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Back in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning and the shelter-in-place orders brought the economy to a screeching halt, a quirky-but-clever idea to save the economy made its way up to some of the highest levels of government. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib proposed an ambitious relief bill to keep the country\\u2019s metaphorical lights on: recurring payments\\xa0to people to help them stay afloat during the crisis. And the way Congress would pay for it? By minting two platinum $1 trillion coins. (You read that right).\\xa0

In this episode, we take a jaunt through the evolution of our currency, from the gold-backed bills of the 19th century, to the most powerful computer at the Federal Reserve. And we chase an idea that torpedoes what we thought was a fundamental law of economics. Can we actually just print more money?\\xa0

This episode was reported by Becca Bressler and was produced by Becca Bressler and Simon Adler.

Special thanks to Carlos Mucha, Warren Mosler, David Cay Johnston, Alex Goldmark, Bryant Urstadt, and Amanda Aronczyk.\\xa0

To learn more about these ideas check out:\\xa0

Stephanie Kelton\'s\\xa0book The Deficit Myth

Jacob Goldstein\'s\\xa0book Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing\\xa0and\\xa0the\\xa0Planet Money podcast

Betsey Stevenson\'s\\xa0podcast\\xa0Think Like an Economist\\xa0

This website for more about #MintTheCoin

And for a fun quick read, check out this WIRED article about the surprising origin of\\xa0the trillion dollar coin.

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