In The News

Philippe Legrain November 16, 2007
There is growing opposition in many countries to immigration, viewed by some as costing government treasuries and diluting national cultures. Philippe Legrain, a British economist and former adviser to the director-general of the World Trade Organization, argues that productivity flourishes in culturally diverse cities and that people are willing to pay to live and work in such fertile...
Robert J. Samuelson November 9, 2007
Politicians, activists and even some business executives in the West blame globalization for a lot of problems. But the US has benefited from foreign trade. “Contrary to popular opinion, the trade balance (deficit or surplus) barely affects total U.S. employment over long periods,” writes Robert Samuelson for the Washington Post. Some types of foreign competition do hurt some individual workers...
Tufail Ahmad November 7, 2007
Many Muslim nations, including Indonesia, Bangladesh and Malaysia, decline diplomatic relations with Israel, and the president of Iran has gone so far as to call for eradication of Israel. Yet refusing to meet with an opponent is not statesmanship. Last August, a visit of Indian Muslims to Israel was the first of its kind, meant to nurture a connection based on democracy. Muslims in India have...
Dianna Games November 7, 2007
African countries, writes South African consultant Dianna Games, cannot afford to let globalization be foisted upon them. Instead, governments on the continent must actively engage in global trade and politics, so that “the benefits of the global order” will no longer elude Africans. Governments must move beyond international links built primarily to exploit Africa’s natural resources. That...
Amit Baruah November 5, 2007
Globalization does not help every individual or country, but it is by no means a conspiracy by the rich against the poor, said Chris Patten, chancellor of Oxford University and former British governor of Hong Kong, during a lecture in India. Evidence suggests that trade and economic growth have ended poverty for millions of people. World labor markets, especially for skilled workers, are highly...
Branko Milanovic November 2, 2007
Corrupt states thrive on producing goods and services that are illegal but increasingly profitable in the global world. Due to low costs of transportation, more illegal goods enter middle-class markets. Once criminal groups start controlling an economy, they throw their support behind corrupt politicians in government, complicating the work of local activists or international organizations that...
October 26, 2007
In the seventh annual assessment of the progress of globalization, Foreign Policy magazine and consulting firm A.T. Kearney rank the 20 most globalized nations in the world and seek to explain some of the recent shifts. Using data from 2005, they compared states along four dimensions: economic integration, personal contact, political engagement and technological connectivity, with particular...