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Simon Johnson

Simon Johnson

Writing for PS since 2007
176 commentaries

Simon Johnson, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, is a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Faculty Director of MIT’s Shaping the Future of Work initiative, and Co-Chair of the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council. He is a co-author (with Daron Acemoglu) of Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity (PublicAffairs, 2023). 

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  1. How to Create More Good Jobs
    bildt104_Doug MillsPoolGetty Images_semiconductors Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images

    How to Create More Good Jobs

    Aug 2, 2024 Simon Johnson touts the 2022 US CHIPS and Science Act, which will nurture geographically dispersed innovation hubs.

  2. Human Capital for the Age of Generative AI
    palacio140_Getty Images_AI Getty Images

    Human Capital for the Age of Generative AI

    May 30, 2024 Simon Johnson & Eric Hazan explain how adoption of the technology could help suitably qualified workers climb the wage ladder.

  3. History Already Tells Us the Future of AI
    acemoglu72_ Hulton ArchiveGetty Images_cottonhandweaving Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    History Already Tells Us the Future of AI

    Apr 23, 2024 Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson find policy lessons for the 2020s in the work of the early-nineteenth-century economist David Ricardo.

  4. Russian Revisionism and the Sources of Western Weakness
    johnson175_ Alexander ManzyukAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_russian oil Alexander Manzyuk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    Russian Revisionism and the Sources of Western Weakness

    Apr 2, 2024 Simon Johnson & Oleg Ustenko explain why Vladimir Putin’s effort to revise the post-Cold War geopolitical order could succeed.

  5. Putin’s Silk Road Around Sanctions
    rbrooks1_Markus Scholzpicture alliance via Getty Images_germanyshipping Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Putin’s Silk Road Around Sanctions

    Feb 29, 2024 Robin Brooks & Simon Johnson urge Europe and the G7 to stop the re-export of Western goods to Russia from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

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  1. almubarak2_Leisa TylerLightRocket via Getty Images_kwazulu natal Leisa Tyler/LightRocket via Getty Images
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    Financing Nature

    Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak & Bogolo Kenewendo propose ways to unlock more public and private capital for investments in preserving and restoring the planet.
  2. galbraith36_STRNurPhoto via Getty Images_krugman STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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    Inflation Shamanism

    James K. Galbraith

    Following the US Federal Reserve's decision to cut its policy rate by 50 basis points, mainstream economists are heaping praise on the central bank for supposedly reining in inflation while also maintaining growth and high employment levels. Yet the data clearly show that monetary policy has been mostly a non-factor.

     marvels at the Federal Reserve's ability to win praise for positive outcomes it did not cause.
  3. bildt127_ROMAN PILIPEYAFP via Getty Images_ukrainewar Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
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    Where Is the War in Ukraine Heading?

    Carl Bildt argues that while neither side can attain victory, peace remains plausible if certain conditions are met.
  4. rodrik212_Stephen MaturenGetty Images_biden Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
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    What Kind of Industrial Policy Works?

    After a decades-long love affair with laissez-faire policies, many governments – notably in developed countries – are increasingly seeking to shape their economies through tariffs, subsidies, public procurement, and more. But not all industrial policies are created equal, and understanding their nuances and limitations is critical to their success.

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    The Big Picture

    PS editors
  6. jyu3_ADEK BERRYAFP via Getty Images_cpc ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images
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    How China Is Preparing for America’s Next President

    Yu Jie assesses Chinese efforts to prevent deteriorating bilateral relations from hindering economic growth.
  7. haldar7_Kent Nishimura Los Angeles Times via Getty Images_abortion rights Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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    Abortion and Reproductive Rights Are Economic Issues

    Laura Tyson

    Too often, the press and voters treat abortion, and reproductive rights more broadly, as well as other “family” issues – like child tax credits, paid family leave policies and affordable childcare – as somehow different from economic issues. But they are not.

     shows why abortion, childcare, and parental leave are not merely “family” issues.
  8. davila3_ David McNewGetty Images_maritime shipping David McNew/Getty Images
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    Put a Price on Shipping Emissions

    Shania Scotland calls on small island countries to back a proposed levy on maritime greenhouse-gas emissions.
  9. patten169_EVARISTO SAAFP via Getty Images_twitter EVARISTO SA/AFP via Getty Images
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    The New Threat to Free Speech

    Chris Patten highlights governments’ struggle to manage online extremism while upholding a fundamental right.

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