Skip to main content

James Livingston

James Livingston

7 commentaries

James Livingston, Professor Emeritus of History at Rutgers University, is the author of six books, including Origins of the Federal Reserve System: Money, Class, and Corporate Capitalism, 1890-1913 (Cornell University Press, 1986), and the forthcoming The Intellectual Earthquake: How Pragmatism Changed the World, 1898-2008 (University of Chicago Press).

Sort by: Show:
  1. What Was Capitalism?
    op_livingston4_PolinmrGetty Images_capitalism money Polinmr/Getty Images

    What Was Capitalism?

    Feb 16, 2024 James Livingston asks whether those at the commanding heights of today's economy are steering us toward feudalism or fatuousness.

  2. Neoliberal Minority Rule
    livingston3_GIORGIO VIERAAFP via Getty Images_desantistrumpflorida Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

    Neoliberal Minority Rule

    Nov 1, 2023 James Livingston says that the question is no longer how, but whether, free markets can serve democracy’s cause.

  3. Men Overboard
    op_livingston3_Kevin DietschGetty Images_joshhawley Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

    Men Overboard

    Aug 11, 2023 James Livingston explores the unspoken tragedy at the heart of conservatives' fixation on defending patriarchy.

  4. The Sense of an Ending
    op_livingston2_Beata ZawrzelNurPhoto via Getty Images_capitalisamprotest Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    The Sense of an Ending

    Mar 10, 2023 James Livingston surveys the intellectual terrain created by the transition from capitalism as we have come to know it.

  5. The Contested Fed
    op_livingston1_Anna MoneymakerGetty Images_fed Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    The Contested Fed

    Dec 2, 2022 James Livingston reviews three books that, each in its own way, reveal a central truth about the world’s leading central bank.

  1. tharoor190_R. SATISH BABUAFP via Getty Images_india elections R. SATISH BABU/AFP via Getty Images

    Might Modi Lose?

    Shashi Tharoor predicts that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will perform worse than expected in India’s general election.
  2. sierakowski108_Steffen KuglerBundesregierung via Getty Images_tuskscholzmacron Steffen Kugler/Bundesregierung via Getty Images

    The European Union’s New Triumvirate

    Sławomir Sierakowski sees France, Germany, and Poland setting a new strategic course for the bloc.
  3. bardhan12_ TAUSEEF MUSTAFAAFP via Getty Images_bjp TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images

    The Popular Decimation of India’s Democracy

    Pranab Bardhan examines the shrewd tactics and false narratives that underpin broad support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  4. posner32_Getty Images_contract Getty Images

    Why Non-Compete Clauses Should Be Banned

    Eric Posner explains why the arguments in favor of legally binding employees to firms ultimately fall flat.
  5. op_drchowdhury1_ IDREES MOHAMMEDAFP via Getty Images_modiindiaelection Idrees Mohammed/AFP via Getty Images

    India’s Despotic Election

    Debasish Roy Chowdhury

    For the past decade, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been eroding civil liberties and minority rights, curtailing dissent, undermining democratic institutions, and building a cult of personality. The ongoing national election must be understood in this context.

    explains how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has eroded democratic safeguards and stacked the deck in his favor.
  6. klee19_Gerhard JorenLightRocket via Getty Images_hyundaimanufacturing Gerhard Joren/LightRocket via Getty Images

    What Fiscally Sound Industrial Policy Can Do

    Keun Lee highlights three tools that can support domestic-market growth and development without breaking the bank.
  7. boskin94_Elijah NouvelageGetty Images_voting ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    Why Voters Are Unhappy About the Biden Economy

    Michael J. Boskin explains why Americans do not share the White House’s rosy assessment of its economic track record.
  8. ginsberg1_Tayfun CoskunAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_january6journalistviolence Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    Our Freedoms Depend on Press Freedom

    Jodie Ginsberg warns that the increased targeting of journalists and the media is a key indicator of democratic erosion.
  9. balasegaram2_JOHN WESSELSAFP via Getty Images_africaflood John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

    Climate Change Is a Worse Health Threat Than We Think

    Manica Balasegaram warns that the world is underestimating the extent to which global warming will fuel antimicrobial resistance.

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification

To receive email updates regarding this {entity_type}, please enter your email below.

If you are not already registered, this will create a PS account for you. You should receive an activation email shortly.