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Politics and Policy

Biden Should Go on Offense—Without Being Offensive

Yale leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his co-author Steven Tian argue that President Joseph Biden has a strong record of economic accomplishment, and he should tout that at the first presidential debate rather than rely on populist attacks on big business.

Empty lectern
  • With ‘Zero Visibility’ into the Russian Economy, the IMF is Parroting Putin’s Line

    Rather than admitting ignorance, write Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Stephen Roach, and Steven Tian, the IMF is accepting the Kremlin’s statistics—and fueling pessimism about the impact of sanctions.

    Vladimir Putin visiting the Ustianskiy timber complex in Arkhangelsk, Russia, in February. 
  • A Year after the Invasion, the Russian Economy Is Self-Immolating

    Economic pressure and a talent drain are pushing Russia into permanent irrelevance, write Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian.

    A vacant commercial building in Moscow on February 10. 
  • The Balloons Signal a New Age of Mass Surveillance

    Prof. Paul Bracken, an expert in global competition and strategy, says these encounters reveal an urgent need for citizens and governments to catch up on how much we’re already being spied on.

    A high-altitude Chinese balloon over Billings, Montana, on February 1.
  • Will the Backlash from the Right Slow ESG Investing?

    A string of Republican-led states have pulled funds from firms that use environmental, social, and governance criteria in making investments. We asked Yale SOM’s Todd Cort what the political backlash means for the future of ESG investing.

    Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst questioning finance industry executives about ESG investing at a hearing in December 2022.
  • Don’t Expect Pollsters to Break Their Losing Streak

    Polls predicted a “red wave,” but Democrats held the Senate and fought to a near-draw in the House. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian write that after a series of polling misses, it’s time to acknowledge the fundamental flaws in pollsters’ approach.

    Voters at a polling station at the Brooklyn Museum on November 8.
  • The Good News You Aren’t Hearing about U.S. Energy Policy

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian write that energy industry analysts are getting it wrong about the Biden administration’s progress on energy independence and supply.

    Oils tanks in Carson, California, in 2020. 
  • Could Russia Really Go Nuclear?

    We asked Paul Bracken, an expert in nuclear strategy, how this “unthinkable” scenario would play out.

    Mobile missile systems in a parade in Moscow
  • The Role of Business after Roe

    In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, access to reproductive healthcare varies widely from state to state. In a recent Yale SOM conversation, alumni and faculty discussed how businesses can advocate for the preservation of that access on behalf of their employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

    Pro-choice protesters
  • Saudi Arabia’s Sabotage of the Economy Will Backfire

    With its surprise cut in oil production, write Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian and Congressman Ro Khanna LAW ’01, Saudi Arabia has chosen to side with the Russian war machine.

    Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, speaks at a press conference on October 5 after an OPEC+ meeting.
  • What’s the Right Price for Russia’s Oil?

    Negotiation expert Prof. Barry Nalebuff argues that setting the price cap either too high or too low could lead to failure and defeat the effort to make Putin pay for his aggression.

    Oil tankers on train tracks in Russia