David Leonhardt

The adage that you get more conservative as you get older doesn't exactly hold up. Political events during our late teens and twenties may shape us for life.

It’s hard to escape the prevailing media narrative that student loan debt is destroying an entire generation’s financial future. The New York Times' David Leonhardt reported on a new Brookings Institution study on education debt, in an article titled “The Reality of Student Debt is Different from the Cliches”—an assertion that cuts against conventional wisdom. Bob speaks to David Leonhardt to get to the bottom of what his reporting reveals about the state of student loan debt.

New York Times reporter and editor David Leonhardt explains the recent data that show the U.S. middle class is no longer the wealthiest in the world.

It's Jobs Week on the Brian Lehrer Show's election series "30 issues in 30 Days." See the full 30 Issues schedule and archive here.

David Leonhardt, Washington D.C Bureau Chief for the New York Times and author of the e-book Here's the Deal (Byliner Inc. 2013), talks about how the two candidates in the NJ Senate race, Cory Booker and Steve Lonegan, would approach job creation - and what it says about both parties' approach to jobs on the federal level.

A new study of the U.S. workforce says that where you are headed economically and geographically depends to a surprising degree on where you're coming from. “Where you grow up matters...

The budget wars seem never ending in Washington D.C., with the sequester just one day away and no agreement between the White House and Republican leadership in sight.

David Leonhardt, Washington bureau chief for the New York Times and author of the new e-book Here's the Deal, previews tonight's State of the Union address, and discusses his take on deficits, taxes, and growth. Plus, what the North Korean nuclear test means for Obama diplomacy.

→ Tonight: SOTU Watch and Live-Chat with Brian, plus Emily Bazelon and David Plotz of Slate's Politics Gabfest! Starts here at 9pm.

"Republicans are right about the importance of growth, but wrong about the ways to achieve it. Democrats are the opposite." -- @dleonhardt

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) February 12, 2013

Last week the popular prediction market Intrade announced it would shut its doors to Americans after being sued by US regulators. US regulators have accused InTrade of violating the ban on off-exchange options trading - in other words, gambling. But others argue that sites like InTrade can be better predictors than pundits or polls. The New York Times’ Washington Bureau Chief David Leonhardt makes the case for prediction markets to Bob.

White Rabbits - Back For More

30 Issues in 30 Days is our election year series on the important issues facing the country this election year. Today: How the victims of the Great Recession are coping and what the government can do to help them. Visit the 30 Issue home page for all of the conversations.

David Leonhardt, Washington bureau chief for The New York Times, and Diane Brady, Bloomberg BusinessWeek senior editor and author of Fraternity, talk about taxes -- the IRS, corporate rates, the Buffett rule and cheating. Plus the revolt from Citi shareholders about corporate compensation.

David Leonhardt, Washington bureau chief for The New York Times, goes through the stats that have been thrown around by Occupy Wall Street protesters and their critics, and what the income inequality picture really looks like.

→ Add Your Comments, Listen, and Read a Recap at It's A Free Country

David Leonhardt, writer of the "Economic Scene" column for the New York Times, talks about renting versus buying a home and how people make that decision.

Compare for yourself the differences between buying and renting a home with this calculator from The New York Times.

David Leonhardt, writer of the "Economic Scene" column for the New York Times, discusses yesterday's first-ever press conference by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.

→ Listen, Read a Recap and Add Your Comments at It's A Free Country

David Leonhardt, writer of the "Economic Scene" column for the New York Times, breaks down the fiscal impact of President Obama's deficit reduction plan, and how it differs from the Paul Ryan proposal.

→ Listen, Read a Recap, and Add Your Comments at It's A Free Country

David Leonhardt, writer of the "Economic Scene" column for the New York Times, talks about today's deficit commission meeting.

David Leonhardt, who writes the "Economic Scene" column for The New York Times, talks about the paper's "budget puzzle" and how different cuts to programs and aid could make a dent in the US budget shortfall.

David Leonhardt, writer of the "Economic Scene" column for The New York Times, lays out some options for how the lame-duck session of Congress can deal with the expiring Bush-era tax cuts.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the stimulus plan. David Leonhardt, "Economic Scene" columnist for the New York Times, does some stimulus fact checking.

The Senate's robust health care reform bill is in jepoardy after Massachusetts elected Republican Scott Brown to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. David Leonhardt, economics columnist for our partner The New York Times, says there are really only two scenarios left at this point — and they hinge on whether the House will decide to forgive what members percieve as mistreatment by their colleagues in the Senate, and pass the bill.

Roll Call staff writer David Drucker and David Leonhardt, "Economic Scene" columnist for the New York Times, analyze the latest in the negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate versions of health care reform.