In The News

Wall Street Journal: Emerging-Markets Rout Boosts Contagion Fears

Ira Iosebashvili, Ben Eisen and Amrith Ramkumar June 15, 2018
Stocks in emerging economies around the world like Brazil, Turkey and Indonesia have fallen dramatically in recent weeks – mostly driven by the strong US dollar and high US bond yields. Currencies and investments in emerging market bonds also remain low despite global economic growth. Countries like Argentina, Turkey, and Italy accumulated debt when interest rates were at record lows and are now...

Al Jazeera: Jordan Crisis – Gulf States Rush to Step In

Ali Younes June 14, 2018
Large protests have erupted in Jordan as a result of a new income tax law, leading to fears of expanding unrest in the Middle East. King Abdullah II of Saudi Arabia hosted a regional summit on Jordan’s economic crisis and a $700 million budget deficit with the aim of providing financial assistance. The Gulf Cooperation Council seeks to prevent the protests from spreading similar to the Arab...

NPR: Net Neutrality Rolled Back – But Not Dead Yet

Laurel Wamsley June 12, 2018
The US Federal Communications Commission has rolled back net-neutrality rules but telecommunications companies may be slow to charge more for popular sites or slow down smaller sites that cannot pay new charges: “The net neutrality rules were approved in 2015,” explains Laurel Wamsley. “Companies couldn't pay service providers like Verizon or AT&T extra to make their site or app load...

Spiegel: Fixing the Euro

Henrik Enderlein June 6, 2018
The European Union has a lingering problem with some members taking on excessive debt. In turn, economic woes fuel resentment against more disciplined members, suggesting that some loans could go unpaid. “The danger emanating from the current, out-of-control situation doesn't just come from the possible return of the euro crisis and its far-reaching consequences for growth and prosperity,”...

Wall Street Journal: Global Economic Growth Fades

Michael Wursthorn, Daniel Kruger and Ben Eisen June 4, 2018
Economic growth is slowing around the globe, not meeting analysts’ expectations, as indicated by declines in business activity, manufacturing, shipping costs, commodity prices. Protectionist trade policies, transitions associated with Brexit and climate challenges add to challenges. A strengthening dollar and increased trade deficits hamper growth for emerging economies. Still, few analysts...

Foreign Affairs: How Xi Jinping Views the World

Kevin Rudd May 31, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping is prominent among world leaders because of the size and continued growth of the Chinese economy as well as the nation’s military presence, role in development, and regional interests. Writing for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd describes Xi’s interests as seven concentric circles: His primary goal is keeping the Chinese Communist Party in power for the long term, making...

Time: False Promises of Protectionism

Dambisa Moyo May 24, 2018
Critics of globalization insist its policies benefit only a few. Yet “full globalization” may not have been given a fair chance as governments embrace weak models. International economist and author Dambisa Moyo points to three consequences of isolationist trends: First, businesses pursue local models, and relevance of global financial centers will decline, with reduced access to global capital...