In The News

Island Nations Play China, India

Harsh V. Pant January 9, 2013
As rising powers India and China compete for influence, Indian Ocean’s small island states like Maldives, Seychelles or Mauritius gain disproportionate prominence and attract new funding for their strategic space in the Indian Ocean. In domestic politics, parties take advantage of the rivalry and take sides. A recent example described by Harsh V. Pant of King’s College is the cancellation of a 25...

Nationalism Rises in Northeast Asia

Jean-Pierre Lehmann January 4, 2013
The job-creating economies of the Northeast Asia Pacific region are the envy of the world. China, Japan and Korea – the world’s second, third and eleventh largest economies, respectively – are significant global economic powers. China, Japan and South Korea are major trade and investment partners, each thriving by embracing economic globalization. But because of historical differences and...

Recipe for a Post-Hegemonic USA

Kenneth Weisbrode January 2, 2013
US Congress, bitterly partisan, engages in petty bickering and repeatedly fails to resolve any number of pressing crises, let alone craft uplifting legislation for the country and the world. The poor behavior of the legislative body – blocking opponents at any cost – is symptomatic of the fading superpower status of the US and reinforces the loss of global influence. In terms of currency,...

Tunisian Revolution Is Work in Progress

Lindsay J. Benstead, Ellen Lust, Dhafer Malouche December 19, 2012
The surge of uprisings across North Africa began in Tunisia with the self-immolation of a desperate college graduate turned street vendor in December 2010. The pace for democracy since then has been slow, along with economic reforms, as is the case in Egypt and Libya. Economic challenges dog the government, with the unemployment rate near 20 percent. Protests and violence throughout the region,...

For Better Planning, Watch Global Demographic Trends

Joseph Chamie December 12, 2012
An understanding of demographic trends can assist governments in targeting policies for the future and saving money for education, retirement, taxes, healthcare, distribution of natural resources, and more. More importantly, targeted policies can ease resentment emerging over demographic imbalances. The globe can anticipate an additional 1 billion people by 2025 – a total of 8 billion – and...

China’s Aggressive Stance Reveals Lack of Coordination

Terry McCarthy December 5, 2012
Growing tensions in East Asia over aggressive postures from China may stem from a lack of coordination among government factions rather than concerted policy. But that is hardly reassuring, argues Terry McCarthy. The country lacks strong leadership that can control factions competing to be most outspoken and nationalistic. As a result, the country antagonizes neighbors with far-reaching claims...

Governance Falls Behind Globalization

Ernesto Zedillo December 3, 2012
Many in the world point to the need for mechanisms to monitor and control globalization, particularly after a decade when debt crises in one country spread quickly around the globe. Yet as economic interdependence continues to build, governance is not keeping pace. Ernesto Zedillo is director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, and as YaleGlobal Online marks its 10th anniversary,...