In The News

Debt Hampers Response to Changing Economy: IMFBlog

Vitor Gaspar, John Ralyea, and Elif Ture April 15, 2019
The International Monetary Fund warns that public debt combined with slowed economic growth could constrain future government spending on education, employment, healthcare, infrastructure and retirement. The IMF advises policymakers to encourage more inclusive growth by reducing debt and investing in the futures of their citizens by reducing tax exemptions and improving tax administration. “The...

Capitalism or Socialism? Common Dreams

Robert Freeman April 8, 2019
The United States prepares for the 2020 presidential election and Republicans as the party in power insist that their opponents, the Democrats, are increasingly socialist and want to upend the capitalist system. Proper economic governance cannot rely on all capitalism or all socialism, and the definitions suggest that successful and prosperous countries rely on a combination of both. “Tools of...

Costs of Global Uncertainty: Project Syndicate

Michael Spence March 27, 2019
Global economic activity is on decline as investors and businesses confront uncertainty. The US-China trade war contributes to the hesitation, as trade partners ponder the costs and benefits of global economic connectivity and players retreat toward old patterns. For example, China’s state-owned enterprises, a target for complaints from the United States and elsewhere over subsidies, have an...

UK to Lose £1 Trillion Financial Assets: FT

Stephen Morris March 21, 2019
Businesses prepare for the chaos of worst-case Brexit scenarios, reports an Ernst & Young Global Limited survey. For financial services companies, that includes plans to transfer £1 trillion in assets from the United Kingdom to Europe. British negotiators struggle to reach a deal that includes freedoms from immigration and European regulations, as desired by just over half of voters in the...

Brexit Delay: BBC News

March 21, 2019
The June 2016 vote for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union, with faulty information distributed throughout the campaign, was the nation remains divided over how to leave. EU leaders agreed on a plan for delaying the Article 50 deadline of March 29: UK can have until 22 May if parliament approves a plan already negotiated with the EU. If the parliament rejects that plan the UK...

China’s Social Credit System: Channel NewsAsia

Tom McGregor March 6, 2019
As populations grow, governments want to control social behavior, encouraging citizens to follow rules. China has instituted a social credit system that gives citizens points and benefits for good behavior. “‘Discredited’ Chinese citizens face greater scrutiny from the public, meet tougher challenges when applying for new credit cards, getting bank loans and in more severe cases, may be blocked...

Global Population Decline, Economic Growth: Forbes

Bill Conerly February 24, 2019
Global population growth grew at a fast pace throughout the 20th century. While demographes anticipate population the world’s population to expand to 10 billion by the end of this century, the pace has slowed. Bill Conerly for Forbes, writing for Forbes, questions if societies might miss the economic growth and innovation that accompanies swift population growth. He describes research by...