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James A. Robinson

James A. Robinson

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James A. Robinson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and Institute Director of the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, is University Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. He is the co-author (with Daron Acemoglu) of The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty, and Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty.

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  1. Why Taiwan Matters
    acemoglu51_ Central News AgencyHandoutGetty Images_pelositaiwan Central News Agency/Handout/Getty Images

    Why Taiwan Matters

    Aug 9, 2022 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson see the island as evidence against culturally deterministic explanations of authoritarianism and democracy.

  2. Why Trumpian Populism Failed
    jarobinson7_Joe RaedleGetty Images_trump cpac rally Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Why Trumpian Populism Failed

    Mar 9, 2021 James A. Robinson shows how US democratic institutions prevailed, and why they remain vulnerable to wannabe autocrats.

  3. How to Stem Ukraine’s Corruption
    acemoglu11_Spencer PlattGetty Images_ukrainegirlflowerstape Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How to Stem Ukraine’s Corruption

    Oct 14, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson show that it takes a society-wide effort for countries to escape the grip of kleptocratic institutions.

  4. The Constitution Won’t Save American Democracy
    acemoglu10_Brendan SmialowskiGetty Images_constitution Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

    The Constitution Won’t Save American Democracy

    Sep 24, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson argue that only social mobilization can remove the threat President Donald Trump poses to US institutions.

  5. Istanbul Shows How Democracy Is Won
    acemoglu8_ Burak KaraGetty Images_imamoglu istanbul Burak Kara/Getty Images

    Istanbul Shows How Democracy Is Won

    Jun 25, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson draw lessons from the opposition's victory over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian party.

  1. odinga2_Buda MendesGetty Images_g20summitrio Buda Mendes/Getty Images
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    The G20 Must Help Africa Close the Climate-Finance Gap

    Raila Amolo Odinga urges world leaders to ensure the continent's governments can invest in resilience and clean energy.
  2. brown114_John MooreGetty Images_who John Moore/Getty Images
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    Crunch Time for the WHO

    Gordon Brown

    To prevent unnecessary deaths from treatable diseases, the World Health Organization must be empowered to fulfill its mandate as the leading global emergency responder. If its $7.1 billion fundraising campaign falls short, we risk being caught unprepared again when the next pandemic arrives.

     calls on wealthy countries to ensure that the World Health Organization can confront emerging threats.
  3. COP29 Financial Inclusion is Climate Action Event Thumbnail
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    PS Events: COP29 Live From Baku Session 2

    PS editors present our second session from COP29, Financial Inclusion is Climate Action.
  4. pisaniferry149_ThierryMonasseGettyImages_vonderleyen_green_industry Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
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    The EU Needs a Strong Clean Industrial Deal

    Jean Pisani-Ferry, et al. tout a strategy that combines decarbonization with measures to boost competitiveness and social cohesion.
  5. ggray1_DanielBeloumouOlomoGettyImages_neonatal_ward_cameroon Daniel Beloumou Olomo/Getty Images
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    The World’s Babies Need Antibiotics, Not Just Vaccines

    Glenda Gray urges the international community to help African countries prevent infant deaths from treatable infections.
  6. bp how trump won Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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    How Trump Did It

    Not only did Donald Trump win last week’s US presidential election decisively – winning some three million more votes than his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris – but the Republican Party he now controls gained majorities in both houses on Congress. Given the far-reaching implications of this result – for both US democracy and global stability – understanding how it came about is essential.

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    The Big Picture

    PS editors
  8. pistor38_Beata ZawrzelNurPhoto via Getty Images_capitalismprotest Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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    Capitalism Is Driving Democracy’s Death Spiral

    Katharina Pistor

    The post-election blame game in the United States will not only tear apart the Democratic Party, but will also distract from the elephant in the room. Democracy has been eroded by a socioeconomic regime that puts price signals above people's needs, undermining the capacity for consensus and collective decision-making.

     argues that the financialization of the global economy has come at the expense self-governance.
  9. anheier26_Markus Lenhardtpicture alliance via Getty Images_reichstag Markus Lenhardt/picture alliance via Getty Images
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    What Germany’s Next Government Must Do

    Helmut K. Anheier argues that whoever wins the upcoming snap election must make progress in four key areas.

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