My new book, Foolproof: Why Safety Can be Dangerous and How Danger Makes Us Safe is a fresh, entertaining and provocative story about financial crises and other catastrophes. You can pre-order it by clicking on one of the links below. It will be go on sale on Oct. 13. Editorial reviews: One of the Financial Times’ best books of 2015. “This […]| Greg Ip
The U.S. economy has downshifted rather abruptly in the last few months, promptingnew discussion within the Federal Reserve about delaying its first interest-rate increase. Yet the growth deceleration should not come as a surprise, because the Fed has already tightened. True, the Fed’s interest-rate target remains close to zero. But the Fed tightens through its […]| Greg Ip
American strategic economic leadership, to an unappreciated extent, rests on the central role the dollar plays in the global financial system, as the latest Capital Account column argues. Who can challenge that leadership? Neither the yen nor the deutsche mark nor its successor, the euro, has dethroned the dollar. The only contender on the horizon […]| Greg Ip
The U.S. owes its economic leverage to the dollar’s role in the global financial system. The yuan isn’t a serious rival—yet By GREG IP Updated April 15, 2015 8:47 p.m. ET 4 COMMENTS China’s success at signing up so many countries as founders of the new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, despite American concerns, has fueled […]| Greg Ip
Politicians and central bankers are not providing the world with the inflation it needs; some economies face damaging deflation instead Oct 25th 2014 | WASHINGTON, DC | From the print edition: IT IS a pernicious threat, all the more so because, at its onset, it seems almost benign. After two generations of fighting against inflation, why be worried if […]| Greg Ip
The Fed mollifies its hawks but now its doves are fretting Nov 8th 2014 | From the print edition IN HIS nine years as president of one of the Federal Reserve’s twelve regional branches, in Dallas, Richard Fisher has voted against the Fed’s monetary policy eight times, always in favour of a tighter stance. Not […]| Greg Ip
Modest, though not radical, budget goals are within the Republicans’ reach Nov 8th 2014 | WASHINGTON, DC | From the print edition OF THE many reasons Congress is scorned, fiscal policy tops the list. Since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2010 bitter battles with Senate Democrats and Barack Obama produced a […]| Greg Ip
Voters in Kansas will pass judgment on a bold experiment in tax cutting Nov 1st 2014 | KANSAS CITY | From the print edition QUINDARO BLUFFS, a mostly black and solidly Democratic neighbourhood on the edge of Kansas City, would not seem a promising stop for a conservative Republican seeking re-election. Yet here was Governor […]| Greg Ip
Public investments in infrastructure do the most good at times like the present Oct 4th 2014 | From the print edition THOSE trying to fly to or from Chicago in the past week learned first-hand the shortcomings of America’s public infrastructure. A suicidal employee set fire to a nearby air-traffic-control centre, resulting in the cancellation […]| Greg Ip
Sep 8th 2014, 16:22 by G.I. | WASHINGTON, D.C Europe does not yet have its equivalent of Japan’s Abenomics, but Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, pretty much advocated it …| Greg Ip
May 22nd 2014, 18:15 by G.I. | WASHINGTON, D.C. The most notable thing in the financial markets today is the absence of anything notable: volatility has collapsed to near-historic lows. Take a look…| Greg Ip