Topics

Johan Norberg on What Makes and Breaks Golden Eras

JOHAN NORBERG February 5, 2026

The most prosperous of civilizations were the most open. The Romans, for example, expanded their empire by integrating the populations they conquered, creating a melting pot of new ideas. Johan Norberg’s latest book, Peak Human, examines the rise and fall of seven golden age civilizations. In this podcast, he says that if openness to learning and trade are what great societies make, building walls to protect their dominance often sparks their demise.

Enrico Letta: Harnessing Europe's Single Market

ENRICO LETTA January 28, 2026

The idea of European integration through a single market was to capitalize on the EU as a whole. However, EU member states now appear reticent to pool sovereignty to the degree required to counter the geopolitical challenges of today’s world. Enrico Letta is President of the Jacques Delors Institute and a champion of Delors’ vision of creating a fully integrated European economic space. Letta says the adaptation of the single market should include all sectors rather than a select few and that fragmentation is holding Europe back.

Claudia Sahm on how Private Data can Augment Official Statistics

CLAUDIA SAHM December 18, 2025

While official statistics compiled by government agencies are still considered the most reliable, policymakers are increasingly using private data to get around their limitations. Former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm says the immediacy and granularity of private company data should serve as a complement to traditional data, not as a substitute.

Governor Chang Yong Rhee on Bank of Korea’s Innovative Approach

CHANG YONG RHEE December 11, 2025

Price stability is the main goal for central banks, and monetary policy is how they achieve it. However, societies are always in flux, and central bankers who pay close attention to emerging trends are more likely to make better policy decisions. Before becoming Governor in 2022, Mr. Rhee held several high-level roles in global financial institutions, including the IMF.

Dante Disparte on Stablecoins and the Future of Finance

DANTE DISPARTE December 2, 2025

While the volatility of digital currencies like Bitcoin has kept it out of traditional banking systems, stablecoin is gaining ground in the race for a suitable digital counterpart to fiat currency. Dante Disparte heads strategy and global policy at Circle, which issues two of the world's most widely traded stablecoins. In this podcast, he says stablecoin money can help overcome some of the inefficiencies of the traditional banking system.

Pablo Peña on why AI is No Match for Human Capital

PABLO PENA December 2, 2025

While artificial intelligence continues to outperform our human abilities in many areas, Pablo Pena believes critical thinking and curiosity are what will keep us in the driver's seat. Pena is an associate professor of economics at the University of Chicago and author of Human Capital for Humans: An Accessible Introduction to the Economic Science of People. In this Podcast, Pena and journalist Rhoda Metcalfe discuss his article in the December issue of Finance & Development magazine.

Marc Palen on Peace Economics and Trade

MARC-WILLIAM PALEN November 25, 2025

Maintaining good relations promotes trade, but can trade repair bad relations? Marc Palen examines how Britain’s repeal of the Corn Laws in the mid-1800s sparked its interest in free trade and the idea of economic interdependence for a peaceful and prosperous world. In this podcast, he talks with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe about his research into the origins of globalization.

Holding Steady: Athene Laws on sub-Saharan Africa’s Outlook

Athene Laws November 20, 2025

Sub-Saharan Africa is holding its own despite a deteriorating global trade and aid landscape. The latest outlook projects growth to remain steady at 4.1 percent this year with a modest pickup in 2026. In this podcast, IMF economist Athene Laws says removing barriers to private firm growth is crucial for providing the jobs needed by the region’s young and rapidly expanding labor force.

Gordon Hanson on Shifting Trade Alliances

Gordon Hanson November 13, 2025

It’s not unusual for countries to reevaluate trade relationships as the global economy evolves. However, the persistent uncertainty brought on by tariffs has prompted entire regions to reconsider long-established alliances and rethink new ones that were unimaginable only a year ago. In this podcast, Harvard Professor Gordon Hanson says we need to reinvigorate the process of building new trade agreements that reflect the new world, and middle- and newly high-income countries should play a leading role.

F&D Magazine / Monetary policy

Kenneth Rogoff on Dollar Dominance

KENNETH ROGOFF October 30, 2025

While the US dollar has been at the top of its game for decades, new players are testing its reign. Chess grandmaster-turned-economist Kenneth Rogoff has long cautioned of the dangers that high debt and fiscal burdens could have on the world’s favorite reserve currency, and in his latest book, Our Dollar, Your Problem, he says its share of global reserves may be on the decline.

Where Startups Do Roam: Swati Bhatt

SWATI BHATT October 2, 2025

The US is a breeding ground for startups, and California has been the center of that universe since the dot-com boom in the late 1990s. But rising costs, tighter quarters, and increasing bureaucracy have many tech innovators seeking greener pastures, well beyond Silicon Valley. In this podcast, Princeton University's Swati Bhatt talks about these new entrepreneurs opting for a different lifestyle.

Chady El Khoury on the Virtual Reality of Financial Crime

CHADY EL KHOURY September 30, 2025

While countries came together in the late 80s to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism, technology and the advent of virtual currencies have further complicated the tracking of illicit financial flows across borders. In this podcast, IMF assistant general counsel Chady El Khoury says the anonymity of virtual currency transactions is supercharging the ability for criminals to grow their empires.

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