27 Aug 2025
30m

Summer School 8: Graduation LIVE!

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Planet Money

This episode of Planet Money is a recording of a live graduation ceremony for their "Summer School" series, focusing on political economy. The hosts, Robert Smith, Darian Woods, Mary Childs, and Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi, present a lighthearted commencement, including segments such as an introduction by Planet Money's TikTok personality, an invocation by the spirit of Adam Smith, and an audience quiz on government agencies. The ceremony features an honorary degree presentation to government data collectors, accepted by Kartik Athreya of the New York Federal Reserve, and culminates in a trivia contest between two audience members to determine the valedictorian, who then delivers a humorous graduation speech. Listeners at home are invited to take an online quiz to receive a fake digital diploma.

Outlines

Part 1: Introduction and Context

Part 2: Importance of Government Data

Part 3: Valedictorian Competition

Part 4: Graduation and Closing

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