In The News

France Says “Non!” to Austerity

Jonathan Fenby May 7, 2012
Global markets are seized with new uncertainty as French voters rejected austerity measures, electing François Hollande, the Socialist candidate, as president. The win, if backed by French legislative elections in June, could send the European Union back to the drawing board for plans on rescuing debt-strapped Greece and resolving the eurozone crisis, reports author Jonathan Fenby. Election...

A Plague on All Houses

Pranab Bardhan May 2, 2012
In China, India and the United States – political leadership is trapped in systems of governance that reinforce power, encouraging short-term gain with grave long-term costs. Complex policies mask dysfunction, curtail innovation that threatens the status quo, and ease corruption for those in the know. Dysfunctional government is unleashing inequality and dangerous populism in all three nations,...

Ending Isolation – Part I

Philip Bowring April 23, 2012
The West uses sanctions to encourage authoritarian governments to meet global norms. In this two-part YaleGlobal series on the efficacy of sanctions, authors examine the experiences of two countries. In the first of the series, Hong Kong-based journalist Philip Bowring argues that sanctions can have diminishing impacts, if not lifted once reform has begun. Since a 1988 coup by army generals in...

US Battle to Revive Manufacturing – Part II

Clyde Prestowitz April 13, 2012
Jobs remain a central concern for the US voters and the 2012 presidential campaign. Candidates of opposing parties, and even insiders of the Obama administration, debate whether government intervention, including subsidies for particular industries, helps or hurts companies. This YaleGlobal series analyzes the US effort to jumpstart manufacturing, and in the second article, Clyde Prestowitz,...

US Battle to Revive Manufacturing – Part I

Bruce Stokes April 11, 2012
As the US confronts stubborn unemployment and a shrinking industrial base, a battle is shaping up about reviving manufacturing. Running for reelection, President Obama has embraced manufacturing and export renaissance, even as free-market supporters find fault in what they call his “industrial policy.” In this two-part series, YaleGlobal examines the political and ideological implications of...

Global Warming Is Real and Has Consequences – Part II

Pavin Chachavalpongpun April 6, 2012
Climate-change naysayers claim that shifting from fossil fuels to alternative energies is unnecessary or too costly for economies. Yet, the cost of climate change is clearly evident. Manufacturers are considering moving from Thailand and other countries threatened by flooding and other forces related to climate change, according to Pavin Chachavalpongpun, associate professor at the Centre for...

Global Warming Is Real and Has Consequences – Part I

William D. Nordhaus April 4, 2012
Although the consequences of global warming are painfully vivid, some scholars still question whether it requires urgent action. In January, a group of scientists, including those from the United States, Australia, France and the Netherlands, summarized reasons for their skepticism and opposition to findings of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They insist that evidence is...