Economic Policy and National Security in an Age of Populism

 Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC 

7 November 2026

The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies and the Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis jointly organize the "Economic Policy and National Security in an Age of Populism" workshop. This event is the second in the “Capitalism and Democracy Workshop” series. It will bring together economists, political scientists, and specialists in strategic studies to debate related topics. This year it will be hosted by the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University at its Bloomberg Building in Washington, DC, on 7 November 2026.

Populism has always played a salient role in the politics of democracies, on both the left and right of the political spectrum, but it is arguably far more influential today than in the past. Powerful political parties characterized by a strong populist base are present in most economies and are gaining significant electoral ground. These include parties with strong populist instincts from their inception, such as the National Rally in France, and others that have evolved in that direction, such as the Republican Party in the United States. Populism has become more influential in policymaking in practically all democracies, affecting economic policy, foreign policy, and defense policy. Manifestations of populism are ubiquitous, from trade protectionism and price controls to soaring budget deficits and restrictive immigration policies. To draw some examples from trade policy: while economists often support the view that structural change via trade liberalization is beneficial for efficiency and consumers, populism tends to advocate protectionism to prevent any labor disruption. Moreover, US trade policy has always included special tariffs for “national security” reasons (allowed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962) but the definition of national security is ostensibly broadening over time and can be subject to abuse, usually under themes that would fall under populist priorities. Certain dual use technologies could reasonably fall under such a definition, but others, such as lumber and furniture which received Section 232 protection beginning in October 2025, are less clear. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision to strike down “reciprocal tariffs,” the Trump Administration has vowed to wield Section 232—and other tools—aggressively. These are designed to appeal to the Republican Party’s populist base. The goal of the workshop, “Economic Policy and Natural Security in an Age of Populism,” is to develop a better understanding of how populism is molding economic and national security policy and implications for the future of democracy.

Program

9:00-9:15 Registration and Coffee

9:15-9:20 Welcome Remarks by Conference Organizers: Mike Plummer (JHU, SAIS Europe), Filipe Campante (JHU SAIS and Carey Business School)

9:20-10:10 Keynote I: Jeffrey Frieden (Columbia University)

10:10-11:10 Session I: Political Context for 2027 and Beyond

Discussion Leaders. David Arase, Hopkins Nanjing Center (HNC); Nathalie Tocci, JHU SAIS Europe

11:10-11:30. Coffee Break

11:30-12:30 Session II: Populism and Economic Policy in Democracies

Discussion Leaders: Filipe Campante (JHU, SAIS and CBS), Yascha Mounk (JHU SAIS)

12:30-13:40 Lunch Break

13:40-14:30. Keynote II: Jim Steinberg (JHU, SAIS)

14:30-15:30 Session III: Industrial Policy and National Security: Counting the Cost

Discussion Leaders: Mary Lovely (Peterson Institute for International Economics), Mike Plummer (JHU SAIS Europe)

15:30-16:00 Coffee Break

16:00-17:00 Section IV: Economic Cooperation and National Security

Discussion Leaders: Justin Vaisse (JHU SAIS Europe), Peter A. Petri (Brandeis University), Alessandro Rebucci (JHU, CBS)

17:00-18:00 Roundtable: Economic Policy and National Security in an Age of Populism

Jeffrey Frieden (Columbia University), David Arase (HNC), Mary Lovely (PIIE). Nathalie Tocci (JHU SAIS Europe)

18:00-18:15 Concluding Comments and E-Publication. Filipe Campante (JHU SAIS and Carey Business School), Mike Plummer (JHU SAIS Europe)

Organizing Committee
Karim Abadir (Imperial College, RCEA)

Antonin Bergeaud (HEC, RCEA)

Filipe Campante (John Hopkins, RCEA) Co-Chair Organizer

Francesco Franceschi (Banca d'Italia)

Claudio Morana (Milano-Bicocca, RCEA)

Alessandro Riboni (École Polytechnique, RCEA)
Gianluigi Pelloni (RCEA)

Michael Plummer (John Hopkins, RCEA) Co-Chair Organizer