Daniel McDowell

Markets are increasingly shaped by geopolitical realities. From intensifying US-China competition to security concerns in Europe, Daniel McDowell describes this entanglement as geoeconomics.

McDowell is Professor of Political Science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and a former China Fellow at the Wilson Center.

A specialist on the geoeconomics of international finance and currencies, McDowell’s second book Bucking the Buck shows how Washington’s growing use of financial sanctions has led to a rise in anti-dollar policies and intensifying de-dollarisation around the world. McDowell’s expertise on sanctions and the dollar complements his rigorous academic work on China’s efforts to internationalise the renminbi and the Federal Reserve’s role in stabilizing the world economy during financial crises — the subject of his first book.

As one of the foremost experts on what the weaponisation of the dollar means for the future of the greenback and the global economy, McDowell is a sought-after speaker on the subject. McDowell has given dynamic talks on de-dollarisation for private sector organisations like Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and World Gold Council. In the public sector, McDowell has testified on the topic before the US House of Representatives and presented his research at the New York Fed. He has delivered remarks for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), the Stimson Center, and other groups in the DC policymaking world.

McDowell is frequently quoted in the financial press and has appeared on media outlets like BBC World News and Marketplace. He holds a PhD in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.