Work in Progress: Robert Reich
Drama Queens
iHeartPodcasts
4.9 • 23.9K Ratings
🗓️ 5 November 2025
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Robert Reich has spent a lifetime standing up to bullies—from the playground to the halls of power. Now, the former Labor Secretary and bestselling author reveals what we must do to take a stand against social injustice while democracy itself is under attack.
Find out why the most impactful leaders might be the ones who never hold public office and why he still believes the antidote to darkness isn’t optimism—but action.
Follow Robert on Substack: https://robertreich.substack.com/
Learn how you can host or attend a screening of Professor Reich's documentary at https://www.thelastclassfilm.com/
Find his memoir "Coming Up Short" at bookshop.org.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:04.5 | Hey everyone, it's Sophia. |
| 0:06.8 | Welcome to Work in Progress. |
| 0:19.8 | Hi, Wips, Marties. Today we are joined by someone who I think is actually one of the smartest |
| 0:25.7 | people that I know. And that's not hyperbole. That's just a fact. If you are wondering how we got |
| 0:33.6 | here, meaning this present moment in American and global history, or what the |
| 0:39.9 | is going on in the world, or what we do about it, today's guest is for you. Today we're |
| 0:46.9 | joined by none other than Robert Reich. You likely know him from his incredible social media content from Instagram to Substack. |
| 0:57.1 | He is an incredible academic, a professor at Berkeley, one of the most brilliant economists of our time. |
| 1:05.4 | He has spent his life in public service, serving as the Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton. |
| 1:10.2 | He is a best-selling author, |
| 1:12.3 | as I mentioned, a professor, and he is one of the most recognizable voices on inequality in |
| 1:19.4 | America. And in his newest memoir coming up short, he's looking back on his life from growing up |
| 1:25.7 | after World War II to serving in politics |
| 1:28.3 | and teaching. |
| 1:29.6 | And he's reflecting on what his generation got right, where they fell short, and how we can |
| 1:34.9 | still reclaim a fairer and more democratic America. |
| 1:40.5 | Whether he is leading a classroom or writing on a page or in a public forum, Robert has spent his |
| 1:47.0 | lifetime guiding others to see not just what is, but what could be. And that's part of what |
| 1:53.6 | excites me so much about the fact that I get to call him my friend, because he's someone I can |
| 1:58.5 | ask about what America is, not just in data or policy, but as a story, |
| 2:07.2 | what our dream could be. |
... |
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