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home > the cfr think tank > experts > amity shlaes
Senior Fellow for Economic History
Contact Info:
Phone: +1-212-434-9500
E-mail: ashlaes@cfr.org
Location:
New York, NY
Media downloads:
High-resolution photo (JPG, 678K)
One-page bio (PDF, 44K)
Author of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression; syndicated columnist for Bloomberg. Current work examines the relationship between entrepreneurship and foreign policy.
Expertise:Germany; Russia; economics; U.S. tax policy; relative competitiveness.
Experience:Syndicated Columnist, Bloomberg, Financial Times (2000-2006); Commentator, Marketplace Radio (2005-present); Contributing Editor, The American (2006); Editorial Board Member, Wall Street Journal (1994-2000); Editorial Features Editor, Wall Street Journal (1992-94); Deputy Editorial Features Editor, Wall Street Journal (1990-92); Editorial Features Editor, Wall Street Journal/Europe (1986-90); contributed over the years to Fortune, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Commentary Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, Spectator of London, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Die Zeit, National Review, New Republic, Tax Notes, New Yorker, review of the American Academy in Berlin, and Foreign Affairs; appeared on numerous television and radio shows, including NPR’s Morning Edition and On Point, in addition to Marketplace.
Languages:German (fluent); French (proficient)
Honors:American Institute in Contemporary German Studies (trustee); Jurist for fellows selection, American Academy of Berlin; Frederic Bastiat Prize (for writing on political economy, 2002); J.P. Morgan Fellow of Economics and Finance, American Academy in Berlin; Bradley lecturer, American Enterprise Institute; Finalist for the Loeb (prize in economic commentary).
Selected Publications:Turning Intellect to Influence (coauthor, Reed Press, 2004); “Fluch der Rohstoffe,” Die Zeit (August 2003); “Lulling the Taxpayer: The Long-Standing Consequences of Devices Such as Withholding,” The Future of American Taxation: Essays Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Tax Notes (Tax Analysts, 2002); The Greedy Hand: How Taxes Drive Americans Crazy and What to Do About It (Random House, 1999); “Give It Back,” Hoover Digest No. 4 (1999); “Germany’s Chained Economy,” Foreign Affairs (September/October 1994); Germany: The Empire Within (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1991).
Current Research Projects
Past Research Project
May 9, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
New York Sun
Amity Shlaes writes that Harold M. Ickes’ strategies have not worked for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and compares his tactics to those of his father, FDR’s strategist, Harold M. Ickes.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
May 2, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
Hillary Clinton wants a windfall tax to subsidize a summer gas tax holiday for drivers. In this New York Sun article, Amity Shlaes uses the great Windfall-Profit tax of 1980 to demonstrate why we should oppose such a tax. While Mrs. Clinton may believe she's found a political windfall, the plans are so poorly crafted they may prove to be what wipes her out.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
April 22, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg.com
While Pennsylvania happens to be the physical location of the latest contest between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, in terms of political culture, their duel is situated in Chicago. Amity Shlaes writes that the battle can be viewed as one between two neighborhoods on the Windy City's South Side—the “Daleyesque clout” of Bridgeport and the “liberalism at its best” of Hyde Park. Yet, the Hyde Parker eventually morphs into a Bridgeporter.
See more in U.S. Strategy and Politics, U.S. Election 2008
April 17, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
New York Sun
Amity Shlaes explains why “this economy is to the Great Depression what an April drizzle is to Hurricane Katrina.”
See more in Economics, U.S. Election 2008
April 16, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
The current economic slowdown has recently been compared to the Great Depression of the 1930s. In this Bloomberg column, Amity Shlaes argues that this analogy is absurd; stocks have not declined nearly as substantially, unemployment is nowhere near 1930s levels, and only one big bank has collapsed. The U.S. simply can’t afford to luxuriate in a Depression image; doing so takes away time from devising policies that would really make the economy more competitive.
See more in Economics, U.S. Election 2008
April 9, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
“These days, nobody seems to doubt that the U.S. dollar will lose its status as the world’s reserve currency. To watch the financial news channels you would think that the dollar-yuan relationship is so unstable that the only question is whether it will be Ben Bernanke or Chinese monetary authorities who will determine the details of the breakdown. Perhaps the dollar won’t be surrender its anchor role so soon. And perhaps that loss, if it comes, will happen because of events that take place nowhere near men in suits at a central bank. Maybe the answer to the dollar’s riddle can be found in the cellphone photo image of a Tibetan monk in crimson and orange squaring off with a Chinese soldier.” Amity Shlaes looks at the role of China in the future of the US dollar.
See more in United States, China, East Asia, Economics
April 2008
| Authors: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History Gaurav Tiwari, Research Associate |
|---|
Other Report
Intuition tells us that oil-rich countries are not friendly to the United States, and that entreprenurial—or “smart”—countries are not endowed with oil. In this Center for Geoeconomic Studies Working Paper, the authors find a triangular relationship between oil wealth, entrepreneurial spirit, and friendliness to the United States. They confirm the idea that “oily” countries are not U.S.-friendly, in contrast to smart countries, which are friendly to the United States and do not have oil. The authors conclude that it is in the U.S. interest to support education and economic diversification in petro-states so those states can become more entrepreneurial and friendly.
See more in Geoeconomics
March 26, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
More government is the remedy that the U.S. Congress is reaching for as it moves to evaluate the Bear Stearns Cos. disaster. In this New York Sun article, Amity Shlaes recounts another banking catastrophe, the story of Bank of United States, to show that government involvement can also be a curse—especially when the role of public officials and institutions is unclear.
See more in Economics
March 26, 2008
| Authors: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History Gaurav Tiwari, Research Associate |
|---|
Article
YaleGlobal
In this YaleGlobal piece, Amity Shlaes and Gaurav Tiwari examine entrepreneurship and oil wealth in various countries and how these factors relate to a country’s policy towards the U.S. They find that there is indeed a significant positive relationship between the pro-US votes and the level of enterprise in a country, and that countries with oil tend to be less entrepreneurial as well as less friendly to the US. It seems clear that the US would benefit not only from helping countries strengthen education, the rule of law and free trade, but also from supporting the entrepreneurial culture of any country where the US has an interest.
See more in Business & Foreign Policy, Energy, U.S. Strategy and Politics
March 20, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Chicago Tribune
Authors say it is close to $3 trillion, but it doesn't seem to add up. Amity Shlaes breaks down the cost of the Iraq war.
See more in United States, Iraq, Defense Policy & Budget, Wars and Warfare
March 19, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg.com
Bear Stearns certainly evokes the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed it. Politicians are already making analogies to Herbert Hoover, the demon of that period, and Franklin Roosevelt, the angel. Amity Shlaes argues that while the 1930s do have plenty to tell us, the real challenge isn't deciding who resembles Hoover -- it is figuring out how to avoid a whole era of mistakes.
See more in United States, Economics, Presidency
March 5, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
In a new book, Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes put the cost of the Iraq war at three trillion dollars. Amity Shlaes says that while the book offers a reminder that wars usually cost more than budget figures suggest, the professors are off the mark when it comes to their larger charge that this conflict is necessarily darkening the U.S.'s future.
See more in United States, Iraq
February 27, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
Politicians these days are scrambling to give money to African countries. Amity Shlaes argues that foreign aid can be the kiss of death for poor regions.
See more in Africa, United States
February 20, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
For a successful Cuba policy, President Bush should take a lesson from his father's administration, argues Amity Shlaes.
See more in Cuba, United States
February 7, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
Amity Shlaes notes that while the economy may not be the Republican front-runner's favorite topic, Senator McCain is still a pretty good candidate. Just don't say he's "teachable."
See more in United States, Economics, Foreign Policy History, U.S. Election 2008
January 30, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg.com
Following several high profile endorsements of Barack Obama last week, Amity Shlaes looks at the staying power of the Kennedy image in this election.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
January 28, 2008
News Briefing
CFR experts offer their analysis of President George W. Bush's final State of the Union address.
See more in U.S. Strategy and Politics, Presidency
January 23, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg.com
Amity Shlaes discusses her theory on the Fed's drastic cut of interest rates.
See more in United States, Economics
January 16, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg.com
The White House and Congress are currently working on an economic stimulus package to boost the U.S. economy. In this Bloomberg article, Amity Shlaes looks at short-term economic measures in a historical context and argues that tinkering with the economy may not be the best idea.
See more in United States, Japan, Economics
January 10, 2008
| Author: | Amity Shlaes, Senior Fellow for Economic History |
|---|
Op-Ed
Bloomberg
In recent months, President Bush has hinted at several ideas to stimulate the economy, including bonus depreciation, tax rebates, a reduction in the bottom tax rate, and a refundable tax credit for first-time home buyers. Amity Shlaes argues that these stimuli are not only off-point, they also steal political capital from good projects. When it comes to the economy, the president would do better if he just stayed off the campaign trail.
See more in United States, Economics, U.S. Election 2008
Climate change poses threats to national security in a number of ways. In this report, sponsored by the Center for Geoeconomic Studies, Joshua W. Busby offers specific recommendations for confronting this important issue, including a list of "no-regrets" policies.
This report, by International Affairs Fellow Michelle D. Gavin and sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, surveys the current situation in Zimbabwe and proposes steps that can increase the likelihood that regime change, when it comes, will bring constructive reform instead of conflict and state collapse.
Complete list of Council Special Reports.
For more information on the David Rockefeller Studies Program, contact:
Gary Samore
Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
+1-212-434-9627
gsamore@cfr.org
Sebastian Mallaby
Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for
Geoeconomic Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, and Paul A. Volcker Senior
Fellow for International Economics
smallaby@cfr.org
Janine Hill
Deputy Director of Studies Administration
+1-212-434-9753
jhill@cfr.org
The David Rockefeller Studies Program is the Council’s “think tank.” Its work is integral to achieving the Council’s goal of contributing to the foreign policy debate. Fellows in the Studies Program do this by researching, writing, and commenting on the most important challenges facing the United States and the world.
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