Dollar & Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast

By The Brookings Institution

What's Dollar & Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast about?

Dollar and Sense is a podcast about all things trade. From local ports and markets to international trade and diplomacy, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow David Dollar and guests explain how our global trading system is built and its effect on our everyday lives.

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Dollar & Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast episodes:

11.17.2023
A memorial tribute to David Dollar
David Dollar, the host of Dollar and Sense, passed away on October 6, 2023. In this final episode of his podcast, David’s friends and colleagues pay tribute to his work as a U.S. official and scholar, as a mentor and...
08.28.2023
A look at food insecurity and agricultural trade around the world
Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), reviews global food insecurity, noting that malnourishment extends beyond just hotspot countries, potentially affecting over 40% of people worldwide. She...
08.14.2023
What’s the best case scenario for US-China relations?
Ryan Hass, newly appointed director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, talks with host David Dollar about the themes and ideas the China Center will be focusing on in the next few years. Hass also...
07.31.2023
What’s the link between climate change and environmental disasters?
Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings, talks with David Dollar about whether we can attribute the growing number of extreme weather events and disasters to climate change. Gross says global temperature rise makes these...
07.17.2023
The imperative of US-China dialogue on global issues
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently visited China and met with senior Chinese economic and political officials. Mark Sobel, U.S. chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, reflects on her trip, and says U.S.-China dialogue on economic and...
07.03.2023
Why immigrants are America’s superpower
Wendy Edelberg, senior fellow and director of The Hamilton Project at Brookings, discusses the positive impact of immigration on the dynamism and fiscal sustainability of the U.S. economy. She also explains her research on the impact immigrants have on local,...
06.20.2023
A look at India-US relations as Prime Minister Modi visits the White House
In the week of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to the U.S., Tanvi Madan, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the India Project at Brookings, discusses the state of U.S.-India relations, a strategic technology partnership between...
06.05.2023
Who won the debt ceiling fight?
David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings, joins host David Dollar to discuss what’s in the debt ceiling deal reached between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The deal,...
05.15.2023
Japan’s quiet leadership as it hosts the G7 summit in Hiroshima
Mireya Solís, director of the Center for East Asian Policy Studies at Brookings, explains the significance of Japan hosting the G7 summit in Hiroshima, and how Tokyo centers its foreign policy on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region. “This...
05.01.2023
Making sense of China’s economy
Tao Wang, chief China economist for UBS Investment Bank in Hong Kong, discusses her new book, Making Sense of China’s Economy (Routledge). She describes market-oriented and land reforms that helped diminish China’s state role in the economy, increased foreign investment,...
04.17.2023
How serious is the risk of war over Taiwan?
Brookings Senior Fellows Richard Bush and Ryan Hass, co-authors with Bonnie Glaser of a new Brookings Press book on U.S.-Taiwan relations in the context of China’s challenge, argue that tensions between the PRC and Taiwan can only be resolved with...
04.04.2023
Will Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse lead to a financial crisis?
Donald Kohn, senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings and a former Federal Reserve vice chair, discusses why Silicon Valley Bank failed, what regulators did before and after the bank’s collapse, and whether or not this event could signal additional...
03.20.2023
An update on Ukraine—security, economic, and humanitarian conditions
A team of Brookings experts has just released the “Ukraine Index,” which presents security, economic, and political data to track the war’s course. One of the authors of the Index, Constanze Stelzenmüller, who directs the Center on the United States...
03.06.2023
China’s uncertain economic outlook for 2023
Eswar Prasad, a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings and a professor at Cornell University, and host David Dollar discuss the outlook for China’s economy in 2023 as the annual National People’s Congress convenes in Beijing. Discussion...
02.21.2023
Why US economic sanctions often fail
Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director of the Economist Intelligence Unit, speaks with host David Dollar about her new book, Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests (Columbia University Press). In the conversation, Demarais explains why sanctions are a...
02.06.2023
What’s next for Brazil and Lula after the January 8 insurrection?
Ted Piccone, a nonresident senior fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings and also senior advisor with the World Justice Project, talks with host David Dollar about Brazil’s challenges facing President Lula after the January 8 insurrection in Brasilia by followers...
01.23.2023
The politics of the debt ceiling debate in Congress
On January 19, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen informed Congress that the department would implement “extraordinary measures” to allow the federal government to meet its obligations after reaching the debt ceiling. David Dollar speaks with Molly Reynolds, a senior fellow...
01.09.2023
Previewing the US and global economies in 2023
Host David Dollar and Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, a senior fellow in Economic Studies, anticipate key trends in the U.S. and global economies. What’s the inflation picture and forecast for growth in the U.S.? What economic conditions will prevail in Europe,...
12.19.2022
Did the US-Africa Leaders Summit meet its objectives?
David Dollar speaks with Aloysius Ordu, senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings, on the outcomes of the recent U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Ordu, host of “Foresight Africa” podcast, describes the summit’s objectives, speaks to trade and...
12.05.2022
The economics of the World Cup
David Dollar speaks with Victor Matheson, a professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, about the economic implications for a country hosting the World Cup tournament. Prof. Matheson, author of a recent paper, “The Economics of the...
11.28.2022
Dollar & Sense presents Reimagine Rural, a podcast about rural towns experiencing positive change
In this special edition of “Dollar & Sense,” host David Dollar presents the first episode of a new podcast miniseries from Brookings: "Reimagine Rural," in which host Tony Pipa, a senior fellow at Brookings, visits rural towns across America, listening as...
11.15.2022
The midterm election’s impact on foreign policy and economic issues
David Dollar speaks with Brookings Senior Fellow Bill Galston about how the 2022 midterm election results could impact foreign policy and global economic issues, and possibly complicate policymaking for the Biden administration. Plus, what the results may mean for the...
11.07.2022
Dollar & Sense presents Climate Sense, a new podcast about energy and climate change
In this special edition of "Dollar & Sense," host David Dollar presents the first episode of a new podcast miniseries from Brookings: "Climate Sense," hosted by energy and climate expert Samantha Gross, a fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings and...
10.31.2022
Oil, gas, Russia, OPEC—What’s happening in world energy markets?
Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings, talks with David Dollar about the state of world energy markets. How does Russia’s war on Ukraine impact Europe’s access to natural gas for the upcoming winter? What...
10.18.2022
Checking in on China’s economy during the 20th Party Congress
Eswar Prasad, a professor at Cornell University and senior fellow at Brookings, discusses China’s economic risks and opportunities with David Dollar as China’s 20th Communist Party Congress continues this week. Prasad and Dollar look at the general shape of China’s...
10.03.2022
Will protests in Iran end the Islamic Republic?
Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, speaks with David Dollar about what the continuing demonstrations in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini could mean for regime stability, plus Iran’s economic situation, the prospects of...
09.19.2022
Inflation trends in the US and globally
Don Kohn, senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings, discusses inflation trends in the U.S. and abroad, the Federal Reserve’s actions to address rising costs, and inflationary expectations among consumers and businesses. Show notes and transcript: https://bit.ly/3xw40Pj Dollar & Sense is...
09.06.2022
How a US-EU trade agreement could improve the economy, increase jobs, and strengthen democracy
Sanjay Patnaik, director of the Center on Regulation and Markets at Brookings, discusses his new report on the benefits of a U.S.-EU free trade agreement, building on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiated by the Obama administration but scuttled...
08.22.2022
Fixing the climate crisis will require local experimentation and solutions
David Victor, a professor of innovation and public policy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego and nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, joins David Dollar to discuss “Fixing the Climate: Strategies for an Uncertain World,”...
08.08.2022
How three big bills in Congress will spur innovation and competitiveness
Adie Tomer, senior fellow in Brookings Metro, unpacks three significant pieces of legislation either passed by or pending in Congress—the 2021 infrastructure measure, the CHIPS Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—and their impact on infrastructure, innovation, and U.S. competitiveness on...
07.25.2022
How to improve global supply chains
Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings, discusses his new report, “Six ways to improve global supply chains.” In the conversation, West and host David Dollar discuss the recommendations for addressing recent snarls in supply chains...
07.11.2022
Post-G7 summit, a time of great uncertainty in the global economy
Douglas Rediker, founding partner of International Capital Strategies and a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, discusses a range of global economic challenges that G7 leaders tackled in their recent summit in Germany. These include a U.S. proposal to cap the...
06.27.2022
After France’s parliamentary elections, can Macron govern at home and lead abroad?
In France’s recent parliamentary elections, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party lost its National Assembly majority, while a leftist alliance of parties and Marine Le Pen’s far-right party made significant gains. Célia Belin, interim director of the Center on the United...
06.13.2022
A short history of trade liberalization in developing countries
Douglas Irwin, a professor at Dartmouth College and expert in the history of trade policy, talks with host David Dollar about some of the key events in trade liberalization in developing countries. From Taiwan to South Korea, and from Vietnam...
05.31.2022
US economic diplomacy in Asia
President Biden recently completed his first trip to Asia, during which he launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity with a dozen partners in the region. On this episode, David Dollar speaks with retired U.S. diplomat Susan Thornton about the pillars...
05.16.2022
How workers got left behind in the pandemic while shareholder wealth soared
Molly Kinder, a fellow in Brookings Metro, discusses with host David Dollar her new report, “Profits and the pandemic” (co-authored with Katie Bach and Laura Stateler), which examines pay practices and financial outcomes during the pandemic-era of 22 of the...
05.04.2022
Kevin Rudd on how to avoid war between the US and China
Former Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, now president of Asia Society, discusses his new book, "The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jinping's China" (Public Affairs, 2022). Rudd calls Taiwan the “core strategic...
04.18.2022
Why globalization is shifting in favor of India, not China
Arvind Subramanian, senior fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute and Center for Contemporary South Asia, and former chief economic advisor to the Government of India, talks with host David Dollar about a range of trade and foreign relations issues India...
04.04.2022
How the Ukraine war is affecting oil and gas markets
Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings, talks with host David Dollar about the Ukraine war’s impact on energy prices. Gross explains the impact Russia’s war on Ukraine is having on natural gas supplies and...
03.21.2022
The Ukraine war’s impact on developing countries
Indermit Gill, vice president for equitable growth, finance, and institutions at the World Bank and a Brookings nonresident senior fellow, talks with host David Dollar about how economic growth in developing countries has been affected by COVID and now the war...
03.01.2022
What you should know about sanctions on Russia
Douglas Rediker, a nonresident senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings and in the Center on the United States and Europe, talks with David Dollar about sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine by...
02.22.2022
Illegal trade in drugs and wildlife
Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Initiative on Nonstate Actors at Brookings, joins David Dollar to talk about her research on illicit economies—including drug trafficking (fentanyl, meth, precursors) and wildlife trafficking—in China, Mexico, and elsewhere....
02.07.2022
What’s causing inflation in the U.S. and how we can get out of it
Donald Kohn, senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings and a former vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board, joins David Dollar to explore a range of issues on inflation in the U.S., including how the COVID-19 pandemic and the...
01.24.2022
What Americans really think about global trade
Listening for America, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, recently released a report on what Americans from all walks of life really think about international trade and globalization. To discuss the report and its findings, host David Dollar is joined by Listening...
01.10.2022
The state of Asian trade and trade agreements in 2022
Peter Petri, a professor at Brandeis International Business School and a nonresident senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings, joins David Dollar to discuss recent developments in Asian trade agreements and to look at regional trade...
12.20.2021
The United States’ unusual recovery from pandemic recession
Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, senior fellow with the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, joins David Dollar to discuss his recent article on what he calls a “most unusual recovery” in the U.S. from the pandemic recession. Milesi-Ferretti analyzes U.S....
12.06.2021
Why is WTO reform so difficult?
Mireya Solís, director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings, joins David Dollar for a conversation on reforming and modernizing the World Trade Organization so that it can meet today’s challenges, which include response to the pandemic,...
11.22.2021
The state of China's economy and US-China relations
Eswar Prasad, Brookings senior fellow and a professor at Cornell University, joins host David Dollar to discuss the state of China's economy and U.S.-China relations. Prasad addresses a range of issues, including why China's economy is slowing, whether China's currency...
11.08.2021
Will COP26 in Glasgow spur progress on reducing carbon emissions?
As the global climate change conference (COP26) continues in Glasgow, climate expert David Victor joins host David Dollar to talk about what’s been happening in Scotland and whether it will be viewed as a success. Victor, a professor of innovation...
10.25.2021
The threat of catastrophic biodiversity loss
Brookings Senior Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown joins David Dollar to discuss the threat of biodiversity loss worldwide. Felbab-Brown explains the ominous trends in habitat and species loss—including the spread of illegal wildlife trafficking, the contributing role of human activity, and the...

What's Dollar & Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Dollar & Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast episodes:

A memorial tribute to David Dollar

A look at food insecurity and agricultural trade around the world

What’s the best case scenario for US-China relations?

What’s the link between climate change and environmental disasters?

The imperative of US-China dialogue on global issues

Why immigrants are America’s superpower

A look at India-US relations as Prime Minister Modi visits the White House

Who won the debt ceiling fight?

Japan’s quiet leadership as it hosts the G7 summit in Hiroshima

Making sense of China’s economy

How serious is the risk of war over Taiwan?

Will Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse lead to a financial crisis?

An update on Ukraine—security, economic, and humanitarian conditions

China’s uncertain economic outlook for 2023

Why US economic sanctions often fail

What’s next for Brazil and Lula after the January 8 insurrection?

The politics of the debt ceiling debate in Congress

Previewing the US and global economies in 2023

Did the US-Africa Leaders Summit meet its objectives?

The economics of the World Cup

Dollar & Sense presents Reimagine Rural, a podcast about rural towns experiencing positive change

The midterm election’s impact on foreign policy and economic issues

Dollar & Sense presents Climate Sense, a new podcast about energy and climate change

Oil, gas, Russia, OPEC—What’s happening in world energy markets?

Checking in on China’s economy during the 20th Party Congress

Will protests in Iran end the Islamic Republic?

Inflation trends in the US and globally

How a US-EU trade agreement could improve the economy, increase jobs, and strengthen democracy

Fixing the climate crisis will require local experimentation and solutions

How three big bills in Congress will spur innovation and competitiveness

How to improve global supply chains

Post-G7 summit, a time of great uncertainty in the global economy

After France’s parliamentary elections, can Macron govern at home and lead abroad?

A short history of trade liberalization in developing countries

US economic diplomacy in Asia

How workers got left behind in the pandemic while shareholder wealth soared

Kevin Rudd on how to avoid war between the US and China

Why globalization is shifting in favor of India, not China

How the Ukraine war is affecting oil and gas markets

The Ukraine war’s impact on developing countries

What you should know about sanctions on Russia

Illegal trade in drugs and wildlife

What’s causing inflation in the U.S. and how we can get out of it

What Americans really think about global trade

The state of Asian trade and trade agreements in 2022

The United States’ unusual recovery from pandemic recession

Why is WTO reform so difficult?

The state of China's economy and US-China relations

Will COP26 in Glasgow spur progress on reducing carbon emissions?

The threat of catastrophic biodiversity loss