Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and How to Bring It Back (with Marc Dunkelman)

Apr 15, 2025

Mark Dunkelman, a fellow at Brown University and author of 'Why Nothing Works', dives into the reasons behind stagnation in public projects. He discusses the transformation of Seattle’s waterfront and critiques the phenomenon of 'vetocracy' that hampers progress. The conversation covers the struggle between bureaucratic inefficiency and the need for power in progressivism. They examine historical successes and contemporary failures in infrastructure, advocating for more thoughtful governance that balances ideals with practical outcomes.

54:17

Episode guests

Mark Dunkelman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast highlights how decades of trickle-down economics have perpetuated inequality, necessitating a shift towards middle-out economics to empower the middle class.

The discussion emphasizes the complexities of modern governance, which struggle between accountability and progress, often resulting in stalled public projects due to bureaucratic hurdles.

Deep dives

The Failures of Trickle-Down Economics

Decades of trickle-down economics have failed to address rising inequality and political instability. This economic theory, which suggests that benefits for the wealthy will eventually trickle down to the rest of the population, has not delivered the growth expected for the middle class. Instead, it has perpetuated a cycle where the rich continue to accumulate wealth, while the middle class bears the brunt of economic downturns. This failure indicates the need for a fundamental rethinking of economic policy toward a model that prioritizes the middle class as the engine of economic growth.

Intro

2min

Transforming Seattle's Waterfront

8min

The Tension of Power: Balancing Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian Impulses in Progressivism

4min

The Struggle of Bureaucracy and Governance in Large Entities

3min

Exploring Vitocracy and the Cultural Aversion to Power in Progressivism

5min

Navigating Progress: Balancing Ideals and Infrastructure

29min

Navigating Progress in a Complex Political Landscape

5min

Why does it feel like we can’t build anything anymore? In this episode, Nick and Goldy talk with author Mark Dunkelman about his new book Why Nothing Works, which examines how well-intentioned progressive reforms created a “vetocracy” that makes major public projects nearly impossible. From Seattle’s decades-long waterfront rebuild to the dysfunction of Penn Station, they explore the messy trade-offs between accountability and action—and ask what it would take to make progress possible again.

Marc Dunkelman is a fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and a former fellow at NYU’s Marron Institute of Urban Management. During more than a decade working in politics, he worked for Democratic members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives and as a senior fellow at the Clinton Foundation.

Social Media:

@MarcDunkelman