We The Economy

How do pandemics impact the global economy?A sick child. A massive outbreak in Liberia. A sudden spread to Sierra Leone and Guinea, then Senegal, then Nigeria. A nurse in Spain, a healthcare worker in Texas. The recent outbreak of Ebola is devastating but it can still be traced back to one isolated tragedy.

Different views on the causes of inequality and ways to reverse this destabilizing trend on our economy are explored. Directed by Shola Lynch.

Why is health care so expensive? A hapless patient journeys through the labyrinth of U.S. health care and is left with a headache and sticker shock.

Why is minimum wage important? Heated debate over increasing it centers on the unprecedented passing of $15-an-hour legislation in Seattle.

In a magical land inhabited by long-lashed multicolored alpacas, there's a yawning divide in wealth distribution. What's behind the inequality gap?

Global trade clearly benefits our economy. But can we consume cheap imported products without exploiting someone in the supply chain?

Interconnected narratives provide a nuanced perspective on China's economic boom, version 2.0, and its promising impact on the U.S. economy.

Detroit has been emblematic of the loss of well-paid manufacturing jobs, but it's a nationwide trend. How does a great American city bounce back?

Director Bob Balaban wrangles seven experts to explain the global trade system while a troupe of comedic actors enlivens the commentary.

U.S. foreign aid often benefits farmers, manufacturers and shippers in America. But is it always good for the countries we give it to?

Uncle Sam takes a cut of our earnings every April. But what does he spend our hard-earned money on? The answers will truly surprise you.

Why do we have budget deficits and a national debt? See how Congress and public officials use and manage debt, for good and for bad.

Why is our tax system so complicated? With retro flair, this animated short looks into how our tax system does -- and doesn't -- work.

Go to the epicenter of the financial world -- the New York Stock Exchange -- to learn how Wall Street influences the economy and impacts our lives.

What causes a recession? While certain economic problems are undeniable, two human factors can make it worse: fear and greed.

What's the real value of a dollar? You think that a dollar bill is money and that banks are where your cash is stored and safeguarded. You're wrong.

When Federal Reserve Chairman Rob Rafaelson awakens with amnesia just before a big press conference, he gets a refresher course using children's toys.

The future of our economy depends on how we literally "value" the labor power of the environment, while understanding how fragile it can be.

A businessman and a 10-year-old girl square off in a battle of lemonade stands to illustrate how government regulates the economy.

Watch and cheer as economists John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek square off in a testosterone-fueled battle over how to measure the economy.

Why is the law of supply and demand so powerful? Watch a whimsical tale of love, dance and the economic concept of supply and demand.

Meet Ugg, Glugg and Tugg, three enterprising cave men who accidentally invented trade, marketing and the base elements of the modern financial system.