Simple Immigration Economics: Bigger is Better

Optimist Economy

Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi

Public Policy, Economics, Government, Economy

4.9 • 829 Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

One in five workers in the United States was born in another country. Without them, the country’s prime-age workforce would be shrinking, and thus so would our economy. So the calumny (Terms & Conditions) directed at immigrants is at odds with the basic fact that the U.S. needs them. What about depressing wages? Economist Kathryn Edwards says that research shows such a mixed bag of results that the overall effect is about zero. Indeed, if the goal is to save “American jobs” or help American workers, there are a lot more effective ways to spend $185 billion than on a massive crackdown on immigration rules.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Me moving was much tougher than I thought it would be. But we're here. We ready? Sure.
0:08.2	I just want to make sure that we got recorded of that. Sure.
0:17.7	Hello and welcome to Optimist Economy. I'm Catherine.
0:21.5	And I'm Robin.
0:28.1	And on this show, we believe the U.S. economy can be better when we talk about how to get there one problem and solution at a time.
0:46.2	Also, this is the first recording from Texas, and so I had to make sure I had my hat and my Topo Chico, which is like the most common form of water here.
0:47.2	Diesel bottled water?
0:48.2	Just Topo Chico.
0:54.1	I think it's like there's a collab with the city of Houston, how much Topo Chico there is in this place. Every
0:54.9	cafe, every bar has got a Topo Chico umbrella. Yeah, exactly. We would take their money if they wanted to sponsor us. Would they like to sponsor us? Really? Turn that thing around, blur that out until we get some money from Topo Chico. That's a great point. That's a great point. Anyway, y'all, the podcast won't change a lick just because I'm here in Texas.
1:14.1	Want to make sure that was clear. All right. Well, a couple of announcements at the top. A couple of announcements at the top of the hour. Thank you for prompting me, Robin. I remember how to do a show. We have a website,
1:28.0	optimisteconomy.com. We have an email address, optimist.com at gmail.com. We love to hear from you.
1:34.1	We love to post your letters. You can subscribe to the show, subscribe to the newsletter.
1:38.6	Of course, give us your donations and sponsorships. You listening and you paying is what makes the show
1:43.6	possible, and we are eternally grateful for your time and your money. You listening and you paying is what makes the show possible, and we are
1:44.5	eternally grateful for your time and your money. And of course, any correspondence you send us.
1:50.5	Also for your reviews on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts,
1:57.0	I did want to share this great review we got that says it's a five-star review. I want to point that out it's a five-star review but says inspired podcast is also a war with the medium and after saying some nice things it says but also come for the tire fire that is these two brilliant ladies backstop by a producer we can infer is both talented and sleepless
2:19.4	doing every single thing wrong as they launched their first wonderful podcast.
2:26.0	Love the honesty, sir.
2:27.7	I am all for that kind of candor, and it's not inaccurate.
2:34.4	Oh, my God.
	...

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