Peterson Perspectives: Interviews on Current Issues

Adam S. Posen says the United Kingdom’s decision to sever ties with the European Union will hurt the economy and could have frightening implications for rising anti-immigrant populism around the world.

Joseph E. Gagnon says Federal Reserve officials are warming to the view that the risks of raising interest rates too soon are much larger than those of holding monetary policy steady for a while longer.

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari says reforms undertaken following the financial crisis made some progress toward reducing the amount of risk in the US banking system, but he believes the size and complexity of the nation's largest banks call for further changes.

The Olympic Games may offer Brazilians a temporary reprieve from the bad economic news plaguing the country, but Monica de Bolle says the respite will be temporary—and spending on the Games could make matters worse.

C. Fred Bergsten says Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last official visit to the United States under President Barack Obama opens a unique opportunity to boost economic ties between the two nations.

Fresh from a trip to China, Sean Miner discusses the country’s efforts to balance a gradual slowdown in the world’s second largest economy with the ongoing need for economic reforms, including more currency flexibility.

Monica de Bolle says the prospect of closure in Brazil’s impeachment saga is a positive for the country, but adds that the new administration will face plenty of challenges in getting the country’s fiscal house in order.

After a strong effort to boost chronically low growth and inflation through aggressive monetary easing, Tamim Bayoumi and Joseph E. Gagnon say the Bank of Japan has made the mistake of backtracking just as the policies were starting to gain traction.

Leaked documents relating to the negotiation of a US-European trade and investment deal will not have a dampening effect on the discussions, argues Gary Clyde Hufbauer, and may actually force policymakers to boost transparency.

Saudi Arabia has warned it may have to divest its large holdings of US dollar assets, but Edwin M. Truman and Joseph E. Gagnon say such a move would be self-defeating.