Author : David Smith

A nation catches ‘Dutch disease’, when it relies heavily on a single commodity and fails to diversify its economy. Structural weaknesses have combined with falling oil prices and sanctions...

The US has a quarter of the world’s prisoners, but only 5% of the world’s population, so the “tough on crime” approach of the past 40 years has not...

The World Bank says the disease’s economic cost could be US$32 billion over two years, with the mining sectors badly hit. But many of the most damaging effects are...

After experimenting with tuition fees, all the federal German states have been persuaded to reverse their decision. In the UK and US, there is no political will to change...

Before he took office, President Barack Obama predicted that war in Iraq would recruit more terrorists to the jihadist cause. Now he is US leader, Obama has neglected to...

If Australia’s property bubble bursts, the consequences would be disastrous for an economy dominated by oversized banks. But Government policies aimed at propping up the market are simply making...

The Yes vote has taken a narrow lead, but the vote is too close to call ahead of September 18’s vote on Scottish independence. Increasingly, however, many Scots are...

The Japanese economy continues to defy gravity despite a Mount Fuji of debt that has no parallel in Western countries, and the worst problem of demographics among all the...

Instead of championing the EU and the economic benefits of immigrants, Europe’s mainstream parties are moving further to the right. David Cameron’s clampdown on immigrant benefits was one policy...

To outsiders, Brazilians don’t seem to have as much to complain about as the protesters in Greece, Turkey, or Egypt. Its economy has boomed for two decades and is...