Presentation: Remaking the Post-Covid World (Daron Acemoglu World Bank, September 2020)
The social, economic, and political consequences of the COVID-19 crisis will go far beyond what we have already experienced, as many societies around the world witness a new page turn in state-society relations, as well as the changing role of technology in our lives.
The danger is not only that we may not adapt to a transforming political and social landscape, but that we may also learn the wrong lessons about the role of the state and democratic governance. This talk presents a framework for thinking about these issues and argues for building a new and more expansive welfare state, undergirded not by a more powerful state but more active societal participation in politics.
Daron Acemoglu is Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (United States), the Science Academy (Turkey), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Econometric Society, the European Economic Association, and the Society of Labor Economists. He received a BA in economics at the University of York, 1989, M.Sc. in mathematical economics and econometrics at the London School of Economics, 1990, and Ph.D. in economics at the London School of Economics in 1992.
Stuti Khemani is a Senior Economist in the Development Research Group of the World Bank. She joined through the Young Professionals Program after obtaining a PhD in Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her area of research is the political economy of public policy choices, and institutional reforms for development. Her work is published in leading economics and political science journals, such as the American Economic Journal, Journal of Development Economics and American Political Science Review.
Roby Senderowitsch is Practice Manager for the Governance Global Practice, Europe and Central Asia, at the World Bank. He was previously a Program Manager for the Global Partnership for Social Accountability, and a World Bank Country Manager for the Dominican Republic. His work at the Bank has included a strong focus on political economy analysis, building coalitions for change, anti-corruption, and performance-based management of public institutions. Before joining the Bank, he worked with several NGOs in Argentina and Cuba, where he served as the field representative of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Asli Demirgüç-Kunt is the Chief Economist for the Europe and Central Asia region at the World Bank. Prior to this, Asli was Director of Research in the Development Economics Vice-Presidency. Since joining the Bank in 1989 as a Young Economist, Asli has held several other positions, including Director of Development Policy, Chief Economist of Financial and Private Sector Development Network, and Senior Research Manager, doing research and advising on financial sector and private sector development issues.