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James A. Robinson

James A. Robinson

8 commentaries

James A. Robinson, Institute Director of the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, is University Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. He is the co-author (with Daron Acemoglu) of The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty, and Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty.

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  1. Why Taiwan Matters
    acemoglu51_ Central News AgencyHandoutGetty Images_pelositaiwan Central News Agency/Handout/Getty Images

    Why Taiwan Matters

    Aug 9, 2022 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson see the island as evidence against culturally deterministic explanations of authoritarianism and democracy.

  2. Why Trumpian Populism Failed
    jarobinson7_Joe RaedleGetty Images_trump cpac rally Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Why Trumpian Populism Failed

    Mar 9, 2021 James A. Robinson shows how US democratic institutions prevailed, and why they remain vulnerable to wannabe autocrats.

  3. How to Stem Ukraine’s Corruption
    acemoglu11_Spencer PlattGetty Images_ukrainegirlflowerstape Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How to Stem Ukraine’s Corruption

    Oct 14, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson show that it takes a society-wide effort for countries to escape the grip of kleptocratic institutions.

  4. The Constitution Won’t Save American Democracy
    acemoglu10_Brendan SmialowskiGetty Images_constitution Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

    The Constitution Won’t Save American Democracy

    Sep 24, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson argue that only social mobilization can remove the threat President Donald Trump poses to US institutions.

  5. Istanbul Shows How Democracy Is Won
    acemoglu8_ Burak KaraGetty Images_imamoglu istanbul Burak Kara/Getty Images

    Istanbul Shows How Democracy Is Won

    Jun 25, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson draw lessons from the opposition's victory over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian party.

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    Megan Greene and Hindou Ibrahim

    Oct 3, 2022

    Megan Greene is a senior fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School and a member of the Regenerative Crisis Response Committee.

    Hindou Ibrahim is Founder and President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad and Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change.

  2. roubini167_Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images_stock market falling Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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    The Stagflationary Debt Crisis Is Here

    Nouriel Roubini

    The Great Moderation has given way to the Great Stagflation, which will be characterized by instability and a confluence of slow-motion negative supply shocks. US and global equities are already back in a bear market, and the scale of the crisis that awaits has not even been fully priced in yet.

     sees the latest market turmoil as a long-anticipated reckoning for bad policies and negative supply shocks.
  3. fischer197_SERGEI SUPINSKYAFP via Getty Images_russiaukrainewar Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images
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    The Cold War Is Back

    Joschka Fischer explains what the new Russian military and nuclear threat means for the European Union.
  4. johnson154_Danish DefenceAnadolu Agency via Getty Images)_nordstreamattack Danish Defence/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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    Putin Escalates, Europe Hesitates

    Simon Johnson urges European leaders to take three steps to counter Russia's illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory.
  5. Investing-In-Health-For-All_Thumbnail_FinalPlay
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    PS Events: Investing in Health for All

    PS editors present the Investing in Health for All event.
  6. sinn106_DANIEL ROLANDPOOLAFP via Getty Images_ecb lagarde DANIEL ROLAND/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
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    The ECB Has Been Driving EU Inflation

    Hans-Werner Sinn explains how the European Central Bank has contributed to soaring prices, including for energy.
  7. teixeira1_ LUIS ROBAYOAFP via Getty Images_bolsonaroclimatechange Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images
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    The Populist Climate Threat

    Izabella Teixeira, et al. warn that right-wing nationalists and other political opportunists could normalize inaction.
  8. rogoff228_Chris J RatcliffeGetty Images_pound low Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
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    Britain Is Not an Emerging Market – Yet

    Kenneth Rogoff

    In response to British Prime Minister Liz Truss’s “mini-budget,” financial markets have sent the pound spinning to its lowest level ever, with no bottom in sight. While talk of an outright UK default is overblown, it is not unreasonable to anticipate a painful reckoning just short of that outcome.

     considers the implications of the new government’s poorly received economic-policy package.
  9. delong245_Samuel CorumGetty Image_jeromepowell Samuel Corum/Getty Images
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    When the Fed Stops Trying

    J. Bradford DeLong worries that the world's most important central bank is no longer looking for an optimal policy path.

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