In the News
News media from around the world rely on the expertise of Watson Institute faculty and researchers to help make sense of current world affairs and public policy issues. On this page, you will find articles that cite research done at Watson, opinion pieces by our faculty, interviews, podcasts and more.
In the News
News media from around the world rely on the expertise of Watson Institute faculty and researchers to help make sense of current world affairs and public policy issues. On this page, you will find articles that cite research done at Watson, opinion pieces by our faculty, interviews, podcasts and more.
Mark Blyth told Cryptopolitan that the U.S. dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency provides a buffer against market fallout from Trump’s attempts to reshape the Fed.
Marc Dunkelman writes in the Financial Times that the rise of authoritarianism stems less from ideology than from democracy’s repeated failure to deliver effective governance.
In a Los Angeles Times interview, Marc Dunkelman discusses the reforms needed to enable California and the country to build the roads, bridges, water and transportation systems crucial for a thriving economy.
In the Boston Globe, Stephen Kinzer writes that Trump’s military escalation against Venezuela rests on discredited drug-gang claims, risks inflaming Latin America, and is pushing Caracas closer to China.
The New York Times
The Real Reason Americans Worry About Trade (comments by Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth told The New York Times that trade backlash stems less from imported goods than from the community decline workers face when local jobs vanish.
Project Syndicate
Trump’s Global War on Decarbonization (co-authored by Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth writes in Project Syndicate that the Trump administration is deliberately obstructing global decarbonization to preserve U.S. fossil fuel dominance, prioritizing short-term gains over long-term planetary damage.
Ashutosh Varshney writes in The Print that Trump’s tariff threats and shifting U.S. ties with Pakistan have pushed India into its greatest foreign policy crisis since 1998, leaving its relations with the U.S., Pakistan and China in disarray.
John Friedman told the GW Hatchet, "In other words, a given test score predicts the same level of academic performance, even when students come from very different backgrounds."
The Hindu cites research by Patrick Heller, whose Citizenship, Urban Governance and Inequality project surveyed more than 30,000 Indian households and found Chennai residents face the biggest challenges in accessing water.
New Books Network
Reid B. C. Pauly, "The Art of Coercion" (interview with Reid Pauly)
In a New Books Network interview, Reid Pauly discussed his book The Art of Coercion, arguing that coercion often fails because targets fear punishment even if they comply.
Lyle Goldstein told Business Insider that China’s risky confrontations in the South China Sea have increased over the past decade as Beijing flaunts its growing maritime and aerial power.
Mark Blyth told Rapid Response that outdated models shape economic debates, while China’s role and U.S. policy shifts remain misunderstood.
Stephen Kinzer writes in the Boston Globe that Trump’s steep tariffs on India over its Russian oil purchases risk driving New Delhi toward closer ties with Russia and China, undermining decades of U.S.-India cooperation.
Lyle Goldstein and Ella Corbett write in RealClearWorld that Washington should not view Russia’s and China’s growing ties with Afghanistan as a significant threat and should instead focus on humanitarian engagement.
Mark Blyth told NPR’s Marketplace that factors from climate change to labor shortages and tariffs could be driving a sharp rise in U.S. wholesale vegetable prices.
In The Hill, J. Brian Atwood warns that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s directive for U.S. diplomats to avoid commenting on the fairness of foreign elections marks a dangerous retreat from America’s decades-long role in promoting democracy worldwide.
Masters of Scale Podcast
Is it ‘economic Halloween’ in the US? (interview with Mark Blyth)
In the Masters of Scale podcast, Mark Blyth discusses outdated economic models, misconceptions about China, Democrats’ messaging struggles, recession forecasting challenges, and higher education’s reliance on federal funding.
John Friedman told The New York Times, "If you’re just trying to admit the students who were most academically prepared, you would in fact end up tilting a lot toward white students and toward richer students, because those are the ones who have had access to the schools that would get them prepared."
Watson experts Lyle Goldstein and Stephen Kinzer reflect on the legacy of nuclear weapons 80 years after Hiroshima, weighing in on whether deterrence is the true outcome of the atomic age.
Mark Blyth comments on signs of an economic recession and the latest U.S. jobs report in an interview with ABC News.
In an interview on the TLDR podcast, Mark Blyth explains how the U.S. is reshaping the global economic and political order and what it could mean for Canada.
U.S. Naval Institute
Lurching Toward Détente? (written by Lyle Goldstein)
In an article for the U.S. Naval Institute, Lyle Goldstein argues the United States should renew naval cooperation with Russia to promote maritime stability, strategic balance and humanitarian readiness despite ongoing tensions over Ukraine.
In Vox, Lyle Goldstein says Chinese scholars are now openly discussing limited nuclear war, framing it as a response to similar conversations in the United States.
In The Print, Ashutosh Varshney writes that Trump’s tariff threats to India reflect a return to power-based foreign policy, exploiting trade imbalances for political leverage, while India’s economic and strategic dependence on the U.S. limits its ability to push back.
Stephanie Savell told The Intercept, “What many people don’t know is that the United States’ post-9/11 counterterrorism operations actually contributed to and intensified the present-day crisis and surge of violent deaths in the Sahel and Somalia.”
In UnHerd, Lyle Goldstein argues that the U.S. is beginning a significant and necessary shift in its Taiwan policy—publicly reining in Taipei to reduce the risk of war with China and prioritize broader strategic interests under an “America First” framework.
In Asia Times, Lyle Goldstein writes that former President Trump’s approach to the Philippines signals a shift toward defusing U.S.-China tensions by prioritizing trade and counterterrorism over military alliances and confrontation.
In the Boston Globe, Stephen Kinzer writes that the Department of Homeland Security’s promotion of “American Progress” reflects a sanitized, nationalistic view of U.S. expansion.
Salon cites a report from the Costs of War Project that found the U.S. spent $23 billion on Israel’s military operations and related U.S. operations in the region during the first 12 months of the conflict in Gaza.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Interview with Brown economist: What about the American dream, Mr. Friedman? (interview with John Friedman)
John Friedman told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the American Dream has weakened, with children today having only about a 50 percent chance of surpassing their parents’ standard of living due to uneven economic growth and declining social mobility.
In an interview with the Firewall podcast, Marc Dunkelman discussed the central problem in American governance.
In a recent Bloomberg Opinion article, John Friedman noted that the data confirm a measurable decline in economic opportunity for white working‑class communities.
Ashutosh Varshney writes in The Print that new voter ID rules in Bihar risk weaponizing citizenship to disenfranchise the poor and marginalized.
In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Lyle Goldstein discussed tariffs and the Trump administration’s overall approach to Asia.
A report by the Climate Solutions Lab, cited by The Cool Down, found that permitting can add $3,800 to $4,500 to the cost of installing a typical rooftop solar system in New Jersey.
Lyle Goldstein argues in Stars and Stripes that despite flaws and risks, the U.S. should stay in AUKUS to strengthen undersea warfare and share Pacific defense burdens against China.
Converging Dialogues Podcast
All About Inflation: A Dialogue with Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli (interview with Mark Blyth)
On Converging Dialogues, Mark Blyth explains the politics and history of inflation, from Fed policy to global cases like Turkey and Argentina.
John Friedman comments for The Boston Globe, “When you have innovators and entrepreneurs and leaders coming from a broader range of potential backgrounds, you get more innovation.”
Omer Bartov comments for The Guardian, "What the IDF is doing in Gaza is demolishing it. Hundreds of buildings are being bulldozed every week. This is not a secret, but mainstream media coverage has been insufficient.”
Stephanie Savell comments for Common Dreams, "This is not an arsenal of democracy—it's an arsenal of profiteering."
The Guardian reports that a new Costs of War study finds the Pentagon gave $2.4 trillion to private arms firms from 2020 to 2024, fueling war and weapons manufacturing.
The New York Times
You Don’t Have to Be a Doctor to Understand This (written by Craig Spencer)
Craig Spencer writes in The New York Times that there is a moral imperative to expand access to global health care.
Lyle Goldstein writes in The National Interest that Trump’s new foreign policy embraces spheres of influence over interventionism, which could reduce great power conflict if managed carefully.
Lyle Goldstein comments for Associated Press, “President Lai’s series of recent speeches appear almost designed to set up a new cross-strait crisis, perhaps in the hopes of building more support in Washington and elsewhere around the Pacific."
The Washington Post recently cited “Why Nothing Works,” a new book by Marc Dunkelman.
In an interview with The Print podcast, Ashutosh Varshney discusses Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York mayoral Democratic primary race.
Foreign Affairs
The End of the Age of NGOs? (co-authored by Jennifer Hadden)
Jennifer Hadden writes in Foreign Affairs that the post–Cold War boom in NGOs has ended as rising repression, public skepticism, and shrinking funding push power back to states.
In Real Clear Defense, Lyle Goldstein writes that Asia-Pacific allies skipping the NATO summit signals a rational shift away from U.S. defense demands and may help rebalance regional security.
In The Hill, J. Brian Atwood writes that Trump’s strike on Iran exceeded his constitutional authority and shows how Congress has abdicated its war powers.
In The Print, Ashutosh Varshney writes that Zohran Mamdani’s upset win over Andrew Cuomo signals a rise of Left populism in New York with possible national and global implications.