In The News

The Voice of Labor

July 23, 2008
Organized labor looks to be well-organized for politics in advance of November’s US presidential election. Backed by vast war chests and armies of volunteers, unions address workers’ concerns over soaring prices at home and growing competition overseas. Given labor’s strength in key Midwestern swing states and amongst blue-collar whites in general, these efforts to cast the election as a...

China’s Rumble With Globalization – Part I

Xu Sitao July 22, 2008
Conventional wisdom suggests that a booming economy can protect China from all economic woes. But this two-part series argues otherwise. China’s resistance to rising prices – despite the global pressure raising costs for food and fuel – has distorted economic policies and only delays the reckoning, argues economist Xu Sitao in the first article. “For a large developing economy with a unique...

Parallel Universe

Nayan Chanda July 22, 2008
At the Tallberg Forum in late June, it became apparent that politicians and scientists are often on different wavelengths. Scientists accept with much certainty that the Arctic ice sheet is melting and that temperatures are rising. Others worry about the increasing amounts of fossil fuels being emitted into the atmosphere. Scientists recognize that the current situation will lead to droughts,...

A Message From Obama for Those Infuriating Europeans

Philip Stephens July 21, 2008
As Barack Obama travels to Europe, he suggests that he will invigorate relations between the US and the continent, which have almost come to a standstill during the Bush administration. Europeans are less pleased, however, about Obama’s suggestions that Europe needs to contribute more to the alliance that’s essential for global security. Some critics contend that Europeans prefer talk to action,...

What If the Candidates Pandered to Economists?

N. Gregory Mankiw July 21, 2008
Economists make up a tiny portion of the voting bloc and politicians rarely pander to them, perhaps because economists rarely speak with a single voice regarding any issue. However, economists do reach consensus on a few issues. For example, most economists support free trade, and argue that laws preventing free trade are nothing more than laws protecting special-interest groups from competition...

McCain's Economic Plan: Tax Cuts vs. Balanced Budget

Michael Cooper July 18, 2008
Candidates for president must demonstrate they are responsible with taxpayers' money. Early on, Senator John McCain voted against Bush administration tax cuts and has long argued in favor of balancing the massive US budget deficit. But as the presumptive Republican nominee, McCain has since argued in favor of making the tax cuts permanent. US government spending is on a roll, with the war in...

What Should the White House Do About Globalization

William Holstein July 17, 2008
Businesses juggle the challenges and rewards of globalization every day – but the process of interaction remains largely a mystery. During the Cold War, globalization had ideological connotations, as it was often viewed as just westernization. Now the term is source of anger and confusion as its consequences are more uncertain. The next US president must define globalization for US citizens and...