Are tariffs good or bad for the US economy? How does a nation win a trade war? Economic news is often a bewildering and anxiety-inducing array of claims and counterclaims. In this talk, we will sift through the noise and look at the underlying economic theory to help us understand the debates. For example, do tariffs have both costs and benefits? We’ll also have plenty of time in the question and answer period to talk about whatever economic issues concern you most.
James E. Hartley
Mount Holyoke College
Professor of Economics
James E. Hartley is Professor of Economics at Mount Holyoke College, where he teaches Macroeconomic Theory, Money and Banking, Economic Growth, multiple courses using the Great Books, including “Western Civilization: An Introduction Through the Great Books,” “Leadership and the Liberal Arts,” “Is Business Moral?” (developed with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities), “Reflections on War,” “C.S. Lewis,” and numerous tutorials and reading groups on the Western Canon. A California native, he earned his B.A., M.A, and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Davis. In 2001, he spent six months as a Fulbright Fellow in Kolkata, India, and returned to India a second time for six months in 2006 as a visiting professor at IISWBM (India’s oldest business school) and giving talks throughout Northeastern India in events organized by the US Consulate.
