In The News

We’re in a Low-Growth World. How Did We Get Here?

Neil Irwin August 8, 2016
Economic growth increases wealth and improves living standards, driven by additional workers, work hours and technological advancements that increase productivity. But economic growth and income have slowed for the world’s most advanced economies, and the trends contribute to rising inequality and populist movements. Economists are trying to determine if supply or demand issues contribute to low...

Will South Africa Split Apart?

David Adler August 8, 2016
Majority control by South Africa’s dominant political party is slipping in metropolitan areas. “The ANC has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, but it faces growing threats from the left, from the right, and from within the party itself,” explains David Adler for Foreign Affairs, as voters reject “economic stagnation, official corruption, and poor public services.” The hope is...

Will This Be the Happiest Place in the World?

Louise Redvers August 5, 2016
People who don't need to resort full attention to survival turn to more fulfilling pursuits including happiness. The United Arab Emirates is intent on developing itself as a place of happiness, by appointing a state minister, renaming some departments, and selecting 60 officials to travel overseas to study the state of mind and how it spreads. “Currently ranked 28th out of 156 countries...

The End of Globalization? International Security Implications

T.X. Hammes August 5, 2016
Globalization has delivered countless benefits for individuals and societies. “Today, a combination of technology, politics, and social pressures seems to be reversing globalization,” explains T.X. Hammes in an essay for War on the Rocks. “While the new technology will continue to create wealth, it will favor developed countries. The increasing regionalization of economies and differences in...

Through the Venezuelan Looking Glass

Ricardo Hausmann August 4, 2016
Despite history’s many warnings about leaders’ erratic behavior ending up in catastrophe, similar stories are unfolding today. Venezuela, despite having the world’s largest oil reserves, is suffering from severe shortages of basic supplies, a crisis that’s the consequence of increasingly absurd government policies, suggests Ricardo Hausmann, economist, Harvard professor and former minister of...

Unwanted Migration: How Governments Cope?

Joseph Chamie and Barry Mirkin August 4, 2016
Uncontrolled migration – spurred by a growing populations, fewer resources like water or arable land as well as increasing conflict – has become a contentious political issue, particularly in advanced economies like Europe and the United States, argue demography experts Joseph Chamie and Barry Mirkin. Passions run high as liberals support assistance and an emphasis on human rights of displaced...

Your Soap and Toothpaste Could Be Messing With Your Microbiome

Alison Moodie August 3, 2016
Homes, schools, clinics and hospitals are well stocked with soaps that include antimicrobial chemicals. Studies suggest that antibacterial soaps are not much more effective than plain soap and that the chemical triclosan can disrupt hormones. Studies have also found the chemical in most people’s urine and in many streams. “Disturbing the human microbiome has been ‘linked to a wide array of...