Economic Unease and America’s Slow Growth

April 8th, 2016

On April 7, 2016, Summers talked with John Hockenberry of PRI’s the Takeaway for a series on the the state of the global economy.  The discussion included the sluggish economy, less energy driving investments, Sanders, Trump and the Broadway musical, Hamilton.

Click here to listen to the full interview.

We’ve looked at how oil prices are affecting buying power for everyday people, and just how worried analysts are about unease in China and Europe. And while our guests have been somewhat optimistic on global economic prospects, many of our listeners have expressed anxiety with their personal economic status.

“I don’t feel good about my economic prospects,” writes a Takeaway listener from Charlotte, North Carolina. “I’m a teacher, and am over burdened with student loan debt. I can’t afford a house, and have no expectation for a change in my prospects.”

Today, we conclude our series with a conversation about that dissatisfaction with one of the key figures of the 2008 financial crisis and recovery: Larry Summers.

He’s the Charles W. Eliot University professor and president emeritus at Harvard University, but you most likely know him as the 71st secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton, and the director of the National Economic Council for President Obama. Summers says that while we’re not on the verge of another 2008 scenario, the recovery isn’t getting to as many people as it should.

And to hear our host John Hockenberry talking about what we’ve learned this week with Charlie Herman, tune in to this Friday’s episode of “Money Talking.”