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EEC: Documentary Studies

Economics lessons, one film at a time.
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From This Collection

"Trading Places"

The nicer the car, the more likely the driver is to break the law

by David Brancaccio and Alex Schroeder
Dec 8, 2023
There's a whole body of research that draws a correlation between wealth and self-interested behavior. We take a closer look.
"At this point, we've got dozens of different studies looking at different facets of behavior that tell us that the more wealth you have, the less attentive to other people you become," says Paul Piff, a professor of psychological science at the University of California, Irvine.
olaser/Getty Images
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"Trading Places"

The unfairness of capitalism

by Ellen Rolfes
Dec 4, 2023
We’re watching “Trading Places” in December.
A screenshot from the trailer of 1983's "Trading Places." From left to right: Don Ameche, Eddie Murphy and Ralph Bellamy.
Paramount Pictures via YouTube
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"Killers of the Flower Moon"

How the Osage are fighting to protect their language from extinction

by Ellen Rolfes
Nov 28, 2023
What may be less apparent after watching “Killers of the Flower Moon” is just how hard the Osage Nation has fought to protect and preserve its language.
Apple TV
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"Killers of the Flower Moon"

How settlers abused financial guardianship in the Osage Nation

by Sabri Ben-Achour and Alex Schroeder
Nov 17, 2023
Government policies deemed Osages unable to handle their own money, opening the door to widespread exploitation.
A map of the Osage Indian Reservation showing oil and mineral drilling boundaries, 1917. The wealth generated by Osage reservation land was subject to theft and graft by settlers.
National Archives
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"Killers of the Flower Moon"

How government-mandated “guardianship” enabled the Osage murders

by David Brancaccio
Nov 13, 2023
A terrible irony of guardianship is that the federal government’s legal duty to protect Native Americans did not extend to protecting Osage people from the conspiracy to kill tribal members for their oil rights.  
E.G. Burkhart’s application for guardianship over Mollie Burkhart, May 23, 1922. 
National Archives
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"Killers of the Flower Moon"

The history of economic exploitation in "Killers of the Flower Moon"

by David Brancaccio and Alex Schroeder
Nov 9, 2023
How settlers stole the wealth and resources of citizens of the Osage Nation, whose reservation land in Oklahoma was rich in oil.
The film, directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts the mechanisms by which settlers could exploit the resources and wealth of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma.
Apple TV
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"Killers of the Flower Moon"

The curse of “black gold”

by Ellen Rolfes
Nov 6, 2023
We’re watching “Killers of the Flower Moon” in November.
Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio star in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Apple TV+
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"Telemarketers"

Yes, young people can fall victim to scams

by David Brancaccio and Erika Soderstrom
Oct 31, 2023
Anti-scam education “is not information to just pass on to your grandmother,” says Emma Fletcher of the Federal Trade Commission.
Rip-off schemes involving investments, jobs and online shopping usually target younger people, says Emma Fletcher, senior data researcher at the Federal Trade Commission.
Matt Cardy/Getty Images
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"Telemarketers"

Your scam stories

by Ellen Rolfes
Oct 30, 2023
Econ Extra Credit newsletter #172: Readers share their cautionary tales and we provide some tips on how to protect yourself.
A telemarketer points out immigrant-owned businesses that have supported police groups out of fear or a misguided belief they would receive protection.
“Telemarketers”/HBO
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"Telemarketers"

How to avoid scams and be a smart donor 

by Ellen Rolfes
Oct 23, 2023
Econ Extra Credit newsletter #171
Olena Zagoruyko/Getty Images
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