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Planet Money

Would you trust an economist with your economy?

32 min episode · 2 min read
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Episode

32 min

Read time

2 min

Topics

Economics & Policy

AI-Generated Summary

Key Takeaways

  • Why do people distrust economists more than weather forecasters?
  • How are economists adapting their methods to rebuild credibility?
  • What happens when political leaders attack economic data agencies?

What It Covers

Planet Money examines declining public trust in economists following major forecasting failures, data skepticism, and political attacks on economic institutions like the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Key Questions Answered

  • Why do people distrust economists more than weather forecasters?
  • How are economists adapting their methods to rebuild credibility?
  • What happens when political leaders attack economic data agencies?

Notable Moment

President Trump fires Bureau of Labor Statistics head after jobs report revision, with economist Aaron Sojourner admitting this political interference now makes him question data reliability.

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