Are We Safe from Another Financial Crisis? Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates in NYC and Online January 16

Ten years after one of the worst financial crises in history, is the global financial system more resilient? Some are optimistic, arguing over the past decade that governments have passed regulations to deal with failing institutions and created oversight infrastructure. But others worry that the international framework for handling and responding to a future crisis remains lacking. On Wednesday, January 16, debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. kicks off their spring season in partnership with Foreign Affairs with a live debate of the motion "Ten Years After the Global Financial Crisis, the System Is Safer."

Veterans of both the Obama and Bush administrations will argue in favor of the motion: Jason Furman, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under Obama, and Neel Kashkari, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Arguing against them, saying the system is no safer today than it was in 2008, are Financial Times U.S. Managing Editor Gillian Tett and former International Monetary Fund chief economist Kenneth Rogoff.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Intelligence Squared U.S.,” said Foreign Affairs Editor Gideon Rose. “They bring the same commitment we do to lively public debate on crucially important topics—the  essence of American democracy."

The debate will be held at NYC's Kaye Playhouse and will stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." On January 16, online viewers can tune in at IQ2US's website: https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "10 Years After the Global Financial Crisis, the System Is Safer"

WHEN: Wednesday, January 16 / 6:30-8:00 PM EDT

WHERE: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 115 E. 68th Street, New York, NY

TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ ID). To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

Arguing For the Motion

* Jason Furman: Fmr. Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers & Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute 

Jason Furman is a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and was previously the 28th chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama. During that time, he acted as the president’s chief economist and played an important role in most of the major economic policies of the Obama administration. Furman has conducted research in a wide range of areas, including fiscal policy and macroeconomics. He is currently a professor of the practice of economic policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

* Neel Kashkari: President, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis & Fmr. Assistant Secretary, U.S. Treasury Department 

Neel Kashkari has been president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis since January2016. In this role, he serves on the Federal Open Market Committee and was instrumental in establishing the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute to promote greater economic equity. He’s also been outspoken about the need to address the “too big to fail” problem. Previously, he served in several senior positions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, during the financial crisis.

Arguing Against the Motion

* Gillian Tett: U.S. Managing Editor, Financial Times

Gillian Tett is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and the U.S. managing editor of the Financial Times, where she oversees global coverage of the financial markets. She is the author of Fool’s Gold: How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophe, which examines the 2008 financial crisis; Saving the Sun: A Wall Street Gamble to Rescue Japan from Its Trillion-Dollar Meltdown; and most recently, The Silo Effect, which analyzes the financial system through the lens of cultural anthropology. Tett was named “Columnist of the Year” by the British Press Awards in 2014.

* Kenneth Rogoff: Professor, Harvard University

Kenneth Rogoff is Thomas D. Cabot Professor at Harvard University. From 2001–2003, Rogoff served as Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund. His widely-cited 2009 book with Carmen Reinhart, This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, shows the remarkable quantitative similarities across time and countries in the run-up and the aftermath of severe financial crises. Rogoff’s 2016 book The Curse of Cash looks at the past, present and future of currency from standardized coinage to crypto-currencies and central bank digital currencies. His monthly syndicated column on global economic issues is published in over 50 countries. Rogoff is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Group of Thirty, and he is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Rogoff is among the top ten on RePEc’s ranking of economists by scholarly citations. He is also an international grandmaster of chess.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)

A non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches over 30 million American households through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps on Roku and Apple TV. With over 150 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. 

ABOUT FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations, Foreign Affairs magazine has evolved into a multifaceted media brand that includes print, digital, audio, and live events. Instead of breaking news, Foreign Affairs is in the business of breaking the news down—going in-depth with international experts in government, technology, policy, and business to bring its readers thoughtful perspectives on today’s important global issues.