In The News

Mood of Mistrust Shocks French Ruling Class

Jon Henley May 31, 2005
In the wake of France's rejection of the proposed EU constitution, President Jacques Chirac is expected to select a replacement for Jean Pierre Raffarin, "the most unpopular prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic," according to The Guardian. But this turnover is just one of the political implications of the referendum, which this commentary characterizes as disastrous...

The Payoff from Globalization

Gary Clyde Hufbauer May 27, 2005
Between 1946 and the present day, the United States has decreased its average tariff rate from 40 percent to 4 percent. Likewise, many economies worldwide have made moves to open their markets. Two analysts from the Institute for International Economics attempt to answer an obvious question: Has this trend benefited US citizens? Their answer: Absolutely. Unfortunately, the...

‘Developing Countries Should Have a Bigger Say in the World Bank and IMF’

May 20, 2005
In a recent interview with YaleGlobal editor Nayan Chanda, Kemal Dervis, former Minister of Economic Affairs in Turkey and author of the book A Better Globalization, talks about reforming the United Nations Security Council and the role of international financial institutions. Excerpts of the interview follow.

Arab Satellite Television and Democracy in the Arab World

S. Abdallah Schleifer May 13, 2005
The history of televised news in the Middle East is a checkered yet fascinating one, writes S. Abdallah Schleifer of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Early news broadcasts relied upon a simple regurgitation of state activity – presidents giving prepared speeches, inaugurating some new public work, or returning from a trip abroad – providing little analysis or variety. Stock footage paired...

A Global Alliance Against Forced Labor

May 12, 2005
The International Labor Organization (ILO) has issued an update on its four-year-old report on slavery and other types of forced labor. The new report, issued May 2005, takes a longer view on the issue, describing developments in the last four years and looking toward the future. After defining and identifying the scope of the problem, the group evaluates efforts in the past years to stem the...

Inglish as She's Spoke

Gurcharan Das May 3, 2005
The worldwide spread of English has seen a rise in colloquially "blended languages," from Franglais (French and English) to Spanglish (Spanish and English) to Taglish (Tagalog and English), and so on. This Outlook India piece suggests a new addition: Inglish (Hindi and English). As the author writes, English is the ticket to a good job and middle class status in India. It unites...

Tangled Threads of Protectionism – Part I

Pietra Rivoli May 3, 2005
One of the textile industry's oldest problems is again under focus: how to adjust in the face of changing technology, tastes, and economic fundamentals. Politicians are calling, not surprisingly, for a populist solution – protect jobs by raising walls against imports. In a three-part series, trade experts examine the issues surrounding the post-quota state of the textile industry. With the...