The Case for a New Bretton Woods

Amid anemic growth, mounting economic insecurity, and ecological breakdown, there is growing pressure for a ‘New Bretton Woods’ system. But what would a 21st century Bretton Woods system look like in practice, and how could such a system take shape? Drawing on heterodox economics and development studies, Kevin Gallagher and Richard Kozul-Wright explore these questions in a concise format suitable for graduate students and practitioners. The authors provide a data-driven, historically grounded, and power-focused analysis of how a new Bretton Woods could limit financial instability, thwart uneven economic development, and channel finance into the green transition.