There is a growing sense that the economy is harder to understand than it used to be. It is tempting to romanticise the past. The twentieth-century industrial economy is often imagined as structurally straightforward: people worked in factories or offices, firms produced tangible goods, governments regulated markets, and economic growth translated into visible improvements in infrastructure and living standards. Careers appeared more linear.

In 2020, while millions lost their jobs during the pandemic, the world’s billionaires saw their wealth jump by over 38% (Bordeerath, 2025). The cause? Surging stock and housing prices, fuelled, in part, by central bank policies meant to ‘save’ the economy.

The trajectory of the liberal order from its theoretical inception in Adam Smith to its triumphant universalised realisation in the post Cold War order has been paralleled by a developing discourse concerning the inherent capability of economic coercion embedded in foreign trade relations.

It is getting increasingly tough for poor and developing countries to finance their fight against climate change...

Exploring the challenges and strategies used by developing economies to influence their exchange rates.

Listen to the audio on Spotify *The transcript has been edited for readability Hosted by Samuel Lee and Declan Browne. Special thanks to...