Simon Johnson, a former chief economist of the IMF, is a professor at MIT Sloan, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and co-founder of a leading economics blog, The Baseline Scenario. He is the co-author, with James Kwak, of White House Burning: The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why It Matters to You.
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Simon Johnson
Commentaries by Simon Johnson
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Boards on Their Backs
WASHINGTON, DC – The recent governance controversy at JPMorgan Chase has masked a much larger issue. Regardless of Jamie Dimon’s victory in …
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Big Banks’ Tall Tales
WASHINGTON, DC – There are two competing narratives about recent financial-reform efforts and the dangers that very large banks now pose aro…
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Austerity’s Children
WASHINGTON, DC – When economists discuss “fiscal adjustment,” they typically frame it as an abstract and complex goal. But the issue is actu…
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The Political Importance of Elizabeth Warren
WASHINGTON, DC – Financial reform in the United States and worldwide hangs in the balance. The problems that brought us the terrible crisis …
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Germany’s Gold Delusion
WASHINGTON, DC – Germany’s gold is on the move. For the first time since official gold transactions became more transparent, the Bundesbank …
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Financial Reform’s Breakthrough Year
ZANZIBAR – Here’s an odd prediction for the coming year: 2013 will be a watershed for financial reform. True, while the global financial cri…
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America’s Fiscal Cliff Dwellers
WASHINGTON, DC – In early 2012, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke used the term “fiscal cliff” to grab the attention of lawmakers and th…
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Too Big To Handle
WASHINGTON, DC – In the discussion of whether America’s largest financial institutions have become too big, a sea change in opinion is under…
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Mitt and the Moochers
WASHINGTON, DC – The Republican Party has some potentially winning themes for America’s presidential and congressional elections in November…
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America’s Exceptional Fiscal Conservatism
WASHINGTON, DC – In most countries, to be “fiscally conservative” means to worry a great deal about the budget deficit and debt levels – and…
Boards on Their Backs
Liz Banker: Had the per share value been low as it is with its nearest TBTF competitor, the outcome of last Tuesday's referendum on Mr. Dimon would have been different; (Exhibit A: BofA's acquisition of CW; Kenne…
Boards on Their Backs
Frank O'Callaghan: The big banks are not essential to the functioning of the economy. They are essential to it's dysfunction. These financial institutions have destroyed much wealth and mis-allocated more. They have …