The 2026 Economy: Make it Make Sense
From Optimist Economy by Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi
May 5, 2026 · 58 min · Season 2 · Episode 15
About this episode
Economist Kathryn Anne Edwards discusses the current state of the U.S. economy and the factors contributing to its challenges.
Consumer sentiment is in the basement. Jobs aren't being added. Prices keep climbing. GDP barely grew at the end of 2025, and a ‘meh’ 2% last quarter. Shouldn’t this be a recession? Not so far. Economist Kathryn Anne Edwards walks through the clear cause of each bad number: Tariffs explain the prices and foul mood. Mass deportations explain the jobs. The government shutdown explained last quarter. Still, knowing the passing reasons for economic pain doesn't make it hurt less. And none of it changes the long-term economic reforms we still need. Chapters: 00:01:06 Announcements 00:01:57 Retcon: Wealth at retirement 00:03:52 Terms & Conditions: Recession, Slack, Tight, Loose, Goodflation/Badflation 00:09:10 Centerpiece: What is going on with the U.S. Economy right now? The vibe is don’t panic. But don’t not panic. 00:53:38 Executive Orders: Free work parking. Legislators do their own taxes. 00:55:00 Spiritual Sponsors: Genre-specific bookstores and great newstands Donate to Optimist Economy: https://optimisteconomy.com Hey, we are on Facebook ! Follow us! Or, on Instagram at @optimist_economy or TikTok at @optimist_economy . Or on the Optimist Economy YouTube channel…
People in this episode
Host: Robin Rauzi
Guest: Kathryn Anne Edwards
Topics covered
- U.S. economy
- consumer sentiment
- jobs
- tariffs
- government shutdown
- economic reforms
Keywords
- economy
- recession
- GDP
- tariffs
- jobs
- consumer sentiment
- government shutdown
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Optimist Economy
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