Capitalisn't

Luigi Zingales, a University of Chicago Booth School economist, and Bethany McLean, author and journalist known for her early reporting on the Enron scandal, co-host this podcast from the Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State. The premise is right there in the name: capitalism is not working the way it should, and the show investigates where and why it breaks down. Produced in collaboration with the Chicago Booth Review, episodes examine specific failures and distortions in capitalist systems -- recent topics have included the AI investment bubble, Japan's economic stagnation, private equity's growing influence, the debate over privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and rising wealth inequality. Zingales brings academic rigor and a European outsider's perspective on American markets, while McLean contributes the investigative journalist's instinct for following money and power. Their dynamic works because they approach the same questions from different angles and are not afraid to disagree with each other on air. Episodes typically run 30 to 45 minutes and feature guest experts alongside the hosts' own analysis. The show does not fit neatly into left or right political categories -- it is critical of corporate concentration and regulatory capture regardless of which party enables them. For listeners interested in the structural problems within modern capitalism and the policy debates around fixing them, Capitalisn't offers informed, nuanced discussion rooted in serious economic research.