Maxwell School News and Commentary

Mary Lovely, professor of economics, explains why lower-income consumers, who tend to buy more goods from countries such as China, might end up feeling squeezed more than their higher-income counterparts.

"What happens Friday will 'represent a fundamental retreat by the leader of the global trading system'," says Mary Lovely, professor of economics, adding, "It will be seen as a turning point."

"Beijing is taking on a broader financial role. Here’s why that matters," writes Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science, in a column for the Washington Post.

These new tariffs will “almost surely not” cause a recession, says Mary Lovely, professor of economics. “This industry is important but it’s not that important. Costs will rise. We’ll see some job dislocation…but we will not see a recession,” she adds.

"One hope of AGOA [African Growth and Opportunity Act] was labor intensive manufacturing would move into” some of Africa's poorest countries, said Mary Lovely, professor of economics. The comment followed President Trump's announcement of Rwanda's participation in the program.

David Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School, says Trump’s opposition to Gateway is mystifying and potentially discourages investors in the sort of public-private projects his administration is advocating. 

"The Rothschilds, who combined Jewishness, banking and international ties, presented an attractive target” for conspiracy theorists, says Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science.

"The key thing that happened Sunday is that Putin formally became a lame duck in a political system dependent on one man," says Brian Taylor, professor and chair of political science.