Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World with Dani Rodrik

Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World with Dani Rodrik

From Thinkers & Ideas by BCG Henderson Institute

January 20, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

Dani Rodrik discusses new economic frameworks to address global challenges related to democracy, prosperity, and sustainability.

In Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World: A New Economics for the Middle Class, the Global Poor, and Our Climate , Dani Rodrik proposes new modes of cooperation and policy experimentation to address our greatest global challenges. Rodrik is the Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. He codirects both the Reimagining the Economy Program at Harvard and the Economics for Inclusive Prosperity network. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the trilemma between democracy, prosperity, and sustainability, how hyper-globalization contributed to this struggle, and his proposed framework for resolving it. Key topics discussed: 01:06 | The trilemma of democracy, prosperity, and sustainability 03:50 | The shortcomings of hyper-globalization 10:33 | Why manufacturing is no longer an escape from poverty 14:47 | Services as drivers of development 18:33 | The new framework of productivism 23:25 | The power of unilateral climate actions 27:26 | Implications for business leaders Additional inspirations from Dani Rodrik: Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy (Princeton…

People in this episode

Host: Nikolaus Lang

Guest: Dani Rodrik

Topics covered

  • global challenges
  • democracy
  • prosperity
  • sustainability
  • economic policy

Keywords

  • trilemma of democracy, prosperity, and sustainability
  • shortcomings of hyper-globalization
  • manufacturing and poverty
  • services as drivers of development
  • productivism
  • unilateral climate actions
  • implications for business leaders

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World

Books & works: Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World, Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World: A New Economics for the Middle Class, the Global Poor, and Our Climate, Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science

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