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Curated by Project Syndicate

Anti-Globalization Goes Global

14 commentaries

From America to Europe and beyond, populists like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and Britain’s “Brexiteers” have been lifted by a wave of resentment against free-trade deals, immigration, and remote, supposedly out-of-touch elites. Can political leaders acknowledge and address the real shortcomings of a system that has lifted unprecedented numbers of people out of poverty, without pandering to economic quackery?

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  1. Globalization for Everyone
    soto3_PhotoAlto_Milena Boniek_Getty Images_globalization PhotoAlto/Milena Boniek/Getty Images

    Globalization for Everyone

    Sep 19, 2016 Hernando de Soto proposes an entirely new approach to ensuring that the benefits of interconnectedness are shared.

  2. Taming the Populists
    protests in France Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images

    Taming the Populists

    Aug 18, 2016 Javier Solana calls on national leaders to address the economic grievances fueling support for populism.

  3. The Real Roots of Populism
    velasco64_Hanquan Chen_Getty Images_flags Hanquan Chen/Getty Images

    The Real Roots of Populism

    Jul 28, 2016 Andrés Velasco questions the conventional wisdom blaming "neoliberalism" for the rise of menacing political forces.

  4. The Globalization Disconnect
    roach67_Olivier Douliery_Stringer_tpp protest Olivier Douliery/Stringer

    The Globalization Disconnect

    Jul 25, 2016 Stephen S. Roach urges his fellow free-trade advocates to address the populist backlash head-on.

  5. Poor Leadership Makes Bad Globalization
    castaneda54_Spencer Platt_Getty Images_jobs Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Poor Leadership Makes Bad Globalization

    Jul 20, 2016 Jorge G. Castañeda says that policymakers don't care about victims of trade because they don't believe they have to.

  6. The Case for Constructive Populism
    dervis60_Jeff Swensen_Stringer_trump RNC Jeff Swensen/Stringer

    The Case for Constructive Populism

    Jul 20, 2016 Kemal Derviş rejects recent calls for "responsible nationalism" as a way to counter the likes of Donald Trump.

  1. goldberg28_DENIS BALIBOUSEPOOLAFP via Getty Images_wto Denis Balibouse/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    Why Have Developing Countries Soured on Multilateralism?

    Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg traces the roots of dissatisfaction to advanced economies' use of bodies like the World Trade Organization.
  2. stiglitz331_serggnGetty Images_techregulation serggn/Getty Images

    A Big Defeat for Big Tech

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    Tech companies know that if there is an open, democratic debate about data security, consumers’ concerns about digital safeguards will win out. And while the industry's lobbyists tried to ensure that no such debate could ever occur, one of their more cynical moves has now been exposed and thwarted.

    details how the industry tried to slip extraordinary protections against regulation into US trade agreements.
  3. zizek27_Giles ClarkeGetty Images_jimmycherizier Giles Clarke/Getty Images

    Haiti’s Proud Boys

    Slavoj Žižek

    If we measure a failed state by the cracks in the edifice of its power, reflected in brewing ideological civil wars, deadlocked assemblies, and increasingly insecure public spaces, we must recognize that the United States is not so unlike Haiti. Both have given rise to violent gangs with political ambitions.

    warns that rich Western democracies are not immune to politically motivated gang violence.
  4. hedegaard11_y Dursun AydemirAnadolu via Getty Images_parliament elections Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Unity Is Europe’s Greatest Asset

    Connie Hedegaard emphasizes the importance of stability amid persistent economic and geopolitical crises.
  5. qian34_PEDRO PARDOAFP via Getty Images_immigration PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

    The Truth About US Immigration

    Nancy Qian warns that overheated campaign-season rhetoric is dangerously polarizing and ultimately self-defeating.
  6. mueller51_ David McNewGetty Images_gop trump David McNew/Getty Images

    The Zombification of Political Parties

    Jan-Werner Mueller argues that Donald Trump’s capture of the GOP’s organizational machinery recalls authoritarian tactics elsewhere.
  7. basu100_David Dee DelgadoGetty Images_newyork David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    The Economic Consequences of Legal Behavior

    Kaushik Basu highlights the potential benefits of emphasizing adherence to the spirit of laws, if not their letter.
  8. brown106_KOLA SULAIMONAFP via Getty Images_nigeriaschool Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

    For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First

    Gordon Brown writes that the latest mass abduction of students underscores the dilemma facing parents throughout the country.
  9. owoo1_disabled iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Give Women with Disabilities a Chance

    Nkechi S. Owoo explains what is needed to protect and empower one of the world’s most vulnerable demographic groups.

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