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Curated by Project Syndicate

Populism at the Gate

19 commentaries

The populist challenge in many countries has been both a threat and a rebuke to the liberal consensus. How should policymakers who want to defend the principles of tolerance, openness, and rationality best counter their opponents?

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  1. The Last Stand Against Populism
    Marine Le Pen Christophe Morin/IP3

    The Last Stand Against Populism

    Nov 28, 2016 Dominique Moisi considers the consequences of a right-wing populist victory in France's upcoming presidential election.

  2. Containing the Populist Contagion
    Hofer Supporters Austria Jan Hetfleisch/Stringer

    Containing the Populist Contagion

    Nov 24, 2016 Harold James asks whether a firewall can be built around Brexit and Donald Trump's victory in the US.

  3. Pensioners and Populism
    kaletsky28_Dan Kitwood_Getty Images_old voter Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    Pensioners and Populism

    Oct 28, 2016 Anatole Kaletsky uses Brexit voting data to show that economic dislocation had little to do with the outcome.

  4. How Inequality Found a Political Voice
    spence88_NurPhoto_Getty Images_protest NurPhoto/Getty Images

    How Inequality Found a Political Voice

    Oct 28, 2016 Michael Spence explains how new technologies have both fueled the problem and enabled mobilization against it.

  5. The Anti-Democratic Heart of Populism
    velasco67_Christophe Morin_IP3_Getty Images_marine le pen Christophe Morin/IP3/Getty Images

    The Anti-Democratic Heart of Populism

    Oct 27, 2016 Andrés Velasco rejects the view that populist politics is simply a response to bad economics.

  6. The Blind Alley of Monetary Populism
    frankel67_Tetra Images_Getty Images_fed Tetra Images/Getty Images

    The Blind Alley of Monetary Populism

    Oct 25, 2016 Jeffrey Frankel rebuts the argument that central bankers should be addressing income inequality.

  1. haldar39_Atila AltuntasAnadolu via Getty Images_nobel prize Atila Altuntas/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Why Do Countries Prosper?

    Antara Haldar considers what this year’s Nobel Prize-winning economic research gets right, and what it overlooks.
  2. buchholz20_Mario TamaGetty Images_us manufacturing Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Made in America 2.0

    Todd G. Buchholz & Michael Mindlin foresee the US weathering the coming trade storm, thanks to its energy resources and innovation centers.
  3. mueller55_Maja HitijGetty Images_bsw Maja Hitij/Getty Images

    When the Left Goes Far Right

    Jan-Werner Mueller considers what drives some politicians to reverse their political allegiances.
  4. meng2_KalawinGetty Images_climatefinance Kalawin/Getty Images

    The Right Climate Finance for Developing Economies

    Hippolyte Fofack urges the Global North to focus on vulnerable countries’ need to invest in adaptation-related infrastructure.
  5. constantin2_Paul RatjeThe Washington Post via Getty Images_abortion pills Paul Ratje/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Self-Managed Abortion Saves Lives

    Andrés Constantin & Katherine Mayall urge policymakers to remove the barriers preventing women from terminating unwanted pregnancies on their own.
  6. johnson180_JIM WATSONAFP via Getty Images_kamala harris JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

    Only Harris Will Deliver Shared Prosperity

    Simon Johnson says that Donald Trump’s discredited protectionism would benefit the few at the expense of the many.
  7. roubini191_JOHN WESSELSAFP via Getty Images_israelmissiles John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

    Israel and Iran Are Likely to Escalate

    Nouriel Roubini rejects the widespread view that the conflict will be contained after the latest exchange of attacks.
  8. stiglitz343_ChipSomodevillaGettyImages_trump_goofy Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    The Perils of a Trump-Musk Economy

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    Donald Trump is offering a vision of crony rentier capitalism that has enticed many captains of industry and finance. In catering to their wishes for more tax cuts and less regulation, he would make most Americans’ lives poorer, harder, and shorter.

    explains what a Republican victory in the 2024 election would mean for most Americans’ standard of living.
  9. galbraith37_Anna MoneymakerGetty Images_elonmusktrump Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    Elon Musk Gets Trump’s Economic Plans Partly Right

    James K. Galbraith

    Elon Musk recently admitted that Donald Trump's policy agenda would lead to economic turmoil. But if their plan to eliminate government waste involves cuts to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, rather than the necessary military, diplomatic, and financial reforms, recovery will remain elusive.

    argues that only a tycoon could love Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, deportations, and spending cuts.

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