Dean Baker co-founded CEPR in 1999. His areas of research include housing and macroeconomics, intellectual property, Social Security, Medicare, and European labor markets. His blog, Beat the Press, provides commentary on economic reporting. His analyses have appeared in many major publications, including The Atlantic, The Washington Post, the Financial Times (London), and the New York Daily News. Dean received his BA from Swarthmore College and his PhD in economics from the University of Michigan.
Dean has written several books, including Getting Back to Full Employment: A Better Bargain for Working People (with Jared Bernstein, Center for Economic and Policy Research, 2013); The End of Loser Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive (Center for Economic and Policy Research, 2011); Taking Economics Seriously (MIT Press, 2010), which thinks through what we might gain if we took the ideological blinders off of basic economic principles; and False Profits: Recovering from the Bubble Economy (PoliPoint Press, 2010), about what caused — and how to fix — the 2008–2009 economic crisis. In 2009, he wrote Plunder and Blunder: The Rise and Fall of the Bubble Economy (PoliPoint Press), which chronicled the growth and collapse of the stock and housing bubbles and explained how policy blunders and greed led to catastrophic — but completely predictable — market meltdowns. He also wrote a chapter (“From Financial Crisis to Opportunity”) in Thinking Big: Progressive Ideas for a New Era (Progressive Ideas Network, 2009). His previous books include The United States Since 1980 (Cambridge University Press, 2007), The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer (Center for Economic and Policy Research, 2006), and Social Security: The Phony Crisis (with Mark Weisbrot, University of Chicago Press, 1999). His book Getting Prices Right: The Debate Over the Consumer Price Index (editor, M.E. Sharpe, 1997) was a winner of a Choice Book Award as one of the outstanding academic books of the year.
Among his numerous articles are “The Benefits of a Financial Transactions Tax,” Tax Notes 121, no. 4 (2008); “Are Protective Labor Market Institutions at the Root of Unemployment? A Critical Review of the Evidence” (with David R. Howell, Andrew Glyn, and John Schmitt), Capitalism and Society 2, no. 1 (2007); “Asset Returns and Economic Growth,” with Brad DeLong and Paul Krugman, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (2005); “Financing Drug Research: What Are the Issues,” Center for Economic and Policy Research (2004); “Medicare Choice Plus: The Solution to the Long-Term Deficit Problem,” Center for Economic and Policy Research (2004); “Professional Protectionists: The Gains From Free Trade in Highly Paid Professional Services,” Center for Economic and Policy Research (2003); and “The Run-Up in Home Prices: Is It Real or Is It Another Bubble?,” Center for Economic and Policy Research (2002).
Dean previously worked as a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute and an assistant professor at Bucknell University. He has also worked as a consultant for the World Bank, the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress, and the OECD’s Trade Union Advisory Council. He was the author of the weekly online commentary on economic reporting, the Economic Reporting Review, from 1996 to 2006.
All from Dean Baker
Preview: What to Look for in the December CPI
December CPI Preview: While inflation is mostly under control issues such as rising auto insurance premiums and potential tariff impacts may pose future risks.
It Wasn’t Just Flawed Forecasts, Dishonesty Has Also Hurt Economists
Explore the flawed forecasts and dishonesty that played a role in fostering the upward redistribution of income over the last four decades.
Unemployment Edges Down in December, as Economy Adds 256,000 Jobs
Uncover the latest on job growth, unemployment, wage growth, and more in the December Jobs Report review.
Trump Tariffs Mean Taxes at Temu
Learn more about proposed tariffs and how it can impact shopping sites like Temu.
Biden’s Economic Legacy
December 2024 Jobs Preview: What to Expect
The November employment report again gave us a confusing picture, with the establishment survey and household survey going in opposite directions. Gain insight into what this means for the December Jobs Report.
Revising NYT History on Democrats Losing the Working Class
What the NY Times misses in its examination of how Democrats lost the support of working-class voters.
Stock Market and Budget Projections: Do the Numbers Add Up?
Uncover the stock market projections for 2025. Explore the forecast for the S&P 500. Do the numbers add up?
Best Bet for 2025: Stronger Trade Ties Between Europe and China
Discover the future of trade ties between China and Europe in 2025. Find out why improving relations is inevitable.
The New York Times Doesn’t Know About the Affordable Care Act
Explore the New York Times’ take on the difficulties restaurant workers face in accessing health care insurance, without mentioning the Affordable Care Act.