Maxwell School News and Commentary

While Russia’s use of the yuan doesn’t mean the end of dollar supremacy, it may usher in the beginning of a more fractured system that could ultimately blunt the U.S.’s ability to use financial sanctions as a weapon, says Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science.

"Offshoring barriers, regulatory burden and national welfare," co-authored by Professor of Economics Devashish Mitra, was published in Indian Economic Review.

"Gold has become an attractive hedge against sanctions risk for central banks at risk of such penalties. While there are limitations to gold's usefulness compared to, say, U.S. Treasuries, its unique appeal is found in its physical form, unquestioned value, and the ability to store bars in national vaults, safe from foreign seizure," says Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science.

“When interest rates were very low, companies basically had endless money—and investors were telling them to focus on growth, not profitability,” says Aaron Benanav, assistant professor of sociology. “But because interest rates are rising, there’s a shift from big investors to say, ‘No, now you really have to focus on profitability.’ And the big way to do that is through cuts.”

Published by Cultural Dynamics, Christopher DeCorse, professor and chair of anthropology, reviews "Reconstructing the Landscapes of Slavery: A Visual History of the Plantation in the Nineteenth-Century Atlantic World," where the authors examine the economic and political restructuring of 19th century slavery through contemporary paintings, plans and images.

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, discusses the war’s progress, the state of the Russian economy, Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, Vladimir Putin’s view of Ukrainian sovereignty and other topics. 

Alexander Rothenberg, assistant professor of economics, and co-authors analyze how changes in road quality driven by maintenance and upgrading decisions impact local economic outcomes in Indonesia. 

Asked about the White House’s assertion that “President Biden’s leadership” is responsible for the increase, Gary Engelhardt, professor of economics, tells CNN: “This assertion is incorrect.”

"It hasn't reached the potential that I think many folks thought it might have, especially given China's overall economic size and role in world trade," Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science, tells BBC World News.