Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast Justin Wolfers & David Daley
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Jun 26, 2025 
Justin Wolfers is a University of Michigan professor and host of the Think Like an Economist podcast, while David Daley is a senior fellow at FairVote and author of RatFucked. They delve into the implications of skyrocketing trade deficits and how trade policies are reshaping the economy. Daley passionately advocates for ranked choice voting, emphasizing its potential to enhance voter choice and combat gerrymandering. Their discussion reveals the transformative power of electoral reforms and the complexities of current economic trends.
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Economic Data Fog
- Hard economic data shows a fairly good economy, but it's obscured by tariff-driven distortions and inconsistent government policy.
- Soft economic data is extremely weak and unreliable due to political polarization about the president.
Trust Government Economic Data
- Official economic data from government statistical agencies remains reliable despite political pressures.
- Data distortions come from policy confusion, not statistical manipulation or political interference in trusted agencies.
Trade Deals Unlikely Soon
- The promised "90 deals in 90 days" trade deals are not materializing, with only a preliminary UK deal in progress.
- Uncertainty and indecision plague the trade policy with tariffs fluctuating unpredictably.