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Simon Johnson

Simon Johnson

Writing for PS since 2007
172 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. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. America’s Real China Problem
    acemoglu65_Que HureVCG via Getty Images_chinese factory Que Hure/VCG via Getty Images

    America’s Real China Problem

    Nov 6, 2023 Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson shine a light on the institutions underpinning US rivals’ apparent strengths and comparative advantages.

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  1. bp immigration Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    The Immigration Tinderbox

    In the United States and Europe, immigration tends to divide people into opposing camps: those who claim that newcomers undermine economic opportunity and security for locals, and those who argue that welcoming migrants and refugees is a moral and economic imperative. How should one make sense of a debate that is often based on motivated reasoning, with emotion and underlying biases affecting the selection and interpretation of evidence?

  2. arezki19_MARCO LONGARIAFP via Getty Images_senegalelection Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images

    Senegal’s Election and Africa’s Future

    Rabah Arezki considers what Bassirou Diomaye Faye's presidency could mean for one of Africa's most closely watched democracies.
  3. disparte5_ Kevin DietschGetty Images_FSOC Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

    America Must Lead on Crypto Regulation

    Dante Alighieri Disparte

    To maintain its position as a global rule-maker and avoid becoming a rule-taker, the United States must use the coming year to promote clarity and confidence in the digital-asset market. The US faces three potential paths to maintaining its competitive edge in crypto: regulation, legislation, and designation.

    urges policymakers to take decisive action and set new rules for the industry in 2024.
  4. gul6_Hasan MradDeFodi Images via Getty Images_ghannouchi Hasan Mrad/De Fodi Images via Getty Images

    Rached Ghannouchi’s Plight Deserves More Attention

    Abdullah Gül decries the prosecution and imprisonment of Tunisia's widely respected avatar of Islamic democracy.
  5. okonjoiweala27_GIUSEPPE CACACEAFP via Getty Images_WTO13ministerialconference Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images

    WTO Reform Is Everyone’s Responsibility

    Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

    The World Trade Organization’s most recent ministerial conference concluded with a few positive outcomes demonstrating that meaningful change is possible, though there were some disappointments. A successful agenda of reforms will require more members – particularly emerging markets and developing economies – to take the lead.

    writes that meaningful change will come only when members other than the US help steer the organization.
  6. bloomberg7_Chris HondrosGetty Images_UScaloriesmenu Chris Hondros/Getty Images

    What Can Stop the Shortening of American Lives?

    Michael R. Bloomberg shows how a loss of public trust in public-health professionals is undercutting US life expectancy.
  7. roach163_ROBERTO SCHMIDTAFP via Getty Images_mikegallagher Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

    American Sinophobia

    Stephen S. Roach warns that fear has driven US policymakers to level a litany of unsubstantiated charges against China.
  8. kabubomariara2_Gerald AndersonAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_motherkenya Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    Africa’s Prosperity Depends on Achieving Gender Equality

    Jane Kabubo-Mariara outlines steps policymakers can take to redistribute unpaid domestic work among households and communities.
  9. lacroix2_ Michael GonzalezGetty Images_texasUSflags Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images

    Texas and the Perpetual Crisis of American Federalism

    Alison L. LaCroix highlights the constitutional threat posed by the state's attempt to impose its own immigration policy.

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