PAST EVENTS
The story of American capitalism with Zachary Karabell & Douglas Brinkley
The Common Good presents The story of American capitalism with acclaimed historian, commentator and former financial executive, Zachary Karabell. Moderated by prominent historian and TCG Honorary Board Member, Douglas Brinkley.
About the Event
How has the American economy evolved over time and is our unique brand of capitalism still the envy of the world? Well, we are still one of the richest countries in the world, with the largest economy and some of the most dynamic, innovative companies, but there have certainly been growing pains - extreme inequality, waning upward mobility, and decreasing competitiveness. So how did we get here and what lessons can be learned from our past?
Zachary Karabell has some thoughts. Author, commentator, investor and all-around renaissance man, Karabell tells the story of money and power in the United States, using Brown Brothers Harriman, the oldest private bank in America, as his lens and narrative arc. Present at the creation of the post-World War II international system, BBH’s fingerprints can be found on many of the major economic developments of the 20th century. Karabell also acknowledges a particular model of capitalism that BBH came to define and inhabit that he believes to be a more constructive version than the current publicly traded shareholder variant, where gains are privatized and losses socialized. Conversely, BBH’s model in 1800 and today is that of a private partnership - the risk is theirs and so are the rewards. At its core, this is a story of capitalism and how its evolution shaped America.
We can think of no better moderator to lead this sweeping conversation than historian and TCG Honorary board member, Douglas Brinkley.
Zach and Doug will explore the history of American power and capitalism, offering, if not a lesson, an example of a more responsible, restrained, and perhaps gentler version of capitalism for today and the future.
Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
5-6:00pm EST
WATCH:
LISTEN:
Click to listen to our podcast, and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a new episode!
Zachary Karabell is an acclaimed author and columnist, the founder of the Progress Network at New America, and president of River Twice Research and River Twice Capital.
Educated at Columbia, Oxford and Harvard, where he received his Ph.D., Karabell has written widely on history, economics and international relations.
His most recent book, Inside Money: Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power, Karabell offers the first full look inside the private investment firm Brown Brothers Harriman against the backdrop of American history. With an unparalleled understanding of money and history, Karabell expertly tracks the rise of American capitalism through the story of this powerful family firm.
Previously, Karabell was Head of Global Strategies at Envestnet, a publicly traded financial services firm. Prior to that, he was President of Fred Alger & Company. In addition, he ran the River Twice Fund from 2011-2013, an alternative fund that focused on sustainability.
Karabell also sits on the board of New America and PEN America. In 2003, the World Economic Forum designated him a "Global Leader for Tomorrow." As a commentator, Karabell is a Contributing Editor for Wired and for Politico, and the host of the podcast “What Could Go Right?”
Douglas Brinkley is one of the most prominent historians in the U.S. Dubbed by the The Chicago Tribune as “America’s New Past Master,” Brinkley has charted American history and significant figures for decades.
In addition to his role as CNN’s Presidential Historian, he is also the official Presidential Historian for The New York Historical Society, an essayist, and a prolific and renowned biographer.
Brinkley has published over three dozen highly acclaimed books, with subjects ranging from Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, FDR, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon to the life of Rosa Parks, Hurricane Katrina, the space race and American Catholicism.
Currently, Brinkley is an esteemed professor at Rice University as the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History. He is also a member of the Century Association, Council of Foreign Relations and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress.
Biden's First 100 Days
Biden’s First 100 Days with Anita Dunn, Senior Advisor to the White House; David Frum, bestselling author, Senior Editor at the Atlantic, and former speechwriter for Pres. George W. Bush; and to lead the conversation, and presidential historian and member of our Honorary Advisory Board, Douglas Brinkley.
ABOUT THE EVENT
OK, Joe Biden has served for 100 days as President. He enjoys fairly high favorability ratings but can they last? What’s the Biden agenda and effect? We’ll leave that to our expert panel to decipher. The Common Good is thrilled to welcome top White House insiders Anita Dunn and David Frum - and leading the conversation is Presidential historian and TCG Honorary Advisory Board Member Douglas Brinkley, to give us the good, the bad, and the normal of President Biden’s first 100 days.
Thursday, May 6th, 2021
5:00pm-6:00pm
LISTEN:
WATCH:
Click to listen to our podcast, and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a new episode!
David Frum is a staff writer at the Atlantic. Frum is the author of ten books, most recently TRUMPOCALYPSE: Restoring American Democracy(HarperCollins, 2020). His first book, Dead Right, won praise from William F. Buckley as “the most refreshing intellectual experience in a generation” and from Frank Rich in the New York Times as “the smartest book written from the inside about the American conservative movement.” In National Review, John Podhoretz hailed Frum’s history of the 1970s, How We Got Here, as “an audacious act of revisionism, written in a voice and style so original it deserves to be called revolutionary.” Arianna Huffington said of Frum’s 2012 novel, Patriots, “David Frum is someone who fearlessly speaks his mind, regardless of where the chips may fall, so it’s no surprise he’s able to convey so much truth in his fiction.” Frum’s memoir of his service in the George W. Bush administration, The Right Man, was a New York Times bestseller, as was his 2018 book, Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic.
David Frum has been active in Republican politics since the first Reagan campaign of 1980. From 2014 through 2017, Frum served as chairman of the board of trustees of the leading UK center-right think tank, Policy Exchange. In 2001-2002, he served as speechwriter and special assistant to President George W. Bush.
David Frum holds a BA and MA in history from Yale and a law degree from Harvard, where he served as President of the Federalist Society.
Douglas Brinkley is one of the most prominent historians in the U.S. — and CNN's presidential historian - having charted American history and significant figures for decades. He is also the official Presidential Historian for The New York Historical Society, an essayist, and a prolific and renowned biographer. He has published over three dozen highly acclaimed books, including many discerning biographies and shrewdly edited collections of presidents and presidential records. His subjects have ranged from Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, FDR, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon to the life of Rosa Parks, Hurricane Katrina, the space race and American Catholicism.
Currently, Brinkley is an esteemed professor at Rice University as the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History, He is also a member of the Century Association, Council of Foreign Relations and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. His early teaching career included positions at the U.S. Naval Academy, Princeton, and Hofstra University. At Hofstra, he spearheaded an acclaimed American Odyssey course which took students across the country in a sleeper bus, visiting historical sites and meeting with cultural icons and is the subject of his travelogue The Majic Bus.
“Trump – Year One” Panel
The Common Good hosted a panel of specialists for a stimulating examination of one of the most extraordinary first 12 months in modern presidential history. We brought the best and the brightest to break it down – with questions like; What is the impact of this President on our politics, on our institutions, on our economy, on our democratic norms and values, on our international power and prestige? Where are we now? Where are we headed?
The Common Good hosted a panel of specialists for a stimulating examination of one of the most extraordinary first 12 months in modern presidential history.
We brought the best and the brightest to break it down – with questions like; What is the impact of this President on our politics, on our institutions, on our economy, on our democratic norms and values, on our international power and prestige? Where are we now? Where are we headed?
listen:
WATCH:
Douglas Brinkley is an award-winning presidential historian and best-selling author covering American Presidents including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. He is currently professor of history at Rice University and a CNN Presidential Historian. The Chicago Tribune has dubbed him “America’s new past master.”
Roger Cohen is a New York Times columnist with an international perspective. Cohen was a foreign correspondent for more than a decade before becoming foreign editor of the New York Times, and has been a columnist there since 2009. Mr. Cohen has written several books including: “Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo,” an account of the wars of Yugoslavia’s destruction, co-authored a biography of Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, and a family memoir. Raised in South Africa and England, he is a naturalized American.
David Frum is Senior Editor at the Atlantic Monthly. He served as a speechwriter and special assistant to President George W. Bush, and later a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, He is the author of nine books, including the New York Times bestseller The Right Man. David Frum’s latest book is Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic. Frum has been listed as one of the most influential public intellectuals in North America.
Dana Perino served as White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush. She currently serves as co-host of FOX News Channel’s “The Five” and anchors “The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino.” While at the network, Perino has contributed to live top-rated election and political coverage. She is the president of Dana Perino and Company, and a frequent public speaker on political trends.
Edward Rollins has long been considered one of America’s premier political strategists and communication experts. He has managed political campaigns for candidates and initiatives in this country and around the world. Mr. Rollins managed President Ronald Reagan’s 49 state landslide reelection campaign in 1984 in which President Reagan won more electoral votes than any President in history.
Interested in attending future events?
The Common Good has been hosting events since 2006 that cover important issues of today, highlighting speakers who have worked to bolster our democracy and can provide great insight on the issues that matter.