In The News

Globalization's Missing Middle

Geoffrey Garrett November 5, 2004
The World Bank classifies each country into one of three groupings: high income, middle income, and low income. The top 25 percent of all countries make up the first category, 30 percent fall into the bottom, and the remaining 45 percent – mostly comprised of Latin America, the former Soviet bloc, Asian tigers, and the Middle East – are "middle income" countries. Political science...

Globalization: Europe's Wary Embrace

Philip H. Gordon November 1, 2004
From anti-McDonald's crusader Jose Bové's campaign, to violent clashes between Genoan police and demonstrators, to the anti-globalization theme's growing popularity with left-wing socialist and right-wing nationalist candidates, the idea might seem to be dominating the European political landscape. Not so, says Brookings Institution scholar Philip H. Gordon. In fact, polls show...

Fueling a Crisis in Nigeria

Olly Owen October 25, 2004
Under a package of International Monetary Fund-endorsed reforms, the Nigerian government hopes to eliminate domestic fuel subsidies. Yet low gas prices are currently the only economic benefit for cash-strapped Nigerians, who see price increases as another kickback to local elites and foreign oil companies. The proposed reforms have caused domestic turbulence; unions launched a series of...

Scientists Herald Malaria Breakthrough

Sarah Boseley October 15, 2004
Each year, according to estimates from the World Health Organization, 300 to 500 million cases of malaria occur, and more than one million people die of the disease. Recent clinical trials in Mozambique indicate that a vaccine for malaria may be on the horizon. Human trials have shown that the vaccine protected some infants from the disease altogether and reduced the severity of malaria in...

Globalization and the Political Future of Nigeria

Sam Ejike Okoye October 15, 2004
Although some may doubt the impact of globalization on the African continent, the recent surge of world oil prices to their highest recorded levels, triggered by the threat of strike in Nigeria may dispel the myth. If levels remain above US$50 per barrel through the coming winter, a worldwide recession is not out of the question, the article says. Today's economic, scientific, environmental...

Afghan Archaeology on Road to Recovery

John W. Betlyon October 12, 2004
Continuous domestic and international turbulence has left Afghanistan's cultural sites severely damaged, especially after the mass plundering by the Taliban. As Afghans start to rebuild, the country is attracting archaeological researchers back to restore its cultural heritage; the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), along with many other foreign research...

Making Innocents Pay for Other's Sins

October 6, 2004
The continually fragile security situation in Iraq has bred a climate of fear for most foreigners present there. Soldiers, journalists, and independent civilian workers have all been the victims of kidnappings by insurgent groups in Iraq. Some of the kidnapped make it back to their countries or families, but many abductions have ended in execution, complete with grisly recordings. In light of the...