Capitalisn't

University of Chicago Podcast Network

We investigate how capitalism is—or more often isn’t—working in our world today.

Hosted by economist Luigi Zingales and business journalist Bethany McLean, our podcast explains why capitalism can go wrong and what we can do to fix it.

Send us your questions or comments by emailing capitalisntpod@gmail.com

Cover photo attributions: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/research/stigler/about/capitalisnt.

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20 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes20

Newest first

Thursday · 46 min
A Conservative's Attack On Neoliberalism - Ft. Chris Griswold
The GOP is often associated with free-market fundamentalism, deregulation, and tax cuts. But a new faction on the right is challenging that consensus.
July 16 · 50 min
Was The Constitution An Anti-Democratic Coup? - ft. Michael Klarman
Were the foundations of American governance engineered to protect the wealthy? Harvard Law professor Michael Klarman argues that the US Constitution was actually a counter-revolutionary coup to constrain democracy rather than protect it.
July 2 · 49 min
Our Personal Finance Mistakes Are The Industry's Profits - ft. John Campbell & Tarun Ramadorai
Is personal finance rigged against ordinary people? Economists argue the system rewards the wealthy and financially savvy at the expense of everyone else.
June 18 · 51 min
Was Free Trade Ever Really Free? - ft. Fmr. Biden Trade Rep. Katherine Tai
Free trade was never actually free? That's the case Katherine Tai, Joe Biden's former U.S. Trade Representative, brings Bethany McLean and Luigi Zingales this week.
June 4 · 46 min
Why Corporations Always Win At The Supreme Court - ft. Adam Winkler
Many people think corporate personhood is the problem behind many issues in law and politics. This guest argues it might actually be the answer.
May 28 · 43 min
You Can't Buy Trust - ft. Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales
How does a free, decentralized, volunteer-run encyclopedia produce something more trusted than nearly any for-profit institution?
May 21 · 1 hr
Is Healthcare Making Capitalism Sick? - ft. Zack Cooper
Are stagnant wages the hidden price tag of a broken healthcare system? On this week's Capitalisn't, Yale health economist Zack Cooper argues that the U.S. healthcare market is failing because of structural flaws like employer-sponsored insurance, which hides true costs from consumers.
May 7 · 55 min
How “Muskism” Is Changing American Capitalism - ft. Quinn Slobodian
Conventional wisdom suggests that Silicon Valley billionaires are libertarians trying to escape government oversight, but Quinn Slobodian argues they actually want to achieve state symbiosis by turning the government into a dependent client.
April 23 · 1 hr 5 min
Is Capitalism Delivering For The Majority? - ft. Steve Kaplan
High GDP, low unemployment, and booming markets...so why does it feel like the system is broken for so many people?
April 16 · 41 min
Is The College Promise Broken? - ft. Noam Scheiber
Instead of corporate management, many college grads are finding themselves in low-paying service roles. Is this widening gap between expectations and realities reshaping the modern American workforce?
April 2 · 47 min
The Real Cause Of Wage Stagnation - ft. Arin Dube
Economist Arin Dube argues that modern labor markets are riddled with invisible frictions that give employers outsized power over your paycheck.
March 26 · 31 min
Is Everyone Getting Adam Smith Wrong? - ft. Glory Liu
Most people associate Adam Smith with free markets and “the invisible hand”. But does this conventional narrative purposefully ignore Smith’s deep suspicions about monopolies and power? Georgetown assistant professor Glory Liu argues this narrow interpretation is actually a deliberate historical reconstruction.
March 12 · 41 min
Why Human Progress Is Not Inevitable - ft. Carl Frey
In this episode, Oxford Professor Carl Frey joins the podcast to share the unsettling message of his new book, “How Progress Ends”. He argues that technological progress is far from inevitable and can easily reverse when entrenched institutions block new ideas from transforming society.
March 5 · 50 min
The Hidden Economic Dangers Of Supreme Court Overreach - ft. Steve Vladeck
For decades, Americans viewed the Supreme Court as an impartial referee standing above the political fray. However, public trust in this vital institution has recently plummeted to historic lows. Many observers blame a surge in ideological rulings that align with the party of the President who appointed each justice. If the referee is suddenly wearing a team jersey, the fundamental systems of democracy and capitalism begin to break down.
February 26 · 55 min
Adam Smith In The Age of The “Epstein Class” - ft. MP Jesse Norman
What would the "father of economics" think about today's crony capitalism, and what would he make of the so-called "Epstein class"?
February 19 · 48 min
How Inequality Distorts the Law - ft. Katharina Pistor
If we want to understand why capitalism feels broken, do we need to stop looking at the economy and start looking at the legal code that underpins it?
February 5 · 56 min
Are Betting Apps Engineered for Addiction? - ft. Jonathan Cohen
If a sports betting app has the data to know exactly when a user is struggling financially, should it have a legal duty to cut that person off?
January 22 · 41 min
Can We Build a Middle Class Without Factories? - ft. Dani Rodrik
Is the era of manufacturing-led growth officially over? In this episode, Bethany McLean and Luigi Zingales sit down with Dani Rodrik, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard and author of Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World. Rodrik argues that we have "no other choice" but to look toward the service sector to anchor our future economy.
January 15 · 53 min
Who Should The Fed Answer To? - ft. Sir Paul Tucker
Is the Federal Reserve’s independence a pillar of democracy or a convenient shield that allows elected officials to duck their responsibilities? This week on Capitalisn’t, we confront a shift in Washington after the Justice Department served subpoenas on the Fed.
January 6 · 54 min
How To Fix The American Tax System - ft. Ray Madoff
We are often told that the top 1% of earners already pay 40% of all taxes, while nearly half of Americans pay nothing at all. Legal scholar Ray Madoff argues that this statistic is a deliberate "bait-and-switch" designed to confuse the public.

Capitalisn't

A Conservative's Attack On Neoliberalism - Ft. Chris Griswold

Was The Constitution An Anti-Democratic Coup? - ft. Michael Klarman

Our Personal Finance Mistakes Are The Industry's Profits - ft. John Campbell & Tarun Ramadorai

Was Free Trade Ever Really Free? - ft. Fmr. Biden Trade Rep. Katherine Tai

Why Corporations Always Win At The Supreme Court - ft. Adam Winkler

You Can't Buy Trust - ft. Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales

Is Healthcare Making Capitalism Sick? - ft. Zack Cooper

How “Muskism” Is Changing American Capitalism - ft. Quinn Slobodian

Is Capitalism Delivering For The Majority? - ft. Steve Kaplan

Is The College Promise Broken? - ft. Noam Scheiber

The Real Cause Of Wage Stagnation - ft. Arin Dube

Is Everyone Getting Adam Smith Wrong? - ft. Glory Liu

Why Human Progress Is Not Inevitable - ft. Carl Frey

The Hidden Economic Dangers Of Supreme Court Overreach - ft. Steve Vladeck

Adam Smith In The Age of The “Epstein Class” - ft. MP Jesse Norman

How Inequality Distorts the Law - ft. Katharina Pistor

Are Betting Apps Engineered for Addiction? - ft. Jonathan Cohen

Can We Build a Middle Class Without Factories? - ft. Dani Rodrik

Who Should The Fed Answer To? - ft. Sir Paul Tucker

How To Fix The American Tax System - ft. Ray Madoff