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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. op_aschecter1_Westend61Getty Images_books Westend61/Getty Images
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    PS Commentators’ Best Reads in 2024

    PS editors

    At the end of a year of domestic and international upheaval, Project Syndicate commentators share their favorite books from the past 12 months. Covering a wide array of genres and disciplines, this year’s picks provide fresh perspectives on the defining challenges of our time and how to confront them.

     ask Project Syndicate contributors to select the books that resonated with them the most over the past year.
  2. seid1_Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images_seagrass Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images
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    The World Needs Ocean-Based Climate Solutions

    Ilana Seid calls for creative mechanisms for financing investment in our planet’s largest carbon sink.
  3. varoufakis122_Spencer PlattGetty Images_wallstreet Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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    The West Is Not Dying, but It Is Working on It

    Yanis Varoufakis argues that Western power is alive and well, but the lofty values that once sustained it have been abandoned.
  4. ginsburg4_ Andrew HarnikGetty Images_trumpmaga Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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    Will Trumponomics Bring Boom or Bust in 2025?

    Many Americans voted for Donald Trump last month in the hopes that the dealmaker-president would usher in a period of economic renewal that would lift businesses and workers alike. But the merits of Trump’s likely policies remain hotly debated, and his capriciousness only adds to the uncertainty. With his inauguration approaching fast, we asked PS commentators what they are watching for.

  5. roach173_CFOTOFuture Publishing via Getty Images_chinashopping C FOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
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    China’s Struggles with a Consumer Society

    Stephen S. Roach wonders whether the country’s political system is at odds with the values underpinning affluent societies.
  6. armistead1_Michael SilukUCGUniversal Images Group via Getty Images_wegovy Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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    The Half Promise of Weight-Loss Drugs

    Emily Armistead warns that addressing the obesity crisis requires remaking a food system that is harming us and the planet.
  7. jin26_Feng KaihuaXinhua via Getty Images_chinaarabinvestment Feng Kaihua/Xinhua via Getty Images
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    Turning Trump’s Tariffs Into China’s Opportunity

    Keyu Jin shows how the country has been reorienting and even expanding its global economic footprint.
  8. jackowski1_Ricardo ArduengoGettyImages_florida_hurricane_destruction Ricardo Arduengo/Getty Images
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    Digital Financial Inclusion Strengthens Climate Resilience

    Ellen Jackowski calls for reducing the number of unbanked people and building digital infrastructure in vulnerable communities.
  9. ito43_HandoutGettyImages_yoon_suk_yeol_impeachment Handout/Getty Images
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    The High Cost of South Korea’s Short-Lived Martial Law

    Takatoshi Ito argues that while markets shrugged off the recent turmoil, the episode could have long-lasting consequences.

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