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Janine R. Wedel

Janine R. Wedel

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Janine R. Wedel, a social anthropologist and university professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, is the author of Unaccountable: How the Establishment Corrupted our Finances, Freedom, and Politics and Created an Outsider Class (Pegasus Books, 2016).

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  1. When Civilizational Models Collide
    wedel4_Dominika ZarzyckaSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_ukraine ngo Dominika Zarzycka/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    When Civilizational Models Collide

    Mar 3, 2023 Janine R. Wedel sees Ukraine’s burgeoning civil society as a model for countering oligarchic capitalism around the world.

  2. Dirty Populists
    jair bolsonaro Buda Mendes/Getty Images

    Dirty Populists

    Jan 2, 2019 Janine R. Wedel shows how leaders who won power by railing against corruption use two methods that enable much more of it.

  3. The Venal Roots of Political Turmoil
    wedel2_GettyImages-855606830 Getty Images

    The Venal Roots of Political Turmoil

    Dec 21, 2017 Janine R. Wedel says offical corruption and misconduct are a key factor driving upheavals around the world.

  4. Donald Trump and a World of Distrust
    Republican National Convention Trump Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Donald Trump and a World of Distrust

    Nov 7, 2016 Janine R. Wedel traces rising populism to a decades-long decline in public confidence in civic institutions.

  1. basu107_JimWatsonGettyImages_steelworkers_trump1 Jim Watson/Getty Images

    What If Trump Keeps His Promises?

    Kaushik Basu warns that the president-elect’s proposed trade policies will erode America’s competitiveness.
  2. singer236_ohn SenterUCGUniversal Images Group via Getty Images)_trump harris ads John Senter/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

    What Progressives Must Learn from Trump’s Campaign

    Peter Singer thinks one of the most important lessons is to uphold open debate and address hot-button issues head-on.
  3. eichengreen196_Sheng JiapengChina News ServiceVCG via Getty Images_brics Sheng Jiapeng/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

    The BRICS Currency Charade

    Barry Eichengreen chronicles the latest vain attempt to create an alternative to the dollar-based international monetary system.
  4. elerian174_Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images_economy Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    Once Again, It Was the Economy, Stupid

    Mohamed A. El-Erian

    The economy played a critical role in the 2024 presidential race, creating the conditions not only for Donald Trump to trounce Kamala Harris, but also for a counter-elite to usher in a new power structure. Will the Democrats and “establishment” experts get the message?

    explains how and why Democrats failed to connect with US voters’ pocketbook realities.
  5. COP29 Accelerating the Transition to a Decarbonized Future Event Thumbnail

    PS Events: COP29 Live From Baku

    PS editors present the COP29 Live From Baku event.
  6. barfi27_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_trumpnetanyahu Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    Trumpian Turmoil Is Coming to the Middle East

    Barak Barfi thinks that the regional leaders who are cheering now may soon be pining for a less capricious leader.
  7. galbraith38_MandelNganGettyImages_democrats_funeral Mandel Ngan/Getty Images

    The Democrats Committed Suicide This Year

    James K. Galbraith

    Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump because she received around ten million fewer votes than Joe Biden did in 2020. The Democratic Party leadership was, at best, indifferent to the erosion of voting access, negligent in retaining newer voters, and proactive in marginalizing what remained of its left wing.

    thinks the party has only itself to blame for losing the 2024 election on low voter turnout.
  8. chellaney181_JAM STA ROSAAFP via Getty Images_south china JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

    America Must Stand Up to Asia's Bully

    Brahma Chellaney urges Donald Trump’s incoming administration to push back against China’s aggressive expansionism.
  9. terzi6_green transition degrowth Getty Images

    Inclusive Finance Is the Key to Climate Action

    Sophie Sirtaine calls for COP29 to address the overlooked question of how to channel funds to vulnerable communities.

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