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Curated by Project Syndicate

Shut Down and Print Up

9 commentaries

With the US Federal Reserve set to maintain its monetary stimulus, and congressional deadlock forcing the US government to shut down – and, worse, raising the prospect of default – America has become the wildcard of the global economy. Project Syndicate’s contributors assess the domestic and international implications of America's polarizing economic policies and dysfunctional politics.

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  1. The Founding Fathers’ Fiscal Crisis

    The Founding Fathers’ Fiscal Crisis

    Oct 2, 2013 Peter Singer on the constitutional roots of America's fiscal crisis.

  2. America’s Endless Budget Battle
    pa3861c.jpg Paul Lachine

    America’s Endless Budget Battle

    Oct 1, 2013 Kenneth Rogoff What a US Default Would Mean for America and the World

  3. The Taper Chase
    pa1468c.jpg Paul Lachine

    The Taper Chase

    Sep 30, 2013 Martin Feldstein on why the Fed postponed the QE taper.

  4. Don’t Cry for Me, Ben Bernanke
    dr10c.jpg Dean Rohrer

    Don’t Cry for Me, Ben Bernanke

    Sep 27, 2013 Simon Johnson on the consequences of extending QE in the US.

  5. The Taper and Its Shadow
    pa3234c.jpg Paul Lachine

    The Taper and Its Shadow

    Sep 27, 2013 J. Bradford DeLong on QE, interest rates, and systemic risk.

  6. Occupy QE
    pa4169c.jpg Paul Lachine

    Occupy QE

    Sep 25, 2013 Stephen S. Roach on the Fed and why continuing QE is a bad idea.

  1. kuttab59_AFP via Getty Images_hamas war AFP via Getty Images

    The Middle East Needs a Ceasefire Now

    Daoud Kuttab explains why the latest escalation could lead to a truce instead of an all-out military showdown.
  2. moreiradasilva2_JOHN WESSELSAFP via Getty Images_internally displaced mozambique JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images

    Overcoming the Development-Project Implementation Gap

    Jorge Moreira da Silva highlights ways to strengthen the International Development Association’s already-powerful impact.
  3. diwan27_ LUIS TATOAFP via Getty Images_kenya green energy LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images

    Developing Countries’ Liquidity Crisis Is Not Over

    Ishac Diwan & Vera Songwe urge global policymakers to prevent mass insolvency and finance urgent climate projects.
  4. rodrik221_SAUL LOEBAFP via Getty Images_bidenintel Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    America’s Manufacturing Renaissance Will Create Few Good Jobs

    Dani Rodrik

    Many countries’ recent experiences show that boosting manufacturing employment is like chasing a fast-receding target. Automation and skill-biased technology have made it extremely unlikely that manufacturing can be the labor-absorbing activity it once was, which means that the future of “good jobs” must be created in services.

    shows why policies to boost employment in the twenty-first century ultimately must focus on services.
  5. GettyImages-148081044

    Minxin Pei on China’s economy, surveillance state, repression of dissent, and more

    Minxin Pei doubts China’s government is willing to do what is needed to restore growth, describes the low-tech approaches taken by the country’s vast security apparatus, considers the Chinese social-credit system’s repressive potential, and more.
  6. alton1_ Mark KerrisonIn Pictures via Getty Images_end genocide protest Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images

    Who Should Decide If It’s Genocide?

    David Alton, et al. urge British policymakers to take a proactive approach to addressing mass-atrocity crimes.
  7. jlevy3_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_imfworldbankmeetings Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    The Bretton Woods Institutions We Need

    Joaquim Levy, et al. explain how the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank can rise to current global challenges.
  8. gill6_NIPAH DENNISAFP via Getty Images_poverty NIPAH DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

    The World Cannot Afford to Ignore the Poorest Countries

    Indermit Gill & M. Ayhan Kose warn that a growing gap between the world’s haves and have-nots will undercut global goals.
  9. summers14_TONY KARUMBAAFP via Getty Images_sudanfamine Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images

    The World Is Still on Fire

    Lawrence H. Summers & N.K. Singh

    For the last several years, world leaders have made big promises and laid out bold plans to mitigate the climate crisis and help the neediest countries adapt. At this year's World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, they must demonstrate that they can fulfill these promises, rather than simply touting new ones.

    think policymakers need to get four things right to shore up the credibility of the international system.

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