AEI.Org: Scholar: Philip I. Levy

Asia Leaders to Obama

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Obama returns from his Asia trip, leaving Asian leaders unsatisfied.

Thanks for Visiting, Sorry about the Cars

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Wherever else the status quo ante may reign, the Obama administration has brought change to the tradition of sending foreign dignitaries home with lovely parting gifts.

The One-Year Review

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

In blogoyears, it has seemed like a lifetime since President Obama culminated his historic campaign with a decisive victory. But in reality, it was only a year ago.

Drooping Dollar (IV)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

What do the dollar's role and value mean for U.S. foreign policy?

Drooping Dollar (III)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The dollar's reign looks likely to continue for a while, but it is not a very resounding victory.

Coburn vs. the Political Scientists

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

It would be an enormous mistake to defund political science research.

Drooping Dollar (II)

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Has the dollar stabilized, or is there risk of a further plunge in its value?

Drooping Dollar (I)

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The recent up and down of the dollar does not mean there are malevolent forces at work. It does raise serious questions about what comes next.

Obama Wouldn't Win a Prize for His Trade Policy

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Did President Obama deserve the prize? If it is to recognize a record of accomplishment, then he does not.

The Once and Future Global Imbalance

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Right now, even if the IMF or the World Bank were to call out, key constituencies are not listening.

Trade: The Unsung Hero

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The GDP numbers show the vital role that trade has played in countering the nation’s economic ill health.

Obama Tires of Free Trade

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

President Obama's decision to slap tariffs on low-end Chinese tires will hurt our relations abroad without helping American workers or customers.

America's Crazy Health Care Debate Goes Global

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

America's fevered health care debate has begun to spread around the world like a virulent pathogen.

Seven Countries That Are Furious with Obama

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Both at home and abroad, personal admiration for Obama has to be balanced against concerns about what his policies will do the pocketbook.

Obama's China Street-Cred Is Nixonian (but Not What You Think)

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

President Barack Obama is relatively immune to attacks that he is soft on China's currency; he is not lacking in his desire to bring change, he is just more credible than his predecessor when he says he cannot.

First Stimulus, We Hardly Knew Ye

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The first stimulus was controversial among economists; it seemed to discard a great deal of what had been learned about macroeconomics in recent decades. The calls for a second stimulus seem to discard logic altogether.

People in Glass Houses (Subsidies Edition)

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Obama Administration last week launched a new World Trade Organization case against China.

Our Other Korea Problem

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The meeting between President Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak was cordial, but everyone had to tiptoe around the elephant in the room: the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

Banking on Delusion

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The government has just pumped into GM more than five times what the company was worth to its owners over the last decade. Will U.S. taxpayers ever get their money back?

The Global Problems with the GM Boondoggle

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Obama administration's entanglement in the GM bankruptcy has violated some important tenets of our international trade policy.

The Carbon Tax/Cap-and-Trade Royal Rumble

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Is there any difference between cap-and-trade and a carbon tax?

Congress to Obama: "No You Can't" on China

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Serious trouble with China is brewing in the more obscure reaches of U.S. commercial policy.

Obama Flips on China and Flops on NAFTA

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

For the second time in a week, the Obama administration has discarded a major campaign pledge on international economic policy.

Do Trade Deficits Call for a Sledgehammer?

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Large U.S. trade deficits have been central to demands for change in trade policy.

The G20 Pushes on a String

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The G20 summit did little harm, but it did little to save the world, either. Leaders did not come to terms on fixing the banks, and until that happens, the world economy will continue to stagger along.

China's Pursuit of Galactic Finance

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

China is looking for an extraterrestrial currency.

Public Outrage as a Systemic Risk

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Without bankruptcy, it is hard to avoid rewarding failure.

Protectionism Is Worse Than the World Bank Thinks

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Rising protectionism is even worse than leading multilateral institutions say it is.

The Ongoing Problems of "Stimulust"

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Who could have predicted the Obama administration would berate Europe over insufficient enthusiasm for domestic spending?

The Audacity of Borrowing (Obama Budget Edition)

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The government bond market is now giving the Obama budget plan a decided thumbs-down.

An Economic Storm with China Is Still Coming for Obama

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Chinese government is sitting on a mountain of international reserves whose value is increasingly tenuous.

Driving Toward a Trade War

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Politicians are ignoring the trade implications of the auto bailout, even for the car companies themselves.

Obama's Pyrrhic Victory on the Stimulus Package

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

President Barack Obama got the stimulus plan that he wanted--but at potentially a very high cost.

Obama's Press Conference on the Stimulus Was Not Reassuring

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Without introducing any new plans, President Obama made the case for the stimulus bill as best he could.

Trade Policy Holes

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

From China's currency to "Buy American" provisions in the stimulus, the Obama administration has dug itself into a number of trade policy holes in just a few weeks.

The Stimulus Just Keeps Looking Worse and Worse

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

There are reasons besides partisan rancor why Republicans might hesitate to support the $819 billion stimulus bill.

Our Sprawling, Unilateralist, Protectionist Mess of a Stimulus Plan

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The current U.S. stimulus package marks a new blow to international coordination.

U.S. Protectionism in the Stimulus Bill

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The "Buy American" clause of the proposed economic stimulus bill is protectionism.

Memo to Paul Krugman

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The stimulus plan is bad news.

An 8.3% Deficit Is Plenty of Stimulus

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

According to Barack Obama, $1.2 trillion in deficit spending leaves us in despair, but $1.6 trillion in deficit spending brings prosperity.

Reading the Tea Leaves on Trade

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Global economic recovery will depend on whether the Obama administration reverses his campaign rhetoric and early governance signals on trade issues.

How to Help Detroit

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Declaring bankruptcy is the least bad option for the Big Three automakers.

Weak Trade Week

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The number of U.S. politicians willing to speak clearly and forthrightly about free trade is depressingly small.

Doing a Job on NAFTA

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Barack Obama's criticism of the North American Free Trade Agreement reflects either a willful disregard of the facts or a poor command of economics.

Meet the New Boss

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:00:00 +0100

Robert Zoellick is off to a promising start as World Bank president.

Trading Exaggerations

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The free trade agreements with Panama, Peru, Colombia, and South Korea are immensely important for U.S. foreign policy and in spurring economic growth.

Eat the Fish--Or Else!

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Our trade debate with China has taken a turn for the absurd.

How to Let China Know We're Serious

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100

If Congress wants to show China the United States is serious, it should focus on domestic issues like reducing the federal deficit.

After the SED: Evaluating the U.S.-China Economic Relationship

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The United States and China enjoy a mutually beneficial economic relationship. Aggressive U.S. diplomatic policy toward China could hurt this.

Trade in the Twilight of the Bush Administration

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

What is next for U.S. trade policy?

Banking on Zoellick

Wed, 30 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The World Bank needs strong leadership, not timidity.

Who Likes Corruption?

Fri, 04 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Who are the staunch defenders of corruption at the World Bank? Why are they so opposed to an alternative?

China and the WTO

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Should the World Trade Organization be responsible for intellectual propertyproblems between the United States and China?

The Pitfalls of Civil Service U

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 01:00:00 +0100

The U.S. Public Service Academy is an idea whose time has never come.

When Form Follows Function

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:00:00 +0100

The People's Republic of China late last week gave private property equal legal status to state property in order to bolster China's market reforms.

Currency Foibles

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Trade Truths for Turbulent Times

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Philip I. Levy responds to Peter Coy and Vladimir Masch in an online debate about trade, regulation, and globalization

Free Trade Agreements in Asia: Implications for Taiwan and the United States

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:30:00 +0100

Obama Trade Policy: An Assessment at Six Months

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0100

U.S.-Korean Relations: The Challenges for Presidents Obama and Lee

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:15:00 +0100

Can the IMF Really Save the World?

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Trade versus Security

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:30:00 +0100

Do or Die for the Doha Trade Talks

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:30:00 +0100

Rethinking Global Institutions: Do We Have the International Tools to Fight the Global ...

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:30:00 +0100

The Future of Hugo Chavez's Petro-Diplomacy

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:00:00 +0100

Development Beyond Aid: Remaking U.S. Development Policy for a Changed World

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0100

Beyond November: Trade Policy

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:45:00 +0100

The End of the American Era: Looking Ahead

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Accounting for Happiness: The 2008 Legatum Prosperity Index

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:30:00 +0100

The Collapse of the WTO Doha Round Trade Talks: Implications and Future Options

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:45:00 +0100

Termites in the Trading System: How Preferential Agreements Undermine Free Trade

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0100

Is China Taking Unfair Advantage of Its Trade Partners?

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:00:00 +0100

The 2008 State of the Union

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:30:00 +0100

Debating the Case for a U.S. Public Service Academy

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:30:00 +0100

Asia 2012: Security Challenges and Opportunities for Development

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:00:00 +0100

The Bipartisan Trade Bargain: Is the Deal Worth It?

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:00:00 +0100

The 2007 Farm Bill and Beyond

Thu, 17 May 2007 10:00:00 +0100

U.S. Trade Policy

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:30:00 +0100

U.S. Foreign Economic Policy in the Global Crisis

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The global crisis has significantly weakened both the traditional allies of the United States and those nations with whom there has been disagreement.

The United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

New market access was not a principal Peruvian goal in the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement; rather, the agreement was intended to encourage investment by locking in Peru's economic reforms.

Is the U.S. Public Service Academy a Good Idea?

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A new proposal to launch a U.S. Public Service Academy has drawn much attention. Two essays provide a provocative look at this ambitious policy proposal.

Economic Integration and Incipient Democracy

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Progress may not be observable in the earliest stages of democracy.

In Search of an Obama Trade Policy

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

In its first six months in office, the Obama administration has offered contradictory signals on trade.

Does Trade Policy Matter?

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Resting on our trade laurels not only would forego future gains, but would threaten the trade gains of the postwar era that we currently enjoy.

Making U.S. Foreign Aid More Effective

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Clear objectives and structured priorities will make America's aid dollars go farther.