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Robert J. Barro

Robert J. Barro

13 commentaries

Robert J. Barro, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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  1. Understanding Recent US Inflation
    barro12_STEFANI REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images_inflation STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    Understanding Recent US Inflation

    Aug 30, 2022 Robert J. Barro sees the fiscal-policy response to the COVID recession as the main factor fueling faster price growth.

  2. Yes, the US Economy Is Likely in Recession
    barro11_Michael NagleXinhua via Getty Images_USstockmarketrecession Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Yes, the US Economy Is Likely in Recession

    Aug 1, 2022 Robert J. Barro shows that two consecutive quarters of negative US growth have almost always preceded an official downturn designation.

  3. Big State Inflation
    barro10 Getty Images

    Big State Inflation

    Dec 4, 2021 Robert J. Barro worries that US monetary and fiscal policy is running off the rails and theatening future growth.

  4. An Interview with Robert J. Barro
    David Ricardo Economics for many decades has been dominated by journal articles, rather than books. But there are a few classics that are undoubtedly worth reading. Beyond the aforementioned Smith and Weber, this 1817 book by Ricardo is effectively the first work on macroeconomics, and thus essential reading.

    An Interview with Robert J. Barro

    Apr 20, 2021 Robert J. Barro warns that the anchor of long-term inflation expectations is being pulled up, advises the US on how to deal with China, and critiques Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure package.

  5. Pulling Up the Inflation Anchor
    barro8_Win McNameeGetty Images_volcker Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Pulling Up the Inflation Anchor

    Feb 25, 2021 Robert J. Barro worries that reckless policies could undo decades of hard-won gains by monetary policymakers.

  1. ruf1_MANAURE QUINTEROAFP via Getty Images_data center Manaure Quintero/AFP via Getty Images

    Why Frugal AI Alone Won’t Fix AI’s Energy Problem

    Boris Ruf explains why shifting the responsibility for reducing AI’s carbon footprint to end users is counterproductive.
  2. op_aibrahim1_Hari AnggaraNurPhoto via Getty Images_malaysiaeconomy Hari Anggara/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    The Global South’s Path to Economic Resilience

    Anwar Ibrahim

    Today's profound global uncertainty is not some accident of history or consequence of values-free technologies. Rather, it reflects the will of rival great powers that continue to ignore the seminal economic and social changes underway in other parts of the world.

    explains how Malaysia and other middle powers are navigating increasingly uncertain geopolitical terrain.
  3. buchholz23_UCGGettyImages_ozempic_wegovy UCG/Getty Images

    America’s “HIP” Economy

    Todd G. Buchholz sees developments and breakthroughs in health, information, and power as grounds for optimism.
  4. velasco157_Robert GauthierLos Angeles Times via Getty Images_USborder Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

    Andrés Velasco reflects on the tragic fate of the country that took him in as a teenage refugee from Augusto Pinochet's Chile.
  5. chellaney185_Charly TriballeauGettyImages_unga_russia_ukraine_vote Charly Triballeau/Getty Images

    The Global Divide Over the Ukraine War

    Brahma Chellaney urges all parties to adopt a realistic approach to a deadlocked conflict and negotiate accordingly.
  6. benami223_Picture AllianceGettyImages_merz_kyiv Picture Alliance/Getty Images

    Europe Confronts the Ghosts of History

    Shlomo Ben-Ami highlights just how profound a transformation European – especially German – rearmament represents.
  7. basu110_Joe RaedleGetty Images_UScanadatariffs Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Trump’s Self-Inflicted Trade Disaster

    Kaushik Basu

    US President Donald Trump’s import tariffs have triggered a wave of retaliatory measures, setting off a trade war with key partners and raising fears of a global downturn. But while Trump’s protectionism and erratic policy shifts could have far-reaching implications, the greatest victim is likely to be the United States itself.

    warns that the new administration’s protectionism resembles the strategy many developing countries once tried.
  8. pistor40_INA FASSBENDERAFP via Getty Images_merz Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

    The End of Germany’s Economic Delusions?

    Katharina Pistor welcomes the apparent departure from two policy taboos that have strangled the country's investment.
  9. eichengreen201_Spencer PlattGettyImages_jay_powell Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Fed, the Fund, and the Bank in Trump’s Crosshairs

    Barry Eichengreen explains why the US president’s second administration, unlike his first, is targeting all three.

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