Political Economy
Central Bank Independence and Digital Currency: The CBDC Threat to Monetary Autonomy
CBDCs raise profound questions about central bank independence — from political programming of money, to fiscal-monetary interaction, to the surveillance of transactions. The political economy of programmable central bank money is the most consequential monetary policy debate in decades.
Crypto Lobbying in the United States: The $100M Industry That Changed American Politics
How the crypto industry transformed itself from a regulatory afterthought into one of Washington's most powerful lobbying forces — through PAC donations, revolving door hires, coalition building, and the strategic deployment of $200M+ in political capital.
Financial Inclusion and Tokenization: The Policy Debate Between Promise and Reality
Tokenization and crypto are frequently promoted as tools for financial inclusion — reaching the 1.4 billion unbanked. The political economy of this argument reveals both genuine potential and significant risks that regulators must navigate.
Privacy vs. Surveillance: The Central Design Battle in CBDC Policy
The most consequential debate in CBDC policy is not technical — it's political. How much transaction privacy should citizens retain when their money is digital and government-issued? The answer defines the nature of state power in a digital economy.
Regulatory Capture in Crypto: The Systematic Analysis
Regulatory capture — where regulated industries gain control of their regulators — is the central political economy problem in crypto regulation. The evidence from the US, EU, and UK reveals multiple forms of capture, each with different consequences.
The Political Economy of Tokenization: Lobbying, Power, and Who Writes the Rules
Why tokenization regulation looks the way it does — the interests, coalitions, institutional dynamics, and political forces that shape digital asset law.