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James Livingston

James Livingston

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James Livingston, Professor Emeritus of History at Rutgers University, is the author of six books, including Origins of the Federal Reserve System: Money, Class, and Corporate Capitalism, 1890-1913 (Cornell University Press, 1986), and the forthcoming The Intellectual Earthquake: How Pragmatism Changed the World, 1898-2008 (University of Chicago Press).

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  1. The Brutes’ New Suits
    op_livingston5_Spencer PlattGetty Images_wallstreet Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Brutes’ New Suits

    Oct 18, 2024 James Livingston asks why so many observers now believe that banks are running a con game.

  2. Two Cheers for Identity Politics
    livingston4_ KAMIL KRZACZYNSKIAFP via Getty Images_prideparade Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

    Two Cheers for Identity Politics

    Jun 21, 2024 James Livingston argues that critics of the contemporary focus on issues of race, gender, and sexuality are ignoring history.

  3. What Was Capitalism?
    op_livingston4_PolinmrGetty Images_capitalism money Polinmr/Getty Images

    What Was Capitalism?

    Feb 16, 2024 James Livingston asks whether those at the commanding heights of today's economy are steering us toward feudalism or fatuousness.

  4. Neoliberal Minority Rule
    livingston3_GIORGIO VIERAAFP via Getty Images_desantistrumpflorida Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

    Neoliberal Minority Rule

    Nov 1, 2023 James Livingston says that the question is no longer how, but whether, free markets can serve democracy’s cause.

  5. Men Overboard
    op_livingston3_Kevin DietschGetty Images_joshhawley Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

    Men Overboard

    Aug 11, 2023 James Livingston explores the unspoken tragedy at the heart of conservatives' fixation on defending patriarchy.

  1. rogoff259_Kayla BartkowskiGettyImages_javier_milei Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
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    What Trump 2.0 Means for Africa and Latin America

    Kenneth Rogoff

    US President Donald Trump’s decision to shut down USAID will deal a severe blow to African countries, weakening public-health systems and eroding American credibility. But Trump’s return could trigger a long-overdue rightward shift in Latin America after decades of failed socialist experiments.

     highlights the far-reaching implications of the new administration’s move to slash foreign-aid funding.
  2. madgavkar21_Picture AllianceGettyImages_demographic_crisis Picture Alliance/Getty Images
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    Emerging Economies Must Get Rich Before They Get Old

    Anu Madgavkar & Marc Canal Noguer recommend policies that would mitigate the impact of increased longevity and declining birth rates.
  3. coyle42_Andrew HarnikGetty Images_muskchainsaw Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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    Musk and DOGE Are Doing It Wrong

    Diane Coyle highlights the fundamental flaw in the Trump administration’s push to cut red tape and curb wasteful spending.
  4. buruma224_WPA PoolGettyImages_europe_summit WPA Pool/Getty Images
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    Who Will Lead the Democratic World?

    Ian Buruma thinks the onus of defending our political freedoms will be on two countries that once tried to destroy them.
  5. blanquer1_Leonardo CendamoGetty Images_boualemsansal Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images
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    The World Must Rally Around Algeria’s Hunger Artist

    Jean-Michel Blanquer calls for global solidarity with the writer Boualem Sansal, unjustly detained and dying for freedom.
  6. marin30_Hu XiaofeiVCG via Getty Images_carproductionrobots Hu Xiaofei/VCG via Getty Images
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    The End of Globalization as We Know It

    Dalia Marin examines how rising uncertainty and progress on automation have changed firms' views on global value chains.
  7. lachman2_Nur PhotoGettyImages_euros Nur Photo/Getty Images
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    Will Trump Trigger a Eurozone Debt Crisis?

    Desmond Lachman hopes the US president recognizes that his proposed tariffs could quickly blow back on the US.
  8. klee24_Andry DenisahSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_indonesianickel Andry Denisah/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
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    Indonesia’s Incomplete Industrial Strategy

    Keun Lee & Marco Kamiya point out that, for emerging and developing economies, attracting foreign direct investment is not enough.
  9. kosenko4_Justin TallisGettyImages_zelensky_starmer_macron Justin Tallis/Getty Images
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    Europe’s Powerful Tool Against Russia

    Andrew Kosenko & Joseph E. Stiglitz

    If European leaders want to follow through on their statements in support of Ukraine following America’s betrayal of the country, they must seize the moment by seizing Russia’s assets. Europe has become the world’s bulwark against the rising tide of authoritarianism, and it can no longer afford to hide behind legalistic excuses.

     urge European governments to seize the $220 billion of Russian assets frozen in their jurisdictions.

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