J Bradford DeLong

The writer is Professor of Economics at the University of California at Berkeley and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Crisis, Rinse, Repeat

Later this century, when economic historians compare the “Great Recession” that started in 2007 with the Great Depression that started in 1929, they will arrive at two basic conclusions.

6y ago

Donald Trump is playing to lose

America certainly has a different kind of president than what it is used to. What distinguishes Donald Trump from his predecessors is not just his temperament and generalised ignorance, but also his approach to policymaking.

6y ago

Why low inflation is no surprise

The fact that inflation has remained stubbornly low across the global North has come as a surprise to many economic observers.

6y ago

Keeping US policymaking honest

In a recent appearance here at the University of California, Berkeley, Alice Rivlin expressed optimism about the future of economic policymaking in the United States. What Rivlin—who served as Vice Chair of the US Federal Reserve,

7y ago

The new socialism of fools

According to standard economic theory, redistribution only comes about when a country's exports require vastly different factors of production than its imports. But there are no such differences in today's global economy.

7y ago

Are we richer or poorer than our ancestors?

People today enjoy not just abundance, but an unprecedented variety of choices, which constitutes a significant boost to overall wealth. But just how significant is that boost?

7y ago

The economic trend is our friend

The world economy is a more equal place for the average individual today than it was in 1980. This is partly thanks to a series of strong leaders, such as those in China since Deng Xiaoping, and in India since Rajiv Gandhi.

8y ago

A brief history of (in)equality

The Berkeley economist Barry Eichengreen recently gave a talk in Lisbon about inequality that demonstrated one of the virtues of being a scholar of economic history.

8y ago
April 6, 2018
April 6, 2018

Crisis, Rinse, Repeat

Later this century, when economic historians compare the “Great Recession” that started in 2007 with the Great Depression that started in 1929, they will arrive at two basic conclusions.

February 13, 2018
February 13, 2018

Donald Trump is playing to lose

America certainly has a different kind of president than what it is used to. What distinguishes Donald Trump from his predecessors is not just his temperament and generalised ignorance, but also his approach to policymaking.

January 4, 2018
January 4, 2018

Why low inflation is no surprise

The fact that inflation has remained stubbornly low across the global North has come as a surprise to many economic observers.

November 9, 2017
November 9, 2017

Keeping US policymaking honest

In a recent appearance here at the University of California, Berkeley, Alice Rivlin expressed optimism about the future of economic policymaking in the United States. What Rivlin—who served as Vice Chair of the US Federal Reserve,

August 14, 2017
August 14, 2017

The new socialism of fools

According to standard economic theory, redistribution only comes about when a country's exports require vastly different factors of production than its imports. But there are no such differences in today's global economy.

March 14, 2017
March 14, 2017

Are we richer or poorer than our ancestors?

People today enjoy not just abundance, but an unprecedented variety of choices, which constitutes a significant boost to overall wealth. But just how significant is that boost?

September 5, 2016
September 5, 2016

The economic trend is our friend

The world economy is a more equal place for the average individual today than it was in 1980. This is partly thanks to a series of strong leaders, such as those in China since Deng Xiaoping, and in India since Rajiv Gandhi.

July 31, 2016
July 31, 2016

A brief history of (in)equality

The Berkeley economist Barry Eichengreen recently gave a talk in Lisbon about inequality that demonstrated one of the virtues of being a scholar of economic history.

June 30, 2016
June 30, 2016

Which thinkers will define our future?

What will be taught in the social theory courses of, say, 2070? What canon – written today or still forthcoming – will those who end their careers in the 2070s wish that they had used when they started them in the late 2010s?

April 2, 2016
April 2, 2016

Debunking America's populist narrative

One does not need to be particularly good at hearing to decipher the dog whistles being used during this year's election campaign in the United States.