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Simon Johnson

Simon Johnson

Writing for PS since 2007
173 commentaries

Simon Johnson, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, is a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Faculty Director of MIT’s Shaping the Future of Work initiative, and Co-Chair of the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council. He is a co-author (with Daron Acemoglu) of Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity (PublicAffairs, 2023). 

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  1. Russian Revisionism and the Sources of Western Weakness
    johnson175_ Alexander ManzyukAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_russian oil Alexander Manzyuk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    Russian Revisionism and the Sources of Western Weakness

    Apr 2, 2024 Simon Johnson & Oleg Ustenko explain why Vladimir Putin’s effort to revise the post-Cold War geopolitical order could succeed.

  2. Putin’s Silk Road Around Sanctions
    rbrooks1_Markus Scholzpicture alliance via Getty Images_germanyshipping Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Putin’s Silk Road Around Sanctions

    Feb 29, 2024 Robin Brooks & Simon Johnson urge Europe and the G7 to stop the re-export of Western goods to Russia from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

  3. Dark Offshore Money Threatens Democracy
    james173_Getty Images_offshore accounts Getty Images

    Dark Offshore Money Threatens Democracy

    Jan 2, 2024 Simon Johnson & Daron Acemoglu call for a crackdown on the dozens of tax havens around the world and reform of financial secrecy laws.

  4. Kissinger’s Opening to China Will Haunt American Politics in 2024
    acemoglu67_Getty Images_kissinger china Getty Images

    Kissinger’s Opening to China Will Haunt American Politics in 2024

    Dec 15, 2023 Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson show how US economic policies based solely on realpolitik have backfired but still cast a shadow.

  5. Western Firms Should Leave China Now
    johnson171_Mark Schiefelbein - PoolGetty Images_US china Mark Schiefelbein - Pool/Getty Images

    Western Firms Should Leave China Now

    Dec 4, 2023 Simon Johnson, et al. argue that the strategy of economic engagement has failed to mitigate the Chinese regime’s behavior.

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  1. castaneda88_GERARDO MENOSCALAFP via Getty Images_latin america safety GERARDO MENOSCAL/AFP via Getty Images
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    From Welfare State to Safe State in Latin America

    Jorge G. Castañeda & Carlos Ominami urge the region’s progressives to start treating security as an essential component of social protection.
  2. ocampo57_Celal GunesAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_imf Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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    The Urgency of Sovereign-Debt Restructuring

    José Antonio Ocampo highlights the need for a comprehensive mechanism to deliver relief to low- and middle-income countries.
  3. fischer215_Mostafa AlkharoufAnadolu via Getty Images_tel aviv iran attack Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images
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    The Gaza War Goes Global

    Joschka Fischer

    The escalating war in the Middle East must be understood in a broader context. The fact that the Iranian regime felt emboldened to risk a direct strike on Israel attests to a changing world order in which Western power is increasingly open to challenge.

     considers the implications of Iran’s unprecedented decision to launch a direct strike on Israeli territory.
  4. nyirinkindi1_ISAAC KASAMANIAFP via Getty Images_women phone fintech ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP via Getty Images
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    Gender-Neutral Fintech Isn’t Working for Women

    Emmanuel Nyirinkindi & Jessica Schnabel show that the industry is not fully delivering on its promise to accelerate financial inclusion.
  5. evans72_Alex WongGetty Images_palestine statehood Alex Wong/Getty Images
    1

    The Urgency of Palestinian Statehood

    Gareth Evans explains why formal international recognition is crucial to ending the intolerable status quo.
  6. schiffrin10_Mark WilsonGetty Images_journalists Mark Wilson/Getty Images
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    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.
  7. wei60_MANJUNATH KIRANAFP via Getty Images_india population MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images
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    Is India’s Economy Overhyped?

    Shang-Jin Wei argues that the country’s rapid development, while undeniable, conceals deeper structural problems.
  8. krake1_Celal GunesAnadolu via Getty Images_spring meetings Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
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    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.
  9. redford1_Getty Images_earth conservation Getty Images
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    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.

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