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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 synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 4:42 Cutting through the confusion of everyday financial language, Zero to One Divide breaks down the critical distinctions between income and wealth, and how market earnings transform after taxes and government transfers enter the picture.
When the Paychecks Stopped Climbing koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow · 4:17 Tracing the arc from postwar boom to stagnation, this song explores how the golden era of rising wages and a growing middle class began to unravel in the 1970s, revealing the economic forces that left working families behind.
Numbers Tell the Tale reggae, hyper-2-step, surf rock boogie · 3:26 A data-driven journey through post-WWII American prosperity, Numbers Tell the Tale examines how income was distributed between workers and owners from 1948 onward, using CBO after-tax figures to reveal who really benefited from the nation's economic boom.
Numbers Paint the Scene afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz · 3:57 A rhythmic journey through post-war American prosperity, exploring how economic metrics like GDP and wage growth shaped our understanding of the booming middle class era beginning in 1948 — and why measuring wealth is never as simple as it seems.
When America's Dream Came True synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 4:13 A vivid journey into postwar America's economic golden age, exploring how the convergence of strong unions, wage controls, and booming manufacturing created the foundation for broad-based prosperity in 1948.
Policy Plus Structure egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band · 3:57 Diving into the post-WWII economic boom, this chapter examines whether America's era of broad-based prosperity was the result of deliberate policy decisions or fortunate circumstance, challenging listeners to think critically about the forces that shaped a golden age of rising wages and shared growth.
When Documents Tell the Truth russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango · 3:35 A vivid journey into post-WWII America, When Documents Tell the Truth explores how the GI Bill and housing loans fueled a new era of broad-based prosperity, teaching listeners how primary sources and historical records reveal the real story of a nation rebuilding itself.
Five Ways to Share the Dream synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 4:26 Tracing the postwar economic boom from 1948, this chapter explores how five key mechanisms — including the G.I. Bill, union power, and minimum wage policy — worked together to build a thriving middle class and distribute prosperity broadly across American society.
When the Golden Age Goes Dark hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues · 4:36 Exploring the economic turbulence of the 1970s, When the Golden Age Goes Dark unpacks the baffling phenomenon of stagflation — rising prices colliding with rising unemployment — and reveals how America's postwar prosperity began to crack under pressures no one saw coming.
When the Phillips Curve Broke afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz · 4:27 Exploring the economic turbulence of the 1970s, this track breaks down how simultaneous inflation and unemployment — stagflation — shattered the prevailing Phillips Curve theory and exposed the vulnerabilities of an economy blindsided by oil shocks and supply chain collapse.
When the Gold Rules Changed hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues · 4:11 A pivotal turning point in economic history unfolds as Nixon's 1971 decision to end gold convertibility and impose wage and price controls reshaped the financial foundations of American life. Listeners will discover how these seismic policy shifts, drawn from primary sources, signaled the beginning of a new and uncertain economic era.
When the Golden Years Went Dark russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango · 2:42 When the Golden Years Went Dark traces the dramatic economic unraveling of post-war American prosperity, exploring how the boom years of the 1950s and 60s gave way to the stagflation and unemployment of the 1970s. Listeners will examine the two competing theories — supply-side shocks versus demand-side failures — that economists use to explain why the golden age came crashing down.
Trickle Down Dreams egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band · 4:11 A musical journey through America's post-war economic transformation, tracing the shift from broadly shared mid-century prosperity to the Reagan era's supply-side tax policies—ERTA '81 and TRA '86—and the promise that wealth at the top would trickle down to everyone else.
When the Tide Began to Shift afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz · 4:16 A rhythmic journey through the post-1948 economic landscape, tracing how broad-based American prosperity gave way to growing inequality as wealth concentrated at the top. Listeners will unpack the critical distinction between pre-tax and post-tax income and explore both the mechanical and structural forces that drove this seismic shift.
Documents Tell the Story synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 3:57 Diving into the documentary evidence behind postwar American prosperity, this track teaches listeners how to read primary sources like tax acts and historical tables to uncover the real story of how capital gains, dividends, and corporate rates shaped economic growth and decline from 1948 onward.
Trickle Down Dreams and Broken Promises russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango · 3:21 Explore the promises and pitfalls of Reagan-era trickle-down economics, tracing how supply-side tax cuts were sold to the American public and whether prosperity actually flowed from the wealthy to the working class.
When the Winds Split at the Seams reggae, hyper-2-step, surf rock boogie · 3:39 Tracing the pivotal economic shift that began after 1948, this chapter explores how the rise of computer technology drove a wedge between high-skill and low-skill workers, unraveling an era when prosperity was broadly shared across America's workforce.
When Dreams Got Hollowed Out synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 3:52 Tracing the arc from postwar prosperity to growing inequality, this track explores how the golden era of middle-class expansion gradually gave way to economic fractures that hollowed out the American dream. Listeners will gain a historical understanding of the forces that transformed a booming, broad-based economy into one marked by widening gaps between workers and wealth.
Charts Don't Lie egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band · 4:12 Tracing the arc of American prosperity from its postwar peak to its gradual unraveling, this chapter uses primary sources, charts, and data to reveal how workers' share of the nation's wealth changed dramatically over decades — and why the numbers tell a story that words alone often obscure.
When Doors Open, Jobs Can Flee egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band · 3:44 Tracing the arc of American prosperity from 1948 to the present, this chapter examines how three powerful forces — trade, technology, and institutions — worked together and against each other to shape the nation's economic destiny. Listeners will gain a framework for understanding why broad-based growth gave way to growing inequality, and who got left behind when the doors of the global economy swung open.
Before the Money Hits Your Hand synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 4:07 Tracing the arc from postwar worker power to the erosion of union strength, this track unpacks how collective bargaining shaped wages and protections — and how right-to-work legislation quietly dismantled them before workers ever saw a paycheck.
When Unions Fall, Wages Crawl synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 3:53 Tracing the powerful connection between union membership and middle-class wages from post-war America to today, this chapter reveals how the decades-long decline of organized labor directly drove the stagnation of worker pay and the erosion of benefits like pensions and healthcare.
When the Charts Tell Stories synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 4:29 Tracing economic history through the lens of data and primary sources, this chapter reveals how union density in post-1948 America shaped the rise of broad-based worker prosperity. Listeners will learn to read the patterns hidden in historical charts and understand what declining union membership means for the story of shared wealth.
When the Guardrails Fall Apart afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz · 3:41 A rhythmic journey through the unraveling of America's post-war economic safeguards, exploring how the weakening of unions and regulatory frameworks dismantled the wage structures that once fueled broad middle-class prosperity.
When Houses Can't Be Built afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz · 3:37 Tracing how postwar homeownership became the engine of middle-class wealth-building, this chapter explores how rising home equity transformed ordinary families into property owners with a stake in prosperity.
When Wealth Builds Wealth egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band · 4:14 Tracing the growing divide between wages and wealth in post-1948 America, this chapter reveals how asset ownership—not income—became the true engine of financial inequality, compounding advantages for those already at the top while leaving wage earners behind.
Paper Trails and Price Tales egyptian flamenco, symphonic city pop, cumbia acoustic blues, choral big band · 4:27 Diving into the documentary evidence behind postwar economic history, Paper Trails and Price Tales explores how historians use primary sources like house price indices, construction rates, and rent data to uncover the real story of what American families experienced during the mid-20th century.
When Supply Goes Down synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 4:07 Tracing the arc from postwar prosperity to today's housing crisis, this chapter examines how zoning laws, permits, and mounting regulations choked the supply of homes while demand kept climbing, pricing millions out of the American Dream.
Fewer Players in the Game hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues · 4:08 A deep dive into how American markets shifted from vibrant post-war competition to increasing consolidation, and why fewer players controlling industries means lower wages and higher prices for everyday people.
Wages Stagnate Hour by Hour hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues · 4:36 A groovy deep-dive into the decades-long puzzle of American wage stagnation, exploring how workers went from sharing in postwar prosperity to watching their paychecks flatline while economists debate the role of market power in driving the divide.
Evidence Speaks When We're Analyzing afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz · 4:17 A rhythmic deep dive into the tools historians and economists use to trace the shifting landscape of American prosperity, revealing how primary sources, data, and evidence expose the story of growing wealth concentration since 1948.
When the Big Fish Eat the Small Ones synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 3:28 Tracing the decades-long rise of corporate consolidation in America, this chapter reveals how fewer, more dominant firms reshaped the economy — driving wages down and prices up while eroding the broad-based prosperity that once defined the postwar era.
Follow the Money (The Feedback Loop) synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 3:52 Tracing the roots of economic inequality, Follow the Money examines how the postwar middle-class boom gradually gave way to the rise of lobbying, political influence, and a feedback loop where money began shaping the very policies meant to govern it.
Power Lurks in the Shadows afrobeat, afro-cuban jazz · 3:46 A deep dive into the golden era of mid-century American prosperity and the hidden forces that dismantled it, exploring whether the erosion of workers' power and the shrinking middle class was driven by deliberate design or systemic mechanisms.
Follow the Money Trail koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow · 3:59 Tracing the hidden financial threads that shaped America's economic shift away from shared prosperity, this chapter reveals how to follow lobbying dollars, party platforms, and funding records to uncover who influenced the policies that transformed workers' lives after 1948.
Two Stories Tell the Tale russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango · 3:19 Two Stories Tell the Tale explores the economic turbulence of the 1970s, when stagflation shattered conventional wisdom and left economists scrambling for answers. Listeners will weigh two competing narratives about what really drove the era's collapse of broad-based prosperity — well-intentioned reform gone wrong, or unchecked greed reshaping the system from within.
Six Ways Seeing America's Dream synthpop hawaiian, afro-cuban jazz crunk, jungle ambient noise wall, chillsynth mento · 4:37 Six competing economic schools of thought take center stage as the post-WWII prosperity boom sets the backdrop for understanding why broad-based growth eventually faltered. Listeners will explore frameworks from Keynesian demand theory to other major perspectives that economists use to explain America's shifting economic fortunes.
Golden Age Blues koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow · 3:30 Diving into the competing theories behind America's post-1948 economic golden age, Golden Age Blues breaks down three major schools of thought on why broad-based prosperity rose — and why it eventually collapsed. Listeners will walk away with a sharper understanding of how economists interpret the evidence and what policies each perspective champions.
When the Tide Began to Turn russian k-pop, indie, celtic tango · 2:49 Tracing the arc of American economic prosperity from its post-war peak to its unraveling, this chapter introduces three major schools of thought that compete to explain why broad-based growth began to fade — and what policies each prescribes as a remedy.
Tools to Bring Back Shared Success hyper-roots reggae, afro house acoustic blues · 4:36 Tracing the arc from postwar prosperity to today's widening inequality, this track breaks down the economic tools — from pre-distribution to redistribution — that can rebuild a society where hard work pays off for everyone.
Golden Age to Price Spiral koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow · 4:39 Golden Age to Price Spiral traces the arc of America's post-WWII economic boom and the inflationary turbulence that unraveled it, revealing how wages, productivity, and rising prices reshaped the middle class from 1948 through the 1970s.
Five Solutions Strong koto coptic, grime synthpop, koto dembow · 3:46 Listeners are challenged to construct a robust five-part policy platform, learning how to articulate the mechanisms, expected effects, risks, and real-world constraints behind each proposed solution to economic inequality.