Rephonic
Artwork for Confronting Capitalism

Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber

Catalyst, Jacobin
Capitalism
Neoliberalism
Working Class
Social Democracy
Democratic Party
Socialism
Trump Administration
Labor Movement
Political Economy
Iran
United States
Professional Managerial Class
Trade Unions
Iraq
Wokeness
Trump’s Tariffs
Republican Party
Vietnam War
American Labor Movement
Welfare State

Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber cuts through the chaos to provide a conceptual and historical framework for understanding how capitalism functions across the globe. Conversations span political economy, history, and strategy. Every other week, Vivek provides essential insights for effective socialist politics today. Produced by Catalyst and published by Jacobin.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes49Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsHistoryNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Confronting Capitalism

Latest Episodes

It’s all too common for people to associate the mere existence of markets with capitalism. But because we know markets had a life before capitalism, we can also imagine them having a life after.

On this latest episode of Confronting Capitalism, Viv... more

Unions have more public support than just about anything else in the US, and yet, their membership has cratered. This poses an immense challenge to left-wing politicians, who won't be able to enact lasting change without a robust labor movement besid... more

Advanced capitalist countries have recently rediscovered the role of industrial policy to build out key economic sectors like semiconductors and AI. But what happens if business is the one calling all the shots?

On this latest episode of Confrontin... more

Libertarian thinkers like Milton Friedman like to say that capitalism not only gave birth to democracy but also is the ideal economic system to complement democracy. But while capitalism may have created the conditions for democracy, it’s actually th... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Suzy Lee
Immigration scholar; Catalyst editorial board member; Director of the Human Rights Program, Binghamton University
Binghamton University
Episode: The Politics of Mass Deportation
Krystal Ball
Author and co-host
Independent / Breaking Points
Episode: Which Way Forward for the Left?
Vivek Chibber
Author and Professor of Sociology
New York University / Catalyst
Episode: Which Way Forward for the Left?
Matt Karp
Author and Historian
Princeton University / Jacobin
Episode: Which Way Forward for the Left?
Benjamin Fong
Associate Director of the Center for Work and Democracy at Arizona State University; co-editor of Rustin's Challenge
Arizona State University / Rustin's Challenge
Episode: This Century’s Biggest Labor Battle
Jason Brownlee
Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
Episode: Trump’s Historic Blunder in Iran
Gabriel Hetland
Associate professor at SUNY Albany and author of 'Democracy on the Ground'
SUNY Albany
Episode: The Coup in Venezuela
Matt Huber
Professor of Geography and the Environment at Syracuse University and scholar of environmental policy.
Syracuse University
Episode: Abundance Needs Socialism
Phillip Rocco
Associate professor of political science at Marquette University and author of a Catalyst essay
Marquette University
Episode: Why the Democrats Can’t Fight for Anything

Hosts

Melissa Naschek
Co-host with a focus on labor history, organizing strategy, and socialist theory; frequently partners with Vivek Chibber and other scholars.
Vivek Chibber
Professor of Sociology, NYU; moderator and primary intellectual force behind the show, often leading historical and theoretical conversations.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 285 ratings
  • Excellent, highly recommend

    This is a very excellent show because Vivek Chibber explains things very well by connecting things to the bigger picture both historically and to the social and/or economic mechanisms.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Leeza2026
    United States3 months ago
  • Always something new to learn from these knowledgeable people!

    Podcast Addict
    5
    callmebymyworkname
    5 months ago
  • Excellent show

    Excellent show which tackles interesting and relevant political, economic, and social questions and topics. Professor Chibber is extremely clear, articulate, learned and insightful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SG@818
    United States7 months ago
  • Fantastic show - Vivek is a generational voice

    Vivek is fantastic to listen to, great show

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CapnSolo86
    United States9 months ago
  • Excellent format for introducing important concepts that make up the structure of capitalism. Vivek Chibber does an excellent job of walking us through these ideas by responding to questions and providing examples.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    seamuspuebla
    10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests consistently bring expert, policy-relevant insights into labor, democracy, and organizing.
Listeners praise clear, historically grounded analysis from a left perspective.
Some criticism centers on strong ideological framing and dense theoretical discussions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#233
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#249
France/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#134
India/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#147
South Korea/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#174
Poland/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#181
Israel/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Which Way Forward for the Left?
Q: How would you describe what the left's electoral strategy has been since Bernie's defeat in 2016?
The consensus is that DSA-backed candidates in Democratic primaries have been the most promising tactic, but there is caution about whether those wins translate into durable power and real policy shifts without broader organizing.
Is AI Coming for Our Jobs?
Q: Why is there so much anxiety about AI and job loss?
Anxiety stems from historical fears around technology and job displacement, compounded by a lack of strong labor power to mitigate the effects of such changes.
Is AI Coming for Our Jobs?
Q: What are the potential impacts of AI on the labor market?
AI is likely to lead to the displacement of some jobs but may also create new opportunities in different sectors as the economy adapts to changes in productivity.
Reform and Revolution
Q: What was the relationship like between social democracy and Marxism? Were these social democratic parties Marxist parties?
While some were explicitly Marxist, many social democratic parties employed Marxist ideas as their common political language but were not strictly Marxist parties.
Reform and Revolution
Q: When did social democracy start to really diverge from a revolutionary model, and what was the significance of that shift?
By the 1920s, the possibility of revolution receded, leading social democracies to focus on gradual reforms instead of outright revolution changes.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Confronting Capitalism

What is Confronting Capitalism about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across recent episodes, the conversation centers on big ideas in political economy, labor, and strategy for socialist politics. Topics include industrial policy and its political bite, how capitalism intersects with democracy, the future of planning versus markets, and labor organizing in the era of automation and megacorporations. Guests are scholars and practitioners who provide historical context, empirical analysis, and concrete organizing insights, often tying policy questions to grassroots movements and long-run strategy. A notable throughline is the emphasis on structural power—how economic arrangements shape political outcomes—and the push for democratic governance and worker empowerment as essential components of any durable left p... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Confronting Capitalism?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Confronting Capitalism. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Confronting Capitalism and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Confronting Capitalism get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Confronting Capitalism, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Confronting Capitalism?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Confronting Capitalism, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Confronting Capitalism have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Confronting Capitalism has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Confronting Capitalism?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Confronting Capitalism:

1. Jacobin Radio
2. Doomscroll with Joshua Citarella
3. The Dig
4. Behind the News with Doug Henwood
5. This Machine Kills

How many episodes of Confronting Capitalism are there?

Confronting Capitalism launched 2 years ago and published 49 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Confronting Capitalism?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Confronting Capitalism?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Confronting Capitalism from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Confronting Capitalism?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Confronting Capitalism. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Confronting Capitalism?

Recent guests on Confronting Capitalism include:

1. Suzy Lee
2. Krystal Ball
3. Vivek Chibber
4. Matt Karp
5. Benjamin Fong
6. Jason Brownlee
7. Gabriel Hetland
8. Matt Huber

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days