Alan Wolff

Jan 3, 2025 | piie.com | Alan Wolff

There are a lot of fresh assessments of Jimmy Carter, as following his death people reflect on his service as the nation’s 39th president. For me, he was the fourth president under which I served—Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter. Several things, large and small, stand out in my memory about his time in office. Presidents set the tone for the country. Carter rebelled against the imperial presidency.

Nov 12, 2024 | piie.com | Alan Wolff

In a day-after-the-election briefing to a group of business executives on what the trade policy of a second Trump presidency might look like, the question was asked, “What would an example of a good tariff be?”The answer is the same one that the 16th century Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus gave about dosages of medicine—given in moderation and for the right purpose, they can help heal. Given in excess, they become a poison.

Aug 1, 2024 | piie.com | Alan Wolff

The foundation of the America we know, and of stable democratic governments generally, is the rule of law. This got upended to more than a small degree by the recent Supreme Court decision canceling the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine, which held that the courts should defer to the interpretations of regulatory agencies where the statutes they administer are ambiguous.

Jun 4, 2024 | piie.com | Alan Wolff

BodyOverviewThe Global Trade Order (GTO) has changed dramatically since 2016 as President Obama was ending his second term as American president. Essential security interests now dominate US international economic policy. They are at the heart of a self-centered US trade policy. The new policy is very much shaped by challenges posed by China and by a retrenchment in US international economic policy in reaction to a more globalized world.

Apr 30, 2024 | piie.com | Alan Wolff

Within hours of each other, the European Union and the Biden administration acted in April to take dramatic and unprecedented actions against Chinese economic interests. Though the actions appear to have been uncoordinated, they had a common purpose in opposing Chinese economic practices deemed a threat to national and economic security. Another less noticed commonality was that their actions are potentially reshaping their long-accepted norms in dealing with international trade and investment.