We The Economy

2014
4.4
916 reviews
TV-PG
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (23)

1 cave-o-nomics
10/21/14
Season-only
How did the economy get started? Meet Ugg, Glugg and Tugg, three enterprising cave men who accidentally invented trade, marketing and the base elements of the modern market economy.
2 Supply & Dance, Man!
10/21/14
Season-only
Why is the law of supply and demand so powerful? A whimsical tale of love, dance and the economic concept of supply and demand. Bored in class, JONATHAN and KRISTIN are woken up by our friendly NARRATOR who helps guide them on an adventure in economics and...um...dance.
3 GDP Smackdown
10/21/14
Season-only
How do we measure the economy? Two economists settle their differences- in the professional wrestling ring. Watch and cheer as Simon Kuznets and M. Joseph Meehan square off in a testosterone-fueled battle over how to measure the economy.
4 Lemonade War
10/21/14
Season-only
How does Government regulate the economy? In an idyllic suburban neighborhood, Jerry (Patton Oswalt) runs his big business lemonade stand and has the market cornered - until ten-year old Addie (Taylor Buck) opens her own stand across the street. Competition equals war, and both sides use - and abuse - a government regulator (Mo Collins) to try and win. In the end, one special customer (Werner Herzog) will decide their fate.
5 A Bee's Invoice; The Hidden Value In Nature
10/21/14
Season-only
Are natural resources vital to the economy? Why should nature be taken into account when looking at the economy as a whole? A Bee's Invoice uncovers and incorporates the hidden value of natural capital in the measurement of our economy.
6 Fed Head
10/21/14
Season-only
What is the Federal Reserve? When Federal Reserve Chairman Rob Rafaelson awakes with amnesia only moments before a big press conference, his children, maid and intern must explain the Fed to him using the only thing handy: the children's toys.
7 That Film About Money
10/21/14
Season-only
What is the real value of a dollar? You think that a dollar bill is money and that banks are where your cash is stored and safeguarded. Well, you're wrong. Like, really wrong.
8 That Second Film About Money
10/21/14
Season-only
What do banks do with our deposits? You think that banks are where your cash is stored and safeguard and that a dollar bill is money. Well, you’re wrong. Like, really wrong.
9 Recession
10/21/14
Season-only
What causes a recession? Choreographed by Pilobolus dance company and narrated by economic historian John Steele Gordon, Lee Hirsch’s “Recession” mounts an entertaining and educational look at what causes an economic recession and how recovery is stimulated.
10 The Street
10/21/14
Season-only
How does Wall Street influence the economy? On the heels of the financial crisis, Wall Street for some has become synonymous with corruption and greed. Director Joe Berlinger takes us to the epicenter of the financial world - the New York Stock Exchange - to learn how Wall Street really influences the economy and impacts all of our lives.
11 Taxation Nation
10/21/14
Season-only
"Why is our tax system so complicated? Teachers have long relied on educational cartoons with catchy songs to simplify everything from grammar to government. Can a cartoon conquer a challenge like today's tax system, with its ever-changing, 75,000 pages of laws? With retro flair, TAXATION NATION looks into how our tax system does - and doesn't - work."
12 An Animated Film on the Debt & the Deficit
10/21/14
Season-only
Why do we have budget deficits and a national debt? In this free-wheeling animated film, you'll see how Congress and public officials use and manage debt, and why it matters to you.
13 Your Tax Dollars at Work
10/21/14
Season-only
Where do our tax dollars go? We Americans spend a lot of time arguing over how our tax dollars are spent. But do we focus on the right things? Or have we been misdirected? Two-time Oscar winning director Barbara Kopple focuses her lens on answers that many may find startling.
14 The Foreign Aid Paradox
10/21/14
Season-only
"Why does the U.S. fund foreign aid? The United States spends approximately $37 billion dollars a year on foreign aid - just under 1% of our federal budget. THE FOREIGN AID PARADOX zeroes in on food aid to Haiti and how it affects American farming and shipping interests as well as Haiti's own agricultural markets. The result: a surprising study in unintended consequences." Think U.S. foreign aid is just a big giveaway to other countries? Think again. Often, it benefits farmers, manufacturers and shippers right here at home. But U.S. aid is always good for the countries we give it to, right? Well, it's not so simple.
15 Globalization... Who cares?... YOU DO
10/21/14
Season-only
What is the global trade system? What does it mean to have a globalized economy? And is it good for us? Bob Balaban wrangles seven experts to break it all down as a troupe of comedic actors enliven the commentary.
16 City on the Rise
10/21/14
Season-only
"What happens when jobs disappear? Detroit has been the poster child for the loss of well-paid manufacturing jobs, but this trend impacts communities all over the country. How does a great American city bounce back?"
17 Made by China in America
10/21/14
Season-only
"Is China’s boom good for our economy? “Made by China in America” turns a cinematic lens on the interconnected narratives of everyday workers, leaders and business executives, and local community members in South Carolina, providing a nuanced perspective on China’s economic boom, version 2.0, and its promising impact on the U.S. Economy."
18 Supply Chain Reaction
10/21/14
Season-only
What do human rights have to do with the economy? As consumers in a rapidly growing world economy, we have an insatiable appetite for the next greatest electronic gadget, like smartphones and TVs. But can we consume cheap imported products without exploiting someone in the supply chain?
19 The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas!
10/21/14
Season-only
Is Inequality Growing? In a magical land inhabited by long lashed, multi-colored Alpacas who love lollipops, rainbows and friendship, there's a yawning divide in wealth distribution…what's behind the inequality gap?
20 Monkey Business aka Economic Inequality
12/2/14
Season-only
What are the Causes of inequality? In Monkey Business, filmmaker Shola Lynch chats with economists from across the political spectrum to help explain the causes of economic inequality, with help from a couple of mammalian friends.
21 The Value of Work
10/21/14
Season-only
"Why is minimum wage important? Heated debate over increasing the minimum wage centers around the unprecedented passing of $15-an-hour legislation in Seattle."
22 This Won't Hurt a Bit!
10/21/14
Season-only
"Why is healthcare so expensive? A hapless patient journeys through the of labyrinth of US healthcare and is left with a headache and sticker-shock."
23 The Ebola Economy
6/8/15
Season-only
How do pandemics impact the global economy? A sick child. A massive outbreak in Liberia. A sudden spread to Sierra Leone and Guinea, then Senegal, then Nigeria. A nurse in Spain, a healthcare worker in Texas. The recent outbreak of Ebola is devastating but it can still be traced back to one isolated tragedy.

About this show

"Everyone is talking about the economy, but who can explain it? From that morning cup of coffee to your monthly mortgage payment, the economy affects every aspect of our lives, yet many Americans don’t understand the basic drivers of our economic system. We’re caught between bubbles and recessions, rising costs and dwindling paychecks, Main Street and Wall Street – a whirl of dollars and not much sense. With WE THE ECONOMY, award­-winning directors and leading economic experts team up for a surprising and thought­-provoking short­film series that tackles 20 essential questions about the U.S. economy. Told through animation, comedy, musical, nonfiction, and scripted films, WE THE ECONOMY seeks to demystify a complicated topic while empowering the public to take control of the nation’s economic present – and their own economic futures."

Ratings and reviews

4.4
916 reviews
erik staub
November 27, 2015
If only we could get people to stop thinking that liberals even make propaganda & conservatives ARE the reason for the economic crisis, we could use this to show how easy it could be to have middle class again. There's no liberal media, only conservative media saying that. They even have several channels devoted to nothing but right wing conservative brainwashing. GOP TV or FOX News, IS the most UNfair & NOT balanced network...ever. IF you get your "news" from there, I know you think I'm crazy liberal nut.
34 people found this review helpful
Stephen Lois
July 12, 2015
It is a shame that the money spent making this series was not spent on a solution to all of the problems pointed out. We need to come together and work on a better way too do things. Lets not point fingers and thinly veil the differences that exist so our children can get a chance to fix the problems that plague this country and world.
34 people found this review helpful
Michael Kleinhenz (Kleiny)
December 21, 2014
It's interesting that there seems to be a liberal slant in these little videos. Rather than giving the economic facts in a clever way, they throw little liberals cherry bombs into the discussion, which hijacks the entire message! The "Supply Chain Reaction" episode is a perfect example. Progressives and liberals alike have no shame!
53 people found this review helpful