History Behind News Program

Who is Janet Yellen? | S3E20


Listen Later

How would she feel about the first-ever U.S. default? How does she feel about high inflation?

My guest, Jon Hilsenrath, a senior correspondent of the Wall Street Journal, tells us exactly how Secretary Yellen feels about inflation (a stain on her record), and would feel about the first-ever U.S. default (heart attack!).

And he also explains how she was compelled to take this job — a job she initially declined.

“These are fucking people!” shouted Janet Yellen as she pounded the table. But it was not vulgarity. It was passion about the plight of people, people who are more than numbers, people who deserve better policies.

Secretary Yellen has been worried about a potential U.S. default for at least two years now. And she is determined to get inflation under control. But Janet Yellen has been here before — speaking about and dealing with America’s economy. So her story, as told by Mr. Hilsenrath, is really the story of America’s economy and its economic thoughts and policies. And in this story, her husband, Dr. George Akerlof, who is a recipient of a Nobel Prize in economics, plays a big role (as she does in his professional life). Yellen, Akerlof and their son, who also has a doctorate in economics, talk shop “all the time” at home. They live and breathe economics.

In this episode, Mr. Hilsenrath tells us the many sides of Yellen’s personality, and explains how they have in the past and may now influence her decisions — decisions with profound impacts on our economy. You’ll hear about (1) Yellen’s compulsive preparation (which, at least once, got in the way of swift decision-making), (2) her transition from the regimented and methodical approaches of the Fed to the hustle and bustle and politics of being a member of the U.S. President’s cabinet, (3) her and her husband’s moral purpose, (4) their desire, from early in their lives, to solve the unemployment issue, (5) their humilities versus the hubris of economists in general, (6) her legacy, and (7) her desire to do good, to do the right thing, in a town in which right and fairness aren’t easily defined or attainable. You will also learn and laugh about many important figures in the U.S. economy, and their quirks. You will hear about a family who talks economics all the time — at the kitchen table and on vacation.


You can learn more about Mr. Hilsenrath by clicking this link. And here is an Amazon link to his recent book, Yellen: The Trailblazing Economist Who Navigated an Era of Upheaval, which we discuss in this episode.

Also, to about the history of the US dollar and its dominance, you can listen to my conversation with Dr. Barry Eichengreen of U.C. Berkeley here: HbN-S2E26.

I hope you enjoy these episodes.

Adel

Host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Behind News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ and join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.


  1. 🎵 attribution, links and license for the theme music in this podcast: The Success by Keys of Moon | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music
  2. promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
  3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HIGHLIGHTS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: get future episode highlights in your inbox⁠.
  4. ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    History Behind News ProgramBy Adel Aali, History Behind News

    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5

    5

    77 ratings


    More shows like History Behind News Program

    View all
    Radiolab by WNYC Studios

    Radiolab

    43,825 Listeners

    Planet Money by NPR

    Planet Money

    30,666 Listeners

    The President’s Inbox by Council on Foreign Relations

    The President’s Inbox

    699 Listeners

    History That Doesn't Suck by Prof. Greg Jackson

    History That Doesn't Suck

    5,842 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum

    8,341 Listeners

    Today, Explained by Vox

    Today, Explained

    10,141 Listeners

    Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt by Politicon

    Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

    4,047 Listeners

    In Moscow's Shadows by Mark Galeotti

    In Moscow's Shadows

    352 Listeners

    The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

    The Rest Is History

    13,111 Listeners

    The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

    The Ezra Klein Show

    15,457 Listeners

    SPYCRAFT 101 by Justin Black

    SPYCRAFT 101

    327 Listeners

    Honestly with Bari Weiss by The Free Press

    Honestly with Bari Weiss

    8,608 Listeners

    Ones and Tooze by Foreign  Policy

    Ones and Tooze

    329 Listeners

    The Foreign Affairs Interview by Foreign Affairs Magazine

    The Foreign Affairs Interview

    423 Listeners

    The Economics Show by Financial Times

    The Economics Show

    123 Listeners