Susan Aaronson

George Washington University

Susan Ariel Aaronson is associate research professor at The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.

Until July 2006, Aaronson was senior fellow and director of Globalization Studies at the Kenan Institute, the Washington branch of the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina (the Washington office is now closed). From 2001-2004, Aaronson devised and directed a major study, funded by the Ford, UN and Levi Strauss Foundations, that examined how U.S. public policies can promote or undermine global corporate social responsibility (CSR). The project resulted in three reports: CSR in international markets, CSR and trade, and CSR in China. Her books include Trade Imbalance: The Struggle to Weigh Human Rights in Trade Policymaking (Cambridge University Press, 2007), Trade and the American Dream, and Taking Trade to the Streets: The Lost History of Public Efforts to Shape Globalization. Aaronson has also written two primers on trade: "Trade is Everybody's Business" for high school students and "Are there Trade Offs When Americans Trade?" for adults.

Featured Work

CREDIT: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lliurealbir/4852902762/">Albir</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

FEB 28, 2011 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: Better Safe than Sorry

Corporate executives should never have to apologize for violations when they can instead build global opportunities by advancing human rights.

Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2959833537/">Woodley</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

OCT 29, 2008 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Financial Crisis Hurts U.S. Soft Power

The financial crisis could spell the end of America's global economic leadership, but working with other nations and building new institutions of governance may reinvigorate ...

Oil spill. Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/esqenzo/320311357/">Jay-P</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

OCT 16, 2008 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: A Slick Solution for Oil Markets

Although oil prices are declining, the global oil market is out of whack and prices remain high, causing economic suffering around the world. To get ...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack <br>Obama. Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/2175936409/">Steve Jurvetson</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

MAY 27, 2008 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: ROUNDTABLE: U.S. Trade Policy under the Next President

Sherman Katz, Susan Aaronson, Franklin Lavin, and Thea Lee answer the question, How should U.S. trade policy evolve under the next president?

Pericles enacted the first trade embargo. <br>Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/195374881/">Daniel Lobo</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

APR 23, 2008 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Marrying Trade and Human Rights

When human rights are violated, policymakers are pressured to do something, and they often turn to trade for leverage. Is this incentive effective?

DEC 12, 2007 Podcast

Trade Imbalance: The Struggle to Weigh Human Rights Concerns in Trade Policymaking

Is trade the best tool to achieve human rights objectives? Which human rights and for whom? Do trade agreements enhance or undermine the process? Susan ...

CREDIT: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/jonwiley/1883804747/in/set-72157602951336320/">Jon Wiley</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en">CC</a>).

DEC 4, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Trade Policy for Humanity

Devin Stewart talks with Susan Aaronson about her new book, "Trade Imbalance: The Struggle to Weigh Human Rights Concerns in Trade Policymaking," coauthored with Jamie ...

Map of Colombia

DEC 4, 2007 Article

A Human Rights Argument for the Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Many human rights and labor rights leaders argue that the U.S. should not reward Colombia with a permanent free trade agreement right now because ...

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has <br>called for a timeout on trade agreements. <br>Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/83681952@N00/744250138/">Llima Orosa</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en-us">CC</a>).

OCT 23, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: ROUNDTABLE: Future of U.S. Trade Policy

With Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton calling for a "timeout" on future free trade agreements and support for free trade waning among Republicans, Policy Innovations asked ...

Robert Zoellick (<a href="http://brasilia.usembassy.gov/index.php?action=materia&id=1045&submenu=1&itemmenu=10" target=_blank>PD</a>)

JUN 14, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: The Man Who Could Right the Trade-Development Imbalance

Few development advocates perceive Robert Zoellick as a man committed to making trade fairer for the world's poor. But he has long tried to realign ...