Economics
The Battle Drawn Along Myanmar’s Ethnic Lines
In the official count, the country tallies up 135 different ‘national races’. The majority Bamar people, who drive national expectations of language, culture and politics, make up around 60 percent of the population. The minority groups, most with their own...
A Link Between the Human Tragedy in the Mediterranean and the Crisis in Greece
An element links the terrible human tragedy in the Mediterranean and the ongoing Greek crisis. It is Europe's over-emphasis on moral hazard. Moral hazard is the idea that people will act irresponsibly if they do not have to bear the...
The Fed Reaffirms its Tightening Bias and Germany’s ZEW Survey Results are Mixed
The US dollar is extending yesterday's gains but remains well within ranges that have confined the greenback for more than a month now. There are two main catalysts. First NY Fed President Dudley reaffirmed the idea that the Federal Reserve...
Political Rhetoric Aside, a Prosperous China is in the U.S.’s Best Interest
The ‘China threat theory’ is once again in vogue, as US President Barack Obama pushes to overcome domestic resistance to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The ‘China threat theory’ is once again in vogue, as US President Barack Obama pushes to...
China’s Underlying Strategy in Tibet Appears to be Working
The Chinese authorities last met with representatives of the Tibetan exile leadership five years ago. Since then, there has been no progress towards a resolution of the China–Tibetan dispute. Meanwhile, protests against Chinese rule have continued, with over a hundred...
Implications of the Moves by China and Greece Fatigue to Start the Week
The US dollar is firmer against most of the European currencies but is weaker within the dollar-bloc and many emerging market currencies. Against the yen, the greenback is little changed. The US dollar has been pushed a more than a...
What about Investment Climate Change?
The US dollar's strong advance ended a month ago. Weak economic data encouraged investors to push out their expectations of the Fed's first interest rate hike. Some are even shifting it out of 2015 entirely. At the same time, economic...
Can Divergent Monetary Policies Prevent US Dollar Losses?
The US dollar fell against the major currencies and many emerging market currencies last week. Punished by disappointing data, it threatened to breakout of ranges that have confined it. However, the third consecutive upside surprise on core CPI helped the...
The UK’s Cameron Attacks Bureaucracy, and Irony Ensues
Five years ago, a fresh-faced leader of the opposition stood on the stage at a TED conference in London speaking to a gathering of technologists and entrepreneurs. His promise was to deliver the next age of government. David Cameron’s talk did...
Failure by the US on the TPP is not an Option for Obama
America's poor response to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has underscored the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. A failure would risk hollowing out one of President Obama's major strategic foreign policy initiatives--the pivot to Asia. A critical piece...
The Week in Review: Global Growth Slashed, U.S. Indicators Weak
Global growth expects to slow in 2015 while the U.S. is seeing a rise in unemployment claims and disappointing indicators from the retail industry and small businesses market wide. Global growth expects to slow in 2015 while the U.S. is...
The Federal Reserve is Still Looking for a Reason to Raise Interest Rates
The key issue as the market heads into the weekend is whether the US dollar is breaking out of its trading range to the downside. Has the disappointing US economic data and the somewhat better European data finally taken its...
Bureaucratic and Inefficient Public Land Management by the Federal Government
Late last month the Senate passed a non-binding budget resolution that encourages the selling or transfer of federal lands to state and local governments. With a Republican Congress, the longstanding question over federal management of public lands is resurfacing once again with renewed urgency....
Voters Seem to be Voting with More than Their Wallets
As ever in the run-up to a general election, Britain is seeing an increased interest in how the economy has been performing. The electoral fate of a government is often expected to relate directly to the state of the nation’s...
Why are Dynastic Politicians so Commonplace in East Asia?
Political positions are no longer hereditary in modern democracies, but political dynasties nevertheless exist around the globe and dominate political office in East Asia and Japan in particular. But research shows that dynastic politicians in Japan can be socially inefficient...
