In The News

Unless Two Imbalances Can Be Fixed, Two New Crises Will Follow This One

Irwin Stelzer June 8, 2010
Huge trade imbalances, particularly between China and the US, Germany and the rest of Europe, ensure low interest rates and ongoing bubbles, contends Irwin Stelzer of the Hudson Institute. Ongoing lending at low rates to nations already steeped in debt dulls incentives to increase competitiveness and reduce trade deficits as well. “‘Imbalance’ is the word, and it creates multiple threats to the...

Wanted: Competent Leaders With Vision To Tackle Global Crises

Jeffrey E. Garten June 3, 2010
Markets around the globe analyze and quantify risk. But governance and politics present too much uncertainty, and investors are increasingly troubled by governments’ inability to address pressing problems and coordinate responses to problems including climate change, massive debt of any one country and other imbalances. Because of countless interconnections through labor, capital, environment,...

When Banks Don't Trust Banks

Pierre Paulden June 3, 2010
Trust breaks down in banking when investors question whether deposits are safe and when banks worry about loan repayment. Banks only keep a percentage of cash on hand, and a lack of trust can disrupt efficient lending and borrowing with that limited cash. Global banks could have a capital deficit of $1.5 trillion, by some reports, and troubled banks could request additional government assistance...

Entrepreneurs Wary of China Currency

Emily Maltby May 26, 2010
Any regulatory change creates winners and losers. Because of the strong trade relationship between China and the US, consumers and businesses in either country must adjust to changes from either government – and that includes the possibility of currency revaluation. Companies that export to China will benefit from revaluation, but the many small US businesses that depend on China for consistent...

The Web of Globalization

Nayan Chanda May 24, 2010
Can a country withdraw from globalization, or for that matter, give up democracy in order to benefit from global capital flow? In this column, YaleGlobal editor Nayan Chanda dissects the recent argument offered by Harvard economist Dani Rodrik, who suggests that “economic globalization, political democracy, and the nation-state are mutually irreconcilable.” Crises that disrupt global capital...

Gap in Rules on Oil Spills From Wells

Kate Galbraith May 21, 2010
Nations may stake territorial claims to waters off their coast, but once an accident occurs, authorities can do little to slow the spread of polluted water to other jurisdictions. Since the April 20 explosion on a drill platform in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Louisiana, oil has steadily gushed from several pipes and will soon join currents leading to the Atlantic Ocean....

Behind the Drama in Europe Lies a Global Crisis

Edmund Conway May 20, 2010
The debt crisis in Greece exposes challenges for lenders and borrowers throughout Europe – testing cooperation and governance on the continent. National governments disagree on many matters ranging from stricter regulations for hedge funds to a proposal requiring approval for national budgets from the European Commission. Politicians – seeking to maintain their hold on power – are wary of...