Inside the anti-labor history of austerity

Austerity, or government measures to cut spending in times of economic crisis, has a long history of being used to suppress the labor force, argues a new book called “The Capital Order.” We speak to the author, Clara Mattei, an economics professor at the New School for Social Research. And, President Biden’s State of the Union speech last night featured a heavy dose of economic policy, including a proposed billionaire tax. Need some Econ 101? Sign up for our Marketplace Crash Course and get weekly lessons to complete at your own pace!