In The News

In Historic Move, US Lifts Embargo on Arms Sales to Vietnam

David Nakamura May 23, 2016
US President Barack Obama’s visit to Vietnam, and lifting an arms embargo, underscores growing cooperation between the two countries that were at war just over four decades ago. David Nakamura reports for the Washington Post: “Obama said the latest step ‘was not based on China or any other considerations. It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards...

US Targets Spying Threat on Campus With Proposed Research Clampdown

Julia Edwards May 23, 2016
The US State Department has proposed barring international students from research projects and classes involving “information seen as vital to national security,” reports Julia Edwards for Reuters. “The new rule, which largely applies to company-sponsored research, threatens to shrink the pool of research opportunities available for US colleges, which have grown strongly in popularity among high-...

US Officials Warn of Looming Crisis in Venezuela

Tim Johnson May 16, 2016
Venezuela should be prosperous in terms of its location and the largest reserves of crude oil in the world. But low oil prices caught such countries by surprise. Foreign oil companies are reducing activity due to low prices and payment struggles. “Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, already struggling to keep his country’s lights on and its stores stocked with basic food, faces a series of...

Is Globalization Really Fueling Populism?

Daniel Gros May 9, 2016
An angry populism – a belief that ordinary citizens, not elites, should control government while avoiding centrism and compromise – is on the rise in Europe and the United States. Daniel Gros questions the suggestion that the so-called losers of globalization are fueling such populism, suggesting the trends are not new. Inequality in education levels is not new, and workers with more education...

Fort McMurray Blaze Shows What “the Economy” Is Really About

Todd Hirsch May 6, 2016
Fort McMurray, built around Canada’s oil sands industry, is engulfed by wildfires, prompting evacuation of the almost 90,000 residents. Thousands of homes were destroyed with damages already estimated at near $1 billion. The tragedy, suggests economist Todd Hirsch, offers a reminder on social priorities. “The first part of the word ‘economics’ is derived from the ancient Greek word oikos, which...

The United States: Divided in More Ways Than One

Bruce Stokes May 5, 2016
The United States is polarized and so are members of its major political parties, especially on foreign policy. Results of a Pew Research Study released today suggest that isolationist tendencies are tempered by recognition for the practical need for international engagement. “Wariness of international engagement coexists with unilateralist assertiveness on some issues and a belief that the...

Memorandum to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

From: Jeffrey E. Garten April 28, 2016
Trade policy is among the issues prompting US voters to coalesce around Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as presumptive nominees for president. Clinton opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership, calling for a crackdown on trade violations and more enforcement; Trump is critical of nearly all trade agreements, vowing to get tough with top partners like Mexico and China. “The problem is not with the...