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Benjamin J. Cohen

Benjamin J. Cohen

15 commentaries

Benjamin J. Cohen, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of International Political Economy at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is the author of Currency Statecraft: Monetary Rivalry and Geopolitical Ambition.

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  1. The Bonfire of the Currencies?
    op_bjcohen2_Martin PooleGetty Images_usdfire Martin Poole/Getty Images

    The Bonfire of the Currencies?

    Oct 29, 2021 Benjamin J. Cohen reviews books by two leading economists on what the future holds for currencies and payment systems.

  2. The Pandemic Is Shaking the Dollar’s Supremacy
    bjcohen13_ANTHONY WALLACEAFP via Getty Images_tornUSDdollar Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

    The Pandemic Is Shaking the Dollar’s Supremacy

    May 18, 2020 Benjamin J. Cohen suggests that escalating US leadership failures will further erode the greenback's global standing.

  3. Can America and China Avoid a Currency War?
    bjcohen12_XuJinbaiVCGviaGettyImages_chinarenminbiuscurrency Xu Jinbai/VCG via Getty Images

    Can America and China Avoid a Currency War?

    Aug 8, 2019 Benjamin J. Cohen holds out hope that the world’s two largest economies may yet achieve some form of exchange-rate détente.

  4. The Case for a Fiscal Fed
    bjcohen11_GettyImages_gearswindupglobe Getty Images

    The Case for a Fiscal Fed

    Jul 19, 2019 Benjamin J. Cohen proposes a new independent agency to supplement monetary-policy responses to macroeconomic fluctuations.

  5. Where Have All the Safe Havens Gone?
    man at porthole piola666/Getty Images

    Where Have All the Safe Havens Gone?

    Jan 7, 2019 Benjamin J. Cohen expects lost faith in the US dollar and economic troubles elsewhere to lead to even more market volatility.

  1. haldar33_Sean GallupGetty Images for Burda Media_kahneman Sean Gallup/Getty Images for Burda Media

    The Psychologist Who Convinced Economists that to Err Is Human

    Antara Haldar reflects on the pioneering work and legacy of one of the world’s most influential social scientists.
  2. bremmer29_Nathan HowardGetty Images_ukraine aid Nathan Howard/Getty Images
    Free to read

    Will the Renewed US Support for Ukraine Be Enough?

    Ian Bremmer

    Sixteen months of congressional inaction in the United States has left Ukrainian forces exhausted and short on ammo. Although America has now finally enacted another package of financial and military aid, the best that the Ukrainians can hope for is another stalemate, rather than another major offensive against Russian lines.

    explains how an additional $61 billion in aid and arms will, and will not, change the course of the war.
  3. hamada64_Franck Robichon - PoolGetty Images_abe Franck Robichon/Pool/Getty Images

    The Lasting Legacy of Abenomics

    Koichi Hamada highlights two important aspects of the late Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzō’s policy agenda.
  4. bollmohr2_ Dan KitwoodGetty Images_fetilizier Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
    Free to read

    Fertilizers Will Not Fix Africa’s Food Crisis

    Silke Bollmohr & Harun Warui refute the idea that industrial inputs will increase yields and alleviate hunger on the continent.
  5. qian36_ Jens Kalaenepicture alliance via Getty Images_tiktok Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images

    What TikTok Got Wrong About America

    Nancy Qian thinks the company sealed its fate by aggressively interfering in the US political process.
  6. nye257_MARK SCHIEFELBEINPOOLAFP via Getty Images_blinkenxi Mark Schiefelbein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    US-China Cooperation Remains Possible

    Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

    Although the US has abandoned its policy of engagement with China, the strategy of great-power competition that has replaced it does not preclude cooperation in some areas. A good analogy is a soccer match, where two teams battle fiercely but abide by certain rules and boundaries, kicking only the ball, rather than each other.

    identifies seven areas where the two countries can still work together toward mutually beneficial outcomes.
  7. tharoor190_R. SATISH BABUAFP via Getty Images_india elections R. SATISH BABU/AFP via Getty Images

    Might Modi Lose?

    Shashi Tharoor predicts that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will perform worse than expected in India’s general election.
  8. sierakowski108_Steffen KuglerBundesregierung via Getty Images_tuskscholzmacron Steffen Kugler/Bundesregierung via Getty Images

    The European Union’s New Triumvirate

    Sławomir Sierakowski sees France, Germany, and Poland setting a new strategic course for the bloc.
  9. bardhan12_ TAUSEEF MUSTAFAAFP via Getty Images_bjp TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images

    The Popular Decimation of India’s Democracy

    Pranab Bardhan examines the shrewd tactics and false narratives that underpin broad support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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