CES: Populism and the Economics of Globalization

Date: 

Friday, September 8, 2017, 2:15pm to 4:00pm

Location: 

Adolphus Busch Hall, Hoffmann Room, 27 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA

The Seminar on the State and Capitalism since 1800

SPEAKER

Dani Rodrik

Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Discussant:

 

  • Bart Bonikowski – Associate Professor of Sociology, Harvard University; CES Resident Faculty

 

Populism may seem like it has come out of nowhere, but it has been on the rise for a while. I argue that economic history and economic theory both provide ample grounds for anticipating that advanced stages of economic globalization would produce a political backlash. While the backlash may have been predictable, the specific form it took was less so. I distinguish between left-wing and right-wing variants of populism, which differ with respect to the societal cleavages that populist politicians highlight. The first has been predominant in Latin America, and the second in Europe. I argue that these different reactions are related to the relative salience of different types of globalization shocks.

About

** Please note: Those planning to attend events in this series should read the paper that will be posted on the CES website before the seminar.**

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