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Curriculum: The Rise and Fall of Broad-Based Prosperity in the U.S. (1948–Present)
Subject: Curriculum: The Rise and Fall of Broad-Based Prosperity in the U.S. (1948–Present)
42 chapters
Chapters
Zero to One Divide egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band · 4:43 Explore the crucial distinction between income and wealth while learning how market forces, taxes, and government transfers shape economic inequality in America's changing prosperity landscape.
When the Paychecks Stopped Climbing synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Explore the dramatic shift from post-WWII economic prosperity to wage stagnation beginning in the 1970s, examining how the golden age of middle-class growth came to an abrupt end. Learn about the key factors that transformed America from a nation of rising paychecks to one where working families increasingly struggled despite continued economic growth.
Numbers Tell the Tale russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango Economic data from 1948 reveals how post-war prosperity was genuinely shared across all income levels, with Congressional Budget Office statistics painting a clear picture of widespread financial gains. Listeners discover how numerical evidence tells the compelling story of an era when both workers and business owners benefited from America's economic growth.
Numbers Paint the Scene hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues · 3:25 Economic indicators reveal the complex story of America's post-WWII boom, exploring how GDP growth and rising wages created unprecedented middle-class prosperity while examining the limitations of traditional wealth measurements.
When America's Dream Came True koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow · 3:56 Explore how post-WWII America achieved unprecedented economic prosperity through strong manufacturing, powerful unions, and wage controls that created broad-based wealth for working families. Learn about the golden age of American capitalism when factory workers could afford middle-class lifestyles and economic growth benefited nearly everyone.
Policy Plus Structure russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango · 2:50 Explores how specific government policies and economic structures created America's post-WWII golden age of shared prosperity, examining whether broad-based economic growth resulted from deliberate institutional design or fortunate circumstances.
When Documents Tell the Truth hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues Explore how primary sources and official documents reveal the economic opportunities available to returning WWII veterans, including education benefits and housing programs that helped build America's post-war prosperity. Learn to analyze historical records that demonstrate how government policies like the GI Bill created pathways to middle-class success in the late 1940s.
Five Ways to Share the Dream reggae, hyper-2-step, surf rock boogie · 3:17 Explores the five key economic mechanisms that created broad-based prosperity from 1948 onward, including the G.I. Bill, strong unions, and minimum wage policies that helped build and expand America's middle class.
When the Golden Age Goes Dark synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Explore the economic puzzle of stagflation in the 1970s, when traditional economic theories crumbled as America faced the bewildering combination of rising prices and widespread unemployment that marked the end of post-war prosperity.
When the Phillips Curve Broke afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz Explores how the 1970s stagflation crisis shattered the established Phillips Curve theory that assumed inflation and unemployment moved in opposite directions, revealing the economic chaos when both skyrocketed simultaneously due to oil shocks and supply disruptions.
When the Gold Rules Changed egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band Nixon's 1971 economic shock dismantled the gold standard and imposed wage-price controls, fundamentally reshaping America's monetary system. Listeners explore primary source documents revealing how these pivotal policy decisions marked the beginning of a new era in U.S. economic history.
When the Golden Years Went Dark synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Economic prosperity that defined the 1950s and 60s crumbled in the 1970s as stagflation hit American workers hard, explored through competing theories of supply-side shocks versus demand-side economics. Listeners will understand the key factors that ended America's post-war economic golden age and launched decades of debate about what went wrong.
Trickle Down Dreams koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow Learn how post-war America's era of shared prosperity gave way to supply-side economics and tax cuts for the wealthy, fundamentally reshaping income distribution from the late 1940s through the 1980s. Discover the policy shifts that transformed the American economic landscape from broad-based growth to trickle-down theory implementation.
When the Tide Began to Shift synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Explores the pivotal moment when America's broad-based prosperity began concentrating among the wealthy elite, examining the mechanical and structural economic changes that drove this fundamental shift. Listeners will understand the key factors that transformed the post-war economic landscape and learn to distinguish between different types of policy changes that reshaped income distribution.
Documents Tell the Story egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band Primary source documents including tax acts, statistical tables, and government records reveal the economic policies that shaped America's golden age of prosperity from 1948 onward. Listeners will discover how to analyze historical evidence through corporate tax rates, capital gains policies, and dividend structures that tell the real story of economic change.
Trickle Down Dreams and Broken Promises afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz Explore how Reagan's supply-side economics and tax cuts for the wealthy were supposed to benefit all Americans, and discover why these "trickle-down" policies failed to deliver the promised widespread prosperity.
When the Winds Split at the Seams afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz Explores how technological advancement and computerization beginning in 1948 fractured America's shared prosperity, creating a widening gap between high-skilled and low-skilled workers. Listeners will understand the pivotal moment when economic equality began its decline and wages started diverging based on skill level.
When Dreams Got Hollowed Out synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Explores how the post-WWII economic boom created widespread middle-class prosperity through well-paying factory jobs, then examines the gradual shift toward growing inequality that began to hollow out the American Dream. Listeners will understand the key turning points that transformed the U.S. from an era of broad-based economic growth to one of increasing wealth disparity.
Charts Don't Lie reggae, hyper-2-step, surf rock boogie Economic data reveals how American workers enjoyed shared prosperity in the post-war era before trade policies and wage stagnation gradually eroded middle-class wealth over subsequent decades. Listeners will examine primary source documents and statistical evidence that chart this dramatic transformation in income distribution from 1948 to the present.
When Doors Open, Jobs Can Flee russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango Explores how global trade expansion from 1948 onward created new economic opportunities while simultaneously causing job displacement as companies moved operations to lower-cost regions. Listeners will understand the complex relationship between international trade liberalization and domestic employment patterns that reshaped American prosperity.
Before the Money Hits Your Hand hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues Labor unions wielded unprecedented power in post-war America, providing broad worker protections through collective bargaining before right-to-work legislation began eroding their influence and membership density.
When Unions Fall, Wages Crawl koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow Explores the dramatic decline of union membership since 1948 and its direct correlation to stagnating wages, revealing how the erosion of collective bargaining power fundamentally reshaped American economic inequality.
When the Charts Tell Stories synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Economic data reveals the golden age of American prosperity from 1948 onward, when high union density and collective bargaining agreements created widespread wealth-sharing that lifted workers across the nation. Learn how primary source statistics and labor contracts document this pivotal era when organized labor's strength directly correlated with broad-based economic success.
When the Guardrails Fall Apart koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow Explores how the weakening of labor unions, regulatory frameworks, and other institutional safeguards from 1948 onward dismantled the foundations of America's post-war economic prosperity and contributed to rising inequality. Listeners will understand the connection between institutional decline and the erosion of middle-class wage growth that defined the latter half of the 20th century.
When Houses Can't Be Built afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz Explores how homeownership became the cornerstone of middle-class wealth building in post-WWII America, revealing the mechanisms that allowed ordinary families to accumulate generational wealth through real estate equity.
When Wealth Builds Wealth egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band Explores how asset ownership and compound returns created exponential wealth gaps that outpaced wage growth, transforming America from a broad-based prosperous society into one of extreme wealth concentration. Listeners will understand the mathematical dynamics behind why wealth inequality accelerated far beyond simple income differences starting in the post-war era.
Paper Trails and Price Tales reggae, hyper-2-step, surf rock boogie Learn how historians use primary source documents like house price indices, construction data, and rent records to trace the economic realities families faced during America's postwar boom and subsequent decline.
When Supply Goes Down afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz Explores how post-war housing regulations and zoning restrictions created artificial scarcity that drove up home prices, making the American dream of homeownership increasingly unattainable for working families despite steady demand.
Fewer Players in the Game russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango Explores how American markets transformed from highly competitive landscapes in 1948 to concentrated oligopolies, revealing the connection between declining competition and stagnant wages for workers.
Wages Stagnate Hour by Hour hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues Explore how American workers' wages began diverging from productivity gains after the post-war boom, examining the controversial role of corporate market power in stagnating hourly earnings. Learn about the economic forces and policy shifts that transformed the relationship between worker output and compensation from 1948 to today.
Evidence Speaks When We're Analyzing koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow Learn how to analyze primary sources, artifacts, and economic data to understand the dramatic shift from broad-based prosperity in 1948 to increasing wealth concentration and market power consolidation over the following decades. This analytical foundation teaches essential skills for examining evidence that reveals the true story behind America's changing economic landscape.
When the Big Fish Eat the Small Ones afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz Explore how corporate consolidation since 1948 transformed competitive markets into oligopolies, revealing the direct connection between fewer competing firms and declining wages alongside rising prices that eroded America's broad-based prosperity.
Follow the Money (The Feedback Loop) synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Explores how the influence of money in politics created a self-reinforcing cycle that gradually undermined the broad-based prosperity of America's post-war golden age. Listeners will discover the mechanisms by which lobbying and special interests shifted policy away from middle-class stability toward concentrated wealth accumulation.
Power Lurks in the Shadows hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues Explore the mechanisms behind America's transition from widespread post-war prosperity to growing inequality, examining whether deliberate class warfare or systemic forces drove the erosion of worker power and middle-class growth that began in 1948.
Follow the Money Trail egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band Learn to trace the flow of political money and lobbying influence that transformed America from its post-war golden age of shared prosperity into today's unequal economy. Discover how to use documents, records, and financial trails to investigate the powerful interests that shaped decades of economic policy.
Two Stories Tell the Tale hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues The 1970s economic crisis of stagflation marked a turning point in American prosperity, with two competing narratives emerging to explain whether the decline stemmed from well-intentioned policy reforms or systemic greed. Listeners will explore how this pivotal decade reshaped economic thinking and set the stage for decades of debate about what derailed broad-based American prosperity.
Six Ways Seeing America's Dream russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango Explore six competing economic theories that attempt to explain how America's post-WWII golden age of shared prosperity unraveled, from Keynesian demand-side policies to various schools of thought on what derailed the American Dream.
Golden Age Blues russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango Explore three competing economic theories that attempt to explain how America's post-war golden age of broad-based prosperity emerged and why it eventually declined, examining the core claims and policy implications of each perspective.
When the Tide Began to Turn hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues Learn how America's post-WWII economic golden age of rising wages and expanding opportunities gradually shifted course, as three distinct schools of economic thought offer competing explanations for the decline of broad-based prosperity. Discover the key evidence and policy tools each perspective uses to analyze this pivotal transformation in American economic history.
Tools to Bring Back Shared Success synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Learn about pre-distribution and redistribution strategies that can help restore the broad-based economic prosperity America enjoyed in the post-World War II era. Discover practical policy tools for ensuring that economic growth benefits working families, not just the wealthy elite.
Golden Age to Price Spiral hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues Explore how America's post-war economic boom created unprecedented middle-class prosperity until the 1970s inflation crisis shattered the golden formula. Learn about the key factors that drove shared economic growth and discover what went wrong when wages stopped rising with productivity.
Five Solutions Strong synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento Learn how to construct a robust five-point policy platform by understanding the essential components of effective governance: mechanisms, expected outcomes, risk assessment, and constraint management. This framework teaches listeners to think systematically about policy design while considering both intended effects and potential unintended consequences.