ezra klein quoted since march 2020, americans saved $2 trillion more than expected and that is not just a function of rich getting richer, jp morgan chase analysis found the median household's checking account balance was 50% higher in july 2021 than in the months before the pandemic. of course, the stakes are high for american democracy than other things, recovery from the pandemic, the future of the climate catastrophe, and our free and fair elections, all these things hinge on what happens in this next year as we approach the midterms, whether this antidemocratic, increasingly authoritarian political faction returns to power. so i can think of no better person to talk about that with, short of the president or vice-president themselves than the white house chief of staff, joining me now, white house chief of staff, ron, it's great to have you on. i want to start with the statistic that for me embodies the conundrum of the economy that i think is at the core of