In The News

How Foreign Money Can Find Its Way Into Political Campaigns

Dan Froomkin July 20, 2011
The US government and campaign-funding reform groups struggle to prevent foreign money influencing US elections. Foreign governments and corporations openly spend millions on lobbying efforts, more than $200 million in 2008, reports Dan Froomkin for the Huffington Post. Lobbyists can easily hike their own wages and redirect foreign funds as donations. “[S]ome of that money may well be wending its...

China Urges US to Protect Creditors by Raising Debt

Bettina Wassener, Matthew Saltmarsh July 15, 2011
China, a major lender to the US, urges the president and US Congress to reach agreement on lifting the nation’s debt limit, so that bills can be paid. “China holds more than $1 trillion in United States Treasury securities, making it highly sensitive to any developments that could lower the value of those holdings,” reports the New York Times. Statutory limits have been in place since 1917, an...

The Next Domino? Italy Suffers from Euro-Zone Contagion Fears

Carsten Volkery July 13, 2011
After Greece and Portugal, the markets are sending signals of turning on Italy, and investor fears are raising rates on the nation’s government bonds. Analysts have issued warnings about the country’s aging population, weak economic growth, low productivity and rigid labor market, reports Carsten Volkery for Spiegel Online. Should Italy fall into the vicious circle of downgrades and rising bond...

States Cannot Put Globalization Genie Back in Bottle

Jack Radisch July 8, 2011
Nations cannot escape globalized risks, explains Jack Radisch, OECD policy analyst, for Public Service Europe. “For many risks, the frontline of protection is a well-functioning regulatory environment,” he writes. Governments must set priorities before investing in prevention strategies. Risk analysis is required, and he notes that costs of the 2008 credit crisis triggered by subprime mortgages...

Playing Make-Believe With Greece

Floyd Norris July 4, 2011
Operating under the assumption that their economy is “too big to fail,” Greeks anticipate an infusion of new loans and are in no hurry to embrace austerity. Despite their role in failing to regulate the excessive lending, central bankers resist accountability for the crisis in Greece. Floyd Norris of the New York Times compares central and commercial bankers: Both loaned funds without adequately...

As Number One, China to Face Hour of Choice

Richard Bush June 30, 2011
China is on track to become the world’s largest economy, and the Chinese welcome the milestone, anticipating greater influence over world affairs. But economic size does not automatically translate into greater or less power and influence, warns Richard Bush, China expert with the Brookings Institution. He compares today’s rankings of economies – the US, China and Japan – with those existing in...

Google: Delaying Clean Energy Transition “Only 5 Years Could Leave Trillions on the Table”

Stephen Lacey June 30, 2011
The global economy runs on energy, and most companies depend on limited fossil fuels, which are inevitably in decline. Delaying transition to renewable sources, even by five years, could cost the global economy trillions of dollars, suggests a Google.org study. The search-engine company analyzed economic impact by modeling scenarios and renewable energy’s influence on GDP growth and the...