Who Makes Cents?: A History of Capitalism Podcast

Our guest today tells us that the seemingly straightforward field of logistics lies at the heart of contemporary globalization, imperialism, and economic inequality. Listen to Deb Cowen discuss how the field of logistics reshaped global capitalism, undermined worker power, and even transformed how we think about life and death.

Kim Phillips-Fein discusses her book Invisible Hands: The Businessmen's Crusade Against the New Deal. Today we'll focus on the history of resistance to the New Deal. Kim Phillips-Fein details how many of the most prominent elites had their ideas and practices shaped by groups that were part of organized resistance to the New Deal. She argues that this history helps revise common understandings of the rise of conservatism in the 1970s and after.

Ever wonder what the Fed does and why? How are interest rates connected to how hard it is for you to find a job? We chat with economist Thomas Palley about how the Fed is a political institution that has betrayed its mandate to provide the highest possible rates of employment to American workers since the 1970s.

Christina Hanhardt discusses her book Safe Space: Gay Neighborhood History and the Politics of Violence. Today we’ll focus on how the history of quality of life policing connects to the history of gay neighborhood politics. By looking at the gay neighborhoods in San Francisco and New York City, Christina Hanhardt will also shed light on what focusing on real estate, housing, violence, and the politics of place have to do with the history of capitalism.

Ellie Shermer discusses her book Sunbelt Capitalism: Phoenix and the Transformation of American Politics. On this episode, we speak to Ellie Shermer about how local elites in Phoenix crafted a "business climate" that made Pheonix hospitable to industry and shaped both the modern sunbelt and contemporary politics.

Andrew Needham discusses his new book, Power Lines: Phoenix and the Making of the Modern Southwest. Power Lines shows that we can't think of the modern southwest without the energy that makes such places possible. Through this, he knits together a metropolitan geography that connects Phoenix with the places where it got its electricity--most prominently, coal from the Navajo Nation.

N.D.B. Connolly discusses how examining the ownership of real estate in Miami changes our perspective on the history of capitalism and African American history in the twentieth century. Ever wondered how real estate factors into American history? Curious about the impact of landlord-tenant struggles on the history of race in America? Listen to find out.

David Huyssen discusses how examining encounters between the wealthy and the working class in Progressive Era New York City challenges our perception of the period's reform. Ever wondered what to make of the now-common argument that we're living in a "new Gilded Age," characterized by tremendous gaps between rich and poor? Curious how the Progressive Era might be a cautionary tale for the present? Listen to find out.

Sarah Nicolazzo discusses how studying literature can shed light on the history of capitalism – and how the 18th century cultural and legal category of vagrancy shaped the development of labor markets. Ever wondered about the longer history of police programs to push certain people out of public space - like L.A.'s Safer Cities Initiative or New York City's stop and frisk policy? Curious how literature can shed light on the history of capitalism? Want to know what Adam Smith has to do with the concept of vagrancy? Listen to find out.

Julia Ott discusses how the majority of Americans came to be stock owners. Ever wondered how stockowners came to be some of the most important players in American capitalism? Why do so many Americans own stocks and bonds, and how did we all come to be investors? Who benefits and who loses in our system of investment? How does our system of "investor democracy" shape American lives? Listen to find out.