Peterson Perspectives: Interviews on Current Issues

Simon Johnson says rapid technological change in finance, in part based on blockchain technology used in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, could reshape the monetary system in fundamental ways.

Gary Clyde Hufbauer examines a long history of precedents of presidents invoking various legal statues, particularly those involving war powers, to show that as president Donald Trump could implement his trade agenda unilaterally long before any legislative or judicial challenges occur.

Marcus Noland discusses a newly released PIIE Briefing analyzing the economic pain to the US economy that would occur if Donald Trump were to implement his trade proposals as president. Also discussed are the lost opportunities from Hillary Clinton’s trade stance.

Simeon Djankov says the European Union's decision to divert substantial funds away from Eastern Europe and toward the general migration budget could further distance eastern EU members from richer counterparts in the West.

David J. Stockton says some central bank officials are still appropriately concerned about an inflation rate that has consistently fallen short of the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.

Marcus Noland discusses the regional and international implications of North Korea’s latest nuclear test, which he says represents a worrisome escalation.

The European Commission has ordered Apple to pay up to $14.5 billion in taxes. Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Jacob Funk Kirkegaard debate whether the accusation that Ireland gave the firm illegal and preferential state aid stands up to broader scrutiny.

Monica de Bolle outlines the tough economic challenges facing Brazilian acting President Michel Temer now that the Olympic games are finished and Dilma Rousseff's long-anticipated impeachment is official.

Adam S. Posen says the mood at the annual Economic Policy Symposium sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which he attended in late August, reflected widespread concern about the Fed's ability to fight the next economic downturn. The Fed chair, Janet Yellen, sought to calm nerves at the conference but left many participants uneasy about continued slow growth in the United States.

Nicolas Véron says Italy’s banking problems have been simmering for quite some time and that fears associated with Brexit and controversial efforts by the Italian authorities to rescue domestic banks have further complicated the issue.