Podcast Episodes

Visa's Hidden Tax on Americans

Season 2 Episode 117

While Americans rely on debit transactions for the necessities of life, most are unaware of the networks that drive those transactions, nor are they aware that one company, Visa, has monopolized debi…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

How Lobbying Led to Crony Capitalism, with Brody Mullins

Season 2 Episode 116

As the United States elections draw near, everyone is wondering who will take control of Washington next. In this week’s Capitalisn’t episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Brody Mullins reveals ho…

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Mailbag: UBI, AI, and Does Luigi Believe in "Free Time"?

Season 2 Episode 115

You asked and we answered: Over the last year, we have solicited listeners’ questions via voicemail, email, and social media. In this episode, our producer, Matt, turns the tables on Bethany and Luig…

Published on 1 year, 2 months ago

Harris vs. Trump: Economics Beyond The "Vibes"

Season 2 Episode 114

Last week, United States presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump delivered hour-long speeches outlining their economic policies for the country if they win in November. This week on a …

Published on 1 year, 2 months ago

Can Democracy Coexist With Big Tech? with Marietje Schaake

Season 2 Episode 113

International technology policy expert, Stanford University academic, and former European parliamentarian Marietje Schaake writes in her new book that a “Tech Coup” is happening in democratic societi…

Published on 1 year, 2 months ago

Universities and Politics: Should They Mix? with Hanna Gray

Season 2 Episode 112

America’s universities have powered its economy by developing an educated workforce and producing transformative technology, including the internet and vaccines. They were seen as vehicles for social…

Published on 1 year, 3 months ago

Raj Chetty's Surprising New Insights On How Children Succeed

Season 2 Episode 111

Is race a more consequential determinant of social mobility than class? How and under what circumstances do Americans move up the economic ladder?

For years, Harvard economist Raj Chetty has leveraged…

Published on 1 year, 3 months ago

The End of Google As We Know It?

Season 2 Episode 110

This week we're taking a quick summer break, but in the meantime, we wanted to re-share a special episode that is relevant in the news again. With the recent federal court ruling that Google engaged …

Published on 1 year, 4 months ago

Dani Rodrik on the New Economics of Industrial Policy

Season 2 Episode 109

Harvard professor of international political economy Dani Rodrik has long been skeptical of what he calls "hyperglobalization," or an advanced level of interconnectedness between countries and their …

Published on 1 year, 4 months ago

The Economic Costs of a Phone-Based Childhood, with Jonathan Haidt

Season 2 Episode 108

In one of this year's bestselling books, "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing An Epidemic of Mental Illness," New York University social psychologist Jonathan Haidt…

Published on 1 year, 4 months ago