Boom! from The Economist

The Economist
  • 0.0 (0)
  • POLITICS
  • COMPLETE SERIES
Boom! from The Economist Podcast

How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers.  Since 1992, every American president bar one has been a white man born in the 1940s. That run looks likely to span 36 years - not far off the age of the median American. This cohort was born with aces in their pockets. Their parents defeated Nazism and won the cold war. They hit the jobs market at an unmatched period of wealth creation. They have benefitted from giant leaps in technology, and in racial and gender equality.  And yet, their last act in politics sees the two main parties accusing each other of wrecking American democracy. As the boomers near the end of their political journey, John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, sets out to make sense of their inheritance and their legacy.  Launching July 2024. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

  1. 1. 1968 - Born to be wild

    EPISODE 1

    1. 1968 - Born to be wild

    The generation born in the 1940s grew up in a land of endless growth and possibility, ruled by a confident, moderate elite. But just as they were embarking on adult life, all that started to come apart. The economy faltered, and the post-war consensus came under pressure from two sides: from the radical right, who hated government moves on civil rights  – and from the ‘New Left’, as boomers rebelled against their parents' generation and its war in Vietnam. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

    50 min
  2. 2. 1978 - I love the nightlife

    EPISODE 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    2. 1978 - I love the nightlife

    America was caught in a crisis of confidence, just as our boomers were leaving their youth behind. Their old 1960s dreams of transforming the country were gone, but new dreams of liberation took their place, from the women’s movement to a populist onslaught against big government – via Manhattan’s wildest nightclub. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. This episode draws on audio from: CBS, ABC, AP and Getty.

    53 min
  3. 3. 1987 - Little lies

    EPISODE 3 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    3. 1987 - Little lies

    The American economy was thriving again. On Wall Street, boomers were making more money than they could have ever imagined. But from factory workers to Vietnam veterans to farmers, there were plenty of losers too. The question was whether Washington could hear them. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. This episode contains audio from the following publishers: C-SPAN, CBS, CNN, NPR, Channel 5, Hoover Institution Library, Los Angeles Lakers, Sherman Records.

    47 min
  4. 4. 1994 - Welcome to paradise

    EPISODE 4 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    4. 1994 - Welcome to paradise

    The 1940s generation had lived their lives under the shadow of the Cold War. Now it was gone – and one of their number was in the White House at last, presiding over a booming, globalising economy. Bill Clinton had largely accepted Ronald Reagan’s economics. So was this the end of old antagonisms? Not so much. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. This episode contains audio from the following publishers: C-SPAN, AP, William J. Clinton Presidential Library, National Space Society, UVA Miller Center, NBC, Amazon, CNN, CBN, EIB, PBS, ABC, WLWD, WNET.

    50 min
  5. 5. 2008 - Fake empire

    EPISODE 5 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    5. 2008 - Fake empire

    The torch passed to a new generation. With the arrival of Barack Obama, it looked as though the boomers’ time was up. They deserved credit for building a country that would elect a black president. But then their other great legacy – an economy built on financial hyper-creativity and easy credit – exploded, releasing political forces this generation had too long ignored. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. This episode draws on audio from C-SPAN, The White House, CBS, Pat Garrett, Al-Jazeera, Koi Pond app, Alabama government archive, PBS, CNBC, ABC

    49 min
  6. 6. 2020 - Lost in yesterday

    EPISODE 6 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    6. 2020 - Lost in yesterday

    The radical right was visible somewhere in the background all the way through the boomers’ lives. Now one of their number had made himself the hero of that movement and led it to power. Under the pressure of a pandemic, Americans had a choice. Should they give Donald Trump another chance? Or turn to another man of the 1940s, Joe Biden, who promised to rebuild the kind of economy in which he'd grown up. Unless it was all too late... To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. This episode draws on audio from the following publishers: ABC, CNN, State Department, PBS, Washington Post, C-SPAN, PeteforAmerica, MSNBC, cover of John Lennon's "Imagine", Charles Cornell, VOA, CBC, NBC, CNBC

    51 min
See All Season 1 (6)

Trailer

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • Take a seat at the table and learn about the biggest stories in financial markets, the economy and business. Each week our editors and correspondents explore how economics influences the world we live in and share their insights across a range of topics. From inflation and recession risk to all things crypto and even the commercial success of K-pop, we have you covered. Published every Thursday. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page at https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts.

    • 0.0 (0)
    • BUSINESS NEWS

  • Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance — as well as science and technology.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 0.0 (0)
    • NEWS

  • Get a daily burst of illumination from The Economist’s worldwide network of correspondents. Our reporters dig past the headlines to get to the stories beneath—and to stories that aren’t making headlines, but should be. A unique perspective on the issues and events shaping your world. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page at https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts

    • 0.0 (0)
    • DAILY NEWS

  • A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. Published weekdays from Monday to Thursday. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page here https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts.

    • 0.0 (0)
    • NEWS

  • Checks and Balance unlocks American politics by taking a big theme each week and digging into the data, the ideas, and the history shaping the country. Join John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon and Jon Fasman as they talk to politicians, pollsters, academics and people across the country about the great experiment of American democracy. Published every Friday. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page here https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts.

    • 0.0 (0)
    • POLITICS

  • Two of The Economist's China correspondents, Alice Su and David Rennie, analyse the stories at the heart of this vast country and examine its influence beyond its borders. They’ll be joined by our global network of correspondents and expert guests to examine how everything from party politics to business, technology and culture are reshaping China and the world. Published every Tuesday. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page here https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts.

    • 0.0 (0)
    • NEWS

Subscribe via The Economist app for podcast access

View Subscription FAQs

About

How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers.  Since 1992, every American president bar one has been a white man born in the 1940s. That run looks likely to span 36 years - not far off the age of the median American. This cohort was born with aces in their pockets. Their parents defeated Nazism and won the cold war. They hit the jobs market at an unmatched period of wealth creation. They have benefitted from giant leaps in technology, and in racial and gender equality.  And yet, their last act in politics sees the two main parties accusing each other of wrecking American democracy. As the boomers near the end of their political journey, John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, sets out to make sense of their inheritance and their legacy.  Launching July 2024. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Information

  • Channel
    The Economist
  • Creator
    The Economist
  • Episodes
    7
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Boom! from The Economist
  • Provider
    The Economist Newspaper Limited

More From The Economist

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada