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James A. Robinson

James A. Robinson

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James A. Robinson, a 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and Institute Director of the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, is University Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. He is the co-author (with Daron Acemoglu) of The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty, and Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty.

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  1. Why Taiwan Matters
    acemoglu51_ Central News AgencyHandoutGetty Images_pelositaiwan Central News Agency/Handout/Getty Images

    Why Taiwan Matters

    Aug 9, 2022 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson see the island as evidence against culturally deterministic explanations of authoritarianism and democracy.

  2. Why Trumpian Populism Failed
    jarobinson7_Joe RaedleGetty Images_trump cpac rally Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Why Trumpian Populism Failed

    Mar 9, 2021 James A. Robinson shows how US democratic institutions prevailed, and why they remain vulnerable to wannabe autocrats.

  3. How to Stem Ukraine’s Corruption
    acemoglu11_Spencer PlattGetty Images_ukrainegirlflowerstape Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How to Stem Ukraine’s Corruption

    Oct 14, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson show that it takes a society-wide effort for countries to escape the grip of kleptocratic institutions.

  4. The Constitution Won’t Save American Democracy
    acemoglu10_Brendan SmialowskiGetty Images_constitution Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

    The Constitution Won’t Save American Democracy

    Sep 24, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson argue that only social mobilization can remove the threat President Donald Trump poses to US institutions.

  5. Istanbul Shows How Democracy Is Won
    acemoglu8_ Burak KaraGetty Images_imamoglu istanbul Burak Kara/Getty Images

    Istanbul Shows How Democracy Is Won

    Jun 25, 2019 Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson draw lessons from the opposition's victory over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian party.

  1. subacchi47_Ravi ChipGettyImages_us_treasury_dept Ravi Chip/Getty Images
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    Will the World Keep Buying US Treasuries?

    Paola Subacchi & Paul van den Noord foresee a gradual reduction in countries’ holdings of dollar-denominated debt, not a rapid sell-off.
  2. yi20_CFOTOGettyImages_group_wedding_china CFOTO/Getty Images
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    Why China’s Marriage Crisis Matters

    Yi Fuxian examines the factors underlying a key cause of the country’s demographic crisis.
  3. gebert4_AFP via Getty Images_gazaprotest AFP via Getty Images
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    Israel Must Not Ignore the Anti-Hamas Protests in Gaza

    Konstanty Gebert

    Recent demonstrations in Gaza have pushed not only for an end to the war, but also for an end to Hamas's rule, thus echoing Israel's own stated objectives. Yet the Israeli government, consumed by its own internal politics, has barely acknowledged this unprecedentedly positive development.

     underscores the unprecedented nature of recent demonstrations in the war-ravaged enclave.
  4. james229_Anna MoneymakerGetty Images_elonmuskmaga Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
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    Donald Trump Is a Globalist

    Harold James shows that the MAGA movement is actually an unalloyed version of the idea that its leader claims to reject.
  5. op_vaheesan1_Bettmann ContributorGetty Images_FDRdam Bettmann Contributor/Getty Images
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    Getting Abundance Right

    Sandeep Vaheesan

    America's history is replete with episodes in which vigorous government action proved essential to achieving shared prosperity. With a lethal mutation of neoliberalism now destroying US state capacity, understanding what came before has never been more important.

     urges the creation of public utilities to accelerate decarbonization and improve living standards.
  6. acemoglu85_Antonio M. RosarioGettyImages_two_robots Antonio M. Rosario/Getty Images
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    Two Models for Agentic AI

    Daron Acemoglu sees a technological crossroads ahead – and argues that one path should not be taken.
  7. arezki21_Per-Anders PetterssonGetty Images_botswanadiamonds Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images
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    Developing Countries Need a New Strategy

    Rabah Arezki touts industrial policies that welcome multinational corporations' participation, but on fairer terms.
  8. slaughter109_Chip SomodevillaGetty Images_trump Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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    How the World Can Keep Trump 2.0 in Check

    Anne-Marie Slaughter outlines five steps that foreign entities should take to counteract the US president’s radical agenda.
  9. patten174_Chip SomodevillaGettyImages_trump_kennedy_center Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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    How Trumpism Ends

    Chris Patten urges current and former policymakers to speak out against the US president’s reckless policies.

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