Skip to main content
Access provided by

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?

Sort by: Show:
  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.

Our Pick

Featured

  1. Matt Gush/Getty Images
    0

    The US Economy’s Trust Deficit

    Michael Spence considers the causes and consequences of Americans’ declining faith in media and government.
  2. halland9_FREDRIK VARFJELLNTBAFP via Getty Images_norwaynaturalgas Fredrik Varfjell/NTB/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    Norway Is a Ukraine War Profiteer

    Håvard Halland & Knut Anton Mork argue that the country should give its windfall gains from gas exports to those on the front lines.
  3. gahnberg1_NurPhotoGettyImages_china_mobile_changing_piles
    0

    Navigating the Risks of Digital Public Infrastructure

    Carl Gahnberg calls for guardrails and policy guidelines to prevent governments from abusing the policy paradigm.
  4. gill10_Nhac NguyenGettyImages_vietnam_street_vendor Nhac Nguyen/Getty Images
    0

    Services Are the New Road to Development

    Indermit Gill & Aaditya Mattoo explain why developing countries need a new paradigm to replace the old manufacturing-led model.
  5. dalay4_GAVRIIL GRIGOROVPOOLAFP via Getty Images_putin Gavril Griforov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    Russia Just Lost Its Great-Power Status

    Galip Dalay explains why the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has diminished the Kremlin’s global influence.
  6. moyo30_sesameGetty Images_philanthropy sesame/Getty Images
    0

    Twelve Questions for Philanthropists

    Dambisa Moyo offers practical advice to those who want to contribute effectively to charitable causes.
  7. op_aschecter1_Westend61Getty Images_books Westend61/Getty Images
    0

    PS Commentators’ Best Reads in 2024

    PS editors

    At the end of a year of domestic and international upheaval, Project Syndicate commentators share their favorite books from the past 12 months. Covering a wide array of genres and disciplines, this year’s picks provide fresh perspectives on the defining challenges of our time and how to confront them.

     ask Project Syndicate contributors to select the books that resonated with them the most over the past year.
  8. seid1_Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images_seagrass Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images
    0

    The World Needs Ocean-Based Climate Solutions

    Ilana Seid calls for creative mechanisms for financing investment in our planet’s largest carbon sink.
  9. varoufakis122_Spencer PlattGetty Images_wallstreet Spencer Platt/Getty Images
    1

    The West Is Not Dying, but It Is Working on It

    Yanis Varoufakis argues that Western power is alive and well, but the lofty values that once sustained it have been abandoned.

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification

To receive email updates regarding this {entity_type}, please enter your email below.

If you are not already registered, this will create a PS account for you. You should receive an activation email shortly.