In The News

Mixed Blessings of the Megacities

Deane Neubauer September 24, 2004
"For the first time in human history, more people live in cities than do not," writes globalization scholar Deane Neubauer. Complex migratory patterns have led to a paradox within the world's most populous urban areas: While some residents live lavishly, reaping the benefits of global commerce, others are forced into impoverished conditions reminiscent of 19th-century...

France Hopes to Block the Wave of Globalization

A. Sheshabalaya September 20, 2004
Job outsourcing has figured prominently in worldwide economic discussions, and the French government has taken a decisive, though controversial, step to address the phenomenon. In an effort to protect domestic employment, Prime Minister Raffarin announced a large subsidy for companies refraining from relocation. Honorable intentions aside, writes global Ashutosh Sheshabalaya, France may be...

The End of Unipolarity

Gautam Adhikari September 17, 2004
The end of the Cold War ushered in the beginning of a new era – one in which the economic, military, and political superiority of the United States seemed an undisputed fact. Gautam Adhikari reexamines the vocabulary of unquestioned – and often unquestionable – US authority. While the country's influence is undeniable, claims Adhikari, words such as "hyperpower" overstate its...

Measure first, then cut

September 9, 2004
Bad regulations rarely make headlines, but a new study by the World Bank, "Doing Business in 2005," shows that excessive red tape is one of the chief obstacles to growth in almost all poor countries. Pointless regulations often foster corruption, as firms and individuals have a greater incentive to bribe officials not to enforce them. Entrepreneurs suffer the most, not only from...

A Dissenter on Outsourcing States His Case

Steve Lohr September 7, 2004
The issue of outsourcing has polarized the intellectual community, and the most recent rebuttal comes from Nobel laureate Paul Samuelson. In a soon-to-be published journal article, the distinguished economist challenges the prevailing theory that the US economy will, in the long-term, benefit from all types of trade – outsourcing included. Though the US has not felt widespread negative effects...

The Trek Abroad Quickens Pace

Anke Bryson September 3, 2004
The US is not the only country tackling the issue of jobs moving overseas; a recent study reports that German companies continue to shift operations to other countries. Despite labor agreements from Siemens and Daimler Chrysler to preserve some domestic operations, the industrial exodus may reach a peak this year. Further complicating matters, foreign investment in German industry has...

Too Much Consensus

September 2, 2004
Deciphering world policy jargon is often a daunting task. Fortunately, Foreign Policy magazine clarifies a few key ideas in its "Field Guide to the Consensuses." After the 1990 Washington Consensus, John Williamson's expression of support for market theory, the world has witnessed the births of a few other "consensual" ideas. The Beijing Consensus, antithetical to its...