628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?
There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a two-part series.)
Episode 628 of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, hosted by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher, titled "628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?" was published on April 4, 2025 and runs 48 minutes.
April 4, 2025 ·48m · Freakonomics Radio
Summary
There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a two-part series.)
Episode Description
There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a two-part series.)
- SOURCES:
- Benjamin Handel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley.
- Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University.
- Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America.
- Richard Thaler, professor of economics at The University of Chicago.
- RESOURCES:
- "How Big Is the Subscription Cancellation Problem?" by Giacomo Fraccaroli, Neale Mahoney, and Zahra Thabet (Briefing Book, 2024).
- Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better, by Jennifer Pahlka (2023).
- Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (2021).
- "HealthCare.gov: Case Study of CMS Management of the Federal Marketplace," by Daniel Levinson (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016).
- EXTRAS:
- "Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
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