Policy Punchline

Simon Johnson is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he is also head of the Global Economics and Management group. Prior to teaching, Professor Simon Johnson worked as the Chief Economist and Director of the Research Department at the IMF from 2007 to 2008. This interview discusses his most recent book "Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream," which raises awareness of the need to continue investments in the U.S. and analyzes the impact of the recent decline of investments in innovation. We trace back the history of public investments in America, like how MIT scientist Vannevar Bush’s bold vision helped start the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) before WWII, which became central to allowing the U.S. leap in military tech and eventually win the War. The post-WWII era in the U.S. saw corroborations between the private sector, federal government, and universities. This led to 2% of