

Gender Inequality

Public Policy

Social Mobility

Income Inequality

Socioeconomic Status

Intergenerational Mobility

Higher Education

Neighborhood Effects

Mass Incarceration

Economic Inequality

Adam Smith

Affirmative Action

Economic Theory

Child Development

Incarceration Rates

Racial Disparity

Racial Inequality

Presented by the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, The Inequality Podcast brings together scholars across disciplines to discuss the causes and consequences of inequality and strategies to promote economic mobility. This podcast is hosted by sociologist Geoff Wodtke and economists Stev... more

41 ratings

Publishes	Twice monthly	Episodes	64	Founded	3 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	EducationSociety & Culture

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Latest Episodes

Zachary Bleemer on the Stratification of American Higher Education

In the United States, the most well-resourced universities largely admit the highest-scoring students, while the least-resourced serve students with the lowest scores. But if individual achievement is shaped not only by ability, but also by family re... more

21 Sep 2026 • 57 min • Most popular

Daniel Markovits on ‘The Meritocracy Trap’ (Live)

Meritocracy was meant to dislodge the old aristocratic elite: In its most idealized version, a society’s richest would earn their riches, as opposed to merely inheriting them. But what happens when these new meritocratic elites begin using their weal... more

7 Sep 2026 • 1 hr 15 min

Beatrice Cherrier on the Evolution of Economic Thought

It is easy to regard economic ideas as something akin to laws of nature. In reality, every economic idea has a human history, a process through which it was devised, debated, and refined by economists — a group as subject to human nature as any other... more

24 Aug 2026 • 52 min

Lane Kenworthy on What Matters More Than Inequality Reduction

Over the past two decades, addressing income and wealth inequality has become a bigger and bigger priority for policymakers and researchers across the world. But have advocates focused on it too much? Our guest today argues that societies should de-e... more

10 Aug 2026 • 51 min

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Recent Guests

Zachary Bleemer

Assistant professor at Princeton, leading scholar on education, inequality, and race

Princeton University

Episode: Zachary Bleemer on the Stratification of American Higher Education

Daniel Markovits

Guido Calabresi Professor at Yale Law School; founding director of Yale Center for the Study of Private Law

Yale Law School

Episode: Daniel Markovits on ‘The Meritocracy Trap’ (Live)

Beatrice Cherrier

Historian of economic thought

École Polytechnique; CNRS Crest

Episode: Beatrice Cherrier on the Evolution of Economic Thought

Lane Kenworthy

Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Lakelevich Chair in Social Thought

University of California San Diego

Episode: Lane Kenworthy on What Matters More Than Inequality Reduction

David Brady

Professor and chair in the Department of Public Policy and Management at the University of Southern California

University of Southern California

Episode: David Brady on the Politics of Poverty

Jahel Queralt

Political theorist; Professor at Pompeu Fabra University

Pompeu Fabra University

Episode: Jahel Queralt on the Costs of Moralizing Success and Failure

Thomas Mulligan

Visiting scholar at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics

Georgetown University

Episode: Thomas Mulligan on Acting Meritocratically

Philip Kitcher

Philosopher, John Dewey Professor Emeritus at Columbia University

Columbia University

Episode: Philip Kitcher on the Erosion of Ethics in Policymaking

Michelle Jackson

Associate Professor of Sociology

Stanford University

Episode: Michelle Jackson on the Overworked Labor Force

Hosts

Geoff Wodtke

Host with affiliation to the Stone Center/University of Chicago; focuses on wealth inequality and mobility.

Steven Durlauf

Co-host; economist with long-running involvement in inequality and public policy research.

Damon Jones

Co-host; economist focused on mobility, labor, and policy.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 41 ratings

One of the best economics podcasts.
Wonderful podcast with a lot of valuable and interesting information.
Apple Podcasts
5
3.Elena
United Kingdom7 months ago

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Listeners Say

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

High-quality policy-relevant insights that translate to real-world impact.

Well-researched, rigorous economics discussions.

Strong guest lineups with leading scholars.

Longer, in-depth conversations that reward careful listening.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Zachary Bleemer on the Stratification of American Higher Education

Q: What do you think about moving beyond test scores toward value-added admissions to maximize efficiency and equity?

Berkeley could adopt selection-on-gains admissions, prioritizing students who are projected to gain the most in mid-career labor market outcomes from attending Berkeley, which could produce a very different and potentially more equitable admissions mix than current practices that rely heavily on pre-college preparation or GPA; this would require transparent design and careful consideration of public vs. private university goals.

Zachary Bleemer on the Stratification of American Higher Education

Q: Can you explain the effects of Proposition 209 on URM students and the mismatch hypothesis in California?

Proposition 209, which banned race-based affirmative action in California public universities, acted as a natural experiment showing that low-testing URM students were pushed into less selective but higher-resource institutions, which led to higher likelihoods of STEM degrees, college graduation, graduate school attendance, and later earnings for those groups, while the more selective institutions saw limited direct costs to White and Asian students; the mismatch concerns were largely not borne out in the long run.

Daniel Markovits on ‘The Meritocracy Trap’ (Live)

Q: What is the most fundamental problem you see with traditional definitions of meritocracy, and what alternative do you advocate?

The traditional retrospective focus on past achievement is flawed; instead, meritocracy should be prospective and context-sensitive, optimizing for social objectives over time and considering how admissions and allocations shape future incentives and opportunities.

Beatrice Cherrier on the Evolution of Economic Thought

Q: What role do gender issues play in the economics profession and what steps could improve equity?

Gender issues reflect recurring cycles of progress and pushback; studies of CSWEP and scholars like Sanderson show bias in letters and mentoring, leading to calls for systematic, structural reforms—better information, mentorship, and evaluation processes—to reduce discrimination and improve fairness.

Beatrice Cherrier on the Evolution of Economic Thought

Q: How has measuring inequality changed the field and what lessons does this have for policy?

Measurement advances, including recognizing data limitations like top-coding and the need to account for non-monetary work, have reshaped how economists study inequality and its dynamics, and have driven renewed focus on data construction, policy relevance, and the visibility of hidden inequality practices.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Inequality Podcast

What is The Inequality Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, scholarship-driven program exploring the causes and consequences of inequality and policies that affect economic mobility. Episodes bring together leading economists, sociologists, and policy scholars to challenge assumptions about merit, welfare, labor, and education, often weighing reform options that balance opportunity with efficiency. Noteworthy is the show's frequent cross-disciplinary debates, live audience formats, and a consistent focus on real-world policy design—from tax and welfare to unions and education—grounded in rigorous research. Potential listeners will likely appreciate rigorous analysis, historical context, and policy-relevant insights from top researchers at the University of Chicago and other leading ins... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Inequality Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Inequality Podcast:

1. Capitalisn't
2. Ideas
3. The Pie: An Economics Podcast
4. Conversations with Tyler
5. The Gray Area with Sean Illing

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The Inequality Podcast launched 3 years ago and published 64 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 The Inequality Podcast?

Recent guests on The Inequality Podcast include:

1. Zachary Bleemer
2. Daniel Markovits
3. Beatrice Cherrier
4. Lane Kenworthy
5. David Brady
6. Jahel Queralt
7. Thomas Mulligan
8. Philip Kitcher

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