Recession Remedies

The final episode of the Recession Remedies podcast sums up lessons learned from the COVID-19 downturn and looks ahead. How does rising inflation factor in to the assessment of the economic policy response? What lessons should, and should not, be taken from the pandemic to the next economic crisis? Host David Wessel is joined by Wendy Edelberg and Louise Sheiner. The three are seni

Data collection has exploded over the last decade. These new sources of nontraditional data—for example, credit card transactions and restaurant reservations—can help to fill gaps in traditional datasets by offering policymakers more timely or granular information. How were nontraditional data used during COVID-19? What are the benefits and potential pitfalls of using it in fut

To protect against the economic effects of the pandemic, the federal government borrowed more than $5 trillion—about 20% of one year’s output—in 2020 and 2021. Now, in 2022, the Federal Reserve is attempting to tamp down inflation. What lessons should we take from this policy experiment? Could a similar response be repeated in future crises? Recession Remedies podcast Host Da

Economic shocks can have outsized effects on children, interrupting their growth and development. How well did policy buffer households with children from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 downturn? How did changes in areas like childcare, food and nutrition, and health insurance affect children’s well-being? On this episode, host David Wessel is joined by Anna Aizer, pro

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a particular dilemma to state and local governments. The federal government provided close to $1 trillion to state and local governments to help them meet this dilemma—far more than the roughly $275 billion provided during the Great Recession. But something unexpected happened. On this episode, Brookings Senior Fellow Louise Sheiner joins host David We

The COVID-19 economic policy response helped prevent dire outcomes for renters and homeowners with mortgages during the pandemic. How did the stars align to make forbearance an especially effective policy? What did the pandemic reveal about gaps in the rental assistance safety net? To discuss these questions and more on housing policy during COVID-19, host David Wessel is joined by

The U.S. responded to the COVID-19 recession with massive and unprecedented support for businesses. The business sector overall fared much better than had been expected at the outset. Is this evidence that the business aid had strong economic benefits? Why should policymakers think twice before redeploying the same toolkit during future recessions? Ben Iverson, associate professor

The three rounds of Economic Impact Payments during COVID-19 were by far the largest direct stimulus payments made to American households. They were one of the main policy successes of the pandemic response in providing immediate support directly to households. What effect did these checks have on households and the economy? Should the program be replicated in future recessions—o

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government implemented the largest expansion in federal unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in U.S. history. Did expanded UI reach those who needed help? Did it stimulate the economy? And did it disincentivize people from looking for work as the pandemic abated? Fiona Greig, managing director and co-president of the JPMorgan Chase Ins

The COVID-19 pandemic posed an extraordinary threat to the economy. In the U.S., the COVID-19 downturn was sharp, but the ensuing economic recovery was faster and stronger than nearly any forecaster anticipated. What was the effect of the economic policy response? Did it come with trade-offs? On the first episode of the Recession Remedies podcast, Jason Furman, Aetna Professor of t