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Pranab Bardhan

Pranab Bardhan

12 commentaries

Pranab Bardhan, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, is the author, most recently, of A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries (Harvard University Press, 2022).

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  1. The Popular Decimation of India’s Democracy
    bardhan12_ TAUSEEF MUSTAFAAFP via Getty Images_bjp TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images

    The Popular Decimation of India’s Democracy

    May 3, 2024 Pranab Bardhan examines the shrewd tactics and false narratives that underpin broad support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

  2. Pranab Bardhan on India, China, universal basic income, and more
    GettyImages-1257780037

    Pranab Bardhan on India, China, universal basic income, and more

    Apr 11, 2023 Pranab Bardhan highlights the costs of India’s crony oligarchy, assess the sources of China’s economic resilience, makes the case for a UBI in low-income countries, and more.

  3. Unmasking India’s Crony Capitalist Oligarchy
    bardhan10_MONEY SHARMAAFP via Getty Images_adani MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images

    Unmasking India’s Crony Capitalist Oligarchy

    Feb 13, 2023 Pranab Bardhan explains how the allegations against billionaire Gautam Adani embody the flaws in India’s political economy.

  4. Organized Labor After COVID
    badhan9_Elijah NouvelageGetty Images_amazonunionprotest Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

    Organized Labor After COVID

    May 3, 2021 Pranab Bardhan shows that while unions are adapting and making some gains, they still face major hurdles.

  5. Modi’s Performance and the Tragedy of India’s Poor
    bardhan8_Pallava BaglaCorbis via Getty Images_narendramodi Pallava Bagla/Corbis via Getty Images

    Modi’s Performance and the Tragedy of India’s Poor

    May 21, 2020 Pranab Bardhan argues that the government's pandemic response is following a script that is devastating the country's poor.

  1. karman1_getty images_cooperation Getty Images

    Human Progress in the Trump Era

    Tawakkol Karman, et al. propose ways to foster a culture of cooperation at a time of rising conflict and democratic erosion.
  2. frankel166_JemalCountessGettyImages_national_debt Jemal Countess/Getty Images

    Elon Musk’s $2 Trillion Fiscal Fantasy

    Jeffrey Frankel

    It is often said that a businessman like Donald Trump or Elon Musk will know how to put America’s fiscal house in order. But between Trump’s planned tax cuts and Musk’s absurd estimate of how much federal spending can be reduced, the smart money says they have no idea what they are doing.

    dives into the incoming US administration’s absurd claim that fresh tax cuts will not increase the deficit.
  3. buchholz21_getty images_us china Getty Images

    The Deal Trump Should Offer China

    Todd G. Buchholz

    To address what he sees as an unfair Sino-American economic relationship, Donald Trump should focus not on trade but on China's currency manipulation and massive holdings of US debt. After all, why saddle US consumers with higher costs when you can demand reparations directly from a foreign competitor?

    proposes that the incoming US administration push for a debt write-off and market access instead of tariffs.
  4. muzikarova7_NurPhotoGettyImages_cyberconference_poland NurPhoto/Getty Images

    Central and Eastern Europe’s Bid for AI Dominance

    Soňa Muzikárová outlines steps policymakers can take to harness the technology’s potential to boost growth and prosperity.
  5. aosaid1_getty images_tech justice

    Can Technology End Corruption?

    Azalina Othman Said thinks that powerful new digital tools can help, but only if governments commit to upholding the rule of law.
  6. scherger1ARMEND NIMANIAFP via Getty Images_farming ARMEND NIMANI/AFP via Getty Images
    Free to read

    Carbon Farming Won't Save the Planet

    Sophie Scherger warns that soil-storage offsets may serve as a smokescreen for polluting industries.
  7. bildt129_MaximShipenkovGettyImages_valdai_putin_fail Maxim Shipenkov/Getty Images

    Putin’s March of Folly

    Carl Bildt argues that Russia’s president has only his own poor decisions to blame for his country’s loss of status.
  8. hausmann117_TONY KARUMBAAFP via Getty Images_africawindfarm Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images

    A Better Approach to Climate Finance

    Ricardo Hausmann shows how developing countries can accelerate global decarbonization while creating new growth opportunities.
  9. ghosh83_CHRISTIAN MONTERROSAAFP via Getty Images_trump cop CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/AFP via Getty Images

    Trump’s Bad COP

    Jayati Ghosh says the Paris climate agreement’s future depends on how other countries respond to the new US administration.

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