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Katharina Pistor

Katharina Pistor

Writing for PS since 2000
34 commentaries

Katharina Pistor, Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School, is the author of The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality (Princeton University Press, 2019).

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  1. Will Boeing Crash Shareholder Value?
    pistor34_NTSB via Getty Images_boeing NTSB via Getty Images

    Will Boeing Crash Shareholder Value?

    Apr 10, 2024 Katharina Pistor sees the troubled company as a textbook example of a broader problem afflicting corporate governance.

  2. Elon Musk and the Absolutist Revival
    pistor33-napoleon musk

    Elon Musk and the Absolutist Revival

    Feb 13, 2024 Katharina Pistor laments the modern cult of the CEO, which allows corporate leaders to pick and choose their own laws.

  3. Katharina Pistor on financial risk, wealth creation, digital currencies, and more
    basu50_sasun1990GettyImages_businessmanbooksmoney sasun1990/Getty Images

    Katharina Pistor on financial risk, wealth creation, digital currencies, and more

    Jan 23, 2024 Katharina Pistor highlights the government’s role in perpetuating financial-sector fragility, urges stronger enforcement of legal accountability for political leaders, explains why trading nature derivatives should not be confused with protecting nature, and more.

  4. In AI, Capital Wins Again
    pistor30_Justin SullivanGetty Images_sam altman Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    In AI, Capital Wins Again

    Nov 28, 2023 Katharina Pistor shows why OpenAI’s efforts to preserve its founding non-profit mission never stood any chance.

  5. How Finance Became the Problem
    pistor29_Selcuk1Getty Images_money Selcuk1/Getty Images

    How Finance Became the Problem

    Oct 5, 2023 Katharina Pistor catalogues the high costs of transforming almost every political challenge into a priceable asset.

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  1. schiffrin10_Mark WilsonGetty Images_journalists Mark Wilson/Getty Images

    Quality Journalism Is More Important than Ever

    Anya Schiffrin, et al. explain how policymakers can support rigorous, objective reporting, just as they provide other public goods.
  2. wei60_MANJUNATH KIRANAFP via Getty Images_india population MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images

    Is India’s Economy Overhyped?

    Shang-Jin Wei argues that the country’s rapid development, while undeniable, conceals deeper structural problems.
  3. krake1_Celal GunesAnadolu via Getty Images_spring meetings Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Negotiating a Bigger, Better World Bank

    Michael Krake & Wempi Saputra explain how a new framework will nudge countries to invest in projects that deliver global public goods.
  4. redford1_Getty Images_earth conservation Getty Images

    The Ozone Layer’s Recovery Shows How to Protect the Planet

    Robert Redford & Xiye Bastida highlight the critical role of international cooperation in preserving the planet’s habitability.
  5. kuttab59_AFP via Getty Images_hamas war AFP via Getty Images

    The Middle East Needs a Ceasefire Now

    Daoud Kuttab explains why the latest escalation could lead to a truce instead of an all-out military showdown.
  6. moreiradasilva2_JOHN WESSELSAFP via Getty Images_internally displaced mozambique JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images

    Overcoming the Development-Project Implementation Gap

    Jorge Moreira da Silva highlights ways to strengthen the International Development Association’s already-powerful impact.
  7. diwan27_ LUIS TATOAFP via Getty Images_kenya green energy LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images

    Developing Countries’ Liquidity Crisis Is Not Over

    Ishac Diwan & Vera Songwe urge global policymakers to prevent mass insolvency and finance urgent climate projects.
  8. rodrik221_SAUL LOEBAFP via Getty Images_bidenintel Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    America’s Manufacturing Renaissance Will Create Few Good Jobs

    Dani Rodrik

    Many countries’ recent experiences show that boosting manufacturing employment is like chasing a fast-receding target. Automation and skill-biased technology have made it extremely unlikely that manufacturing can be the labor-absorbing activity it once was, which means that the future of “good jobs” must be created in services.

    shows why policies to boost employment in the twenty-first century ultimately must focus on services.
  9. GettyImages-148081044

    Minxin Pei on China’s economy, surveillance state, repression of dissent, and more

    Minxin Pei doubts China’s government is willing to do what is needed to restore growth, describes the low-tech approaches taken by the country’s vast security apparatus, considers the Chinese social-credit system’s repressive potential, and more.

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