Brookings launches ‘Dollar and Sense,’ a new podcast focused on global trade

Washington, DC – The Brookings Institution has launched a new trade podcast, “Dollar and Sense,” led by Brookings Senior Fellow David Dollar. Dollar, a renowned trade expert, has decades of experience working at the World Bank, U.S. Treasury, and in academia. “Dollar and Sense” will feature Dollar in conversation with other experts and trade policymakers on a range of topics, including trade wars, currency manipulation, and Congress’s role in setting the trade agenda. In the first episode, Dollar is joined by Cornell University professor and Brookings Senior Fellow Eswar Prasad to deconstruct U.S.-China economic conflict and President Trump’s forthcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“From tariffs and trade wars to the new Trans-Pacific Partnership and NAFTA’s replacement, trade has been making a lot of news, especially since the election of Donald Trump, who has redefined America’s role on the global stage with his America First posture. However, you cannot understand the global trading system by simply following the headlines and tweets,” said Dollar. “’Dollar and Sense’ will provide insider discussions on the seismic shifts of our current trade environment and will deep dive on some of the perennial issues of trade politics. From local ports and markets to international trade and diplomacy, I’ll talk with experts from D.C., across the country and around the world to explain how our global trading system is built and its effect on our everyday lives.”

“Brookings is embarking on a vital mission with ‘Dollar and Sense.’ David and his guests, many of whom helped create the policies that shape international trade today, will provide essential analysis in an area where many have become confused and anxious about what changes should come next,” Brookings President John R. Allen noted about the launch of the podcast. “Brookings has a breadth and depth of expertise that is simply unmatched, and we intend to leverage that strength to provide objective, fact-based analysis to complex trade issues.”

“Dollar and Sense” will join several other award-winning shows produced by the Brookings Podcast Network, including the “Brookings Cafeteria,” “Intersections,” and “5 on 45.” “Brookings is excited to take a major step forward in podcasting with ‘Dollar and Sense’,” said Emily Horne, vice president of Communications at Brookings. “It can sometimes be difficult to draw the connection to how trade policy applies directly to our everyday lives. Our goal is to have ‘Dollar and Sense,’ with David at the microphone to guide conversations, be a bridge between the expert voices of practitioners and audiences who want to understand the inner workings of international trade practices, norms, and systems.”

David Dollar is a senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings. He’s served as the U.S. Treasury’s economic and financial emissary to China, based in Beijing, facilitating macroeconomic and financial policy dialogues between the United States and China. Prior to joining Treasury, Dollar worked for 20 years at the World Bank, serving as country director for China and Mongolia, based in Beijing.

You can find the first episode of “Dollar and Sense” and links to subscribe to the show here.