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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. brown118_Wakil KohsarGettyImages_afghan_girls_school Wakil Kohsar/Getty Images

    The Internal Challenge to Afghanistan’s Ban on Girls’ Secondary Education

    Gordon Brown explains why the country’s leadership crisis represents an opportunity to end gender apartheid.
  2. jmccarthy1_CRISTINA ALDEHUELAAFP via Getty Images_cocoaghana Cristina Aldehuela/AFP via Getty Images

    Central Banks Must Stem the Nature Crisis

    Julie McCarthy urges monetary authorities to use their tools to mitigate the financial risks of environmental disruption.
  3. dudley1_Justin TallisGettyImages_tether Justin Tallis/Getty Images

    The US Needs Stablecoin Legislation Now

    Bill Dudley

    Without a robust regulatory framework that incentivizes stablecoin issuers to register in the United States, stablecoin activity will migrate to countries with weaker rules, increasing the likelihood of financial instability. Fortunately, the US can still head off these risks and reap the technology’s benefits.

    explains why lawmakers need to move quickly to establish US leadership in digital assets and payments.
  4. krueger85_Justin SullivanGetty Images_UScarstrade Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    Tariff Man Doubles Down

    Anne O. Krueger warns that the Trump administration’s trade restrictions will harm the very industries they aim to protect.
  5. lachman3_Charly TriballeauGettyImages_us_economy_eggs Charly Triballeau/Getty Images

    America Looks Like a Troubled Emerging-Market Economy

    Desmond Lachman

    Under US President Donald Trump’s erratic rule, the United States is now exhibiting all the symptoms, from high import tariffs and fiscal deficits, to oligarchy and flagrant corruption. Worse, the fallout cannot be confined to the US, and no multilateral bailout or structural adjustment plan can mitigate the damage.

    lists the symptoms, from tariffs and massive public debt, to oligarchy and flagrant conflicts of interest.
  6. fofack29_eric1513Getty Images_dedollarization eric1513/Getty Images

    Will Trump Destroy the Dollar’s Primacy?

    Within its first two months, President Donald Trump’s second administration has attacked US institutions, alienated trade partners and allies, decimated consumer and investor confidence, and sent the stock market plummeting. Can the dollar’s status as the world’s leading reserve currency – and the extraordinary advantages this affords the US economy – withstand the onslaught?

  7. moyo32_Anton PetrusGettyImages_ai_money Anton Petrus/Getty Images

    Will AI Mean Higher Taxes?

    Dambisa Moyo warns business leaders that automation-driven efficiency gains may come with hidden long-term costs.
  8. gbrowne1_Thomas SamsonGettyImages_fossil_fuel_non_proliferation_treaty Thomas Samson/Getty Images

    A Defining Moment for Energy Security and Economic Prosperity

    Gaston Browne points out that the energy transition is vital not only to protect the planet, but also to enhance resilience.
  9. norrlof10_Picture AllianceGettyImages_lng_terminal_baltic_sea Picture Alliance/Getty Images

    How Much “Weaponization” Can the Global Economy Take?

    Carla Norrlöf worries that major powers’ understandable reliance on economic coercion will go too far.

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