https://simplecast.com Capital Record American prosperity was built on a foundation of free markets and free people. But, with inflation on the rise and a struggling market, many in America’s political class are attempting to recycle failed socialist ideas and calling for government intervention in nearly every aspect of American life. In this National Review Capital Matters podcast, presented by the National Review Institute, financier David Bahnsen hosts interviews with the nation’s top business leaders, entrepreneurs, and financial commentators. Tune in to hear guests such as Larry Kudlow, Steve Forbes, and Art Laffer present a practical and moral vindication of America’s capitalist way of life. National Review en Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:30:00 +0000 Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:58:32 +0000 https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ Capital Record https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/9177600e-ec9a-4e08-9abf-fc6944792667/0c7018e1-b2f6-4d1e-9dca-3c85ed3f39d2/3000x3000/capital-record-cover.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ episodic American prosperity was built on a foundation of free markets and free people. But, with inflation on the rise and a struggling market, many in America’s political class are attempting to recycle failed socialist ideas and calling for government intervention in nearly every aspect of American life. In this National Review Capital Matters podcast, presented by the National Review Institute, financier David Bahnsen hosts interviews with the nation’s top business leaders, entrepreneurs, and financial commentators. Tune in to hear guests such as Larry Kudlow, Steve Forbes, and Art Laffer present a practical and moral vindication of America’s capitalist way of life. National Review false https://feeds.simplecast.com/ETNmx9BY conservatism, fiscal conservatism, capitalism, business, conservative economics, fiscal conservative, conservative, economy, david bahnsen, finance, free markets, economics, national review National Review studio@nationalreview.com df5e1c43-b80f-46b5-8e70-6610687b73ed Episode 315: The Common Good, Pornography, Gambling, and You David is joined today by Christian theologian, Dr. Andrew Walker, to discuss the recent flare-up of interest in the “common good.” They will evaluate what first principles underlie the current debate, where there is common ground, and how we can advance the conversation to a place that honors both liberty and virtue. You will be shocked to hear that the conversation will delve into federalism, limiting principles, the need for specificity, and yes, a hierarchy of loves. Few Capital Record episodes scratch all the itches of what we care about like this one!

Show notes:
Andrew Walker’s Daily Wire article
David’s National Review article


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]]> Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:30:00 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen, Andrew Walker) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ David is joined today by Christian theologian, Dr. Andrew Walker, to discuss the recent flare-up of interest in the “common good.” They will evaluate what first principles underlie the current debate, where there is common ground, and how we can advance the conversation to a place that honors both liberty and virtue. You will be shocked to hear that the conversation will delve into federalism, limiting principles, the need for specificity, and yes, a hierarchy of loves. Few Capital Record episodes scratch all the itches of what we care about like this one!

Show notes:
Andrew Walker’s Daily Wire article
David’s National Review article


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]]> Episode 315: The Common Good, Pornography, Gambling, and You David L. Bahnsen, Andrew Walker 00:57:31 markets, common good, national review, free markets, conservatie false full 318 c8806b9d-8d6e-435d-9d6e-af26ba367bf9 Episode 314: The Real Story of Rent Stabilization We’ll take on the economic illiteracy of Mamdani grocery stores in a future podcast, but first let’s take on his first policy case of incomprehensible duncery: His public posture on rent control and rent stabilization.  This is an easy topic to address even in a 2026 Mamdani context, because nothing has changed since the early mix of rent stabilization with reality – it doesn’t work, and the reasons why are unbelievably predictable.


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]]> Tue, 4 Aug 2026 13:39:42 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ We’ll take on the economic illiteracy of Mamdani grocery stores in a future podcast, but first let’s take on his first policy case of incomprehensible duncery: His public posture on rent control and rent stabilization.  This is an easy topic to address even in a 2026 Mamdani context, because nothing has changed since the early mix of rent stabilization with reality – it doesn’t work, and the reasons why are unbelievably predictable.


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]]> Episode 314: The Real Story of Rent Stabilization David L. Bahnsen 00:10:40 mamdani, fiscal conservative, rent, conservative economics, national review, free markets, new york false full 317 364694bd-c788-49f4-b0a6-3f8ad9df1537 Episode 313: When Economic Convenience Enhances Loneliness Markets exist to accommodate commercial transactions, and these commercial transactions represent a major sphere of human existence. We work, produce, and exchange as a vital part of our human endeavor, and when these commercial transactions are not distorted, perverted, and suffocated by extrinsic forces, the testimony of history is that they do wonders toward building a more prosperous society and a higher standard of living.

But they don’t meet all human needs, because they are not designed to. It is an extreme category error to wonder how humans are becoming lonelier even in a free market society. 

On today’s Capital Record, David suggests that many things markets have produced enhance our capacity for friendship, social interaction, and human togetherness, but that many other things could give us excuse to minimize these things, generally to our own detriment. The solution to this whole thing may surprise you, but it will be presented on today’s Capital Record.

Show Notes: 
"The Economics of Friendship"

 


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]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:40:11 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ Markets exist to accommodate commercial transactions, and these commercial transactions represent a major sphere of human existence. We work, produce, and exchange as a vital part of our human endeavor, and when these commercial transactions are not distorted, perverted, and suffocated by extrinsic forces, the testimony of history is that they do wonders toward building a more prosperous society and a higher standard of living.

But they don’t meet all human needs, because they are not designed to. It is an extreme category error to wonder how humans are becoming lonelier even in a free market society. 

On today’s Capital Record, David suggests that many things markets have produced enhance our capacity for friendship, social interaction, and human togetherness, but that many other things could give us excuse to minimize these things, generally to our own detriment. The solution to this whole thing may surprise you, but it will be presented on today’s Capital Record.

Show Notes: 
"The Economics of Friendship"

 


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]]> Episode 313: When Economic Convenience Enhances Loneliness David L. Bahnsen 00:11:51 markets, conservative, loneliness, national review, free markets false full 316 eefc6d76-6ab9-4176-af39-9ebd3f77e81d Episode 312: Michaels and the Gift of Private Equity Critics of private equity love to cite obscure or outlier stories of companies that failed and had private equity investment as some sort of proof for the evil of private equity. The arguments are as financially cogent as they are honest, which is to say, they are idiotic and riddled with lies. But in addition to the lies the Elizabeth Warren class tell about private equity all the time are the clear and obvious counterfactuals to their hideous narrative that they purposely ignore. Today, we are going to not ignore one such case. We are going to tell the story of Michaels, and explain why private equity derangement syndrome has to ignore this case, and the 90 percent-plus of other examples just like it.


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]]> Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:30:00 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ Critics of private equity love to cite obscure or outlier stories of companies that failed and had private equity investment as some sort of proof for the evil of private equity. The arguments are as financially cogent as they are honest, which is to say, they are idiotic and riddled with lies. But in addition to the lies the Elizabeth Warren class tell about private equity all the time are the clear and obvious counterfactuals to their hideous narrative that they purposely ignore. Today, we are going to not ignore one such case. We are going to tell the story of Michaels, and explain why private equity derangement syndrome has to ignore this case, and the 90 percent-plus of other examples just like it.


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]]> Episode 312: Michaels and the Gift of Private Equity David L. Bahnsen 00:17:37 markets, michaels, conservative, elizabeth warren, national review, free markets false full 315 d88c26d5-e0cf-4714-8832-8985afec6588 Episode 311: That Big, Bad, Evil GDP Thing Economic measurements are a tricky thing. There are multiple ways to do things. People are entitled to varying opinions about which measurements of economic aggregates are better than others in terms of methodology and substance. However, are those of us who value economic growth really guilty of making a “golden calf” out of GDP? Do various limitations in what GDP measures and how it does it really mean the whole system is stupid, corrupt, or wrong? Or could it be that promoters of a free and virtuous society can, all at once, understand and reinforce that the totality of economics, rightly understood is, and at the same time, not feel the need to lie, alter, or poke at data. A Capital Record to defend GDP, and to make abundantly clear what should be obvious: GDP measurements are not everything.


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]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:22:17 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ Economic measurements are a tricky thing. There are multiple ways to do things. People are entitled to varying opinions about which measurements of economic aggregates are better than others in terms of methodology and substance. However, are those of us who value economic growth really guilty of making a “golden calf” out of GDP? Do various limitations in what GDP measures and how it does it really mean the whole system is stupid, corrupt, or wrong? Or could it be that promoters of a free and virtuous society can, all at once, understand and reinforce that the totality of economics, rightly understood is, and at the same time, not feel the need to lie, alter, or poke at data. A Capital Record to defend GDP, and to make abundantly clear what should be obvious: GDP measurements are not everything.


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]]> Episode 311: That Big, Bad, Evil GDP Thing David L. Bahnsen 00:10:36 markets, economics, conservative, national review, free markets false full 314 16fab8d6-7796-467e-b8e0-09f736b1a4ba Episode 310: Alan Greenspan’s Legacy David is joined by Dr. Alexander Salter for a refreshing, nuanced, honest, and candid assessment of the good, the bad, and the mysterious in Alan Greenspan’s legacy as the chairman of the Federal Reserve.


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]]> Thu, 9 Jul 2026 10:30:00 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen, Alexander Salter) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ David is joined by Dr. Alexander Salter for a refreshing, nuanced, honest, and candid assessment of the good, the bad, and the mysterious in Alan Greenspan’s legacy as the chairman of the Federal Reserve.


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]]> Episode 310: Alan Greenspan’s Legacy David L. Bahnsen, Alexander Salter 00:45:19 markets, the fed, federal reserve, conservative, alan greenspan, national review, free markets false full 313 bf2bddd6-3f98-49a6-a4cf-77a8f4fdadcf Episode 309: Setting the Record Straight on Alexander Hamilton Vice President JD Vance stated last week in a now infamous interview that the right needs less Milton Friedman and an economic approach more like Alexander Hamilton's. One can hope the VP simply doesn’t understand Milton Friedman, but more than likely this “new right” mentality is trying to draw a line against the laissez faire to the economy favored by Friedman. But when various 21st century voices claim Alexander Hamilton as one of their own in seeking larger government control over the economy, do they actually understand Hamilton correctly? In this Capital Record episode, David is happy to defend Milton Friedman, but also happy to defend Alexander Hamilton, too -- against a revisionism that not only gets its economics wrong, but its history, too.


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]]> Tue, 7 Jul 2026 14:06:58 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ Vice President JD Vance stated last week in a now infamous interview that the right needs less Milton Friedman and an economic approach more like Alexander Hamilton's. One can hope the VP simply doesn’t understand Milton Friedman, but more than likely this “new right” mentality is trying to draw a line against the laissez faire to the economy favored by Friedman. But when various 21st century voices claim Alexander Hamilton as one of their own in seeking larger government control over the economy, do they actually understand Hamilton correctly? In this Capital Record episode, David is happy to defend Milton Friedman, but also happy to defend Alexander Hamilton, too -- against a revisionism that not only gets its economics wrong, but its history, too.


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]]> Episode 309: Setting the Record Straight on Alexander Hamilton David L. Bahnsen 00:15:18 jd vance, alexander hamilton, conservative, national review, milton friedman, free markets false full 312 113cc0e9-3d98-4f8b-aaee-19ff5f2daba4 Episode 308: When People Refuse to Be Happy A recent article in The Atlantic thoughtfully asked what makes Americans so unhappy. It looked at conflicting economic data (the delta between sentiment and actual economic conditions) and pondered what may be going on to make Americans feel so lousy about the economy.

In this episode of Capital Record, David suggests that there are a few different things going on, and they all point to issues near and dear to our hearts.   

Show Notes: 
Atlantic article
The Secret to a Happy Life (Commencement speech)


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]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:38:34 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ A recent article in The Atlantic thoughtfully asked what makes Americans so unhappy. It looked at conflicting economic data (the delta between sentiment and actual economic conditions) and pondered what may be going on to make Americans feel so lousy about the economy.

In this episode of Capital Record, David suggests that there are a few different things going on, and they all point to issues near and dear to our hearts.   

Show Notes: 
Atlantic article
The Secret to a Happy Life (Commencement speech)


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]]> Episode 308: When People Refuse to Be Happy David L. Bahnsen 00:15:43 happiness, america, markets, american happiness, conservative, national review, free markets false full 311 9843bf52-a1c2-41c5-9c77-404e8dea2b03 Episode 307: Is Growth Doomed? When a who’s who of progressive economists, some Nobel laureates, all academics, take to the pages of the, ummm, Guardian, to say that “growth is doomed” and that “poverty is manufactured,” is it time for policymakers to reverse course and embrace the policy solutions these “experts” present to “change the rules of the global economy”? Or, rather, is this the ideal time for lovers of freedom who believe in human flourishing to double down on the only things the world has ever seen that manufacture prosperity?


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]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:30:14 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ When a who’s who of progressive economists, some Nobel laureates, all academics, take to the pages of the, ummm, Guardian, to say that “growth is doomed” and that “poverty is manufactured,” is it time for policymakers to reverse course and embrace the policy solutions these “experts” present to “change the rules of the global economy”? Or, rather, is this the ideal time for lovers of freedom who believe in human flourishing to double down on the only things the world has ever seen that manufacture prosperity?


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]]> Episode 307: Is Growth Doomed? David L. Bahnsen 00:17:34 markets, the guardian, conservative, poverty, economy, national review false full 310 d799ca9f-efe1-46ee-a079-0fc610e1ae3c Episode 306: Remote Work’s Growing Damage The Covid-19 era claims that working in an office was over -- an unnecessary relic rendered obsolete by the realities of Zoom and the cloud -- have spent the last five years being decimated by rediscovery of the facts of human nature. Company after company has backtracked, admitted failure in remote work allowance, and attempted to salvage the damage done to brand, culture, and mentorship by telling people they didn’t need to come to work. But a new study has gone further, and the results should not surprise any of us who understand the human person. They should disturb any of us who claim to care about the wellness of human beings.

 

Show notes: Science.org study


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]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:33:24 +0000 studio@nationalreview.com (David L. Bahnsen) https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ The Covid-19 era claims that working in an office was over -- an unnecessary relic rendered obsolete by the realities of Zoom and the cloud -- have spent the last five years being decimated by rediscovery of the facts of human nature. Company after company has backtracked, admitted failure in remote work allowance, and attempted to salvage the damage done to brand, culture, and mentorship by telling people they didn’t need to come to work. But a new study has gone further, and the results should not surprise any of us who understand the human person. They should disturb any of us who claim to care about the wellness of human beings.

 

Show notes: Science.org study


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]]> Episode 306: Remote Work’s Growing Damage David L. Bahnsen 00:13:22 conservative, covid-19, remote work, capital record, national review false full 309