Economics For the People

Hosted by KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Economics For the People takes you on a journey to explore the transformative power of economics when it is harnessed for the working classes, to advance social justice, and to create an inclusive and equitable society. It is an open invitation to participate in collectively shaping and reimagining an economy that prioritizes the needs and aspirations of the working classes, marginalized communities, and individuals of different gender expressions, sexualities, and abilities. The show features diverse voices, experiences and perspectives that often remain unheard in mainstream conversations about economics, markets and numbers. ]]>

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26 recent

June 15, 202658 min

EP29: Political Economy of the Media; Macroeconomics of War

In our April episode, we spoke with Rajeev Ravisankar, a researcher and journalist whose work focuses on the political economy of media — specifically on labor organizing in newsrooms and the growing movement toward worker-run media cooperatives. Rajeev brings a political economy framework to questions that mainstream media criticism rarely asks: who owns the news, under what conditions is it produced, and what happens when journalists organize to change those conditions. We were delighted to have him join us for a conversation about the economics and politics of the media industry. In our Dollars and Sense debrief, Chris Sturr interviews economist John Miller about the macroeconomic impacts of the war in Iran. #media #news #iran #unions *** Taki and Sirisha interview Rajeev Ravisankar - 2:20 minutes Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and John Miller - 28:30 minutes

January 4, 202658 min

EP25: The Greek Junta; Future of SNAP

In our December episode, we converse with Professor Neni Panourgia about the Greek military dictatorship of 1967-1974, known in Greece simply as the Junta. Professor Panourgia grew up during the Junta years and she shares with us her experiences of life under a military dictatorship. Does it hold any lessons for those of us living in the United States today? In our Dollars & Sense debrief, Chris Sturr interviews journalist Kalena Thomhave about the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and what changes are on the way for SNAP after the passage of the Trump administration's "Big, Beautiful Bill." #fascism #junta #greece #snap #foodstamps *** Feature interview with Professor Neni Panourgia - 3:20 minutes Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and Kalena Thomhave - 34:20 minutes

December 9, 202559 min

EP24: The Advertising Industry; Credit Score Oligopoly

‘Tis the season to advertise! In our Special Feature this month, we replay Prof. Zoe Sherman's segment from November 2023. Zoe helps us peel back the glittering layers of advertising and the holiday season where capitalism meets celebration. Our Dollars & Sense Debrief features an interview of Rob Larson about the consumer credit industry. This is especially important as credit scores are utilized increasingly across the economy and not only in loan applications (e.g., by landlords and employers). #blackfriday #consumerism #advertising #creditscores *** Feature interview with Zoe Sherman - 3:15 minutes Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and Rob Larson - 35:37 minutes

November 3, 202554 min

EP23: Economics of the Government Shutdown; Unhoused Deportees in Tijuana

In the October episode of our podcast, we discuss the economics of the government shutdown and the situation of unhoused deportees in Tijuana Mexico. First, in our Dollars and Sense Debrief, Chris Sturr interviews photojournalist David Bacon. In the U.S. media there is very little attention to what happens to most people when they’re deported. Many who are deported go home to communities far south of the border. But the people who are just dumped through the border gate and have no home to go to find themselves in cities like Tijuana. David documents their living conditions in detail. In our feature segment, Sirisha and Taki are in conversation with Professor Mathew Forstater from the University of Missouri Kansas City about the federal government shutdown. As of early November, approximately three million federal government employees have been directly impacted by the shutdown as most are on furlough. In addition, over 40 million food stamp recipients are impacted as SNAP benefits are significantly curtailed. Listen to Professor Forstater provide crucial insights as we move into the second month of the shutdown. #shutdown #immigration #mexico *** Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and David Bacon - 2:20 minutes Feature interview with Mat Forstater - 23:20 minutes

October 8, 202556 min

EP22: A History of Municipal Socialism in the US; The Military Occupation of DC

In the September episode of our podcast, we focus American cities. In our first segment, Chris Sturr interviews Professor Shel Stromquist about the history of municipal socialism in the United States. He reminds us that in the early 20th century there were over 150 municipalities across the country with socialist governments. He also emphasized that these socialist governments were directly responsible for improving the material conditions of the working class by constructing key infrastructure projects like drainage systems and clean drinking water. In our feature segment, we spoke with Professor John Willoughby about the situation in Washington DC. As of early October, the Trump administration has dispatched the National Guard to Chicago and is attempting to do so in other cities like Portland. In this context, we zoom in on DC and have a wide-ranging conversation about the repression, the organized and spontaneous resistance to what can only be called a military occupation, and the history of the movement for self-determination since the 1860s. #DC #MunicipalSocialism #occupation #FreeDC *** Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and Shel Stromquist - 2:23 minutes Feature interview with John Willoughby - 17:46 minutes

September 4, 202559 min

EP21: Class and Inequality in India and China, Military Keynesianism

In the August episode of Economics for the People, we interview Professor Vamsi Vakulabharanam about his book Class and Inequality in India and China, 1950-2010. On the eve of Indian Independence from British rule, and upon the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War, both countries were similar in economic terms. However, their trajectories diverged significantly over the period of time under investigation. Why? In our regular Dollars and Sense segment, Chris Sturr interviews Richard Wolff about Military Keynesianism: how it ended the Great Depression, its impact on the US economy over the 20th century, and why the ruling class continues to support it. *** Feature interview with Vamsi Vakulabharanam - 2:07 minutes Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and Richard D. Wolff - 36:32 minutes

July 27, 20251 hr 0 min

EP20: Cryptocurrency

Our July episode is all about crypto. We present two different perspectives on how to understand cryptocurrency. In our Dollars & Sense Debrief, Chris Sturr interviews economist Gerald Epstein from the University of Amherst, who talks about the risks of crypto to the financial system as a whole. Our feature interview is with Professor Rohan Grey, in which we discuss crypto in detail. What is it? How does it affect the working class? What is the future of crypto? Rohan also dissects the crypto legislation that passed in Congress and was signed by President Trump this month. Additionally we converse about the STABLE Act (2020) proposed by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, which Professor Grey helped design, which would have provided an alternative regulatory framework for crypto. #crypto #finance *** Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and Gerald Epstein - 3 minutes Feature interview with Rohan Grey - 21:30 minutes

July 26, 202557 min

EP19: Wildcat strikes in Asia, Socialism in Seattle

In our June episode, we spoke with Kshama Sawant about her campaign to win the House seat in Seattle's 9th Congressional district. Kshama was a member of city council in Seattle for about a decade, helping to win important victories for the working class such as the highest minimum wage in the US, the Amazon tax, and stronger protections for tenants. She is also co-founder of the organization Workers Strike Back. Additionally, we discussed tariffs, imperialism, and working class unity. In the Dollars and Sense Debrief, Chris Sturr interviewed economist Amanda Page-Hoongrajok about the recent history of wildcat strikes in the garment industry of Vietnam, China, and Bangladesh. #wildcatstrikes #fightback #socialism #kshamasawant *** Dollars and Sense Debrief with Chris Sturr and Amanda Page-Hoongrajok - 3 minutes Feature interview with Kshama Sawant - 18:25 minutes

June 3, 202554 min

EP18: Fusion of state and finance, work intensification

In the May edition of our podcast, Chris Sturr speaks with Mike Prokosch about the widespread practice of short staffing, which is basically polite language for work intensification. Mike gives […] The post EP18: Fusion of state and finance, work intensification appeared first on KKFI.

May 31, 202556 min

EP17: American Possibilities

We are back with apologies for our brief hiatus. Our April episode featured John Miller discussing the economics of Trump’s tariff policy, while Michael Yates shared his insights about the […] The post EP17: American Possibilities appeared first on KKFI.