What are the relationships between presidential power and financial markets? This discussion and Q&A will consider President Trump’s policies and leadership style and their implications for financial and economic matters in the U.S. and beyond. Among many issues discussed will be recent controversies surrounding the Trump administration’s criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the president’s own investments in Crypto while pursuing market deregulation.
GDP
Gross Domestic Product- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Consumer Price Index Summary- 2025 M12 Results
Tracking AI’s Contribution to GDP Growth- St. Louis Fed
Unemployment
College Graduates Facing Blow of Long-Term Unemployment
Politicization of Federal Agencies
Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies- Presidential Action
Trump claims expanded power over independent agencies- NPR
Trump administration declares CFPB funding illegal- Politico
Shadow Banking- Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Trump administration probe of Fed's Powell sparks pushback- Reuters
Republican senator's threat to block Fed chief nominee escalates battle with Trump- Reuters
70% of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division lawyers are leaving because of Trump's reshaping
Central Bank Independence: Why It’s Needed and How to Protect It- IMF
Central Bank Independence and Inflation- St. Louis Fed
What Drives Global Reserve Currency Dominance?
After BLS firing, Trump leaves clean-up job to successor- Politico
Foreign Policy
Opinion | This Theory Explains Trump’s Baffling Foreign Policy- NY Times
U.S. Manufacturing Is in Retreat and Trump’s Tariffs Aren’t Helping- Wall Street Journal
Profiteering
‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company- Wall Street Journal
Inside the Trump family’s global crypto cash machine- Reuters
Trump’s Profiteering Hits $4 Billion- New Yorker
Trump-linked crypto company applies for federal banking charter- Politico
Why Trump’s Federal Reserve Pick May Surprise Him- Politico
Shadow Banks: Out of the Eyes of Regulators- International Monetary Fund
Miscellaneous Resources
How Americans See Immigration Officers’ Behaviors and Civilian Actions- Pew Research Center
Global software stocks extend losses amid fears over AI-led disruption- CNBC
AI data center boom sparks fears of glut amid lending frenzy- Fortune
The Fed’s Remittances to the Treasury: Explaining the 'Deferred Asset'- St. Louis Fed
AI Exhibits Racial Bias in Mortgage Underwriting Decisions- Lehigh University
On how much Elon Musk has received in subsidies- Congress.gov
What Is a Reserve Currency?- Chase
Immigrants Reduced Deficits by $14.5 Trillion Since 1994- Cato Institute
In the next discussion of our “Talking About Politics” series, Bryant’s Sarkisian Chair in Financial Services, Peter Nigro, will be our guide to understanding these issues and helping us make sense of what’s happening, what may happen, and why it matters.
All students, staff, and faculty are welcome!