In The News

US Could Be World’s Most Populous Country

Joseph Chamie April 15, 2013
Nations that manage to satisfy a large population politically, economically, socially can become beacons of hope for the rest of the world. The US is the world’s third most populated country, trailing China and India, but could aim to become most populated by the end of the century: An eightfold increase in annual immigration would lead to a fivefold increase in the US population, explains...

Pakistan’s Army of Overseas Workers Keeps Economy Afloat

Khurrum Anis March 26, 2013
Inequality among nations encourages workers in poor nations to hunt for jobs abroad – and send funds home to families. Writing for Bloomberg, Khurrum Anis describes a young man dropping out of school and selling the family’s two buffalo to purchase a visa to work in Dubai so his family can build a new home and brothers can marry. “Almost 10 million Pakistanis work overseas and the sum they’ve...

The Financial Crash Will Not Bring About “Globalization on Steroids”

Joshua Kurlantzick March 11, 2013
Despite the international outlook of the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies – the US and China – Joshua Kurlantzick argues that there is a new trend of deglobalization. The precarious state of the world economy is contributing to the prominence of national boundaries in shaping economic policies. Foreign investment has dried up as national legislatures reject takeovers or funding for...

The Coal Monster: Pollution Forces Chinese Leaders to Act

Bernhard Zand March 7, 2013
Under a haze of smog, China’s economic successes seem less amazing. Bernhard Zand describes acid, bleach, smoke, sulfur, soot and pollutants that assault the senses in China’s cities. “Chinese bloggers are on a rampage, and even the most loyal government newspapers are examining every aspect of the crisis and attacking those responsible for conditions in China with unprecedented ferocity,” Zand...

The Choice: More Immigrants or Fewer Citizens?

Joseph Chamie March 4, 2013
Low fertility rates among countries lead to population decline and higher proportions of older citizens. So the countries with such demographics face a choice: allowing more immigrants, along with the revenue, services and cultural influences they bring or accepting the population decline and economic contraction. “Currently, about 76 countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Iran, Sweden...

Guestworkers: Hard To Turn Off Flow

Jagdish Bhagwati February 25, 2013
Hispanics, about 17 percent of the US population, represented just 10 percent of voters in the nation’s 2012 presidential election, but soundly rejected harsh proposals on immigration, including rigid enforcement and no amnesty for those already in the country illegally. Since the election, both Republicans and Democrats recognize the need for prompt immigration reform, reducing illegal entry and...

Immigration Reform and the American Worker

James Surowiecki February 25, 2013
Misunderstandings and myths do not produce good policy. Many Americans oppose immigration reform because they’re convinced that more immigrants eliminate jobs and hurt the US economy, especially during the recession. Instead, “a host of studies have found that immigration has actually boosted wages for native-born American workers as a whole, and that while immigration has had a negative impact...