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Robert J. Barro

Robert J. Barro

13 commentaries

Robert J. Barro, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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  1. Understanding Recent US Inflation
    barro12_STEFANI REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images_inflation STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    Understanding Recent US Inflation

    Aug 30, 2022 Robert J. Barro sees the fiscal-policy response to the COVID recession as the main factor fueling faster price growth.

  2. Yes, the US Economy Is Likely in Recession
    barro11_Michael NagleXinhua via Getty Images_USstockmarketrecession Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Yes, the US Economy Is Likely in Recession

    Aug 1, 2022 Robert J. Barro shows that two consecutive quarters of negative US growth have almost always preceded an official downturn designation.

  3. Big State Inflation
    barro10 Getty Images

    Big State Inflation

    Dec 4, 2021 Robert J. Barro worries that US monetary and fiscal policy is running off the rails and theatening future growth.

  4. An Interview with Robert J. Barro
    David Ricardo Economics for many decades has been dominated by journal articles, rather than books. But there are a few classics that are undoubtedly worth reading. Beyond the aforementioned Smith and Weber, this 1817 book by Ricardo is effectively the first work on macroeconomics, and thus essential reading.

    An Interview with Robert J. Barro

    Apr 20, 2021 Robert J. Barro warns that the anchor of long-term inflation expectations is being pulled up, advises the US on how to deal with China, and critiques Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure package.

  5. Pulling Up the Inflation Anchor
    barro8_Win McNameeGetty Images_volcker Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Pulling Up the Inflation Anchor

    Feb 25, 2021 Robert J. Barro worries that reckless policies could undo decades of hard-won gains by monetary policymakers.

  1. fbirol4_UCGGettyImages_south_africa_power_grid UCG/Getty Images

    What African Electrification Requires

    Fatih Birol & Alain Ebobissé highlight the need for greater private-sector participation to boost investments in power grids.
  2. nye268_John MooreGetty Images_trumpUN John Moore/Getty Images

    How World Order Changes

    Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

    World order is a matter of degree: it varies over time, depending on technological, political, social, and ideological factors that can affect the global distribution of power and influence norms. It can be radically altered both by broader historical trends and by a single major power's blunders.

    examines the role of evolving power dynamics and norms in bringing about stable arrangements among states.
  3. buruma226_Picture AllianceGettyImages_tel _aviv_antiwar_protests Picture Alliance/Getty Images

    Israel’s Blind Spot

    Ian Buruma explains the lack of sympathy, even among the country’s many anti-war protesters, for Palestinian suffering.
  4. sirimanne1_Visual China Group via Getty ImagesVisual China Group via Getty Images_robotelderly Visual China Group via Getty Images

    Will AI Close or Widen the Development Gap?

    Shamika Sirimanne & Xiaolan Fu call for multilateral action and grassroots pressure to ensure that the technology serves all countries.
  5. dickinsongoodman1_DrAfter123Getty Images_datasurveillance DrAfter123/Getty Images

    Don’t Let Governments Break Encryption

    Jessica Dickinson Goodman & Ezequiel Passeron Kitroser urge citizens and lawmakers to fight for the privacy that previous generations took for granted.
  6. wmoore1_Sofiia PetrovaGetty Images_babyvitamins Sofiia Petrova/Getty Images

    Philanthropy in an Era of Declining Development Aid

    William Moore urges practitioners and policymakers to focus on already proven, scalable solutions.
  7. adebajo14_Bill PuglianoGettyImages_trump_wrestlemania Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

    South Africa’s Wrestling Match With Trump

    Adekeye Adebajo considers whether the current G20 president can still advance its agenda in the face of US obstruction.
  8. haldar44_ Ann Ronan PicturesPrint CollectorGetty Images_aristotle Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images

    How Aristotle Can Save Us

    Antara Haldar touts a conception of society in which politics and education cultivate the virtue of its members.
  9. laidi35_Pacific PressGettyImages_kaja_kallas_un Pacific Press/Getty Images

    Trump vs. Europe

    Zaki Laïdi

    Donald Trump has left no doubt that he wants to build an authoritarian, illiberal world order based on traditional spheres of influence and agreements with other illiberal leaders. The only role that the European Union plays in his script is an obstacle that must be pushed aside.

    warns that the European Union has no place in Donald Trump’s illiberal worldview.

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