The Indicator from Planet Money

When Uncle Sam owned banks and factories


Listen Later

The quintessential American economic myth is that the free market picks winners and losers. But the federal government has long had a role in this equation, from the current administration all the way back to the Great Depression. Today on the show, we uncover the history of the country's national investment bank, which shaped the relationship between the government and the market in ways that are still felt today.

Check out Chris Hughes Substack

Related episodes:
The day Russia adopted the free market (Apple / Spotify)
Giant vacuums and other government climate bets (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Fact-checking by Julia Ritchey. Music by
Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Indicator from Planet MoneyBy NPR

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

9,132 ratings


More shows like The Indicator from Planet Money

View all
Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,774 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,802 Listeners

Marketplace by Marketplace

Marketplace

8,622 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,734 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,071 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,147 Listeners

The NPR Politics Podcast by NPR

The NPR Politics Podcast

25,785 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

110,865 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,021 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,109 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,211 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

5,979 Listeners

People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

People I (Mostly) Admire

2,093 Listeners

Planet Money Summer School by NPR

Planet Money Summer School

176 Listeners

The Economics of Everyday Things by Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett

The Economics of Everyday Things

1,613 Listeners

Planet Money: We Bought a Toxic Asset by NPR

Planet Money: We Bought a Toxic Asset

0 Listeners

Planet Money: We Set Up a Shell Company by NPR

Planet Money: We Set Up a Shell Company

7 Listeners

Planet Money: We Invested in Gold by NPR

Planet Money: We Invested in Gold

1 Listeners