In The News

China Ascendant – Part II

Pranab Bardhan April 28, 2008
Hosting the Olympics in August is an opportunity for China to display its economic and social success along with its ancient culture to the world. But there’s a fine line between the display of patriotism and nationalism, warns economist Pranab Bardhan in the second article of a YaleGlobal series on China’s rise. The Chinese Communist Party has carefully nurtured – and enforced – homogeneous...

Pro-Tibet Groups Targeted In Cyberspace

Thomas Claburn April 9, 2008
Accusations fly about internet tactics, as pro-Chinese supporters clash with supporters of Tibet independence. Messages expressing support of Tibet independence include some sophisticated surveillance tools, reports Thomas Claburn for InformationWeek.com. Political activists are reporting internet interference and spyware accompanying what appear to be supportive e-mails from trusted sources. The...

Race and the Social Contract

Eduardo Porter April 3, 2008
The United States has a long history of both racial diversity and racial discord – a history that has traditionally distinguished it from many nations in Europe. The US also distinguishes itself from Europe on another score, by not adopting the large-scale spending on social programs that characterize the modern European welfare state. Eduardo Porter in the New York Times suggests that these two...

India’s Forgotten Farmers

Tarun Khanna March 7, 2008
Can India’s burgeoning economy lead to prosperity for all of its citizens, urban and rural alike? Thus far, India’s economic growth has been concentrated almost exclusively in urban centers, while rural areas remain largely mired in appalling poverty. Since 70 percent of India’s population lives in rural communities, the vast majority of Indians find themselves cut off from their nation’s...

Integrating Islam into the West

Phillip Blond February 21, 2008
The rule of law evolves gradually over time, casting judgment on behavior as right or wrong. Media reports that the archbishop of Canterbury suggested Great Britain should adopt some aspects of Shariah or Islamic law ignited immediate protests. “Unfortunately, the media storm masked the real message of the speech, which concerned the authority of the secular state and its impact on religious...

Developing Countries Worse Off Than Once Thought – Part I

Branko Milanovic February 11, 2008
Reducing poverty has long been a goal for leaders, both national and international. Undertaking the task requires an understanding of the nature of poverty and its specific locations as well as programs that target economic and cultural causes, suggests this two-part series. The first article in the series, by economist Branko Milanovic, explains how detailed reports on prices throughout the...

2008: The Demise of Neoliberal Globalization

Immanuel Wallerstein February 4, 2008
Political philosophers have long debated about whether governments, corporations or other entities are most efficient in delivering services for groups of citizens or world markets. Neoliberal globalization is an old idea for achieving efficiency that gained prominence in the 1980s, according to sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein, and implies that governments should allow corporations to cross...