Tag Archives: William Jennings Bryan

By Simon Johnson

With the US and European economies having slowed markedly according to the latest data, and with global growth continuing to disappoint, a reasonable question increasingly arises: Are we in another Great Depression?

The easy answer is “no” – the main features of the Great Depression have not yet manifest themselves and still seem unlikely.  But it is increasingly likely that we will find ourselves in the midst of something nearly as traumatic, a long slump of the kind seen with some regularity in the nineteenth century, particularly if presidential election-year politics continue to head in dangerous direction.

The Great Depression had three main characteristics, seen in the United States and most other countries that were severely affected.  None of these have been part of our collective experience since 2007. Continue reading →