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
Fighting the Bad Guys: Lessons from Tobacco, Guns, and Mark Cuban
Delve into the controversial relationship between tobacco, firearms, and billionaire business magnate Mark Cuban.

Donald Trump’s Tariffs Are Already Spurring Growth
Get the facts on Trump’s tariffs. Explore the data behind the 2.3 percent GDP growth in the fourth quarter.

GDP Grows 2.3 Percent, Led by a Big Jump in Durable Good Sales
Learn about the fourth-quarter GDP data and its implications for the United States economy. Explore growth rates and key economic indicators.

RFK Jr. Says Big Pharma is Corrupt, but the Media Can’t Talk About the Source of Corruption
Uncover the truth about big pharma corruption and RFK Jr.’s claims. Learn about the industry’s involvement in pushing opioids and the devastating consequences.

The Starving Hordes on Twitter, Yes the Economy Matters
Uncover the factors behind Harris’s defeat in the election. Explore the connection between public perception of the economy and electoral success.

Donald Trump is Badly Confused # 67,218: The Story of Supply and Demand
Understanding the forces of supply and demand and their influence on economic systems. Why is Donald Trump confused by this?

Donald Trump and the End of U.S. Hegemony
Uncover the consequences of the end of U.S. hegemony and its implications for the global balance of power.

GDP Preview: What to Expect in the Fourth Quarter 2024 GDP Report
Discover the projected GDP growth for the United States in 2024. Learn about the factors behind the strong consumption and moderate investment and government spending.

Nonsense on Deflation that the Media Tell You
The truth about deflation: Learn why crossing into mild deflation doesn’t necessarily spell disaster for the economy.

Ownership of Facebook and Twitter is a Big Deal, Who Would Have Known?
Understanding the concept of social media ownership and its implications. Discover how it affects individuals, businesses, and society as a whole.
