278 | Michael Sandel on the Case Against Meritocracy

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David and Helen talk to the philosopher Michael Sandel about the
damage that the idea of rewarding people on merit has done to education,
democracy and public life. Why is it wrong to try to match the best students to the best universities? What is credentialism and how has it warped the way work is rewarded? Whatever happened to the idea of the common good? Plus we discuss America's sense of itself as God's chosen nation in the age of Obama and Trump.

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274 | The Politics of Loneliness

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David talks to economist and author Noreena Hertz about loneliness and its impact on all our lives.  How does the experience of loneliness shape contemporary democracy?  What kind of politics could make us feel more connected?  Can technology bring us together or is it driving us further apart?  Plus we discuss the consequences of the pandemic for the future of work and the possibility of building a better world.

269 | Whose Work is it Anyway?

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David and Helen talk with Diane Coyle about what the pandemic has revealed about the changing nature of work.  Who is doing more of it?  Who is still getting paid for it?  Which jobs are not coming back?  Plus we explore the impact of the digital revolution on how we get rewarded for what we do and we ask whether the big tech firms can continue to hoover up so many of the rewards.  Is Jeff Bezos really worth it?

240 | Lockdownonomics

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David and Helen talk to the economist Diane Coyle about the long-term consequences of lock-down, for the economy, for society and for our well-being.  How can we measure the costs?  Who are likely to be the
biggest losers?  And what will it mean for how we structure our economies in future?  Plus we discuss what will happen if we pull back from global supply chain and we ask whether inflation is on its way.

178 | Talking Politics Guide to ... The Euro

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We talk to political economist Helen Thompson about the birth of the Euro and its tortuous recent history. Whose idea was it in the first place and how much of its current troubles were baked into its origins? A story of ambition, intrigue and unintended consequences.

136 | Talking Politics guide to ... Bretton Woods

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David talks to Helen Thompson about the economic order that was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. What was agreed at Bretton Woods, how did it work, why did it eventually fail, and can any of it be revived?