In The News

Taiwan Polls Dash China’s Unification Hopes

Ching Cheong December 4, 2001
When Taiwan held legislative elections in late 2001, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won a majority of seats, leaving China surprised. This political turnaround has dealt a blow to the theory that economic integration between China and Taiwan will bring political integration. As one official remarked, businessmen make rational choices but “when it comes to an election…then one...

Yes, This Is About Islam

Salman Rushdie November 2, 2001
In this New York Times op-ed article, controversial novelist Salman Rushdie rejects the official US stance that the war against terrorism is not about Islam. The US dissociates terrorism from Islam to maintain the global coalition against terrorism that necessarily includes Muslim countries. However, Rushdie says, Muslim demonstrations around the world in support of Osama bin Laden and the much...

Net gains for citizens

John W. Hunt September 28, 2001
Governments cut costs and improve service by putting more of their information and services online. The main obstacle, however, is access to the internet. A report by McKinsey Quarterly gives a model to implement web-based government services. The model follows three stages: 1) outsourcing of government services to a private supplier, 2) inter-departmental cooperation or “one-stop shopping” to...