Econ To Go

Medical mistrust: Why representation matters

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0700

How does trust — or the lack of it — shape who gets care, and what outcomes they experience?

In this episode of Econ To Go, Neale Mahoney sits down with Stanford physician-economist and MacArthur Fellow Marcella Alsan to explore how trust and representation shape the U.S. health care system. Her research shows that historical events like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study continue to affect healthcare use and health outcomes today, and that trust isn’t abstract, it’s measurable. The conversation also highlights how trust can be built, how underrepresentation in clinical trials can influence both physician behavior and patient trust, and other key themes, including:

(01:33) The mistrust problem
(06:50) Representation as remedy
(12:18) Clinical trials and trust in data
(24:04) Eroding trust across the system

Econ To Go brings Stanford economics into your everyday life — served with a side of coffee. Hosted by economist and director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Neale Mahoney, the show takes you on a walk across campus with leading thinkers as they unpack the ideas shaping our economy, public policy, and daily lives. Smart, curious, and conversational — it’s Stanford economics, to go.

The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research is a nonpartisan research center that brings together scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders to solve pressing economic challenges and inform better public policy.

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Today’s guest, Marcella Alsan, is a physician-economist at Stanford University, the Thomas J. Davis, Jr. Faculty Scholar at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and a MacArthur Fellow whose research focuses on health disparities, trust in medicine, and the role of institutions in shaping health outcomes. To learn more about her work, explore her bio and these links:

The hidden backbone: The data behind the economy

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0700

How do we know what’s really happening in the economy?

In this episode of Econ To Go, Neale Mahoney sits down with labor economist Erika McEntarfer, former head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to explore the public data system behind the numbers we hear every day, like inflation, unemployment, and GDP. McEntarfer explains why America’s statistical system is widely considered the global gold standard, but also why it’s facing new pressures from rising survey costs, declining response rates, threats to independence, and limited budgets. We explore several key themes, including:

(01:14) Challenges and opportunities in the economic data system
(05:30) Public vs. private data
(09:14) Modernizing the data system
(18:03) Implications of firing your chief statistician
(23:53) Can we trust the data?

Today’s guest, Erika McEntarfer, is a labor economist and former Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. She is a research scholar and the Tad and Dianne Taube Policy Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Her work focuses on economic measurement, labor markets, and the public statistical infrastructure that underpins economic policymaking. To learn more about her work and the U.S. economic data system, explore these links:

Private money, public trust: The stablecoin battle

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0700

What makes money… money? And who should we trust to issue it?

In this episode of Econ To Go, Neale Mahoney sits down with Stanford finance professor Amit Seru to explore the tug-of-war over the future of money. Stablecoins promise fast, low-cost digital payments, but Seru explains why they function much like narrow banks — vulnerable to runs if confidence erodes. The conversation examines the GENIUS Act’s attempt to add guardrails for this unique type of crypto, the risks of delegating core financial functions to private issuers, and why trust remains the foundation of any stable currency. We cover several key themes, including:

(01:10) What’s at stake: Stablecoins and the future of money
(05:35) The GENIUS Act: What it does, what it doesn’t
(09:44) Run risk, backstops and regulatory gaps
(14:34) Private innovation and public power
(20:40) American trust in digital money
(26:50) To buy or not to buy

Today’s guest, Amit Seru, is the Steven and Roberta Denning Professor of Finance at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. To learn more about him and his work on financial regulation and stablecoins, explore his bio and these recent pieces:

Myths and truths: How remote work is redefining our lives

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0800

How has remote work changed the way we live and work? And what’s here to stay?

In the first episode of Econ To Go, Neale Mahoney sits down with Stanford economist Nick Bloom, one of the world’s leading experts on work-from-home, to unpack how the pandemic reshaped work almost overnight. From productivity and profitability to housing, health, and the future of cities, this conversation looks past the headlines to what the data actually tells us about the new world of work. Along the way, we explore several key themes, including:

(01:05) The Current State of Work From Home
(05:35) Work From Home: Businesses and Employees
(12:35) The Peripheral Effects of Remote Work (Golf anyone?)
(20:27) The Future of Work and Technology

Today’s guest, Nick Bloom, is the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. To learn more about him, explore his bio and research on work-from-home, productivity, and organizational change. For additional context on remote work and its economic impacts, check out these links:

Introducing Econ To Go

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:18:31 -0800

Welcome to Econ To Go, where Stanford economics meets your everyday life. Hosted by Neale Mahoney, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), the show takes you on a walk across campus for smart, curious conversations about the forces shaping our economy. From AI and productivity to inflation and college sports, it’s Stanford economics, to go.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus follow SIEPR on LinkedIn or X/Twitter for episode updates and research highlights, or explore more at siepr.stanford.edu.