The last episode of Season 1 marks the end of Ben’s tenure at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Jared interviews Ben about his thoughts on the economics profession, the policy process, and Washington, DC. Musical Interlude: Haydn’s “Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major” by Mischa Maisky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tAvhIyw-BY

Republicans in Congress say they want tax reform, but tax cuts for the rich are what they’re really pursuing. Back by popular demand, Chye-Ching Huang joins the beginning and end of the show to unpack what the GOP is trying to do, share some music from New Zealand, and crack a solid joke. Jared and Ben also interview Vanessa Williamson and Kimberly Clausing, who talk about the research on Americans’ views of taxes and what real tax reform would look like. Musical Interlude: “History Never Repeats” by Split Enz https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/history-never-repeats-1981/overview

In advance of Labor Day, Sandy Darity, Darrick Hamilton, and Mark Paul join Jared and Ben to talk about their bold proposal to transform the labor market: a federal job guarantee. It would have the potential to reap huge rewards in terms of eliminating involuntary unemployment, reducing poverty, improving job quality, and allocating resources to address national needs. Musical Interlude: “Done Changed My Way of Living” by Taj Mahal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqEZXra3keU Ben’s Podcast Recommendation: “Have You Heard” by Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider https://soundcloud.com/haveyouheardpodcast Jared’s Podcast Recommendation: “The Daily” by Michael Barbaro https://www.nytimes.com/podcasts/the-daily

Health care redux! Ben and Jared revisit the health care debate with Sarah Lueck and Jon Walker, exploring where things stand, where they might go next, and the role of “path dependency.” Plus, some classic American poetry from Chuck Berry. Jon's proposal for transitioning to a single-payer health care system ("Medical Insurance and Care for All: A National Single-Payer Bill"): https://shadowproof.com/2017/07/24/medical-insurance-care-national-single-payer-bill-mica/ Sarah's recent blog on the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces and the threats to them posed by the Trump Administration ("ACA Marketplaces Poised to Grow Stronger - If They're Not Sabotaged"): https://www.cbpp.org/blog/aca-marketplaces-poised-to-grow-stronger-if-theyre-not-sabotaged Musical Interlude: "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opG44Eqea6g

In Jared’s first episode back from China, he and Ben interview Arloc Sherman and Tazra Mitchell about the effectiveness of safety net programs. As Arloc and Tazra describe, programs like SNAP (formerly called food stamps) and the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provide poor families with income assistance, carry both near-term and long-term benefits for children in the families that receive them. Arloc and Tazra’s paper (“Economic Security Programs Help Low-Income Children Succeed Over Long Term, Many Studies Find”): https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/economic-security-programs-help-low-income-children-succeed-over Musical Interlude: “I Second That Emotion” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNcOYvogheY&list=RDSNcOYvogheY

Few people deny inequality’s existence anymore, but its nature and causes are still hotly debated. Along with Richard Reeves and Marshall Steinbaum, Ben and Jared explore a couple theories of what’s driving income and wealth concentration among the rich and some policies that could potentially curb it. Musical Interlude: "Chant a Psalm" by Steel Pulse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIu01Mrazlc