Daron Acemoglu is only 58. But for some time he has been the colossus of economics. He has written seven books, including a new one about democracy and the economic impact of AI. He has won a Nobel prize. Yet does Mr Acemoglu’s work justify his position at the very apex of the dismal profession? (This article is free to read even if you don’t subscribe to The Economist.)

Republicans are heading into America’s midterm elections with a big cash advantage over the Democrats. But they have a problem. A lot of that money is in Donald Trump’s gift. And Democratic dollars are in some ways superior to Republican ones. We explain.

Could Japan bring down the world economy? Its hoard of financial assets means that problems in its economy could cause a global crisis. Henry Curr, Josh Roberts and Ethan Wu, three of our economics experts, discuss the threat on today’s Inside Economics.