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Curated by Project Syndicate

Piketty's Charge

19 commentaries

The English-language publication of Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" has sparked widespread debate over the causes and consequences of rising inequality. Is Piketty's analysis mere fodder for professional economists, or will it move policymakers to act?

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  1. Thomas Piketty’s Japanese Tour

    Thomas Piketty’s Japanese Tour

    Mar 1, 2015 Yuriko Koike asks why income inequality has become more salient in one of the world's most egalitarian countries.

  2. Inheritance and Inequality
    Inequality Rich and Poor_Ian Wood Ian Wood/Flickr

    Inheritance and Inequality

    Oct 21, 2014 Edward N. Wolff refutes Thomas Piketty's argument that wealth transfers exacerbate inequality.

  3. Piketty’s Missing Rentiers
    Rich and poor on street Ice Man/Flickr

    Piketty’s Missing Rentiers

    Sep 18, 2014 Jeffrey Frankel says that inequality is rising, but not for the reason Thomas Piketty has given.

  4. Democracy in the Twenty-First Century
    American Sunset Russ Allison Loar/Flickr

    Democracy in the Twenty-First Century

    Sep 1, 2014 Joseph E. Stiglitz blames rising inequality on an ersatz form of capitalism that benefits only the rich.

  5. The Great Income Divide
    Poor Child on Street Henrik Berger Jorgensen/Flickr

    The Great Income Divide

    Jul 18, 2014 Kemal Derviş calls for potent policies to combat income inequality and strengthen social mobility.

  6. Piketty with Chinese Characteristics
    Thomas Piketty China domestic inequality Socialdemokraterna/flickr

    Piketty with Chinese Characteristics

    Jul 2, 2014 Andrew Sheng & Xiao Geng apply to China Thomas Piketty's framework for understanding the country's rising income inequality.

  1. gebert5_Amir LevyGetty Images_netanyahuprotest Amir Levy/Getty Images

    Will Qatari Gold Sink Netanyahu?

    Konstanty Gebert

    Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to fire the country's internal security chief has raised suspicions, given that the move comes just after the launch of an investigation into a new scandal involving his own aides. Israelis are right to worry that they could now be heading for a constitutional crisis.

    explains the latest scandal to hit Israel's increasingly illiberal, norm-breaking government.
  2. khrushcheva191_Anna MoneymakerGettyImages_steve_witkoff Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    The US and Russia Are Negotiating in Bad Faith

    Nina L. Khrushcheva thinks the Kremlin is laying the groundwork for a highly favorable deal on the Ukraine war.
  3. schaake12_Thierry MonasseGettyImages_henna_virkkunen Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

    Europe’s Tech Sovereignty Demands More Than Competitiveness

    Marietje Schaake & Max von Thun warn that the European Union’s deregulatory push could undermine its autonomy and fundamental values.
  4. nsofor11_GUY PETERSONAFP via Getty Images_africadoctors Guy Peterson/AFP via Getty Images

    How Should Africa Respond to Foreign-Aid Cuts?

    Ifeanyi M. Nsofor touts the potential of foreign remittances to sustain public services as external support shrinks.
  5. huang6_Sawayasu TsujiGettyImages_china_tariffs Sawayasu Tsuji/Getty Images

    How Should China Respond to Trump’s Tariffs?

    Huang Yiping urges Chinese policymakers to fill the leadership vacuum created by America’s protectionist turn.
  6. oneill132_Feature ChinaFuture Publishing via Getty Images_chinashopping Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images

    Who Will Drive the Post-American Global Economy?

    Jim O'Neill considers what other large economies can do to offset the effects of the Trump administration's trade warfare.
  7. op_fofack4_Irwin Wong for The Washington Post via Getty Images_elderlypersonworking Irwin Wong for The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Health Is Wealth in a Geriatric World

    Hippolyte Fofack

    The Global South is increasingly at risk of growing old before becoming rich, which implies huge social and economic costs. To avert this outcome, the Hevolution Foundation, a nonprofit backed by the Saudi royal family, has begun to support research focused on lengthening healthspans – the period of life spent in good health.

    explains why increasing “healthspans” to match lifespans is a moral and economic imperative.
  8. przybylski2_Alexander KoernerGetty Images_germanyarmy Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

    Europe’s Democrats Must Forge a Will to Fight

    Wojciech Przybylski & Goran Buldioski think European leaders' most urgent security task is to nurture citizens' resolve to defend their countries.
  9. mazzucato81_Tomas CuestaGetty Images_javiermileichainsaw Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images

    Governments Are Not Startups

    Mariana Mazzucato & Rainer Kattel explain why ongoing efforts to run the state like a business are doomed to fail.

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