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Lawrence H. Summers

Lawrence H. Summers

15 commentaries
1 videos & podcasts

Lawrence H. Summers was US Secretary of the Treasury (1999-2001), Chief Economist of the World Bank (1991-93), Director of the US National Economic Council (2009-10), and President of Harvard University (2001-06), where he is currently University Professor.

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  1. The World Is Still on Fire
    summers14_TONY KARUMBAAFP via Getty Images_sudanfamine Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images

    The World Is Still on Fire

    Apr 15, 2024 Lawrence H. Summers & N.K. Singh think policymakers need to get four things right to shore up the credibility of the international system.

  2. The Multilateral Development Banks the World Needs
    summers13_Natali_MisGetty Images_worldconnections Natali_Mis/Getty Images

    The Multilateral Development Banks the World Needs

    Jul 24, 2023 Lawrence H. Summers & N.K. Singh offer a plan to ensure that these key institutions prove equal to challenges of the twenty-first century.

  3. A New Chance for the World Bank
    summers12_ STEFANI REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images)_world bank ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images

    A New Chance for the World Bank

    Oct 10, 2022 Lawrence H. Summers calls for reforms focused on crisis response, post-conflict reconstruction, and the green transition.

  4. Debt Relief Is the Most Effective Pandemic Aid
    brown64_NICHOLAS KAMMAFP via Getty Images_georgievamalpassworldbankIMF Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

    Debt Relief Is the Most Effective Pandemic Aid

    Apr 15, 2020 Gordon Brown & Lawrence H. Summers call for a two-year moratorium on payments for every emerging and developing economy that needs help.

  5. Can a Political-Economy Vicious Circle Be Avoided?
    summers10 Getty Images

    Can a Political-Economy Vicious Circle Be Avoided?

    Dec 26, 2019 Lawrence H. Summers sees the US presidential election in November as the year's most important decision worldwide.

  1. seid1_Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images_seagrass Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images

    The World Needs Ocean-Based Climate Solutions

    Ilana Seid calls for creative mechanisms for financing investment in our planet’s largest carbon sink.
  2. varoufakis122_Spencer PlattGetty Images_wallstreet Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    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.
  3. ginsburg4_ Andrew HarnikGetty Images_trumpmaga Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    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.

  4. roach173_CFOTOFuture Publishing via Getty Images_chinashopping C FOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

    China’s Struggles with a Consumer Society

    Stephen S. Roach

    The modern Chinese political system emphasizes stability and control, qualities that enabled the country to become the world’s “ultimate producer.” But these qualities imply tight control over social norms and individual behavior, and they are far less applicable to official efforts to boost household consumption.

    wonders whether the country’s political system is at odds with the values underpinning affluent societies.
  5. armistead1_Michael SilukUCGUniversal Images Group via Getty Images_wegovy Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    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.
  6. jin26_Feng KaihuaXinhua via Getty Images_chinaarabinvestment Feng Kaihua/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Turning Trump’s Tariffs Into China’s Opportunity

    Keyu Jin shows how the country has been reorienting and even expanding its global economic footprint.
  7. jackowski1_Ricardo ArduengoGettyImages_florida_hurricane_destruction Ricardo Arduengo/Getty Images

    Digital Financial Inclusion Strengthens Climate Resilience

    Ellen Jackowski calls for reducing the number of unbanked people and building digital infrastructure in vulnerable communities.
  8. ito43_HandoutGettyImages_yoon_suk_yeol_impeachment Handout/Getty Images

    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.
  9. castaneda91_AndalouGettyImages_mexico_immigration_enforcement Andalou/Getty Images

    Did Mexico Help Trump Get Elected?

    Jorge G. Castañeda speculates that former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador used migration flows to influence the US election.

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