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Harold James

Harold James

Writing for PS since 2001
225 commentaries
2 videos & podcasts

Harold James is Professor of History and International Affairs at Princeton University. A specialist on German economic history and on globalization, he is a co-author of The Euro and The Battle of Ideas, and the author of The Creation and Destruction of Value: The Globalization Cycle, Krupp: A History of the Legendary German FirmMaking the European Monetary Union, The War of Words, and, most recently, Seven Crashes: The Economic Crises That Shaped Globalization (Yale University Press, 2023).

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  1. Trump’s Tariffs Are an Opportunity for Harris
    james222_Win McNameeGetty Images)_debate Win McNamee/Getty Images)

    Trump’s Tariffs Are an Opportunity for Harris

    Oct 7, 2024 Harold James urges the Democratic presidential candidate to reject the new consensus against free trade.

  2. The Future of Conservatism
    ps3q2024 predictions GettyImages-1958540720-fade_AW Getty Images

    The Future of Conservatism

    Sep 9, 2024 Elizabeth Corey, et al. consider whether the populist “new right” in America, Europe, and elsewhere is here to stay.

  3. Who Will Create a New European Culture of Debate?
    james221_JOHN MACDOUGALLAFP via Getty Images_macron JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images

    Who Will Create a New European Culture of Debate?

    Aug 27, 2024 Harold James thinks the Franco-German twosome, historically Europe’s engine of integration, has become a spent force.

  4. Is the Polycrisis So Bad?
    james220_Getty Images_stopping crisis Getty Images

    Is the Polycrisis So Bad?

    Jul 31, 2024 Harold James suggests that the current moment is neither as unprecedented nor as bleak as many assume.

  5. The Trussing Hour
    james219_Alastair Grant - PoolGetty Images_liztrussmacron Alastair Grant/Pool/Getty Images

    The Trussing Hour

    Jul 2, 2024 Harold James worries that major elections this year could bring more fiscal irresponsibility and financial instability.

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  1. bremmer35_ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images_biden zelensky ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    Ukraine Needs Security Guarantees

    Ana Palacio views NATO as the only institution that can credibly safeguard the country’s sovereignty in the long term.
  2. bremmer35_getty images_ai governance Getty Images

    AI Is a Rare Bright Spot for Global Governance

    Ian Bremmer & Marietje Schaake

    A new Global Digital Compact rests on the insight that while AI can be a game-changing technology, managing its far-reaching potential requires a new global infrastructure and robust mechanisms to manage the risks. At a time when multilateralism is faltering, global cooperation remains possible.

    herald a new global compact that aims to manage the technology’s risks and unlock its potential.
  3. Renminbi bank notes Si Wei/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire

    What US Interest-Rate Cuts Mean for China

    Andrew Sheng & Xiao Geng point out that the Federal Reserve’s monetary easing gives Chinese policymakers room to fight deflation.
  4. dahn1_Mark WilsonGetty Images_USfederalreserve Mark Wilson/Getty Images

    Enjoy the Soft Landing

    J. Bradford DeLong marvels at the continued strength of the US economy following rapid monetary-policy tightening.
  5. gros190_ANDER GILLENEAAFP via Getty Images_solar panels ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images

    Policymakers’ Green-Tech Fantasy

    Daniel Gros refutes the widespread belief that renewables-related industries could form the foundation of a major economy.
  6. stiglitz331_serggnGetty Images_techregulation serggn/Getty Images

    Marietje Schaake on our tech overlords, antitrust, data protection, and more

    Marietje Schaake warns that Big Tech’s outsize influence threatens democracy, suggests what Western leaders can learn from Chinese technology governance, urges governments to use public procurement to influence the trajectory of digital technology, and more.
  7. fischer211_MAHMUD HAMSAFP via Getty Images_israel MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images

    Capitalizing on the Weakening of Hamas and Hezbollah

    Dennis Ross

    The massive losses suffered by Hezbollah and Hamas – and the weakening of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” – needs to be seen in strategic terms. Put simply, it creates an opening to transform for the better not just Gaza and Lebanon but also much of the region.

    thinks Israel’s decimation of Iran’s proxies in Gaza and Lebanon must be viewed in strategic terms.
  8. buruma218_ JACK GUEZAFP via Getty Images_crisis israel JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

    Warrior Nations of the Middle East

    Ian Buruma shows how shame and humiliation have shaped national identities that countenance further killing.
  9. haass167_ANATOLII STEPANOVAFP via Getty Images_ukrainesoldiers Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

    What Would Victory in Ukraine Look Like?

    Joseph S. Nye, Jr. considers what kind of peace settlement Ukraine might be able to accept in the near term.

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