Capitalisn't
Is capitalism the engine of destruction or the engine of prosperity? On this podcast we talk about the ways capitalism is—or more often isn’t—working in our world today. Hosted by author and journalist Bethany McLean and world renowned economist Luigi Zingales, we explain how capitalism can go wrong, and what we can do to fix it.
Cover photo attributions: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/research/stigler/about/capitalisnt.
If you would like to send us feedback, suggestions for guests we should bring on, or connect with Bethany and Luigi, please email: contact at capitalisnt dot com. If you like our show, we'd greatly appreciate you giving us a rating or a review. It helps other listeners find us too.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 41 minutes
- Episodes
- 218
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Worried about Inflation? So is Fmr Central Banker Mervyn King
Pres. Biden is pursuing some of the largest spending proposals in U.S. history, which should be sparking concerns about inflation and interest rates. But most prominent bankers and economists have to…
00:42:00 |
Thu 06 May 2021
Is The Federal Reserve An "Engine of Inequality"?
What is causing the widening wealth gap in America? People point fingers in many different directions, but a fairly new idea is to blame The Federal Reserve.
In a new book, "Engine of Inequality: T…
00:43:58 |
Thu 22 Apr 2021
The Power Of Access In Journalism And Academia With Kara Swisher
When it comes to probing the problems of Big Tech, either as a journalist or academic, access is key. Necessary data is highly guarded, often in a "black box", and these companies carefully select wh…
00:44:26 |
Thu 08 Apr 2021
Communisn’t: Crony Capitalism In China With David Barboza
The only thing worse than crony capitalism may be crony capitalism controlled by a centralized communist authority. This is the system that has led to massive wealth disparities in China, even as the…
00:46:50 |
Thu 25 Mar 2021
Why We Should Tax Digital Advertising With Paul Romer
Concerns about the political power of Big Tech and lack of competition are at an all-time high. The business model of Facebook, Google, Twitter, ect. seem to be creating a race to the bottom for the …
00:40:13 |
Thu 11 Mar 2021
When the Profit Motive Kills With Anand Giridharadas
The consulting firm McKinsey has agreed to pay nearly $600 million for its role in advising Purdue on how to push opioids sales, even at the cost of human lives. The details of their work are gruesom…
00:50:14 |
Thu 25 Feb 2021
GameStop, Robinhood And Our Troubling Obsession With Speculation
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard the story of GameStop and Robinhood. Most writers and outlets have claimed this is either a positive David vs Goliath story or a dangerou…
00:38:12 |
Thu 11 Feb 2021
Manufacturing Dissent With Matt Taibbi
A well-functioning capitalism needs a well-functioning democracy which depends on a well-functioning media. So, is our media functioning well today...has it ever? To talk through this question, we si…
00:53:08 |
Thu 28 Jan 2021
Microsoft 1998 vs Google 2020: Antitrust and Big Tech
In 1998, the U.S. government filed antitrust charges against Microsoft. Today, with a new Department of Justice antitrust case filed against Google, it's worthwhile to track the eerie similarities be…
00:56:58 |
Thu 14 Jan 2021
Why Capitalism Needs Democracy
We’re taking time off to be with our families, even if it’s only over a screen, so we're sharing a shorter episode with you this week. Inspired by our recent election, Bethany and Luigi sit down, jus…
00:25:19 |
Thu 31 Dec 2020
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Student Debt?
Few people have deeply investigated the inner workings of our problematic student debt system. One person who has is Constantine Yannelis, Assistant Professor of Finance at The University of Chicago.…
00:46:14 |
Thu 17 Dec 2020
Francis Fukuyama’s Proposal to Rein In Big Tech
It's not hard to find original conversations about the dangers of "Big Tech", but it is rare to find original solutions. On this episode, we sit down with renowned professor and author, Francis Fukuy…
00:42:03 |
Thu 03 Dec 2020
How The Supreme Court Influences Our Economy
During confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees, the debate is always focused on social questions like abortion, but rarely economic questions—the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett was no excep…
00:46:36 |
Thu 19 Nov 2020
Capitalisn't Presents: The "Big Brains" Podcast
This week, another University of Chicago Podcast Network show called "Big Brains" asked Luigi to share his biggest takeaways from the 2020 election. They covered why the polls got the election so wro…
00:34:54 |
Fri 13 Nov 2020
What Is The Alternative To Friedman's Capitalism?
It's been 50 years since Milton Friedman's world changing article which argued the only social responsibility of business is to increase profits. Since the Great Financial Crisis, that view has been …
00:47:41 |
Thu 05 Nov 2020
Should We Lockdown Again?
In recent weeks, The Great Barrington Declaration erupted the debate about how best to continue the fight against COVID-19. On this episode, we try to have an honest and difficult conversation about …
00:52:01 |
Thu 22 Oct 2020
The Right And Wrong Of MMT (Modern Monetary Theory)
MMT—modern monetary theory—has become one of the hottest topics in economics. The best selling book, "The Deficit Myth", by economist Stephanie Kelton has even made this little understood theory go m…
00:37:54 |
Thu 08 Oct 2020
The Capitalisn't Of Vaccines
Will rich people be able to buy a coronavirus vaccine before everyone else? Should we pay people to be part of clinical trials? Is a market for vaccine vouchers a terrible idea?
On this episode, we …
00:43:49 |
Thu 24 Sep 2020
Season 2 Trailer: Can Economists and Journalists Work Together to Improve Capitalism?
As we start a new season of Capitalisn't, we welcome our new co-host, Vanity Fair contributing editor Bethany McLean. Academics tend to think journalists are too driven by anecdotes and journalists t…
00:03:06 |
Wed 23 Sep 2020
Revisiting A Conversation On Money In Politics
Capitalisn't will be returning with a new co-host in September! In the meantime, as we develop the re-launch of our show, we'll be airing previously unreleased content and re-releasing some of our fa…
00:33:07 |
Thu 03 Sep 2020
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