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J. Bradford DeLong

J. Bradford DeLong

Writing for PS since 2002
260 commentaries

J. Bradford DeLong, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and the author of Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century (Basic Books, 2022). He was Deputy Assistant US Treasury Secretary during the Clinton Administration, where he was heavily involved in budget and trade negotiations. His role in designing the bailout of Mexico during the 1994 peso crisis placed him at the forefront of Latin America’s transformation into a region of open economies, and cemented his stature as a leading voice in economic-policy debates.

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  1. America Has No Alternative to Industrial Policy
    delong263_MEGAN JELINGERAFP via Getty Images_USindustrysteel Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images

    America Has No Alternative to Industrial Policy

    Sep 5, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong thinks new threats to economic security outweigh the reasons for opposing government-led development.

  2. Patriotic Grift
    delong262_Brandon BellGetty Images_nikkihaley Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    Patriotic Grift

    Jul 24, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong clarifies the fundamental difference between today's Democrats and Republicans.

  3. How Humanity Lost Control
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    How Humanity Lost Control

    Jul 2, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong praises a recent book that explains why big, complex social systems so often go off the rails.

  4. The Threat of Trumpflation and a Fed War
    delong200_Chip Somodevilla_Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    The Threat of Trumpflation and a Fed War

    May 22, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong thinks monetary hawks should be more worried about the return of a populist demagogue to the White House.

  5. Musk Has Made Tesla a Meme Stock
    delong259_ChesnotGetty Images_musk Omar Marques/Getty Images

    Musk Has Made Tesla a Meme Stock

    May 1, 2024 J. Bradford DeLong worries that the first mover in electric vehicles is increasingly running on bucket-shop hype.

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  1. milani6_MENAHEM KAHANAAFP via Getty Images_israeliranmissiles Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

    A Dangerous Dance for Israel and Iran

    Abbas Milani sees both countries walking a tightrope to maintain deterrence without provoking a full-blown war.
  2. haldar38_ERNESTO BENAVIDESAFP via Getty Images)_fujimori ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP via Getty Images)

    The Bloody Path of Alberto Fujimori’s Neoliberalism

    Antara Haldar assesses the former Peruvian president’s legacy of free-market reform and death-squad dictatorship.
  3. benami218_JALAA MAREYAFP via Getty Images_lebanon israel iran JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

    The Middle East’s Deadly Dream Palaces

    Shlomo Ben-Ami traces the delusions of Arab, Iranian, and Israeli leaders that have kept the region mired in violence.
  4. op_sonin1_ILYA PITALEVSPUTNIKAFP via Getty Images_russiamilitaryproduction Ilya Pitalev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

    Making Sense of Russia’s War Economy

    Konstantin Sonin

    Despite the apparent resilience of Russia's economy, Vladimir Putin’s full-scale war against Ukraine comes at a high economic cost. Not only does it require today’s Russians to live a worse life than they otherwise would have done; it also condemns future generations to the same.

    explains the apparent resilience of growth and employment in the face of increasingly tight sanctions.
  5. krueger79_Omar Martínezpicture alliance via Getty Images_USmexicoshipping Omar Martínez/picture alliance via Getty Images

    America’s Protectionist Policies Are Backfiring

    Anne O. Krueger argue that US leaders' embrace of trade-suppressing measures has done more harm than good.
  6. carvalho2_RAFAEL MARTINSAFP via Getty Images_brazil renewable energy RAFAEL MARTINS/AFP via Getty Images

    Brazil’s Climate Push Must Start at Home

    Savio Carvalho explains why the country must lead by example on decarbonization to become a global green leader.
  7. wei66_PETER PARKSAFP via Getty Images_chinastockmarket Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

    The Global Implications of China’s Stimulus Package

    Shang-Jin Wei explains why the country’s push to revive economic activity depends on boosting domestic demand.
  8. krauze2_Manuel VelasquezGetty Images_sheinbaum YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images

    A New President and a Grim Legacy for Mexico

    Enrique Krauze reflects on the harmful tenure of the outgoing president, who weakened the economy and eroded its institutions.
  9. ahzhang16_CostfotoNurPhoto via Getty Images_china stimulus Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Governance Reform Is Key to Reviving China’s Economy

    Angela Huyue Zhang argues that lasting prosperity depends not on boosting demand, but on a return to bottom-up governance.

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