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Edmund S. Phelps

Edmund S. Phelps

37 commentaries

Edmund S. Phelps, the 2006 Nobel laureate in economics and Director of the Center on Capitalism and Society at Columbia University, is author of Mass Flourishing and co-author of Dynamism.

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  1. Recovering Prosperity
    phelps34_Alexi RosenfeldGetty Images_USuniversitywelcome Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

    Recovering Prosperity

    Sep 28, 2021 Edmund S. Phelps & Mohammad A. Salhut argue that the key to success is to nurture the values that drive innovation.

  2. An Interview with Edmund S. Phelps
    A worker presents a chip for fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks at China Electronics Technology Group Zhang Bin/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

    An Interview with Edmund S. Phelps

    May 4, 2021 Edmund S. Phelps identifies thinkers who led economics astray, assesses China’s innovative capacity, and shows why employment subsidies would do far more good than a universal basic income.

  3. The Economic Case for Biden
    phelps32_Drew AngererGetty Images_biden Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    The Economic Case for Biden

    Sep 21, 2020 Edmund S. Phelps explains why the Democratic ticket is better not just for American democracy but also for the US economy.

  4. Poverty as Injustice
    phelps31_Spencer PlattGetty Images_protest Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Poverty as Injustice

    Aug 28, 2020 Edmund S. Phelps considers how Western societies can strike a balance between social support and economic growth.

  5. The Robot Question
    phelps30_Hu YuanjiaVCG via Getty Images_chinarobotworkertechnologymanufacturing Hu Yuanjia/VCG via Getty Images

    The Robot Question

    Aug 6, 2020 Edmund S. Phelps considers the effects of automation and artificial intelligence from the perspective of welfare economics.

  1. hoven1_Ashley CooperConstruction PhotographyAvalonGetty Images_housesolarpanel Ashley Cooper/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images

    The Key to Universal Energy Access Is Green

    Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven & Francesco La Camera tout the transformative potential of distributed renewable energy systems.
  2. rajan97_Douglas RissingGettyImages_us_dollar_treasury Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

    Trumponomics’ Exorbitant Burden

    Raghuram G. Rajan

    According to the incoming chair of US President Donald Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, America runs large trade deficits and struggles to compete in manufacturing because foreign demand for US financial assets has made the dollar too strong. It is not a persuasive argument.

    is unpersuaded by the argument made by presidential advisers for unilaterally restructuring global trade.
  3. norrlof11_SOPA ImagesGettyImages_bitcoin_us_dollar SOPA Images/Getty Images

    Trump, Bitcoin, and the Future of the Dollar

    Carla Norrlöf

    By launching new trade wars and ordering the creation of a Bitcoin reserve, Donald Trump is assuming that US trade partners will pay any price to maintain access to the American market. But if he is wrong about that, the dominance of the US dollar, and all the advantages it confers, could be lost indefinitely.

    doubts the US administration can preserve the greenback’s status while pursuing its trade and crypto policies.
  4. khrushcheva190_Andrew HarnikGettyImages_trump_zelensky_oval_office Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    Fear and Loathing in the Oval Office

    Nina L. Khrushcheva sees traces of Stalin and Mao in Donald Trump’s penchant for ritual humiliation of foe and friend alike.
  5. juergensgrant1_R. Satish BabuGettyImages_india_construction_worker R. Satish Babu/Getty Images

    Future-Proofing Social Protection

    Florian Juergens-Grant & Luca Pellerano explain why employers’ contributions should be determined by capital intensity, not just labor stock.
  6. coyle38_DrAfter123Getty Images_AI DrAfter123/Getty Images

    Diane Coyle on innovation, AI, economic data, and more

    Diane Coyle suggests ways to account for “free” digital services in economic frameworks, considers how to prevent the emergence of AI monopolies, warns that cutting funding for basic research is tantamount to destroying the US economy’s foundations, and more.
  7. schor2 Getty Images

    Long Weekends Forever

    Juliet B. Schor recognizes the technology's potential to facilitate a four-day workweek, benefiting workers and owners alike.
  8. karman2 Getty Images

    Overcoming the Sectarian Challenge to Democracy

    Tawakkol Karman explains what it will take to forge a sustainable political settlement in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East.
  9. johnson183 Getty Images

    The World According to the Oligarchs

    Simon Johnson explains how techno-monopolists’ consolidation of political power in the United States will play out.

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