Skip to main content

Curated by Project Syndicate

Most Read of 2015

10 commentaries

The year that just ended witnessed an extraordinary array of economic and political challenges, including disunion in Europe, decelerating Chinese growth, and deepening turmoil in the Middle East. Understand what happened – and what to expect – with the year's ten most-read Project Syndicate commentaries.

Sort by: Show:
  1. The Trans-Pacific Free-Trade Charade
    Big city skyline

    The Trans-Pacific Free-Trade Charade

    Oct 2, 2015 Joseph E. Stiglitz & Adam S. Hersh warn that the biggest regional trade and investment agreement in history is not what it seems.

  2. Economists vs. Economics
    Paul Krugman Panayiotis Tzamaros/ZumaPress

    Economists vs. Economics

    Sep 10, 2015 Dani Rodrik examines the recent wave of criticism of the discipline by its leading figures.

  3. Europe’s Attack on Greek Democracy
    lines at greek atms Panayiotis Tzamaros/ZumaPress

    Europe’s Attack on Greek Democracy

    Jun 29, 2015 Joseph E. Stiglitz explains what is really at stake in this weekend’s referendum.

  4. The Liquidity Time Bomb
    pocket watch Viewminder/Flickr

    The Liquidity Time Bomb

    May 31, 2015 Nouriel Roubini warns that policy measures to reduce short-term market volatility have increased long-term risk.

  5. The Education Myth
    Vermont schoolhouse Don Shall/Flickr

    The Education Myth

    May 31, 2015 Ricardo Hausmann pours cold water on the idea that more and better schooling leads to rapid and inclusive growth.

  6. How Scary Is the Bond Market?
    Scared Tom Lin/Flickr

    How Scary Is the Bond Market?

    Mar 16, 2015 Robert J. Shiller reminds us that crashes are relatively rare, and that contagion is unprecedented.

  1. deryugina1_BEN BIRCHALLPOOLAFP via Getty Images_ukraineflagsoldier Ben Birchall/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    Ukraine Is Far From Doomed

    Tatyana Deryugina & Anastassia Fedyk

    When comparing Ukraine’s situation in 2024 to Europe’s in 1941, Russia’s defeat seems entirely possible. But it will require the West, and the US in particular, to put aside domestic political squabbles and muster the political will to provide Ukraine with consistent and robust military and financial assistance.

    compare Russia's full-scale invasion to World War II and see reason to hope – as long as aid keeps flowing.
  2. glennerster2_Scott OlsonGetty Images)_vaccines Scott Olson/Getty Images)

    The Pandemic Financing Developing Countries Need

    Rachel Glennerster urges multilateral development banks to establish mechanisms that enable at-risk vaccine purchases.
  3. krueger74_AFP via Getty Images_nigercoup AFP via Getty Images

    The Geopolitics of Africa’s Debt Crisis

    Anne O. Krueger urges developed countries to back efforts by the IMF and the World Bank to promote growth-enhancing reforms.
  4. palacio156_ Georg Moritzpicture alliance via Getty Images_immigation Georg Moritz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why the EU’s New Migration Pact Matters

    Ana Palacio applauds the pragmatic coalition-building, especially by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, that enabled the deal.
  5. kirchschlager1_Fatih AktasAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_AI Fatih AktasAnadolu Agency via Getty Images

    AI Needs UN Oversight

    Peter G. Kirchschläger calls for the creation of a watchdog – similar to the IAEA – that employs a human rights-based approach.
  6. chellaney_VCGVCG via Getty Images_china military VCG/VCG via Getty Images

    The West Is Hastening Its Own Decline

    Brahma Chellaney argues that the unprecedented US and European sanctions against Russia are backfiring.
  7. zizek29_Sebastian Gollnowpicture alliance via Getty Images_palestine congress germany Sebastian Gollnowpicture alliance via Getty Images

    Canceling Palestine

    Slavoj Žižek

    Current debates about Israeli policy are rife with double standards, leading to absurd decisions like Germany’s recent cancellation of a pro-Palestinian gathering. By quashing legitimate speech and assembly, an Israel-aligned establishment risks inciting precisely the kind of anti-Semitism that it wants to prevent.

    worries that the double standards applied on Israel’s behalf will lead to an anti-Semitic backlash.
  8. ackerman2_Brian van der Brug  Los Angeles Times via Getty Images_preschool Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    America’s Childcare Is Unfit for the Postmodern Age

    Bruce Ackerman urges US President Joe Biden to put universal preschool at the center of his re-election campaign.
  9. acemoglu72_ Hulton ArchiveGetty Images_cottonhandweaving Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    History Already Tells Us the Future of AI

    Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson find policy lessons for the 2020s in the work of the early-nineteenth-century economist David Ricardo.

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification

To receive email updates regarding this {entity_type}, please enter your email below.

If you are not already registered, this will create a PS account for you. You should receive an activation email shortly.