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Kaushik Basu

Kaushik Basu

Writing for PS since 2002
109 commentaries

Kaushik Basu, a former chief economist of the World Bank and chief economic adviser to the Government of India, is Professor of Economics at Cornell University and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

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  1. Playing at Democracy
    basu109_Matt CardyGetty Images_socialmedia Matt Cardy/Getty Images

    Playing at Democracy

    Feb 12, 2025 Kaushik Basu explains how a well-known children's game illustrates the logic of today's emerging oligarchies.

  2. The Man Who Relaunched India
    basu108_Daniel BerehulakGettyImages_Manmohan_Singh Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

    The Man Who Relaunched India

    Dec 30, 2024 Kaushik Basu reflects on the legacy of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who set the stage for today’s economic growth.

  3. What If Trump Keeps His Promises?
    basu107_JimWatsonGettyImages_steelworkers_trump1 Jim Watson/Getty Images

    What If Trump Keeps His Promises?

    Nov 14, 2024 Kaushik Basu warns that the president-elect’s proposed trade policies will erode America’s competitiveness.

  4. Economics, Empathy, and the US Election
    basu106_Julia BeverlyGetty Images_kamalaharris Julia Beverly/Getty Images

    Economics, Empathy, and the US Election

    Sep 25, 2024 Kaushik Basu warns that Donald Trump’s policy agenda could leave American workers much worse off than they are now.

  5. Bangladesh’s Stand Against Authoritarianism
    basu105_Zabed Hasnain ChowdhuryNurPhoto via Getty Images_bangladeshprotests Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Bangladesh’s Stand Against Authoritarianism

    Aug 26, 2024 Kaushik Basu urges interim leaders to rebuild political institutions and stabilize the economy before calling elections.

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  1. toubeau1_ Maja HitijGetty Images_marzvonderleyenweber Maja Hitij/Getty Images
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    Europe’s New Power Trio

    Simon Toubeau foresees Friedrich Merz, Ursula von der Leyen, and Manfred Weber boosting the bloc’s security and economy.
  2. ostry6_Anadolu GettyImages_canada_axe_the_tax Anadolu/Getty Images
    1

    Canada Must Learn From the Green Backlash

    Jonathan D. Ostry calls for climate policies to reflect social realities, instead of being based solely on economic efficiency.
  3. moyo33_Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images_USstockmarket Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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    Will There Be a Sustained US Market Selloff?

    Dambisa Moyo identifies several indicators that investors and business leaders should keep an eye on.
  4. ahuq7_Jim WatsonGettyImages_trump_executive_order Jim Watson/Getty Images
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    Trump’s Tariffs Are Illegal, but That Won’t Matter

    Aziz Huq sees an unlawful trade war as a window into America’s crumbling constitutional order.
  5. phassan1_Nava JamshidiGetty Images_afghanistanwomen Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images
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    Let Afghan Women Lead

    Palwasha Hassan & Shafiqa Khpalwak urge the international community to support some of the world's most repressed yet tenacious people.
  6. sierakowski116_Andrew HarnikGetty Images_trumpvancezelensky Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
    1

    Saving Ukraine

    By choosing to side with the aggressor in the Ukraine war, President Donald Trump’s administration has effectively driven the final nail into the coffin of US global leadership. Unless Europe fills the void – first and foremost by supporting Ukraine – it faces the prospect of more chaos and conflict in the years to come.

  7. op_livingston6_cienpies_handsmoney cienpies/Getty Images
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    Abundance and Its Discontents

    James Livingston

    For most of human history, economic scarcity was a constant – the condition that had to be escaped, mitigated, or rationalized. Why, then, is scarcity's opposite regarded as a problem?

     asks why the absence of economic scarcity is viewed as a problem rather than a cause for celebration.
  8. elerian175_Spencer PlattGetty Images_nyse Spencer Platt/Getty Images
    Free to read
    1

    What Role for the Bond Vigilantes?

    J. Bradford DeLong, et al. consider whether the return of the “bond vigilantes” will become a persistent issue for major economies
  9. blanchard17_Money SharmaGettyImages_von_der_leyen_modi Money Sharma/Getty Images
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    Maintaining Progress in a Post-American World

    Olivier Blanchard & Jean Pisani-Ferry identify four big global challenges that can still be tackled through “coalitions of the willing.”

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