Capitalisn't
University of Chicago Podcast Network
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Top 10 Capitalisn't Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Capitalisn't episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Capitalisn't for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Capitalisn't episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Strange Fedfellows
Capitalisn't
01/18/18 • 27 min
It’s been 6 years since a member of the Federal Reserve improperly leaked information to an analyst. Kate & Luigi wonder what's really changed. Is the Fed still too cozy with big banks, the media and others with a financial stake in monetary policy?
The Capitalisn't of Banking, with Anat Admati
Capitalisn't
01/18/24 • 38 min
It's been nearly 16 years since the federal government bailed out Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion in response to the financial crisis that precipitated the Great Recession. The idea that the public must guarantee critical financial institutions that are “too big to fail” was controversial then, but does it still remain an issue? Stanford finance professor Anat Admati, whom the New York Times profiled in an article titled "When She Talks, Banks Shudder," argues it’s become worse.
Admati joins Bethany and Luigi to discuss the updated edition of her and Martin Hellwig’s book, The Bankers' New Clothes: What’s Wrong with Banking and What to Do About It. Dissecting new financial developments, including the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, the crypto industry, and shadow banking, Admati lays bare how the current financial system is rigged for the benefit of the few. She also prescribes how we can build and regulate a fairer and more accountable financial system and, thus, a more stable and equitable capitalist economy.
Show Notes:
- Read the 2024 preface of The Bankers' New Clothes on ProMarket.
- Revisit our 2019 conversation with Anat and Chicago Booth Professor Guy Rolnik, exploring the reasons why market and policy may fail in finance and technology and what we must do to address such failures.
- Read Anat's contributions to our e-books on George Stigler and Milton Friedman.
Is Short Selling Dead? With Jim Chanos
Capitalisn't
02/15/24 • 50 min
The Wall Street Journal wrote that “Wall Street's best-known bear is going into hibernation" after the legendary short seller Jim Chanos announced he would close his main hedge funds late last year, in part due to diminishing interest in stock picking. Short selling, which bets on drops in asset prices, wins when companies and governments fail and has gained a predatory reputation over the years. Just last week, the China Securities Regulatory Commission vowed "zero tolerance" against what they called "malicious short sellers," according to Reuters.
One of our listeners wrote to Bethany with this question: “What does it say about capitalism if Jim Chanos can’t find enough investors willing to profit from its frauds, fads, and failures, not to mention the competitive forces that are necessary for a functioning market? Is short selling dead?” To discuss this, Luigi and Bethany sat down with Chanos himself, who has been cast as the “Darth Vader of Wall Street,” the “Catastrophe Capitalist,” and the “LeBron James of short selling.” Together, they discuss the relationship between short sellers and our information environment, the fallout from the "meme stock" craze, the effects of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policies, and how short selling can contribute to market efficiency and resilience. Do short sellers play a positive role by uncovering corporate fraud, mismanagement, and systemic risks? What safeguards are necessary to prevent short-selling abuse and ensure fair and transparent markets?
Pollution Pt 1: The Sticky Side of Teflon
Capitalisn't
01/31/19 • 31 min
In the first of a two-part series on pollution, Kate and Luigi discuss the health hazards and economic costs of air pollution and contaminated drinking water from the toxic chemical PFOA (C8) found in Teflon. How did DuPont skirt regulation and avoid corporate responsibility for so long?
Antitrust Pt 3: The Europeans
Capitalisn't
08/16/18 • 32 min
Our third and final episode on antitrust law looks at the E.U.'s recent $5 billion fine against Google. Kate and Luigi hear about double-sided markets from Nobel-winning economist Jean Tirole and explore the E.U. vs. U.S. approach to antitrust enforcement.
Antitrust Pt 1: The Establishment
Capitalisn't
07/19/18 • 28 min
The first in a special 3-part series on antitrust law. In the wake of the approved merger between giants AT&T and Time Warner, Kate and Luigi talk with a leading expert, Carl Shapiro, about the evolving concept of consumer welfare and whether antitrust law needs to change with the times.
Two Billion 'Truman Shows'
Capitalisn't
05/24/18 • 28 min
Tristan Harris, a former design ethicist at Google and “the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience,” warns Kate & Luigi about targeted digital advertising that creates individual, orchestrated experiences dictated by nothing more than an algorithm.
The New Business Of News, with Ben Smith
Capitalisn't
03/28/24 • 49 min
Given the recent mass layoffs, acceleration of media consolidation, continued decline of local journalism, and rapid uptake of generative AI, the news industry—fundamental to institutional accountability in capitalist democracies—appears to be in deep crisis. Joining Bethany and Luigi to make the case that journalism can not only survive but thrive is Ben Smith, longtime journalist, former New York Times media columnist, co-founder of global digital news publication Semafor, and the author of "Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral."
How much of today's state of journalism can be attributed to mistakes and how much to inevitability? Where does the marriage between social media and news go next? How can journalism remain financially viable? Offering a nuanced perspective on the opportunities and pitfalls facing the news industry today, the three of them discuss the future of journalism in the age of clicks and a path back to a media landscape that informs, educates, and holds power to account.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Capitalisn't have?
Capitalisn't currently has 195 episodes available.
What topics does Capitalisn't cover?
The podcast is about Markets, Microeconomics, Research, Capitalism, Policy, Growth, Podcasts, Finance, Economics, Education, Chicago, Macroeconomics, Business, Politics and Government.
What is the most popular episode on Capitalisn't?
The episode title 'Regulating Facebook and Google Pt 3: Tyler Cowen Rebuttals' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Capitalisn't?
The average episode length on Capitalisn't is 41 minutes.
How often are episodes of Capitalisn't released?
Episodes of Capitalisn't are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Capitalisn't?
The first episode of Capitalisn't was released on Dec 17, 2017.
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