Why the U.S. Economy Looks Strong Even in a Crisis

Morgan Stanley’s chief global strategist explains why the pandemic won’t dent America’s global dominance

Kaushik Viswanath
Marker

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A city made of money
Image: Viaframe/Stone/Getty Images

How is the Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaping the global economy and what lasting effect will it have on U.S. businesses? Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that the U.S. economy was facing unprecedented risks, but the U.S. may be in better shape than it seems, says Ruchir Sharma, who spends a lot of time studying the fates and fortunes of countries as the head of emerging markets and chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.

In his new book, The 10 Rules of Successful Nations, Sharma breaks down the factors that contribute to a nation’s economic growth, including its population, investment, inflation, and debt. Marker spoke with Sharma, who wound up stuck in New Delhi during India’s continuing lockdown, about how these factors will come into play during the current crisis roiling the world and why the U.S. economy still looks strong.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Marker: To start with, can you tell me how your 10 rules help you determine how resilient a country’s economy will be

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