In The News

US Economy – Muscular or Obese?

David Dapice August 16, 2012
The US, with great potential for economic growth, still could rescue the dragging global economy – the country’s energy development, agricultural output, steady labor force, and education programs all offer promise. But the US has immediate challenges, argues economist David Dapice, including rising inequality and high youth unemployment rates. Young workers often bring innovations to workplaces...

7 Reasons to Expect US Manufacturing Resurgence

Farok J. Contractor August 7, 2012
The US may be a service economy, but it’s still the world’s largest manufacturer. There are many reasons to remain bullish on US manufacturing and the American worker, suggests Farok Contractor, professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School. US firms invest in high-tech equipment, and the US worker is tops in adding value per hour on products. Recent economic difficulties...

World Expectations Lowered

Bruce Stokes June 14, 2012
US presidential campaigns often tangle over which candidate is best capable of boosting the country’s reputation abroad and providing leadership in global affairs. Trouble is, the two major political parties in the United States often don’t agree on how to achieve global respect. The diversity of global opinion based on political and cultural context does not help either. A survey of more than 26...

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,...

US, Japan Tweak Marine Exit Plan

Masami Ito May 2, 2012
The US military presence in Japan is a reminder of a complicated history of bitter opponents during World War II who eventually became the strongest of allies. History bears heavily on any US military plans in Japan, including a recent US decision to relocate 9,000 Marines from Okinawa, with some going to Guam in Hawaii, but others scheduled to relocate to a more remote area in north Okinawa....

Asia Caught Between Rivals China and US

Jean-Pierre Lehmann April 30, 2012
As European and US economies continue to drag, many analysts see China and Asia as a whole rising as dominant global players. But international political economist Jean-Pierre Lehmann points to the ambiguity of this prowess. Asian nations increasingly rely on China as an economic partner while increasingly counting on the United States for security. Vietnam, Australia, Japan and others...

Tide Turns on Border Crossing

Miriam Jordan April 26, 2012
The reasons are many – demographics, recession, a rise in enforcement and hostility toward immigrants – but net immigration from Mexico to the US has plummeted to zero, reports Miriam Jordan for the Wall Street Journal. A decline in the Mexico’s birth rate has increased families’ wealth and reduced the need to immigrate in search for work. “Mexican families have fewer mouths to feed as the...