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Matthias Matthijs
Associate Professor of International Political Economy
About
Matthias Matthijs is associate professor of international political economy. His research focuses on the politics of economic crises, the role of economic ideas in economic policymaking, and the politics of regional integration. At SAIS, he teaches courses in international relations and comparative politics, and was twice awarded the Max M. Fisher Prize for Excellence in Teaching, in 2011 and 2015. He is also a Senior Fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and served as the Chair of the European Union Studies Association (EUSA) from 2019 to 2021.
Matthijs is the editor (with Mark Blyth) of The Future of the Euro, published by Oxford University Press in 2015, and author of Ideas and Economic Crises in Britain from Attlee to Blair (1945-2005), published by Routledge in 2011. The latter is based on his doctoral dissertation, which received the Samuel H. Beer Prize for Best Dissertation in British Politics by a North American scholar, awarded by the British Politics Group of the American Political Science Association (APSA) in 2010.
Matthijs has authored numerous peer reviewed articles that have been published in academic journals including Perspectives on Politics, Politics & Society, Review of International Political Economy, the Journal of Common Market Studies, Governance, Government and Opposition, the Journal of European Public Policy, the Journal of European Integration, Comparative European Politics, and The International Spectator. He has also written multiple articles and essays for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the Journal of Democracy, Survival, and Current History.
Among various other research and writing projects, he is currently working on a book-length manuscript that delves into the collapse of national elite consensus around European integration.
He previously taught at American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC from 2008 to 2012, and was a visiting assistant professor of international political economy at SAIS Europe in Bologna, Italy during the spring semester of 2010 and the academic year 2016-17. He has also served as a consultant for the World Bank’s Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS) from 2005 to 2007 and for the Economist Intelligence Unit from 2009 to 2011.
Dr. Matthijs received his BSc in applied economics from the University of Antwerp in Belgium, and his MA and PhD in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.
Google Scholar Profile here.
Matthijs has authored numerous peer reviewed articles that have been published in academic journals including Perspectives on Politics, Politics & Society, Review of International Political Economy, the Journal of Common Market Studies, Governance, Government and Opposition, the Journal of European Public Policy, the Journal of European Integration, Comparative European Politics, and The International Spectator. He has also written multiple articles and essays for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the Journal of Democracy, Survival, and Current History.
Among various other research and writing projects, he is currently working on a book-length manuscript that delves into the collapse of national elite consensus around European integration.
He previously taught at American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC from 2008 to 2012, and was a visiting assistant professor of international political economy at SAIS Europe in Bologna, Italy during the spring semester of 2010 and the academic year 2016-17. He has also served as a consultant for the World Bank’s Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS) from 2005 to 2007 and for the Economist Intelligence Unit from 2009 to 2011.
Dr. Matthijs received his BSc in applied economics from the University of Antwerp in Belgium, and his MA and PhD in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.
Google Scholar Profile here.
MANUSCRIPTS/PAPERS/RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
Responding to Europe’s Cage: Exit, Voice, and Loyalty in European Integration (Book Manuscript – Research in Progress)
“Muscles in Brussels: The European Union’s Economic Authority in Comparative Perspective” (with Craig Parsons) (Article, Research in progress)
“Ordoliberalism on Steroids: When Hayek Met Polanyi in Brussels” (with Craig Parsons) (Article, Research in progress)
“North-South Divergence and the Profligacy of Strangers: The IPE of the Eurozone’s Post-Crisis Growth Model” (with Alison Johnston) (Book Chapter, Research in progress)
PUBLICATIONS
The Future of the Euro (co-edited with Mark Blyth), New York: Oxford University Press, Published Hardcover/Paperback 2015.
Reviews:
- By Anthony Payne in International Affairs 91 (6) (2015): Read it here.
- By Daniel W. Drezner in The Washington Post (2015): Read it here.
- By Herman M. Schwartz in Acta Politica 51 (2016): Read it here.
- By Miguel Otero-Iglesias for EUSA Review of Books (2015): Read it here.
- By Josef Hien for EuVisions (2016): Read it here.
- By Randall Germain for CritCom (Council for European Studies, 2016): Read it here.
Ideas and Economic Crises in Britain from Attlee to Blair (1945-2005), London & New York: Routledge, Published Hardcover: 2011; Paperback: 2012.
Reviews:
- By Barrie Dyster in The Economic and Labour Relations Review (2013): Read it here.
- By Jim Tomlinson in The Economic History Review (2013): Read it here.
Articles and Book Chapters
- “Hegemonic Leadership Is What States Make Of It: Reading Kindleberger in Washington and Berlin,” Review of International Political Economy, 2020. Available online on early view. https://doi.org/10.1080/09692290.2020.1813789
- “Italy and the European Elections of 2019” (with Erik Jones), Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS) – Annual Review (AR), Fall 2020 – DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13079.
- “Lessons and Learnings from a Decade of EU Crises – Introduction to Special Issue,” Journal of European Public Policy 27 (8), July 2020, pp. 1127-1136.
- “The Right Way to Fix the EU: Put Politics Before Economics,” Foreign Affairs 99 (3), June 2020, pp. 160-170.
- “Mind the Gap: Southern Exit, Northern Voice, and Changing Loyalties since the Euro Crisis” (with Silvia Merler), JCMS: Journal for Common Market Studies 58 (1), January 2020, pp. 96-115.
- “The Euro at Twenty: Reflections,” in Gilbert, Oberloskamp, and Raithel, German Yearbook of Contemporary History: Germany and European Integration (De Gruyter, 2019), Volume 4, pp. 187-199.
- "Rethinking Central-Bank Independence" (with Erik Jones), Journal of Democracy 30 (2), April 2019, pp. 127-141.
- "Ever Tighter Union? Brexit, Grexit, and Frustrated Differentiation in the Single Market and Eurozone" (with Craig Parsons & Christina Toenshoff), Comparative European Politics 17 (2), Spring 2019, pp. 209-230.
- "Of Paradigms and Power: British Economic Policy Making since Thatcher" (with Martin B. Carstensen), Governance 31 (3), July 2018, pp. 431-447.
- "When Is It Rational to Learn the Wrong Lessons? Technocratic Authority, Social Learning, and Euro Fragility" (with Mark Blyth), Perspectives on Politics 16 (1), March 2018, pp. 110-126.
- "Black Swans, Lame Ducks, and the Mystery of IPE's Missing Macroeconomy" (with Mark Blyth), Review of International Political Economy 24 (2), April 2017, pp. 204-231.
- "Integration at What Price? The Erosion of National Democracy in the Euro Periphery," Government and Opposition 52 (2), April 2017, pp. 266-294.
- "Democracy without Solidarity: Political Dysfunction in Hard Times" (with Erik Jones), Government and Opposition 52 (2), April 2017, pp. 185-210.
- "Europe After Brexit: A Less Perfect Union," Foreign Affairs 96 (1), January/February 2017, pp. 85-95.
- "The Euro's 'Winner-Take-All' Political Economy: Institutional Choices, Policy Drift, and Diverging Patterns of Inequality," Politics & Society 44 (3), September 2016, pp. 393-422.
- "The Failure of German Leadership," in Hubert Zimmermann and Andreas Dür (eds.), Key Controversies in European Integration (2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), pp. 236-243.
- "Roundtable on Ideational Turns in the Four Subdisciplines of Political Science" (with Jeffrey Checkel, Jeffrey Friedman, and Rogers Smith), Critical Review 28 (2), 2016, pp. 171-202.
- "The Three Faces of German Leadership," Survival 58 (2), April/May 2016, pp. 135-154.
- "Powerful Rules Governing the Euro: The Perverse Logic of German Ideas," Journal of European Public Policy 23 (3), March 2016, pp. 375-391.
- "A Barbarous Relic: The Economic Consequences of the Euro," Challenge 58 (6), December 2015, pp. 477-491.
- “Introduction: The Future of the Euro and the Politics of Embedded Currency Areas” (with Mark Blyth), chapter 1 in Matthias Matthijs and Mark Blyth (eds), The Future of the Euro (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), pp. 1-17.
- “European Integration Past, Present and Future: Moving Forward through Crisis?” (with Craig Parsons), chapter 10 Matthias Matthijs and Mark Blyth (eds), The Future of the Euro (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), pp. 210-232.
- “Conclusion: The Future of the Euro – Possible Futures, Risks, and Uncertainties” (with Mark Blyth), chapter 12 in Matthias Matthijs and Mark Blyth (eds), The Future of the Euro (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), pp. 249-269.
- "The Euro Crisis' Theory Effect: Northern Saints, Southern Sinners, and the Demise of the Eurobond" (with Kate McNamara), Journal of European Integration 37 (2), February 2015, pp. 229-245.
- "Europe Reborn: How to Save the European Union from Irrelevance" (with R. Daniel Kelemen), Foreign Affairs 94 (1), January/February 2015, pp. 96-107.
- "Britain and Europe: The End of the Affair?" Current History 113 (761), 100th Anniversary Issue, March 2014, pp. 91-97.
- "Mediterranean Blues: The Crisis in Southern Europe," Journal of Democracy 25 (1), January 2014, pp. 101-115.
- “The Eurozone Crisis: Growing Pains or Doomed from the Start?” Chapter 14 in Manuela Moschella and Catherine Weaver (eds.), Handbook of Global Economic Governance (Routledge, 2014), pp. 201-217.
- “The Dollar Paradox: America Caught Between Managing Decline and Enjoying Exorbitant Priviliges” Chapter 3 in John Harper (ed.), A Resolute Faith in the Power of Reasonable Ideas, David Calleo Festschrift, SAIS Bologna Center, January 2014, pp. 29-47.
- "David Cameron's Dangerous Game: The Folly of Flirting With an EU Exit," Foreign Affairs 92 (5), September/October 2013, pp. 10-16.
- “Crying Wolf Again? Western Economic Decline after the Great Recession,” The International Spectator 41 (3), September 2012, pp. 37-52.
- “Global Economy and the United States,” Essay Entry Contribution to David Coates (ed.), The Oxford Companion to American Politics (Oxford University Press, 2012).
- “Can Africa Leap into Global Network Trade?" (with Uma Subramanian), World Bank Policy Research Working Paper Series, No. WPS 4112, January 2007.
- “Power and Preservation in the House of Saud” (with Gregg Johnson and Greg Lehman), The Bologna Center Journal for International Affairs, Spring 2002.
Bibliographies
“Brexit, British Politics, and European Integration” (with Christina Toenshoff). In Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science. Ed. Sandy Maisel. New York: Oxford University Press, February 2019. (PDF available here)
Book Reviews
Review of Europe’s Future: Decoupling and Reforming (Cambridge University Press, 2019) by Sergio Fabbrini, in EUSA Review of Books (December 2019). Link (https://www.eustudies.org/eusa-review-of-books/26)
Review of In The Red: The Politics of Public Debt Accumulation in Developed Countries (University of Michigan Press, 2018) by Zsófia Barta, in Perspectives on Politics (Summer 2019).
Review of Fractured Continent: Europe's Crises and the Fate of the West (W.W. Norton, 2017) by William Drozdiak, in The Washington Post (October 2017).
Review of From Convergence to Crisis: Labor Markets and the Instability of the Euro (Cornell University Press, 2016) by Alison Johnston, in Perspectives on Politics (Summer 2017).
Review of Resilient Liberalism in Europe's Political Economy (Cambridge University Press, 2013) by Vivien A. Schmidt and Mark Thatcher, eds., in EUSA Review of Books (November 2015).
Shorter Articles
“Exit, Voice, or Loyalty? The Collapse of National Elite Consensus on Europe’s Future,” chapter 32 in Erik Jones (editor), European Studies: Past, Present, and Future (Agenda Publishing, in collaboration with CES, 2020), pp. 147-151.“European leaders meet this week to confront the coronavirus” (with Kate McNamara), The Monkey Cage – Washington Post, Online, April 21, 2020.
“The Coronavirus Is reducing Merkel’s EU Legacy to Ashes” (with Björn Bremer), Foreign Policy, Online, March 17, 2020"The EU's "ever tigher union" needs informed debate, not blowing things up" (with Craig Parsons and Christina Toenshoff), LSE Brexit Blog, April 17, 2019.
"The Worst Brexit Option, Except for All the Others," Foreign Affairs, Online, December 20, 2018.
"Theresa May's Brexit Dilemma: It Comes Down to Country vs. Party," Foreign Affairs, Online, December 19, 2017.
"The Fate of Social Democracy Is Being Decided in Germany" (with Erik Jones), Foreign Policy, Online, December 12, 2017.
"Theresa May's horrible, no good, very bad day explains why democracy is better than technocracy" (with Mark Blyth), The Monkey Cage, Washington Post Online, October 5, 2017.
"This Was the Worst Possible German Election for Europe" (with Erik Jones), Foreign Policy, Online, September 26, 2017
"As the Reality of Brexit Sinks In, There Are No Good Options for the UK," World Politics Review, July 12, 2017.
"May's Bad Bet: What Losing the Conservative Party Majority Will Cost Britain," Foreign Affairs, Online, June 9, 2017.
"Worried about the decline in democracy? Worry about the politicians, not the voters" (with Erik Jones), The Monkey Cage, Washington Post Online, April 11, 2017.
"Goodbye To All That? Brexit and the Future of the United Kingdom" (with Andrew Whitworth), World Politics Review, April 4, 2017.
"Pulling the Trigger on Brexit and Passing the Point of No Return," Foreign Affairs, Online, March 29, 2017.
"The West Should Hope That Merkel Loses," Foreign Policy, Online, December 20, 2016
"Brexit's Path Forward: Why It'll Be No Cakewalk" (with Andrew Whitworth), Foreign Affairs, Online, November 30, 2016.
"Which Brexit Will May Choose? Save the United Kingdom or the Tories," Foreign Affairs, Online, July 18, 2016.
"Post-Brexit, the U.K. is in its worst political crisis since 1940, and the E.U. may be about to unravel," The Monkey Cage, Washington Post Online, June 29, 2016.
"Britain's Point of No Return: Europe's Democratic Dysfunction and the False Promise of Referenda," Foreign Affairs, Online, June 21, 2016.
"Dysfunctional Democracy and Referenda: The Case of Brexit," World Politics Review, June 9, 2016.
"Should It Stay or Should it Go? The Brexistential Crisis" (with R. Daniel Kelemen), Foreign Affairs, Online, February 29, 2016.
"When Destiny Meets Desire: The German Leadership Conundrum" essay contribution to AICGS Policy Report 63, October 2015.
"Cameron's EU Referendum: Lucky Gamble or Mission Impossible?" World Politics Review, June 26, 2015.
“Despite Anti-EU Rhetoric, Election Shows U.K.’s Continental Drift” (with Brian Fox), World Politics Review, April 15, 2015.
"Trading Up or Trading Down? Emerging Markets' Changing Interests in the World Trade System," (with Pravin Krishna), SAISPHERE (Johns Hopkins University, SAIS), January 2014.
“Memo to Euroland: You Can’t Run a Gold Standard in a Democracy,” APSA European Politics and Society Section, Newsletter, Summer 2012.
“The World Waits for Germany” (with Mark Blyth), Foreign Affairs, Online, June 2012.
“White, Grey, and Black (Euro) Swans: Dealing with Transatlantic Financial Risk in 2012," Transatlantic Perspectives, AICGS: Washington, DC, April 2012.
“Why Only Germany Can Fix the Euro” (with Mark Blyth), Foreign Affairs, Online, November 2011.
“The Sons of Brixton: Cameron's Failed Politics of Austerity,” Foreign Affairs, Online, August 2011.
“Not Just a German Problem: Lessons from the EMU Sovereign Debt Crisis for Global Adjustment,” Crooked Timber, Online, January 2011.
“Brown and the New British Diplomacy,” SAISPHERE (Johns Hopkins University, SAIS), December 2007.
“US and EU Trade Policy towards the Middle East: A Comparative Assessment,” Conflict in Focus, Issue 20 (Amman, Jordan: Regional Centre on Conflict Prevention), August 2007.
In the News
Merkel and Biden to chart a course for the future of U.S.-German relations in White House meeting.
Matthias Matthijs quoted on CNN, 07/15
Can Biden repair America’s alliances?
Matthias Matthijs interviewed on Council on Foreign Relations’ The President’s Inbox podcast, 06/29
Post-Brexit Europe: What now?
Matthias Matthijs interviewed on Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs, 02/08
Brexit Is finally done, but it already seems out of date.
Matthias Matthijs quoted in The New York Times, 12/24
Germany and Europe: New challenges in a multipolar world.
Matthias Matthijs participated in Germany Institute Amsterdam webinar, 10/8
Hegemonic leadership is what states make of it: Reading Kindleberger in Washington and Berlin.
Matthias Matthijs wrote in Review of International Political Economy, 8/31
Italy and the European elections of 2019.
Erik Jones and Matthias Matthijs wrote in Journal of Common Market Studies, 8/29
COVID-19 and national responses, part 1 of 2: Asia and Europe.
Kent E. Calder and Matthias Matthijs cited in MultiBriefs, 6/3
Rising U.K. death toll from coronavirus draws scrutiny
Matthias Matthijs quoted in The Wall Street Journal, 4/30
Europe’s leaders meet this week to confront the coronavirus
Matthias Matthijs wrote in The Washington Post Monkey Cage blog, 4/21