Would a tiny tax on securities turnover corral the frightening volatility of global financial markets and raise a ton of revenue painlessly in the process? Or would it undermine innovation and drive trading to friendlier climes? There will soon be no need to speculate (pun intended). Eleven EU countries are …
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If you haven’t been paying close attention, you’ve been missing the dramatic impact of mobile telecom technology on developing countries – especially in Africa. Along with leapfrogging hopelessly expensive and inefficient landline systems to bring hundreds of millions of poor people into telecom networks, mobile phones are extending access to … Foreign economic aid is out of fashion, and for good reasons. A good chunk of the $5 trillion (!!!) delivered to poor countries since 1960 has been squandered on roads to nowhere and factories that make stuff nobody will buy, not to mention chateaux in France for kleptocrats. … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: Alliance, DFID, EuropeAid, GAVI, Publish What You Fund | Category: International Economics |
 Leave a commentAfter an indecisive moment last week, Egypt’s new government has chosen to defend its relationship with the West, denouncing anti-American violence rather than basking in the support of the Arab street. But this is not the last time President Mohamed Morsi will be forced to make a tough political call … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: Anwar Sadat, Egypt, International Monetary Fund, Mohamed Morsi | Category: International Economics |
Leave a commentWith the Great Chinese Growth Machine apparently on the verge of downshifting, it’s a good time to revisit an old argument: Can China continue to expand at near double-digit pace if the Communist Party doesn’t loosen its the iron grip? Or, coming at the problem from a different direction, is … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: Daren Acemoglu, Deng Xiaoping, James Robinson, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong | Category: International Economics |
Leave a commentAs has been widely reported, China’s economy has stumbled in the last few months, with Beijing struggling to sustain 8-percent-plus growth in the teeth of falling demand for its exports and an overhang of domestic debt that has exposed the inefficiency of its capital markets. Less reported—but probably as important … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: China, Deng Xiaoping, health care | Category: International Economics |
Leave a commentAs China’s economy slows, skepticism about the sustainability of the Chinese miracle is gaining traction. But the reasons offered for why Beijing’s ducks may finally be coming home to roost are all over the place. The granddaddy of explanations is the inherent contradiction between free markets and an authoritarian government. … With only months to go in office, Jean-Claude Trichet, the European Central Bank’s president, is finally speaking his mind. Seems Trichet has discovered the obvious: a common European currency (and thus monetary policy) is not viable in the long run unless it is complemented by … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: euro, European Central Bank, Germany, Jean-Claude Trichet, Nouriel Roubini | Category: International Economics |
Leave a commentMost people who know Paul Krugman’s opinion writing think of him (for better or worse) as a liberal ideologue who does not suffer fools gladly. He is that, but so much more – in particular, a razor-sharp policy economist whose recent analysis of subjects ranging from international competitiveness … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: commodity prices, currency union, liberals, Paul Krugman | Category: International Economics, Quick Takes |
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Professor Dieter Helm (Oxford) is a very fine fly fisherman, and an even better economist. If you haven’t done so, take a look at his new book “The Carbon Crunch: How We Are Getting Climate Change Wrong — and How to Fix It” for a bit of unconventional wisdom. He argues that politicians and the general public have not shown any real interest in addressing climate change. Helm argues that places like Europe should focus on setting a price for carbon that would cover consumption (and not just production), and that fracking could be a good “bridge” technology for reducing consumption of coal. The book is readable and insightful for those interested in the inside track on climate policy. 
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