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Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

Swiftynomics: Who’s Afraid of Women’s Economic Power? (with Misty Heggeness)

Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

Civic Ventures

News, Business, Government, Politics

4.71.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 March 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What Is Swiftynomics—and Why Does It Matter? Taylor Swift didn’t just break records—she broke the way economists think about the economy. Because if one artist can reshape entire cities overnight, what else are we missing? This week, economist Misty Heggeness uses the “Swift effect” to expose a bigger problem: the models we rely on weren’t built to see women’s power, unpaid care, or culture as real economic forces. What would change about our economy if we actually counted women’s work—and treated culture as real economic power? Misty Heggeness is an economist and the author of Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy, which uses Taylor Swift and broader pop culture as a lens for examining women’s economic power, labor markets, and the persistent blind spots in mainstream economic thinking. Social Media: mlheggeness @m_heggeness Further reading:  Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Facebook: Pitchfork Economics Podcast Bluesky: @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics TikTok: @pitchfork_econ YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics LinkedIn: Pitchfork Economics Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer Substack: ⁠The Pitch⁠

Transcript

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0:00.0

The rising inequality and growing political instability that we see today are the direct result of decades of bad economic theory.

0:10.6

The last five decades of trickle-down economics haven't worked.

0:14.8

But what's the alternative?

0:16.3

Middle-out economics is the answer.

0:18.6

Because the middle class is the source of growth, not its consequence.

0:23.2

That's right.

0:28.7

This is pitchfork economics with Nick Hanauer, a podcast about how to build the economy from the middle out.

0:36.9

Welcome to the show.

0:42.6

Hey, Goldie.

0:43.9

Paul.

0:44.8

I have a question for you, Goldie.

0:46.7

Okay.

0:47.7

What's your favorite Taylor Swift song?

0:49.9

Who?

0:55.2

No, of course I know who Taylor Swift is, you know, I may not be much into pop music, but, you know, I'd even recognize her face.

1:08.4

If you showed me her face, I'd know who she was, which is more than I could say for most pop stars.

1:14.6

But I do not have a favorite Taylor Swift song, not because I love them all equally, but because I could not name one.

1:21.7

Okay.

1:22.4

All right.

1:23.2

Great.

1:23.8

Well, you are the perfect co-host for this episode.

1:26.4

I know.

...

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