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Kaushik Basu

Kaushik Basu

Writing for PS since 2002
109 commentaries

Kaushik Basu, a former chief economist of the World Bank and chief economic adviser to the Government of India, is Professor of Economics at Cornell University and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

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  1. Playing at Democracy
    basu109_Matt CardyGetty Images_socialmedia Matt Cardy/Getty Images

    Playing at Democracy

    Feb 12, 2025 Kaushik Basu explains how a well-known children's game illustrates the logic of today's emerging oligarchies.

  2. The Man Who Relaunched India
    basu108_Daniel BerehulakGettyImages_Manmohan_Singh Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

    The Man Who Relaunched India

    Dec 30, 2024 Kaushik Basu reflects on the legacy of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who set the stage for today’s economic growth.

  3. What If Trump Keeps His Promises?
    basu107_JimWatsonGettyImages_steelworkers_trump1 Jim Watson/Getty Images

    What If Trump Keeps His Promises?

    Nov 14, 2024 Kaushik Basu warns that the president-elect’s proposed trade policies will erode America’s competitiveness.

  4. Economics, Empathy, and the US Election
    basu106_Julia BeverlyGetty Images_kamalaharris Julia Beverly/Getty Images

    Economics, Empathy, and the US Election

    Sep 25, 2024 Kaushik Basu warns that Donald Trump’s policy agenda could leave American workers much worse off than they are now.

  5. Bangladesh’s Stand Against Authoritarianism
    basu105_Zabed Hasnain ChowdhuryNurPhoto via Getty Images_bangladeshprotests Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Bangladesh’s Stand Against Authoritarianism

    Aug 26, 2024 Kaushik Basu urges interim leaders to rebuild political institutions and stabilize the economy before calling elections.

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  1. tbunde7_Johannes SimonGetty Images_vance Johannes Simon/Getty Images
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    A Westless World

    Tobias Bunde reflects on this year's Munich Security Conference and America's break from the transatlantic alliance.
  2. broning14_Maja HitijGetty Images_merz Maja Hitij/Getty Images
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    Germany’s Last-Chance Election

    Michael Bröning

    With German voters clearly demanding comprehensive change, the far right has been capitalizing on the public's discontent and benefiting from broader global political trends. If the country's democratic parties cannot deliver, they may soon find that they are no longer the mainstream.

     explains why the outcome may decide whether the political “firewall” against the far right can hold.
  3. popescu6_ZinchenkoGlobal Images Ukraine via Getty Images)_ukrainepeace Zinchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
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    The Only Path to Genuine Peace in Ukraine

    Nicu Popescu

    The Russian and (now) American vision of "peace" in Ukraine would be no peace at all. The immediate task for Europe is not only to navigate Donald’s Trump unilateral pursuit of a settlement, but also to ensure that any deal does not increase the likelihood of an even wider war.

     sees a Korea-style armistice with security guarantees as the only viable option in Ukraine.
  4. asakawa3_PoolGettyImages_hindu_kush_glacial_melt Pool/Getty Images
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    Meltdown at the Top of the World

    Masatsugu Asakawa urges development banks to act urgently to avert the catastrophic effects of the Himalayas’ thawing glaciers.
  5. frieda19_AnadoluGettyImages_russia_us_peace_talks Anadolu/Getty Images
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    The Economic Consequences of Trump’s Ukrainian Peace

    Gene Frieda

    Rather than engage in lengthy discussions to pry concessions from Russia, US President Donald Trump seems committed to giving the Kremlin whatever it wants to end the Ukraine war. But rewarding the aggressor and punishing the victim would amount to setting the stage for the next war.

     warns that by punishing the victim, the US is setting up Europe for another war.
  6. oneill128in McNameeGetty Images_trump Win McNamee/Getty Images
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    There Goes America

    Within his first month back in the White House, Donald Trump has upended US foreign policy and launched an all-out assault on the country’s constitutional order. With US institutions bowing or buckling as the administration takes executive power to unprecedented extremes, the establishment of an authoritarian regime cannot be ruled out.

  7. op_janeway18_DrAfter123Getty Images_AI DrAfter123/Getty Images
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    In AI We Trust?

    William H. Janeway

    The rapid advance of AI might create the illusion that we have created a form of algorithmic intelligence capable of understanding us as deeply as we understand one another. But these systems will always lack the essential qualities of human intelligence.

     explains why even cutting-edge innovations are not immune to the world’s inherent unpredictability.
  8. strain36_Michael M. SantiagoGettyImages_ny_stock_exchange Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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    How Trump Can Achieve Sustained Growth

    Michael R. Strain foresees the US president building on a strong economy, so long as he steers clear of populist policies.
  9. schwarzer9_Telmo PintoSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_macronstarmer Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
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    Europe Alone

    Daniela Schwarzer explains what the European Union must do now that America has walked away from the transatlantic relationship.

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