About

Vinod K Aggarwal is an affiliated faculty member at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, since 1992. His expertise and research interests include the integration of market and non-market strategies, international debt rescheduling, lobbying, and trade protectionism. He has held the position of Director of the Berkeley APEC Study Center since 1996 and has served as Chair of the Political Economies of Industrialized Societies at UC Berkeley from 1991 to 1994. Aggarwal's academic background includes a PhD and MA in Political Science from Stanford University and a BA in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Michigan. He has contributed extensively to the fields of international political economy and global governance, with notable publications on WTO rules, regional trade agreements, and the implications of China's rise. Aggarwal has also served as an external consultant to organizations such as the WTO, ILO, OECD, UNCCD, and the World Bank, and has held roles including Editor in Chief of Business and Politics and editor of the Springer book series 'The Political Economy of the Asia Pacific.' His professional service includes positions as Chief Economist at Frost & Sullivan and non-resident fellow at The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, D.C. He has received multiple awards for teaching excellence and fellowships, including the Earl F. Cheit Award and the Abe Fellowship.

Research topics

• Political Science
• International trade
• Economics
• Economic system
• Environmental science
• Political economy
• Environmental planning
• Environmental resource management
• Geography
• Macroeconomics
• Business
• Economy
• Law

Selected publications

• Wars in the Twentieth Century and the Rise of American Power

  2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Chapter 3 examines the transformation of American industrial policy during the twentieth century as the United States evolved from a domestic-focused economy to a global industrial power. It analyzes how three major crises—World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II—fundamentally altered the relationship between government and industry, establishing new patterns of state intervention that extended well beyond wartime periods. While critics argued government intervention threatened capitalism, most business leaders and labor unions accepted it, benefiting from contracts and public investments. The chapter argues that these “extraordinary” periods created enduring institutional relationships and policy frameworks that established the foundation for modern American industrial policy, characterized by strategic government-industry partnerships and targeted sectoral interventions.

  PublisherDOI

• Obama

  2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Chapter 8 analyzes Obama’s industrial policy, which was largely motivated by the 2008 Financial Crisis. His administration pursued industrial policy rooted in Keynesian economic principles, combining large-scale stimulus packages with sector-specific support for manufacturing, renewable energy, technology, and automobiles. Obama’s industrial policy was operationalized through financial support for firms and infrastructure, increased regulation, public-private partnerships, workforce training programs, and adjustments to trade agreements. While Obama received support from unions and environmental groups, Republican lawmakers and fossil fuel industries opposed the widespread intervention. Obama’s industrial policy helped avert economic collapse, but the short-term nature of these interventions resulted in benefits that were constrained by time.

  PublisherDOI

• Introduction

  2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract This chapter introduces the central question: What has been—and what continues to be—the role of the US federal government in shaping industrial growth? Specifically, what goals has it pursued, what tools has it used, and to what extent can a continuous history of industrial policy be reconstructed that reveals both enduring patterns and key shifts over time? It begins by distinguishing industrial policy from broader macroeconomic management and clarifies the rationale for differentiating between horizontal and vertical policy tools. The chapter then outlines the major motivations for government intervention, emphasizing three core drivers: the correction of market failures, the pursuit of political, economic, and national security goals, and the influence of rent-seeking behavior by firms and interest groups. The chapter also introduces the framework used throughout the empirical analysis, focusing on the following elements: the international, domestic, and ideational forces that shape policy; the specific targets of intervention, such as firms, sectors, and regions; the instruments and administrative mechanisms employed; the political coalitions supporting or opposing intervention; and the evaluation of policy outcomes. Finally, it previews the book’s empirical chapters.

  PublisherDOI

• The 1990s, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton

  2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Chapter 6 shows how Reagan’s industrial policy was succeeded by the administrations of the 1990s, George H.W. Bush (1989–1993) and Bill Clinton (1993–2001). Both administrations continued to use a horizontal industrial policy approach, particularly in high-technology sectors like semiconductors, biotechnology, and telecommunications. Further, the US government systematically expanded the economic “frontier” through multilateral and bilateral trade agreements. This dual approach sought to expand American market access globally while building domestic technological capabilities. However, this approach produced mixed results. It brought economic growth and technological advancements, as well as manufacturing job losses and rising inequality. This led to persistent economic disparities between prosperous tech hubs and struggling industrial regions.

  PublisherDOI

• State-level Differences In Incidence Of Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy In United States Veterans Persist After Introduction Of Disease-modifying Therapy

  Journal of Cardiac Failure · 2026-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Governing Growth in the United States

  2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract This concluding chapter synthesizes the book’s central argument: the US government has played a continuous and active role in shaping industrial development, technological innovation, and economic restructuring across two and a half centuries. Bringing together historical case studies and contemporary developments, the chapter summarizes the results of the analysis in a series of ten points. Although this book’s focus is on the United States, this political economy analysis can be extended beyond the American case to understand the pursuit of industrial policy around the world. This chapter argues that the challenges of technological disruption, geopolitical rivalry, regional inequality, and social fragmentation demand a rethinking of industrial policy not only as economic strategy but as democratic governance.

  PublisherDOI

• George W. Bush

  2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Chapter 7 turns to George W. Bush’s industrial policy program during his administration from 2000 to 2008. China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) brought pressure to American industries and required the Bush administration to intervene. In addition, the 9/11 terrorist attacks drastically increased attention to national security. With international and domestic pressure to solve these issues, the Bush administration responded with a mix of tax cuts, deregulation, targeted trade protections, and substantial support to key sectors like energy, defense, and finance. At the same time, these policies were opposed by Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups. The deregulation of the financial industry also led to the 2008 financial crisis.

  PublisherDOI

• American Global Leadership in the Post-WWII Era

  2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Chapter 4 turns to the post-WWII period until the end of the Carter administration. In this period, the government continued to play an important role in investment, public procurement, technological research, and infrastructure development. In the immediate postwar years, government involvement remained central. The Cold War intensified federal support for strategic industries, including steel, automobiles, electronics, telecommunications, and aerospace. However, the 1970s crisis—marked by oil shocks, stagflation, and intensified international competition from Europe and Asia—exposed the vulnerabilities of this approach. Manufacturing decline, rising unemployment, and weak government responses to these challenges eroded public confidence in Keynesian policies. Free-market advocates like Milton Friedman gained influence, pushing for deregulation and reduced government involvement. Ultimately, the late 1970s saw mounting frustration with industrial policy, culminating in the political shift toward market-oriented solutions under Reagan.

  PublisherDOI

• Creation of an Interactive Dashboard to Facilitate Early Detection of Cardiac Amyloidosis in African American Veterans

  Applied Clinical Informatics · 2025-03-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an underdiagnosed cause of heart failure (HF) that disproportionately impacts men of African descent. Without a standardized method of screening and scattered patient health information, clinicians must integrate data that spans multiple disease systems and is stored across the electronic health record. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this project was to create a dashboard to facilitate identification of high-risk African American (AA) veterans who would benefit from CA screening tests. This paper described the development of the dashboard and identified barriers and opportunities in dashboard development. METHODS: Three Veterans Affairs (VA) health systems participated in this project. Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Report Builder was utilized to create an interactive dashboard that refreshes daily through stored procedures using SQL Server Integration Services and the SQL Server Job Agent. Inclusion criteria included AA patients less than 90 years old with a history of HF. The 2023 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of transthyretin CA was the source of evidence in creating the inclusion criteria and parameters of interest. RESULTS: The final dashboard contained 1,732 HF patients who met inclusion criteria, of which 949 (55%) were identified as high risk. We faced several challenges in this project, including time required for dashboard development, limited team experience in specifying dashboard requirements, identifying informatics counterparts at all sites, and standardizing data across three VA hospitals. CONCLUSION: In this clinical improvement project, we created a dashboard that identifies AA veterans with HF at risk for CA and that can help to mitigate the impact of CA on this population.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Leveraging Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Knowledge Graph to Identify Latent Patterns in Veteran Suicide Risk

  2025-10-26

  article

  While Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) are widely acknowledged as critical factors influencing health outcomes, particularly in vulnerable populations, their complex relationships and systemic impacts remain insufficiently examined. This study presents the development and systematic analysis of a comprehensive knowledge graph (KG) framework designed to elucidate the complex relationships between SDoH and mental health outcomes in a high-risk population: veterans with documented histories of suicide attempts or suicidal ideation. Leveraging a comprehensive electronic health records dataset from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, we generated synthetic data that accurately preserves the statistical properties of the original dataset. We also constructed a specialized SDoH knowledge graph to enable multidimensional analysis. Using topological link prediction and node classification algorithms, we systematically analyzed structural patterns across critical SDoH domains to uncover latent relationships within the KG. Our KG-based approach enables privacy-preserving health disparities research by combining synthetic data generation with graph-based analytics. Our results demonstrate the viability of this approach for deriving clinically meaningful insights while maintaining strict confidentiality protections, establishing a scalable paradigm for future population health studies.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Peter J. Katzenstein

  Cornell University

  221 shared

• Charles Lipson

  196 shared

• Ellen Comisso

  Sharp Laboratories of Europe (United Kingdom)

  196 shared

• Ernst B. Haas

  196 shared

• John Odell

  196 shared

• Harold K. Jacobson

  196 shared

• Robert Bates

  196 shared

• James A. Caporaso

  University of Washington

  196 shared

Education

• M.A, Political Science

  Stanford University

  1997

• Ph.D, Political Science

  Stanford University

  1981

• B.A, Political Science

  University of Michigan

  1975

Awards & honors

• Earl F. Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching, Full-Time MB…
• Earl F. Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching, Full-Time MB…
• Earl F. Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching, PhD Program,…
• Abe Fellowship, 2008-2009
• Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Wa…