Skip to main content

J. Bradford DeLong

J. Bradford DeLong

Writing for PS since 2002
264 commentaries

J. Bradford DeLong, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and the author of Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century (Basic Books, 2022). He was Deputy Assistant US Treasury Secretary during the Clinton Administration, where he was heavily involved in budget and trade negotiations. His role in designing the bailout of Mexico during the 1994 peso crisis placed him at the forefront of Latin America’s transformation into a region of open economies, and cemented his stature as a leading voice in economic-policy debates.

Sort by: Show:
  1. Trump’s Smoke and Mirrors
    delong267_Chip SomodevillaGetty Images_whitehousepress Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    Trump’s Smoke and Mirrors

    Feb 7, 2025 J. Bradford DeLong upbraids US journalists for refusing to distinguish bluster from genuine policy initiatives.

  2. American Idiots
    delong266_Michael SwensenGetty Image_musk Michael Swensen/Getty Images

    American Idiots

    Dec 23, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong considers the implications of Donald Trump and friends' effort to orchestrate an unnecessary government shutdown.

  3. Misinformation Decided the US Election
    delong265_LEONARDO MUNOZAFP via Getty Images_election LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

    Misinformation Decided the US Election

    Nov 11, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong asks why Donald Trump’s supporters overwhelmingly held a distorted view of the country’s situation.

  4. Enjoy the Soft Landing
    dahn1_Mark WilsonGetty Images_USfederalreserve Mark Wilson/Getty Images

    Enjoy the Soft Landing

    Oct 9, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong marvels at the continued strength of the US economy following rapid monetary-policy tightening.

  5. America Has No Alternative to Industrial Policy
    delong263_MEGAN JELINGERAFP via Getty Images_USindustrysteel Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images

    America Has No Alternative to Industrial Policy

    Sep 5, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong thinks new threats to economic security outweigh the reasons for opposing government-led development.

Follow J. Bradford DeLong

Never miss a commentary by J. Bradford DeLong

  1. ghosh85_NOAH SEELAMAFP via Getty Images_indiaaadhaar Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images

    Weaponizing Data Against Democracy

    Jayati Ghosh explains why and how authoritarian leaders like Narendra Modi hide or manipulate official figures.
  2. james227_Central PressGettyImages_neville_chamberlain_munich_pact Central Press/Getty Images

    Alternatives to Trump’s Russia Appeasement

    Harold James explains how France and Britain can guarantee Ukraine’s security now that America has effectively surrendered.
  3. op_malmendier1_ INA FASSBENDERAFP via Getty Images_germanyrailway Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

    Germany at a Crossroads

    Ulrike Malmendier, et al.

    Despite its ongoing economic stagnation and aging population, Germany’s outlook is far from hopeless. But to restore its growth momentum, it must embrace the realities of the twenty-first century, invest in high-potential emerging sectors, and adapt to an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.

    urge policymakers to pursue bold structural reforms, rather than clinging to an outdated growth model.
  4. cnobre2_CARL DE SOUZAAFP via Getty Images_amazonfire Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images

    The Amazon’s Future Will Be Decided in 2025

    Carlos Nobre & Marielos Peña-Claros warn that the world's largest rainforest is reaching a tipping point, beyond which it will largely disappear.
  5. zizek42_Andrej IsakovicGettyImages_serbia_student_protests Andrej Isakovic/Getty Images

    The New Face of Protest

    Slavoj Žižek contrasts the pioneering mass student demonstrations in Serbia with widespread private resignation in China.
  6. lee54_Ed JonesGettyImages_korea_elderly_worker Ed Jones/Getty Images

    Reaping Asia’s Silver Demographic Dividend

    Lee Jong-Wha urges governments to develop integrated policies that encourage older adults to stay in the workforce.
  7. ekue1_Peter DazeleyGettyImages_green_jar_coins Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

    Getting Green Investment Where It’s Needed Most

    Serge Ekué & Javier Díaz Fajardo propose a strategy to redirect all financial flows toward the climate transition.
  8. kallot1_pixdeluxeGetty Images_africaAI pixdeluxe/Getty Images

    The Global South Needs to Own Its AI Revolution

    Kate Kallot explains how these countries can advance a community-driven approach to the emerging technology.
  9. adebajo13_Alexis HuguetGettyImages_goma_m23_conflict Alexis Huguet/Getty Images

    Africa’s Year of Warlords and Meddlers

    Adekeye Adebajo foresees growing instability and more foreign interference on the continent in 2025.

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification

To receive email updates regarding this {entity_type}, please enter your email below.

If you are not already registered, this will create a PS account for you. You should receive an activation email shortly.