Featured Publications
An internationally renowned economist, Jagdish Bhagwati takes conventional wisdom—that globalization is the cause of several social ills—and turns it on its head. Properly regulated, globalization, he says, is the most powerful force for social good in the world.
See more in Economics, Global Governance
Jagdish Bhagwati reveals how preferential trade agreements have recreated the unhappy situation of the protectionist 1930s, when world trade was undermined by discriminatory practices, and argues that the world trading system is definitely at risk again.
See more in International Finance
While immigration reform usually refers to unskilled labor, skilled immigration requires different policy action. Bhagwati and Hanson bring together today's foremost immigration experts to examine the phenomenon.
See more in United States, Immigration
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While immigration reform usually refers to unskilled labor, skilled immigration requires different policy action. Bhagwati and Hanson bring together today's foremost immigration experts to examine the phenomenon.
See more in United States, Immigration
Unlike the world's leaders at the last G20 meeting, President Obama has not turned his rhetoric loose against protectionism. In this Forbes.com article, Jagdish Bhagwati writes that Prime Minister Gordon Brown must ask the president to passionately defend trade and openness.
See more in U.K., Trade, Congress
The Obama administration faces its two most protectionist challenges from the 'Buy America' provisions in the stimulus package and the China bashing on 'currency manipulation'. In this Financial Times op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati argues that President Obama must fight protectionism right away or live to see the virus spread beyond control.
See more in Trade
In this Financial Times op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati warns that Mr. Obama, who has properly denounced unilateralism, should not undermine the respect for the rule of law that the WTO embodies at the multilateral level.
See more in Trade, U.S. Election 2008
Many critics believe that globalization sets back social and ethical agendas, arguing that globalization lacks a human face. But in this article for the John Templeton Foundation, Jagdish Bhagwati argues that actual outcomes are the opposite of those feared.
See more in Trade
There is an assumption that financial innovation is like non-financial innovation in that both are examples of what Joseph Schumpeter called "creative destruction". But in this Financial Times op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati writes that the downside of financial innovation can be "destructive creation". We therefore need an independent commission of experts to look at the potential downsides of financial innovation.
See more in Economics
In this New York Sun op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya make the case for optimism on the Doha Round. A compromise is possible if the U.S. agrees to cap trade-distorting subsidies at a minimum of the current payouts and India agrees to a downscaling of the Special Safeguard Mechanism.
See more in Trade, WTO
As in the 1980s, the United States is once again a fearful giant. In this Financial Times op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati writes that only an agenda for institutional change that addresses the fragility of jobs and enables workers to face new uncertainties has a chance of returning trade policy to sanity.
See more in Trade
Because of their discriminatory effect and the preferential treatment they give to member nations, Free Trade Agreements must be placed on moratorium, writes Jagdish Bhagwati.
See more in Trade, International Organizations
With the Doha trade round in danger of slipping from our grasp, it has become commonplace to assert that the food crisis, while a tragedy, is a shot in the arm for the talks. In this Financial Times op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya find that only one such argument passes muster—the fact that high food prices should soften U.S. opposition to lower agricultural subsidies, thereby relaxing key constraints on the final compromises necessary to reach an agreement on agricultural liberalisation.
See more in India, Trade, WTO
In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jagdish Bhagwati makes recommendations for U.S. policy on sovereign wealth funds.
See more in Economics, Congress
In this Wall Street Journal op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati and Sandip Madan examine how the US health care system could decrease the rising costs for comprehensive medical coverage and replenish a dearth of doctors by encouraging various forms of international trade in medical services
See more in Trade, Health, Science, and Technology, U.S. Election 2008
Jagdish Bhagwati reveals how preferential trade agreements have recreated the unhappy situation of the protectionist 1930s, when world trade was undermined by discriminatory practices, and argues that the world trading system is definitely at risk again.
See more in International Finance
No Democratic candidate during the primaries can be anything but a protectionist. In this Financial Times op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati questions whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is likely to be friendlier as president to the cause of multilateral free trade. He finds that the odds are in favour of Mr Obama.
See more in United States, Trade, U.S. Election 2008
Newspaper and magazine stories refer to a "loss of nerve", even a "loss of faith" in free trade by economists. When presidential candidates are challenged by free trade proponents, they typically say: "Ah, but economists no longer have a consensus on free trade." But the truth of the matter is that free trade is alive. The analytical arguments in favor of trade have hardly been dented by its critics, such as Alan Blinder, arrayed against it.
See more in Economic Development, Geoeconomics, Labor, Trade
Turn to the leading US newspapers these days and you will read about the "loss of nerve", even "loss of faith", in free trade by economists. In this Financial Times piece, Jagdish Bhagwati argues that, when examined in a historical perspective, it is clear free trade is alive and well among economists.
See more in Geoeconomics
This module features teaching notes by CFR senior fellow Jagdish N. Bhagwati, author of In Defense of Globalization, along with other resources to supplement the text. In this new edition of his popular book, Bhagwati argues that, when properly regulated, globalization can be the most powerful force for social good in the world today.
See more in Economics
When the WTO talks among the G-4—the United States, the European Union, India and Brazil—collapsed last month, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab squarely laid the blame on India as the villain of the piece. Jagdish Bhagwati argues that US and EU agricultural subsidies are the real culprits.
See more in India, Trade, WTO
Prospects for immigration reform have failed, and mostly because many of the proposed reforms had already been tried, unsuccessfully, with the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. If amnesty is no longer possible, we should instead work to raise the comfort level of immigrants closer to levels of what citizenship brings, argues Jagdish Bhagwati.
See more in United States, Immigration
See more in Trade, WTO