The Other Washington

We're back—for real this time! The team kicks off Season 2 with an interview with Thomas Frank, author of Listen Liberal and Pity the Billionaire. You've heard a million reasons why the left are losing and what can be done, but until you've heard Frank's, well, Frank criticism, you really haven't heard the whole story.

Ok, listen, liberally!

In the third presidential debate, Hillary Clinton made a great case for growing the economy from the middle out. But does economic theory back up her claims? Our founder Nick Hanauer and Eric Beinhocker of the Institute for New Economic Thinking explain a new way of understanding how an economy works, and the Civic Skunk Works crew speaks with political experts Felicia Wong and Zach Silk about the policy and electoral implications of middle-out economics.

In this episode, we take a big-picture look at economics and question the unquestionable.

What if we told you that Econ 101 was a bunch of BS? What if economics doesn't reflect the complex reality of human behavior? Could it be that economics isn't a science at all? We investigate these questions with economic thinkers Nick Hanauer, Eric Beinhocker of Institute for New Economic Thinking, Heather Boushey of Washington Center for Equitable Growth, former Reagan economic advisor Bruce Bartlett, and the team at Civic Skunk Works.

The economic and social benefits of paid sick leave are widespread. In this episode, we look at this policy and what the Other Washington is doing to ensure that all Washingtonians have access to this basic labor right. Guests include WA State Rep. Jessyn Farrell and renowned food safety lawyer, Bill Marler.

Raise wages, kill jobs? The team at Civic Skunk Works investigates this talking point and hears from experts about a new study which upends this repeated trickle-down claim.

Scheduling practices today are appalling. Employees are given schedules which make it impossible to plan for the most basic elements of daily life. Seattle has already led the nation on the $15 minimum wage; now learn how it's leading the fight to protect a worker's right to secure scheduling.

With more and more Americans moving from traditional jobs to freelance and part-time work, the so called "gig economy" is changing the very nature of employment. How will the middle class survive the loss of benefits and security? A new social contract - a "Shared Security System" - is one possible answer.

In this episode, we explore what the future holds for the US economy, and whether you need to prepare for the coming robot apocalypse.

Join us for a deep dive into the forefront of the gun responsibility movement and explore how Washington became the first state to pass universal background checks by popular vote.

When Nick Hanauer first brought up the idea of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, many (including Forbes magazine)called his theory insane. In this episode, we talk with civic leaders about the adoption of Seattle's revolutionary $15 minimum wage and why this (not-so) crazy idea has spread across the country.