On April 8th Ian Bremmer, founder and president of The Eurasia Group, presented his book The Fat Tail: The Power of Political Knowledge Through Strategic Investing at the New America Foundation. Using the notion of “fat tails,” irregularly large probabilities of disastrous events, Bremmer discussed political and geopolitical instability in the world today.

Bremmer explained that the recent rise of state-run oil companies and sovereign wealth funds along with the current economic crisis are rolling backing globalization in a way that is shifting the primary business actors from economic actors to political ones. Additionally he discussed the deterioration of geopolitical stability and security, pointing to states with particularly high risk in South America and Eurasia and states of lower risk in the Persian Gulf and East Asia.

Michael Lind moderated the discussion that followed. Topics ranged from China’s role in the recovery to major risks in America’s political system in the short run during the crisis.

--Event summary written by William Monroe, Intern, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation