Jeffrey E. Garten is the Juan Trippe professor of international trade and finance at the Yale School of Management, and served in economic and foreign policy positions in the Nixon, Ford, Carter and Clinton administrations.

As Obama brings his case for bank reform to New York, he’s got political momentum. But even if financial reform passes, the markets will still find ways to overpower government.

The Senate takes up financial reform this week, but after a bruising battle over Obamacare, nobody’s up for a fight. Jeffrey E. Garten on why a milquetoast bill is the best we can hope for.

With financial reform Obama’s next big push, Jeffrey Garten reviews Simon Johnson’s buzzy new book that calls for massive intrusion by the federal government.

Washington’s campaign to get Beijing to revalue its currency risks a trade war—and another recession. Jeffrey E. Garten talks to Chinese officials about America’s dangerous game.

It’s been two years since the Fed and JP Morgan rode to Bear Stearns’ rescue, heralding a wave of federal bailouts. Jeffrey E. Garten on why so little has been done since to prevent another collapse.

The strikes in Athens are the least of it. Jeffrey E. Garten on the ripple effects of Greece’s financial woes on world markets—and why nothing less than European unity is at stake.

As Obama meets with the Dalai Lama at the White House today, Jeffrey E. Garten says it’s just a sideshow—and explains how to fix the fundamental flaw in U.S. policy toward Beijing.

A year ago this week, Obama signed the biggest single spending bill in U.S. history. What followed has dismayed his fans and stretched our political fabric to the breaking point.

Athens’ money mess has already triggered one spasm in the global markets. Jeffrey E. Garten on how this week could be worse—and set off a long-overdue confrontation over the West’s public debt.