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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29 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 49 min
English

Episodes 29

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S2 · E157
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.
S2 · E156
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.
S2 · E155
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.
S2 · E154
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"?
S2 · E153
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?
S2 · E152
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?
S2 · E151
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.
S2 · E150
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.
S2 · E149
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.

Showing 21–29 of 29 episodes