Commentary

Op-Eds and articles by Robert Rubin on the U.S. economy, democracy, fiscal policy, poverty, criminal justice, decision-making, and other areas of public policy.

The New York Times Charles Landow The New York Times Charles Landow

The Enormous Risks a Second Trump Term Poses to Our Economy

By Robert E. Rubin and Kenneth I. Chenault

The two of us have been involved in business, government and policy for many years, with more than a century of experience between us. We’ve worked with elected officials and business leaders across the ideological spectrum. And we believe a straightforward assessment of Mr. Trump’s economic policy agenda — based on his public statements and on-the-record interviews, such as the one he recently conducted with Time magazine — leads to a clear conclusion. When it comes to economic policy, Mr. Trump is not a remotely normal candidate. A second Trump term would pose enormous risks to our economy.

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Bloomberg Charles Landow Bloomberg Charles Landow

Wall Street Week

Interview on Bloomberg’s Wall Street Week

Robert Rubin, Former US Treasury Secretary, tells us what we can learn from the factors that influenced the Clinton administration to balance the federal budget in the 1990s.

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The Wall Street Journal Charles Landow The Wall Street Journal Charles Landow

The ‘Soft Landing’ Could Easily Turn Hard

By Robert E. Rubin

I discussed the equity market outlook for 2024 with several fellow advisers to an investment fund a few weeks ago. They were optimistic about the prospects of the U.S. economy achieving a soft landing. Like many Wall Street economists I speak to, they based their view on a conventional analysis of a range of economic factors, from Federal Reserve policy to consumer spending. I think the outlook is more complicated.

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CNN Charles Landow CNN Charles Landow

How to make decisions in an uncertain world

Interview on CNN’s Smerconish

Having learned in college that there are no certainties, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin realized that people need "to try to identify a number of possibilities, and then try to make judgments of the probabilities of each of those materializing."

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The Hill Leigh Whiting The Hill Leigh Whiting

Congress can help make housing affordable — it just has to act

By Robert E. Rubin and Rob Portman

The Barrister Apartments in downtown Cincinnati, slated to open early next year, are a housing policy success story. Financed with federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, it is the first investment in affordable housing in the city’s central business district in more than two decades.

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Straight Talk with Hank Paulson Leigh Whiting Straight Talk with Hank Paulson Leigh Whiting

Straight Talk with Hank Paulson: Bob Rubin

By Robert E. Rubin and Hank Paulson

From growing up in the Midwest to leading Goldman Sachs and then serving his country as Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson offers a unique point of view and a life experience unlike many Americans. With Straight Talk, Hank brings this experience to his conversations with the world’s prominent leaders and thinkers, exchanging a lifetime of stories and lessons from both the private and public sectors. Each episode reveals compelling viewpoints, topical discussion, and behind-the-scenes stories.

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The Atlantic Leigh Whiting The Atlantic Leigh Whiting

Get Rid of the Debt Ceiling Once and for All

By Robert E. Rubin

By now the scenario is familiar, but at the time it was unprecedented: House Republicans, having recently won a majority in the midterm elections, threatened to force the United States to default on its debt unless a Democratic president acceded to their demands.

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The New York Times Leigh Whiting The New York Times Leigh Whiting

A Plan to Help Kids Without Increasing Inflation

By Robert E. Rubin and Jacob J. Lew

We both served as secretary of the Treasury, and we have been associated with economic policies that are fiscally responsible and invest in our future. It is our strong view that Congress should act this year to ease the financial strain on low-income families raising children and that these policies should be paid for in a package that reduces the deficit. This is not just morally right but is also a critical investment in our nation’s economic future.

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