Civics 101

The President and the Price of Gas

Episode Summary

How accurate is an "I did that" sticker? What do presidents, now and throughout history, have to do with the price at the pump? We speak to Robert Rapier, engineer and analyst at Proteum Energy and Irina Ivanova, economic reporter at CBS News to get specifics.

Episode Notes

When this episode was recorded, gasoline prices in the US averaged $3.28 a gallon. Stickers of President Biden saying "I did that" decorated gas pumps across the country. What handles, if any, does a president have to lower the price of gas? How responsible are they for high prices? 

Today we get to the bottom of the oil barrel with two specialists; Robert Rapier from Proteum Energy and Irina Ivanova from CBS News. They guide us through an economic, scientific, and historical analysis of the powers of the chief executive, from the 70s to now, to control the price of gasoline.