Progress is a Long Game

(Originally aired 5/06/25) What sparks progress? The right political conditions? Social pressure? Economic upheaval? In response to two listeners’ questions, we say… both none of those and all of the above. As an example, we talk through just one bit of the New Deal in the 1930s, which was the law to limit child labor. That movement started decades earlier, and continued decades afterward. For those keeping score at home, this a sneaky third installment of Kathryn’s 68-part series on the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. 

Chapters: 

00:01:08 Announcements

00:01:43 Retcon

00:03:58 Terms & Conditions

00:07:03 Centerpiece

00:42:56 Executive Orders

00:46:25 Spiritual Sponsors

• Donate to Optimist Economy: https://optimisteconomy.com
• Follow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@optimist_economy or TikTok at ⁠⁠@optimist_economy. Or on the Optimist Economy YouTube channel⁠⁠. 
• Chat with other Optimists on Substack.
• Shirts, caps and totes, oh my!: https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/optimisteconomy
• Reach us at optimist.economy@gmail.com