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Michael R. Strain

Michael R. Strain

Writing for PS since 2022
39 commentaries

Michael R. Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, is the author, most recently, of The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It) (Templeton Press, 2020).

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  1. Why Is Trump Undermining the US Economy?
    strain37_Spencer PlattGettyImages_trump_stock_market Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Why Is Trump Undermining the US Economy?

    Mar 17, 2025 Michael R. Strain offers three explanations for a set of policies that have sent investor confidence into a tailspin.

  2. How Trump Can Achieve Sustained Growth
    strain36_Michael M. SantiagoGettyImages_ny_stock_exchange Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    How Trump Can Achieve Sustained Growth

    Feb 20, 2025 Michael R. Strain foresees the US president building on a strong economy, so long as he steers clear of populist policies.

  3. Could High-Skill Immigration Increase Under Trump?
    strain35_Christina HouseGettyImages_commencement_ceremony Christina House/Getty Images

    Could High-Skill Immigration Increase Under Trump?

    Jan 16, 2025 Michael R. Strain argues that the recent kerfuffle over foreign workers underscores the president-elect’s pragmatic instincts.

  4. Populism Never Lasts
    strain34_Nic AntayaGetty Images_trumpsupporters Nic Antaya/Getty Images

    Populism Never Lasts

    Dec 13, 2024 Michael R. Strain draws on history to assess the durability of Donald Trump's brand of politics.

  5. A Trump Boom?
    strain33_TheWashingtonPostGettyImages_make_america_wealthy_again The Washington Post/Getty Images

    A Trump Boom?

    Nov 19, 2024 Michael R. Strain thinks the president-elect’s economic policies could be wildly successful if he avoids his worst impulses.

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  1. brown118_Wakil KohsarGettyImages_afghan_girls_school Wakil Kohsar/Getty Images
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    The Internal Challenge to Afghanistan’s Ban on Girls’ Secondary Education

    Gordon Brown explains why the country’s leadership crisis represents an opportunity to end gender apartheid.
  2. jmccarthy1_CRISTINA ALDEHUELAAFP via Getty Images_cocoaghana Cristina Aldehuela/AFP via Getty Images
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    Central Banks Must Stem the Nature Crisis

    Julie McCarthy urges monetary authorities to use their tools to mitigate the financial risks of environmental disruption.
  3. dudley1_Justin TallisGettyImages_tether Justin Tallis/Getty Images
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    The US Needs Stablecoin Legislation Now

    Bill Dudley

    Without a robust regulatory framework that incentivizes stablecoin issuers to register in the United States, stablecoin activity will migrate to countries with weaker rules, increasing the likelihood of financial instability. Fortunately, the US can still head off these risks and reap the technology’s benefits.

     explains why lawmakers need to move quickly to establish US leadership in digital assets and payments.
  4. krueger85_Justin SullivanGetty Images_UScarstrade Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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    Tariff Man Doubles Down

    Anne O. Krueger warns that the Trump administration’s trade restrictions will harm the very industries they aim to protect.
  5. lachman3_Charly TriballeauGettyImages_us_economy_eggs Charly Triballeau/Getty Images
    3

    America Looks Like a Troubled Emerging-Market Economy

    Desmond Lachman

    Under US President Donald Trump’s erratic rule, the United States is now exhibiting all the symptoms, from high import tariffs and fiscal deficits, to oligarchy and flagrant corruption. Worse, the fallout cannot be confined to the US, and no multilateral bailout or structural adjustment plan can mitigate the damage.

     lists the symptoms, from tariffs and massive public debt, to oligarchy and flagrant conflicts of interest.
  6. fofack29_eric1513Getty Images_dedollarization eric1513/Getty Images
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    Will Trump Destroy the Dollar’s Primacy?

    Within its first two months, President Donald Trump’s second administration has attacked US institutions, alienated trade partners and allies, decimated consumer and investor confidence, and sent the stock market plummeting. Can the dollar’s status as the world’s leading reserve currency – and the extraordinary advantages this affords the US economy – withstand the onslaught?

  7. moyo32_Anton PetrusGettyImages_ai_money Anton Petrus/Getty Images
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    Will AI Mean Higher Taxes?

    Dambisa Moyo warns business leaders that automation-driven efficiency gains may come with hidden long-term costs.
  8. gbrowne1_Thomas SamsonGettyImages_fossil_fuel_non_proliferation_treaty Thomas Samson/Getty Images
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    A Defining Moment for Energy Security and Economic Prosperity

    Gaston Browne points out that the energy transition is vital not only to protect the planet, but also to enhance resilience.
  9. norrlof10_Picture AllianceGettyImages_lng_terminal_baltic_sea Picture Alliance/Getty Images
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    How Much “Weaponization” Can the Global Economy Take?

    Carla Norrlöf worries that major powers’ understandable reliance on economic coercion will go too far.

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