Taylor Swift is not only a powerhouse in the music industry; she has also become an influential figure in politics, creating economic shifts with her multi-billion-dollar empire.
Now, a new book by a University of Kansas scholar uses 36-year-old Swift’s enormous success as a lens to examine a much broader truth: women, whether global superstars or working mothers, have long been central drivers of the economy.
“Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy,” by Misty Heggeness, associate professor of public affairs & administration and associate research scientist at KU’s Institute for Policy & Social Research, coined the term ” Swiftynomics,” referring to the idea that women can have a significant impact in shaping the economy in power ways that was once over looked in society.
Misty Heggeness, author of Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy.
“The data showed women juggling work and caregiving in entirely new ways,” Heggeness said. “At the same time, Taylor Swift was releasing Folklore and Evermore, continuing to produce at a high level despite enormous disruption. It felt symbolic of what so many women were doing — finding ways to remain productive within the same 24 hours while taking on more unpaid care work.”
Heggeness is an economist and population data expert who has spent most of he career studying economic roles of women and young people. The inspiration for her book came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she found surprising data showing that mothers experienced different economic outcomes than women without children.
“Swiftynomics addresses the unpaid care work women often do alongside paid care work by telling the stories of the women in our past and fully highlighting their economic agency and unpaid work done in their family homes, like childcare, making meals, and washing clothes,” Heggeness said in an email to The Debrief. “It brings this work into the fold by advocating for better economic statistics that fully incorporate women’s economic activity – including all their unpaid care.”
Heggeness decided to structure her work around three core themes. The first centers on Swift’s Eras Tour, a global phenomenon spanning concerts, films, and sold-out arenas, which generated billions in revenue. Heggeness connects the tour within broader economic trends, including Swift’s public concerns with Ticketmaster and her decision to rerecord her albums to reclaim ownership of her work.
These moments, she argues, are connected with a period of growing economic power for women, building on trends that had been developing over the previous decade.
The second theme places today’s moment in historical context, highlighting how women have always been economic players on the world stage. Heggeness shares stories of figures such as Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of labor, alongside lesser-known women who shaped economic policy and practice in male-dominated fields.
“History books often overlook women as economic agents because they are written from the dominant viewpoint, often by men in power. It is not only history, but this phenomenon extends to so many disciplines,” Heggeness said. “Economic models used today to interpret and understand the world also suffer from a gendered bias because they were developed by male leaders in economics decades/centuries ago—individuals who often had lots of privilege and care provided to them that they did not consider a formal part of the economy. It is time for us to change this deficit and bring women’s economic agency into the fold.”
Lastly, Swiftynomics offers policy recommendations to create a more sustainable and inclusive economic environment for women and men. Drawing on large amounts of data, pop culture references, and accessible storytelling, Heggeness illustrates how women of all sorts have forged new paths, supported others, and built economic opportunities outside traditional systems.
“Women have always been economic agents,” Heggeness adds. “History just hasn’t always chosen to recognize that.”
“My goal is to help more people—especially young women—see themselves in economics,” Heggeness said. “Women have always been part of this story, and they will continue to drive the economy forward for everyone.”
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and the founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com. To contact Chrissy with a story, please email chrissy @ thedebrief.org.