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Katharina Pistor

Katharina Pistor

Writing for PS since 2000
37 commentaries

Katharina Pistor, Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School, is the author of The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality (Princeton University Press, 2019).

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  1. Outsourcing Our Future to For-Profit AI
    pistor37_Dan KitwoodGetty Images_deepmind Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    Outsourcing Our Future to For-Profit AI

    Oct 17, 2024 Katharina Pistor worries that we have already ceded control to self-interested private corporations and their shareholders.

  2. To Google or Not to Google?
    pistor36_Thilina KaluthotageNurPhoto via Getty Images_google Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    To Google or Not to Google?

    Aug 22, 2024 Katharina Pistor describes how the search-engine giant crossed the line in acquiring and maintaining its monopoly.

  3. American Business Will Regret Writing Off Democracy
    pistor35_Chip SomodevillaGetty Images_trump and business Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    American Business Will Regret Writing Off Democracy

    Jun 3, 2024 Katharina Pistor explains why endorsing Donald Trump is a bad bet for today’s titans of the US economy.

  4. Will Boeing Crash Shareholder Value?
    pistor34_NTSB via Getty Images_boeing NTSB via Getty Images

    Will Boeing Crash Shareholder Value?

    Apr 10, 2024 Katharina Pistor sees the troubled company as a textbook example of a broader problem afflicting corporate governance.

  5. Elon Musk and the Absolutist Revival
    pistor33-napoleon musk

    Elon Musk and the Absolutist Revival

    Feb 13, 2024 Katharina Pistor laments the modern cult of the CEO, which allows corporate leaders to pick and choose their own laws.

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  1. stanley5_Mindy SchauerMediaNews GroupOrange County Register via Getty Images_trump Mindy Schauer/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
    Free to read

    The End of US Democracy Was All Too Predictable

    Jason Stanley

    Since Plato’s Republic 2,300 years ago, philosophers have understood the process by which demagogues come to power in free and fair elections, only to overthrow democracy and establish tyrannical rule. The process is straightforward, and we have now just watched it play out.

    observes that philosophers since Plato have understood how tyrants come to power in free elections.
  2. khrushcheva187_Chip SomodevillaGetty Images_trumpmcconnell Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    How Trump Won

    Nina L. Khrushcheva

    Despite being a criminal, a charlatan, and an aspiring dictator, Donald Trump has won not only the Electoral College, but also the popular vote – a feat he did not achieve in 2016 or 2020. A nihilistic voter base, profit-hungry business leaders, and craven Republican politicians are to blame.

    points the finger at a nihilistic voter base, profit-hungry business leaders, and craven Republican politicians.
  3. woo7_Getty Images_ us china Getty Images

    Trump vs. China, Round Two

    Angela Huyue Zhang warns that if the US doubles down on aggressive policies, it risks becoming defined by what it opposes.
  4. legrain39_AntonioMasielloGettyImages_meloni_rutte Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

    How Europe Should Woo Trump

    Philippe Legrain outlines a strategy for EU leaders to win over the next US president and mitigate the threat he represents.
  5. spence178_NurPhotoGettyImages_china_deflation_supermarket1 NurPhoto/Getty Images

    China Can Beat Back Deflation

    Michael Spence predicts that, with the right policies, the economy’s growth momentum can be restored within 2-3 years.
  6. hamada67_KIM KYUNG-HOONPOOLAFP via Getty Images_ishiba Kim Kyung-Hoon/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

    Japan Needs Tighter Monetary Policy

    Koichi Hamada hopes that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recognizes the risks raised by an undervalued yen in today's economy.
  7. mahajan1_MONEYSHARMAGettyImages_female_train_driver MONEY SHARMA/Getty Images

    To Prosper, India Must Close Its Gender Employment Gap

    Kanika Mahajan urges policymakers to create an inclusive labor market by implementing business-friendly measures.
  8. bleicher1_Getty Images_digital dollar Getty Images

    Stablecoins Can Defend the Dollar’s Global Status

    Paul Ryan prefers a payments system built by private industry in the US to one built by the People’s Bank of China.
  9. jlin1_Song WeixingVCG via Getty Images_solar panels china Song Weixing/VCG via Getty Images

    Unleashing Solar Power’s Bright Future

    Fatih Birol & Ajay Mathur see the rapid growth of solar power as a promising sign of what is possible in the fight against climate change.

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