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Curated by Project Syndicate

Most Read of 2015

10 commentaries

The year that just ended witnessed an extraordinary array of economic and political challenges, including disunion in Europe, decelerating Chinese growth, and deepening turmoil in the Middle East. Understand what happened – and what to expect – with the year's ten most-read Project Syndicate commentaries.

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  1. The Trans-Pacific Free-Trade Charade
    Big city skyline

    The Trans-Pacific Free-Trade Charade

    Oct 2, 2015 Joseph E. Stiglitz & Adam S. Hersh warn that the biggest regional trade and investment agreement in history is not what it seems.

  2. Economists vs. Economics
    Paul Krugman Panayiotis Tzamaros/ZumaPress

    Economists vs. Economics

    Sep 10, 2015 Dani Rodrik examines the recent wave of criticism of the discipline by its leading figures.

  3. Europe’s Attack on Greek Democracy
    lines at greek atms Panayiotis Tzamaros/ZumaPress

    Europe’s Attack on Greek Democracy

    Jun 29, 2015 Joseph E. Stiglitz explains what is really at stake in this weekend’s referendum.

  4. The Liquidity Time Bomb
    pocket watch Viewminder/Flickr

    The Liquidity Time Bomb

    May 31, 2015 Nouriel Roubini warns that policy measures to reduce short-term market volatility have increased long-term risk.

  5. The Education Myth
    Vermont schoolhouse Don Shall/Flickr

    The Education Myth

    May 31, 2015 Ricardo Hausmann pours cold water on the idea that more and better schooling leads to rapid and inclusive growth.

  6. How Scary Is the Bond Market?
    Scared Tom Lin/Flickr

    How Scary Is the Bond Market?

    Mar 16, 2015 Robert J. Shiller reminds us that crashes are relatively rare, and that contagion is unprecedented.

  1. samadashvili3_ GIORGI ARJEVANIDZEAFP via Getty Images_georgia elections GIORGI ARJEVANIDZE/AFP via Getty Images

    The End of Georgia’s European Dream?

    Salome Samadashvili

    Initial evidence suggests that the victory of the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party in the recent parliamentary election reflects widespread fraud. If the West fails to support democratic opposition parties in challenging the results, Georgia’s 30-year-old democracy could come to an end.

    urges Western leaders to take steps to halt the country’s slide into authoritarianism.
  2. grigaitedaugirde1_Alex GottschalkDeFodi Images via Getty Images_icc Alex GottschalkDeFodi Images via Getty Images

    Belarus in the Dock

    Gabija Grigaitė-Daugirdė & Aarif Abraham explain why Lithuania is requesting an International Criminal Court investigation into its neighbor.
  3. jschwartz1_EonerenGetty Images_sustainabilityfinance Eoneren/Getty Images

    Where Financial Innovation Meets Sustainable Development

    Jordan Schwartz explains why new instruments must be standardized and integrated into developing countries’ economic policies.
  4. rzlawrence1_MEGAN JELINGERAFP via Getty Images_us manufacturing MEGAN JELINGER/AFP via Getty Images

    No President Can Revive US Manufacturing Employment

    Robert Z. Lawrence explains why there is no going back to the heyday of middle-class factory jobs for low-skilled workers.
  5. bailey1_The Washington PostContributorGettyImages_election_polling_screen The Washington Post/Contributor/Getty Images

    Is Political Polling Broken?

    Michael A. Bailey urges pollsters to stop thinking in terms of random samples and instead focus on diagnosing non-response bias.
  6. fischer221_MAXIM SHIPENKOVPOOLAFP via Getty Images_BRICSputinxi Maxim Shipenkov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

    Don’t Dismiss the BRICS

    Joschka Fischer thinks it would be a serious mistake for Western strategists to ignore the bloc and what it represents.
  7. krueger80_PUNIT PARANJPEAFP via Getty Images_india PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images

    Can India Become a Developed Economy by Mid-Century?

    Anne O. Krueger urges policymakers to resume key structural reforms and streamline regulations that stifle business activity.
  8. posner36_Scott OlsonGetty Images_trumpsupporters Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Why Many Workers Now Vote Republican

    Eric Posner explains how the failures of neoliberalism came to benefit the traditional party of business.
  9. ito41_Takashi AoyamaGetty Images_japan election Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images

    Japan’s Electoral Stalemate

    Takatoshi Ito considers the political and economic implications of the ruling bloc’s loss of its parliamentary majority.

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