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Katharina Pistor

Katharina Pistor

Writing for PS since 2000
38 commentaries

Katharina Pistor, Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School, is the author of The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality (Princeton University Press, 2019).

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  1. Capitalism Is Driving Democracy’s Death Spiral
    pistor38_Beata ZawrzelNurPhoto via Getty Images_capitalismprotest Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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    Capitalism Is Driving Democracy’s Death Spiral

    Nov 15, 2024 Katharina Pistor argues that the financialization of the global economy has come at the expense self-governance.

  2. Outsourcing Our Future to For-Profit AI
    pistor37_Dan KitwoodGetty Images_deepmind Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    Outsourcing Our Future to For-Profit AI

    Oct 17, 2024 Katharina Pistor worries that we have already ceded control to self-interested private corporations and their shareholders.

  3. To Google or Not to Google?
    pistor36_Thilina KaluthotageNurPhoto via Getty Images_google Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    To Google or Not to Google?

    Aug 22, 2024 Katharina Pistor describes how the search-engine giant crossed the line in acquiring and maintaining its monopoly.

  4. American Business Will Regret Writing Off Democracy
    pistor35_Chip SomodevillaGetty Images_trump and business Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    American Business Will Regret Writing Off Democracy

    Jun 3, 2024 Katharina Pistor explains why endorsing Donald Trump is a bad bet for today’s titans of the US economy.

  5. Will Boeing Crash Shareholder Value?
    pistor34_NTSB via Getty Images_boeing NTSB via Getty Images

    Will Boeing Crash Shareholder Value?

    Apr 10, 2024 Katharina Pistor sees the troubled company as a textbook example of a broader problem afflicting corporate governance.

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  1. vbadre2 image Frédéric BAZILLE, Edouard MANET, L’Atelier de Bazille Studio, 1870
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    The Lost Art of Collaboration

    Vanessa Badré mines a nineteenth-century painting for insights into trust-building, creativity, and cooperation.
  2. op_aschechter2_BRENDAN SMIALOWSKIAFP via Getty Images_trump Brendam Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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    PS Commentators’ Predictions for 2025

    PS editors

    Among the major issues that will dominate attention in the next 12 months are the future of multilateralism, the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the threats to global stability posed by geopolitical rivalries and Donald Trump’s second presidency. Advances in artificial intelligence, if regulated effectively, offer a glimmer of hope.

     asked PS contributors to identify the national and global trends to look out for in the coming year.
  3. adebajo12_FADEL SENNAAFP via Getty Images_USmilitaryafrica Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images
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    What Trump’s Return Means for Africa

    Adekeye Adebajo expects a continuation of America's longstanding attitude of benign neglect toward the continent.
  4. hodgkins1_Ulet IfansastiGetty Images_mine Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images
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    The False Promise of “Responsible Mining”

    Chelsea Hodgkins lambasts a corporate-led voluntary global standard that would harm communities and pose risks for automakers.
  5. elerian175_Spencer PlattGetty Images_nyse Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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    A Baseline Scenario for the Global Economy in 2025

    Mohamed A. El-Erian

    In 2024, global geopolitics and national politics have undergone considerable upheaval, and the world economy has both significant weaknesses, including Europe and China, and notable bright spots, especially the US. In the coming year, the range of possible outcomes will broaden further.

     offers his predictions for the new year while acknowledging that the range of possible outcomes is widening.
  6. ruto6_LUIS TATOAFP via Getty Images_africafloods Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images
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    A New Deal for Developing Countries

    William Ruto explains what climate-vulnerable Africa will need to strengthen their resilience and sustain economic growth.
  7. mazzucato78_James Glossop - WPA PoolGetty Images_starmerinvestment James Glossop/WPA/Pool/Getty Images
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    Good Growth Requires Getting Public-Private Partnerships Right

    Mariana Mazzucato worries that a recently unveiled industrial strategy is not structured properly.
  8. delong266_Michael SwensenGetty Image_musk Michael Swensen/Getty Images
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    American Idiots

    J. Bradford DeLong considers the implications of Donald Trump and friends' effort to orchestrate an unnecessary government shutdown.
  9. fischer223_Alexander KoernerGetty Images_bundeswehr Alexander Koerner/Getty Images
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    Putin’s Setbacks Are Cold Comfort for Europe

    Joschka Fischer considers the implications of Russia's loss in Syria and Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House.

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