What some decry as protectionism and mercantilism is really a rebalancing toward addressing important national issues. The biggest risk to
The Global Economy’s Real Enemy is Geopolitics, Not Protectionism
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Economics
Labor Day and the Resurgent American Worker
Labor Day 2023 is a good time to reflect on the growing power of the American worker and the political and economic implications.
China Must Avoid a Debt-Deflation Spiral
With high debt levels and falling consumer and producer prices, China faces the prospect of a vicious cycle whereby lower demand leads to
Imagining a Keynesian Revival
Arguments between free market orthodoxy and intervention obscure the need for powerful economic leadership.
Is Japan-style Deflation Coming to China?
China’s economy suffers from excesses in real estate, slowing GDP growth and deflation. Those trends will be difficult to reverse. China’s
Why Is US Inflation Falling?
“Economists are much maligned for the bad forecasts. That criticism doesn’t hold up when it comes to falling US inflation.” However
The Populist Advantage
“Disenchantment with free markets, liberalization and globalization has opened the door to populist, simplistic ’solutions’. They
Why Debt is Too Often Misunderstood
Understanding how private, public, and foreign debt are interrelated yields important insights into the workings of the economy. It also leads
AI and the Productivity Imperative
As it stands, the global economic outlook for the next decade appears grim. But a broad-based surge in productivity – fueled by the targeted
China’s Recent Economic Woes Suggest There is Something Seriously Amiss
China’s economy is disappointing. Longstanding challenges related to a misallocation of resources and poor governance are at root.
Unlike China, India Cannot Be an Economic Superpower
Beginning in the mid-1980s, the prevailing belief among Indian and international observers was that the authoritarian Chinese regime would
Finding Growth in a Fractured World
The Chinese economy’s current travails illustrate the growth challenges facing many other countries around the world. By re-engineering
Currency, Conflict, and Global Order
A more divided world does not imply the demise of the dollar’s central role in the global economic and financial system.
How Painful Will Disinflation Be?
Bringing down inflation often requires recession. But might this time be different? Much depends on restoring the balance between job vacancies
Flexible Exchange Rates and Emerging Markets
Starting in the 1990s – and faster since 2000 – emerging-market economies floated their currencies, hoping to insulate themselves from
America’s Mythical Fiscal Conservatives
The United States’ debt-to-GDP ratio, which improved during the inflationary spike of 2021-22, is expected to increase as inflation cools
What the Paris Finance Summit Must Do
Western countries must join the effort to transform multilateral financial institutions, even if it means ceding some of their own influence
Revisiting the Behavioral Revolution in Economics
Behavioral science has upended economics, but has not yet sufficiently changed it.
The US Debt Ceiling Debacle Is Not Over
The latest last-minute deal to raise the US debt limit does not solve the underlying political problem. On the contrary, with the country
Debt and Dysfunction in America
The latest debt-ceiling drama playing out in Washington is more worrying than usual. Even if President Joe Biden and congressional Republicans
Washington’s New Narrative for the Global Economy
While the Biden administration’s economic agenda represents a welcome departure from past Democratic presidencies, its latest actions against
The Overwhelming Case for CBDCs
‘Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) offer monetary policy powerful countercyclical tools. Central banks would be foolish not to adopt
Neoliberalism’s Final Stronghold
As the world moves on from four decades of neoliberalism, the Economist remains faithful to the orthodoxy of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan,
China’s Abandoned Illusion of High Growth
China is moving away from growth for growth’s sake. Instead, the focus is on balanced growth and macroeconomic stability.