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jpfaguet.bsky.social

@jpfaguet.bsky.social
84 followers 190 following 63 posts

LSE Professor of the Political Economy of Development. Author. Opinions my own.

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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Interesting! www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Affordability Is a Winning Message for Democrats. But There’s an Even Better One.
If Democrats can embrace what affordability is really about, they might do even more than win elections.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is good. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/19/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot
It is now apparent that many Americans — probably enough Americans — are determined to live within the truth rather than the lie.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Department of Homeland Security claims thousands of brain cells in Pres. Trump's skull. Expert review finds none. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/u...
nytimes.com
From 16,000 to 185 to Zero: Trump’s Claims of Illegal Voting in Nevada Fizzle.
It was the Trump administration’s latest stumble in its effort to find proof of widespread noncitizen voting, despite decades of evidence that it is extremely rare.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Oh Christ... The Four Midterm Races That Matter Most www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Four Midterm Races That Matter Most
Four swing states will soon elect the official who will run the 2028 presidential election. The candidates are alarming.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
These Tech Utopians Want to Build a City for the Post-A.I. World. It's 'a place with “awesome yoga” and “great DJs” where “your friend who’s, like, a painter is going and they’re doing, like, a show there.”' So amazing. Where do I sign up? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/w...
nytimes.com
Tech-Utopian Movement Praxis Says It Has Found a Home in Uruguay
After a sprawling world tour, Praxis, a New York-based, crypto-backed “digital nation,” has signed a deal to build a physical city in Uruguay.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A Hispanic shift toward Democrats on anything like this scale could remake the electoral map — threatening longtime Republican incumbents, new Republican gerrymanders and the party’s crown jewel, Texas — and represent a final unraveling of his winning 2024 coalition. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/u...
nytimes.com
Hispanic Voters, Abandoning Trump, Are Transforming the Midterm Map
Texas and even Florida are the places to watch in November if a polling pattern holds.
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Reposted by jpfaguet.bsky.social
Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Job Alert! My department LSE International Development is hiring two Assistant Professors - one in Quantitative Social Science and one in Humanitarianism. Closing Date is 1 December. Quantitative Social Science lnkd.in/dXfjmaVK Humanitarianism lnkd.in/dPm5iGzp
lnkd.in
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This is good: Trump’s empire of debt - www.ft.com/content/cd81... via @FT
ft.com
Trump’s empire of debt
This century the US has embarked on wars of choice and borrowed more to pay for them. That might not end well
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
www.ft.com/content/3edf...
ft.com
Republicans fear Trump has turned toxic on the campaign trail
Some party candidates worry the president’s low popularity and inflammatory rhetoric will cost them November’s election
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
This is interesting. US manufacturing is growing in non-tariff sectors: AI, aircraft, and defence, and would be growing faster without tariffs. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
US manufacturing is booming — but it’s no thanks to Trump’s tariffs
This is not the nostalgic, protectionism-fuelled return that the president promised
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
This is good: www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Barbie Backlash
‘The Odyssey’ and ‘Barbie’ show a zeitgeist shift that goes beyond Hollywood: The hero’s narrative is corroding our political and public life.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Go @mark-carney.bsky.social ! Finally, a leader to stand up for his country. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/22/w...
nytimes.com
Carney Stands Up to Trump in U.S.-Canada Trade War
Canada’s prime minister walked away from what he thought was a bad trade deal with the United States. Many Canadians are behind him, but it will be costly.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Go @mark-carney.bsky.social ! Finally a leader unafraid to stand up for his country!
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
This is a good piece: The difficult truth about Jason Arday - www.ft.com/content/5f92... via @FT
ft.com
The difficult truth about Jason Arday
From the beginning, investigations were accompanied by a cloud of excessive references to his race
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Voted for Trump, got misery. Years of Trump Support Came Undone in 15 Minutes in an Airport. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/16/u...
nytimes.com
Years of Trump Support Came Undone in 15 Minutes in an Airport.
The case represents a new front in President Trump’s mass deportation drive: arrests at airports of people who have active immigration cases and no criminal history.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The fish rotting from the head. NYTimes www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/t...
nytimes.com
White House Teleprompter Operator Bet on Trump Speeches, Kalshi Says
A technical assistant to President Trump won around $100,000, according to the prediction market, which flagged the activity to the federal government.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Buy maybe only for US games, ok?
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Hey Don, can you petition FIFA to switch to golf rules so US goes through instead of Belgium? That FIFA rule let's them do anything they want.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
“We *are* remaking the region,” Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli defense official. Iran came out stronger and is now the regional hegemon. They stood up to the U.S. They have missiles. We'll talk about nuclear later. This is Iran defeating U.S. & Israel. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/w...
nytimes.com
Israel, Stunned by Trump’s Iran Deal, Sees It as a ‘Catastrophic Capitulation’
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Have a leadership contest! But a civil one focused on policy. 2 smart Labour guys who care about the country. Burnham will win and so will Labour. A win, not a stitch-up. And good policy ideas might also emerge. www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
theguardian.com
Makerfield byelection: Burnham’s decisive win sharpens threat to Starmer’s leadership – UK politics live
Burnham hails a ‘turning point’ for the country after a resounding victory over Reform UK and Restore that may force prime minister Keir Starmer to step aside
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Serious contender for Most Stupid Trump Policy, a competitive category: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel 4 More Wind Projects
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
First Putin failed, then Trump failed. Both made their countries look foolish and weak. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/w...
nytimes.com
Deadlocked Wars: How Major Powers Misread the Regions They Attacked
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
“Clearly our economy is designed to create a handful of billionaires and a trillionaire,” Ms Boushey said. “It is no longer about creating opportunity and stability for the majority.” www.nytimes.com/2026/06/13/b...
nytimes.com
Wages Are Falling. Wealth Is Surging. No Wonder Americans Are Unhappy.
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Reposted by jpfaguet.bsky.social
LSE Department of International Development @lseid.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
On Tuesday, Prof @jpfaguet.bsky.social delivered a keynote to Bolivian policymakers on the proposed Agenda 50/50—an ambitious reform to devolve 50% of the national budget to subnational governments. 👉Find out more: www.lse.ac.uk/internationa...
lse.ac.uk
Professor Jean-Paul Faguet contributes to Bolivia’s Agenda 50/50 discussions
Professor Jean-Paul Faguet delivered a keynote address to a high-level group of Bolivian policymakers and technical experts as part of national discussions on the government’s proposed “Agenda 50/50”.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Interesting: How Britain could afford to pay for war - www.ft.com/content/5de5... via @FT
ft.com
How Britain could afford to pay for war
Keynes’s 1940 financing plan contains lessons for the current government
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Sensible, as always: A ‘big bang’ reversal of Brexit is both unrealistic and unnecessary - www.ft.com/content/1d69... via @FT
ft.com
A ‘big bang’ reversal of Brexit is both unrealistic and unnecessary
Going back would create some big new problems but Switzerland provides an alternative model
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
From @data.ft.com
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Forget Thucydides. It's the Nero trap. Trump’s empire of debt - www.ft.com/content/cd81... via @FT
ft.com
Trump’s empire of debt
This century the US has embarked on wars of choice and borrowed more to pay for them. That might not end well
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
This is really telling.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
This is excellent! Really insightful. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/w...
nytimes.com
Actually, Democracy Dies in H.R.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Very good! www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | A Cattle Ranch Is Doing What the Ivy League Can’t
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
The USA has become a kleptocracy. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/u...
nytimes.com
Trump’s Government Moves to Spare an Unhappy Taxpayer Named Trump
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
This is good. Artfully selects the more important facts and arranges them in a revealing way. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/w...
nytimes.com
How Iran Gained Leverage in the War
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
This is beautiful. We are a trivial species. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/b...
nytimes.com
Book on Truth in the Age of A.I. Contains Quotes Made Up by A.I.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
“At this turning point in history,” the authors wrote, “what we hear is the heavy and haunting toll of an empire’s evening bell.” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/b...
nytimes.com
China Increasingly Views Trump’s America as an Empire in Decline
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Here's the EJ paper: academic.oup.com/ej/advance-a... and here's an ungated version in case... researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/12...
academic.oup.com
Encomienda, The Colonial State and Long-Run Development in Colombia
Abstract. The Spanish encomienda, a colonial forced-labour institution that lasted three centuries, killed many indigenous people and caused others to flee
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Bottom line: Local institutions mobilized investments that spurred economic & human development. Resource mobilization is key. Development doesn't happen without resources. But don't do it this way! Democratic institutions can do better. Thank you Fabio Sánchez & @voxdev.bsky.social!
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
...and provide basic public goods like public order, property rights, and potable water. Colonialism destroyed native institutions along with the vast majority of native people. So places without encomienda lacked local governments for many years -- sometimes centuries.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
It was brutal, violent and nasty. But places that had it in 1560 are better off today across 20 measures of economic, human and institutional development. Why? Because the conquerors invested at least some of their surplus in building local institutions to defend their rights...
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Why would Spaniards take such risks? For gold and the encomienda, which allowed conquerors to live luxuriously while natives worked their fields and mines. Encomienda was the basis of the colonial economy and structured colonial society.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
173 soldiers arrived sick and starving. Yet they defeated a much larger Muisca army, who had never seen horses, steel weapons, or firearms. The Spanish took food and succour from them, killed their leader, Tisquesusa, and declared the founding of Bogotá.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
It didn't work. Took them 11 months to fight, raft, and climb their way through 1,000 km of jungle and mountains to Bogotá. 627 men died of hunger, disease, drowning, and ambushes; jaguars & alligators pulled them off their rafts and hammocks and ate them.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
First, the Spanish colony in Colombia was on the verge of extinction. Colonists were sick, gold was running out, and the Great Death was decimating natives. So 800 Spaniards set out to *walk* to Cusco, Peru, where Pizarro had found unbelievable amounts of gold.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
The story of the Spanish in 1500s South America is extreme. Would have to be to spawn something as twisted as the encomienda, which enslaved & oppressed millions, but also led to better economic, human and institutional development outcomes. How? Our @voxdev.bsky.social piece explains:
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Note also @saralowes.bsky.social & @eduardomontero.bsky.social use a similar, focused approach with good identification and find the opposite: colonial extraction in Congo led to much worse outcomes today. How do we put this all together? Thanks @voxdev.bsky.social for inviting us to try!
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
I love the institutions & development literature. Been teaching it to my LSE students since AJR's original colonial origins paper. But what do we make of Dell and Olken's Java findings? How do we integrate the macro with the micro? This article is our attempt.
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
UK voters dislike all party leaders. No one has + net approval. Brits vote for who's least odious? From @data.ft.com
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Really expensive, but fabulous results so far so totally worth it! www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/u...
nytimes.com
Pentagon Puts Iran War Cost at $25 Billion as Hegseth Berates Skeptics
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
www.nytimes.com/video/us/pol...
nytimes.com
Video: How the War in Iran Is Draining the U.S. of Critical Weapons
The United States has blown through weapons as the cost of the war in Iran has hit nearly $1 billion a day. Our national security correspondent Eric Schmitt explains how American costs may go beyond t...
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jpfaguet.bsky.social @jpfaguet.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
This is good! Sees straight through the noise. @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
It’s no surprise Trump has met his match in Pope Leo – the US president represents the polar opposite of Christianity | Jonathan Freedland
Name the deadliest of sins – cruelty, deceit, avarice – and Trump will both exhibit them and celebrate them, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
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