Tuesday, February 6 at 2:00 pm
Unresolved: America's Economic Outlook
By most accounts, the American economy is booming — manufacturing is at a 13-year high, unemployment is at a 16-year low, and both the stock market and consumer confidence are soaring. But just what is driving this upturn? And can Americans trust that current economic conditions will hold up in the months ahead? In our season premiere, five esteemed economic thinkers debate the state of the American economy, from tax cuts to trade policy.
Closing in on the Trump administration’s first year, we’ll ask: Is deregulation driving the booming economy? Can the Republican tax bill spur economic growth? And is the stock market too high?
The Debaters:
Jason Furman
Fmr. Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers & Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute
Jason Furman joined the Peterson Institute for International Economics as a nonresident senior fellow in 2017 following his tenure as the 28th chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. During that time, he acted as both President Obama’s chief economist and a member of the cabinet. Furman played an important role in most of the major economic policies of the Obama administration. In addition, Furman helped make the Council of Economic Advisers a thought leader on a wide range of topics including labor markets, competition policy, and macroeconomics.
Simon Johnson
Fmr. Chief Economist, International Monetary Fund
Simon Johnson, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He is a co-founder of BaselineScenario.com and a member of the FDIC’s Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee. In 2014, he joined the Financial Research Advisory Committee of the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Research, and from 2009 to 2015, he was a member of the Congressional Budget Office's Panel of Economic Advisers. Johnson has published more than 300 high-impact articles in leading news platforms and is the co-author of several books, including White House Burning: The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why It Matters to You
Stephen Moore
Senior Fellow, The Heritage Foundation & Fmr. Economic Advisor, Donald Trump
Stephen Moore is a prominent free-market economist and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, where he works to advance public policies that increase the rate of economic growth to help the United States retain its position as the global economic superpower. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Moore served as an economic advisor to Donald Trump and helped draft early versions of the Trump tax plan. He is currently a senior economics analyst at CNN and is a former member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board.
Dambisa Moyo
Global Economist & Best-Selling Author
Dambisa Moyo is a global economist and author who analyzes the macroeconomy and international affairs. She advises companies, corporate boards, CEOs and management on investment decisions, capital allocation and risk management. Her work examines the interplay of international business and the global economy, while highlighting key opportunities for investment; capitalizing on her rare ability to translate trends in markets, politics, regulatory matters and economics into their likely impact on global business. She serves on the boards of Barclays Bank, the financial services group, Barrick Gold, the global miner, and Chevron, the energy corporation. She previously served on the board of SABMiller, the global brewer and Seagate Technology. Dambisa was named by TIME Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World,” and was awarded the 2013 Hayek Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gillian Tett
U.S. Managing Editor, Financial Times
Gillian Tett is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and the U.S. managing editor of the Financial Times, where she oversees global coverage of the financial markets. She is the author of Fool’s Gold: How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophe and Saving the Sun: A Wall Street Gamble to Rescue Japan from its Trillion Dollar Meltdown. Her latest book, The Silo Effect, published in 2015, looks at the global economy and financial system through the lens of cultural anthropology. Tett was named Columnist of the Year by the British press in 2014.
Moderator:
John Donvan
Host and Moderator
John Donvan is the host of Intelligence Squared U.S., moderating our debates since 2008. An author, speaker and journalist, John has reported for ABC, CNN and PBS, including multi-year postings in Moscow, London, Jerusalem, and Amman, and a term as chief White House correspondent for ABC News. His 2016 book, In a Different Key: The Story of Autism, was a New York Times bestseller, and a Wall Street Journal Top Ten Nonfiction Book of the Year. John is a four-time Emmy Award winner and was a National Magazine Award finalist in 2010.
To listen to the audio of “Unresolved: America's Economic Outlook” on Intelligence Squared, please click HERE.