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Michael Spence

Michael Spence

Writing for PS since 2008
174 commentaries

Michael Spence, a Nobel laureate in economics, is Professor of Economics Emeritus and a former dean of the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. He is Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Senior Adviser to General Atlantic, and Chairman of the firm’s Global Growth Institute. He is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Asia Global Institute and serves on the Academic Committee at Luohan Academy. He is a former chair of the Commission on Growth and Development and a co-author (with Mohamed A. El-Erian, Gordon Brown, and Reid Lidow) of Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World (Simon & Schuster, 2023).

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  1. The Economics of Philanthropy
    spence174_ David RyderGetty Images_gates foundation David Ryder/Getty Images

    The Economics of Philanthropy

    Jul 4, 2024 Michael Spence proposes mechanisms for inducing the wealthy to support public goods at a time of rising inequality.

  2. Crunch Time for the Power Sector
    spence173_ Joe RaedleGetty Images_power Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Crunch Time for the Power Sector

    May 17, 2024 Michael Spence argues that developing flexible, stable, and resilient smart grids requires an expanded industrial policy.

  3. The Indian Giant Has Arrived
    op_elerian1_ Debarchan ChatterjeeNurPhoto via Getty Images_indiapopulation Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    The Indian Giant Has Arrived

    Mar 22, 2024 Mohamed A. El-Erian & Michael Spence consider the risks and challenges associated with the country's rapidly expanding global footprint.

  4. Making Sense of Society
    spence170_Biplov BhuyanHindustan Times via Getty Images_wsupreme court india Biplov Bhuyan/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

    Making Sense of Society

    Feb 29, 2024 Michael Spence considers why a healthy civil society is crucial to good governance and inclusive prosperity.

  5. The Next Phase of Our Inflation Journey
    spence169_SAUL LOEBAFP via Getty Images_powell Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    The Next Phase of Our Inflation Journey

    Feb 2, 2024 Michael Spence sees flaws in projections that the US Federal Reserve will continue to cut interest rates beyond 2024.

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  1. velasco150_PAUL ELLISAFP via Getty Images_voting PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

    In Praise of First-Past-the-Post

    Andrés Velasco explains why Britain’s electoral system is better than all the plausible alternatives.
  2. slaughter105_JACK GUEZAFP via Getty Images_womenwagepeace Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

    Peacebuilding in the Middle East Requires Women

    Anne-Marie Slaughter & Xanthe Scharff argue that negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians must no longer be the province of men.
  3. varoufakis117_JULIEN DE ROSAAFP via Getty Images_macron JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

    Macron and Europe’s Centrists Are Out of Good Options

    Yanis Varoufakis shows that an intractable economic conundrum lies behind the current impasse in French politics.
  4. quesada3_ Lokman Vural ElibolAnadolu via Getty Images_immigration Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Immigration Does Not Start at the US Border

    Carlos Alvarado-Quesada laments the failure of Republicans and Democrats alike to address the root causes of migration.
  5. landau4_Getty Images_AI money Getty Images/Anton Petrus

    Will AI Kill Off Money?

    Jean-Pierre Landau considers some of the underappreciated implications of an economy run entirely by machines.
  6. op_krauze1_Fine Art ImagesHeritage ImagesGetty Images_spinoza Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

    A Philosopher for Our Times

    Enrique Krauze shows that, given rising illiberalism, the seventeenth-century thinker Baruch Spinoza is as relevant as ever.
  7. snower8_Getty Images Getty Images

    A New Worldview for Troubled Times

    Dennis J. Snower proposes four principles to guide policymaking and global negotiations in the age of climate change.
  8. moyo29_Carl CourtGetty Images_FTSE Carl Court/Getty Images

    Navigating Today’s Frothy Financial Markets

    Dambisa Moyo offers a basic framework for assessing the risk of new bubbles and their potential spillover effects.
  9. asadullah16_ MUNIR UZ ZAMANAFP via Getty Images_bangladesh MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images

    An Arab Spring for Bangladesh?

    M. Niaz Asadullah argues that young protestors could help the country chart a democratic course and achieve sustainable growth.

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