economy

The Benefits of a Progressive Consumption Tax

2019-09-18

Many economists already favor a consumption-based tax system for raising revenue on grounds of efficiency and simplicity.

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Is the 21st Century the Chinese Century – or not?

2019-09-16

It has become common for people to refer to the 21st Century as the Chinese Century, much as many called the 20th Century as the American Century.

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Amid Global Economic Uncertainty, What Do You Anticipate Will Be the Trend in Oil Prices in the Coming Year?

2019-09-15

A regular survey of experts on matters relating to Middle Eastern and North African politics and security.

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Should We Worry About Income Gaps Within or Between Countries?

2019-09-15

The rise of populist nationalism throughout the West has been fueled partly by a clash between the objectives of equity in rich countries and higher living standards in poor countries.

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Whither Central Banking?

2019-09-02

In an environment of secular stagnation in the developed economies, central bankers ingenuity in loosening monetary policy is exactly what is not needed. What is needed are admissions of impotence, in order to spur efforts by governments to promote demand

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Is Stakeholder Capitalism Really Back?

2019-09-01

We will have to wait and see whether the US Business Roundtables recent statement renouncing corporate governance based on shareholder primacy is merely a publicity stunt.

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Planetary Thinking

2019-08-29

As policymakers, academics, and activists prepare for next months United Nations climate summit in New York

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The Anatomy of the Coming Recession

2019-08-25

Unlike the 2008 global financial crisis, which was mostly a large negative aggregate demand shock, the next recession is likely to be caused by permanent negative supply shocks

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Recent Official Figures Suggest That 32 Percent of Egyptians Live in Poverty. What Are the Likely Impacts of This?

2019-08-25

A regular survey of experts on matters relating to Middle Eastern and North African politics and security.

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IMF Executive Board Concludes 2019 Article IV Consultation with Iraq

2019-08-21

An improved security situation and the recovery in oil prices have improved near-term vulnerabilities

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How Blockchain Can Win the War Against Plastic Waste

2019-08-15

Start-ups are making incremental use of blockchain to reduce plastic waste, but the technology’s power to drive real change is yet to be realised.

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Kuwait charts new path in changing region

2019-08-11

Kuwait is carefully positioning itself among its Gulf neighbors as a regional trading hub looking to enter the Chinese and Asian markets, while maintaining its regional relationships and alliance with the West.

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What About Rochester?

2019-08-06

There is much to be celebrated in the rise of modern megacities, especially in developing countries.

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The Inequality of Nations

2019-08-03

Markets are mechanisms of social choice, in which dollars effectively equal votes. those with more purchasing power thus have more influence over market outcomes

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Lagarde’s ECB Checklist

2019-07-30

After years in which the European Council acted as if there were no qualified women to lead the European Central Bank, it has finally abandoned that ludicrous excuse and appointed Christine Lagarde to the position.

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Facebook’s Libra Must Be Stopped

2019-06-23

After years of disregarding privacy, exploiting user data, and failing to control its platform, Facebook has now unveiled a cryptocurrency and payment system that could take down the entire global economy.

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Jordan’s King Abdullah is facing new risks—from his own friends

2019-06-21

In his two decades on the throne, Jordans King Abdullah II has faced almost constant challenges to the stability and prosperity of the kingdom, just as his father Hussein did for the half-century of his rule.

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Can UBI Survive Financialization?

2019-06-17

If a universal basic income is used primarily to service debt and secure new loans, it cannot fulfill its promise as a revolutionary pathway to freedom from the whip of the market

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America’s Illusions of Growth

2019-05-21

Many commentators have interpreted buoyant GDP and unemployment data in the United States as vindicating President Donald Trump’s economic policies, and some suggest that his re-election chances have improved as a result...

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A Battle for India’s Soul

2019-04-08

Every Indian general election beats its predecessor’s record to become the largest in world history. This time, Indian voters must decide whether they want an inclusive country that embodies hope, or a divided one that promotes fear.

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What if Zero Interest Rates Are the New Normal?

2019-04-01

The valid insight behind "modern monetary theory" – that governments and central banks together can always create nominal demand

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Modern Monetary Realism

2019-03-26

Is Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) a potential boon to economic policymakers, or, as Harvard’s Kenneth Rogoff recently argued

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Stagnant Capitalism

2019-03-25

A decade after the 2008 financial crisis, faith in markets self-regulating abilities once again lies in tatters. There simply is no single real interest rate that would spur investors to funnel all existing savings

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Understanding the Fed’s Dovish Turn

2019-03-21

Over the past few years, the US Federal Reserve has been ahead of other major central banks in normalizing monetary policy.

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