Content Type: Special Report / Publication Year: and within 10 Years / Topic: International Political Economy

1. Business & Peace 2021

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:: Rather than asking what businesses can do for peace, this study differentiates itself by focusing on what peace can offer businesses. The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) sees this as an important, but missing step in business analysis. In order for the private sector to engage with peacebuilding, investors first need to see the benefits of peace to their investment decisions. This work shows that economic performance can be predicted by movements in the same socio-economic developmental factors that affect peacefulness. These conditions are known as Positive Peace. The global economic impact of violence was $14.4 trillion in 2020. This is broadly equivalent to the entire economy of China. If humanity were to reduce violence by ten per cent per annum, the savings of $1.4 trillion would broadly equate to adding an economy the size of Russia’s or Brazil’s every year to the global fold. The burden of violence on an economy is self-evident. However, this report focusses on the converse perspective: countries that improve their underlying conditions, as gauged by IEP’s measures of peace, create the potential for a significant peace dividend for business.
Topic:: Economics, International Political Economy, Business, Peace, and International Business
Political Geography:: Global Focus

2. Should We Consider A Post-Covid-19 Reform Of The VAT In Cameroon?

Publication Date:: 03-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Nkafu Policy Institute
Abstract:: The COVID-19 pandemic so far has had a profound impact on the global economy. The containment measures adopted by governments to curb the spread of the disease have curtailed business activities, making it impossible for companies to adequately meet their tax obligations. As a result, forecasts for customs revenues and internal tax resources have been revised downward, mainly due to the closure of borders. Collected both at the borders and within the country, Value Added Taxes revenues have naturally been very negatively affected by the crisis. In Cameroon, losses related to value added tax in 2020 were estimated at CFAF 298.017 billion, representing 50.73 percent of recorded tax losses, which is hardly surprising. Value-added taxes are identified as the main source of tax revenue in Cameroon. They were estimated at 44.73% of tax revenue in 2019 and about 7% more than in 2016. The importance of VAT in tax revenue mobilization requires an examination of the Cameroonian tax system, particularly the factors that could explain a reform of the tax. Moreover, given that Cameroon is at high risk of external debt distress (IMF, 2018), there is an urgent need to find new ways to ensure the continued sustainability of public finances. This Tax Policy Letter analyzes the rationale for VAT reform in Cameroon. First, we present the severity of the economic repercussions of the coronavirus health crisis at the level of VAT revenues in Cameroon. Noting that VAT is the main source of indirect tax revenue – 60.19% in 2019 compared to 54.54% in 2016, for example – we then examine the guiding principles that govern its collection and application in Cameroon. A careful examination of these principles has allowed us to analyze the benefits associated with a reform of this tax on final consumption.
Topic:: Economics, International Political Economy, Tax Systems, Macroeconomics, Fiscal Policy, and Revenue Management
Political Geography:: Africa and Cameroon

3. Technology Solutions for Supply Chain Traceability in the Brazilian Amazon: Opportunities for the Financial Sector

Author:: Brodie Ferguson, Julia Sekula, and Ilona Szabo de Carvalho
Publication Date:: 08-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Igarapé Institute
Abstract:: The Amazon is reaching a point that may be irreversible, in which its biome, and with it the global climate, will suffer irreparable damage, negatively impacting not only local communities, but also entire regions and industries. In this article, the Igarapé Institute analyzes challenges around illegal deforestation and recommends measures that, when supported and adopted by financial institutions, will have a rapid, effective and large-scale impact on the control of illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. To this end, the article analyzes current practices in standards and benchmarking for soy farming, livestock and timber extraction. Although the financial sector has started the process of adopting policies against deforestation, few institutions make them mandatory for loan contracts or actively monitor them. This article also highlights some of the key technologies that support greater traceability of the supply chains needed to measure progress on ESG metrics. Remote sensing, big data and artificial intelligence now offer unprecedented ability to track specific environmental impacts of properties, licenses and concessions.
Topic:: International Political Economy, Science and Technology, Finance, Data, Supply Chains, and Deforestation
Political Geography:: Brazil, Latin America, and Amazon Basin

4. Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) and the Unequal Treatment of Companies in the Cameroonian Market

Author:: Egoh Aziz and Dr. Louis-Marie Kakdeu
Publication Date:: 09-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Nkafu Policy Institute
Abstract:: Economic partnership agreements are accords contracted by two or more countries to promote the free flow of goods and services between the parties. These accords can be bi-lateral or multi-lateral and carry along with certain advantages. For example, the elimination of trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas. Economic agreements act as conduits to the establishment of new markets for businesses, ease the manufacture of high-quality goods, and foster economic growth[1]. As the volume of trade increases due to trading agreements, favourable conditions are created pushing businesses in the member countries to have a greater incentive to venture into new markets. This article aims to discuss the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) Cameroon have signed, and the unequal treatment of Companies existing in the Cameroonian Market.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, and Economic Cooperation
Political Geography:: Cameroon

5. The role of Chinese finance in the City of London after Brexit: Background Report

Author:: Sarah Hall
Publication Date:: 06-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Asia Research Institute, University of Nottingham
Abstract:: The competitiveness of London’s financial centre is shaped by the UK’s current adoption of EU regulations. The future development of London’s financial services sector is unknown as Britain’s relationship with Europe changes following the vote to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum. This uncertainty arises because even if Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement is adopted, the UK will then have to choose whether to converge, seek equivalence with or diverge from EU regulations for financial services. Research by Professor Sarah Hall (University of Nottingham) argues that the implications of these regulatory decisions will impact London’s financial services sector’s relationship with financial markets globally. Her research focuses on how London’s role as the largest western financial centre for financial transactions denominated in China’s currency, the renminbi, could be adversely affected following changes in the regulatory alignment between the UK and the EU following Brexit.
Topic:: Economics, International Political Economy, Finance, and Financial Institutions
Political Geography:: Britain, China, and United Kingdom

6. Luck like the Irish: How emigration can be good for the Western Balkans

Author:: Alida Vračić
Publication Date:: 03-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Abstract:: Western Balkans governments have failed to tap the potential of their vast diaspora – six million strong – around the world. This diaspora possesses the networks, skills, and assets that Western Balkans countries need to develop and to prosper in an age of fierce economic competition. Ireland’s experience sets the standard: today’s “Global Irish” population is a networked diaspora that champions Irish interests throughout the world and has made critical contributions to Ireland’s economic miracle. To follow in Irish footsteps, the Western Balkans urgently needs to gather data, including carrying out comprehensive labour force surveys, to understand the diaspora properly and learn how best to communicate with it. The EU must help. It should introduce circular migration programmes so that educated Western Balkans citizens in EU member states return to their home countries fully equippedto make an even greater contribution than they could have done before leaving
Topic:: International Political Economy and Brexit
Political Geography:: Global Focus

7. Strength In Numbers

Author:: Wendy Cutler
Publication Date:: 03-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Asia Society
Abstract:: Tensions in U.S.-China economic and trade relations have steadily increased over the past year, leading to the imposition of tariffs and counter-tariffs impacting nearly USD $400 billion in two-way trade. At the time of writing, a negotiated solution has yet to materialize, but the two sides have continued to make progress, with a deal seemingly imminent. At the heart of the conflict are challenges posed by China’s state-led economic model, including excessive and under-reported industrial subsidies and other financial assistance, operation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), opaque regulatory measures that advantage domestic producers, forced technology transfer, and centrally directed strategic guidance
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

8. Grading China’s Belt and Road

Author:: Daniel M. Kliman
Publication Date:: 04-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Abstract:: Since its launch in 2013, what China calls “One Belt, One Road” has emerged as the cornerstone of Beijing’s economic statecraft. Under the umbrella of the Belt and Road, Beijing seeks to promote a more connected world brought together by a web of Chinese-funded physical and digital infrastructure. The infrastructure needs in Asia and beyond are significant, but the Belt and Road is more than just an economic initiative; it is a central tool for advancing China’s geopolitical ambitions. Through the economic activities bundled under the Belt and Road, Beijing is pursuing a vision of the 21st century defined by great power spheres of influence, state-directed economic interactions, and creeping authoritarianism
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: China

9. Contested Spaces A Renewed Approach to Southeast Asia

Author:: Patrick M. Cronin
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Abstract:: As the competition between the United States and China to shape the course of the 21st century intensifies, Southeast Asia has become a contested space. A region where geopolitical orientations remain fluid, Southeast Asia lies at the front line of Beijing’s expanding diplomatic influence, economic leverage, and military capability. At stake is whether countries across the region can retain their economic sovereignty and freedom of decision, and whether governance in the region will broadly trend toward greater freedom and openness, or the opposite.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

10. Negotiating With North Korea

Author:: Patrick M. Cronin and Kristine Lee
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Abstract:: fter a year of historic summits and negotiations, North Korea’s future remains mired in uncertainty. Kim Jong Un, in the lead-up his second summit with President Trump, has an opportunity to cast aside his country’s pariah status and jump headlong into economic development, but the diplomatic window is narrowing. Protracted stalemate may be unavoidable, but over the course of the next year or two the negotiating process is likely to be binary and head in one of two directions: Either sufficient progress is made to justify continuing the recent rapprochement, or frustrations over the lack of progress will effectively terminate the United States’ diplomatic opening with the Kim regime.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: North Korea

11. Understanding China's AI Strategy

Author:: Gregory Allen
Publication Date:: 02-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Abstract:: n the second half of 2018, I traveled to China on four separate trips to attend major diplomatic, military, and private-sector conferences focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI). During these trips, I participated in a series of meetings with high-ranking Chinese officials in China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaders of China’s military AI research organizations, government think tank experts, and corporate executives at Chinese AI companies. From these discussions – as well as my ongoing work analyzing China’s AI industry, policies, reports, and programs – I have arrived at a number of key judgments about Chinese leadership’s views, strategies, and prospects for AI as it applies to China’s economy and national security. Of course, China’s leadership in this area is a large population with diversity in its views, and any effort to generalize is inherently presumptuous and essentially guaranteed to oversimplify. However, the distance is large between prevailing views in American commentary on China’s AI efforts and what I have come to believe are the facts. I hope by stating my takeaways directly, this report will advance the assessment of this issue and be of benefit to the wider U.S. policymaking community.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

12. Financial Networks of Mass Destruction

Author:: Elizabeth Rosenberg and Neil Bhatiya
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Abstract:: The international community has long prioritized reducing the risk of weapons of mass destruction proliferation, whether from state actors such as North Korea and Iran, or from non-state actors, particularly criminals and transnational terrorist networks. Despite this concern, however, there remains a significant blind spot: the efforts to prevent the financing of WMD proliferation are only in their infancy. The legal framework to prevent the financing of proliferation is weak, and implementation across the world is spotty. These weaknesses derive from one overwhelming fact: The international community has not prioritized financial controls to fight proliferation. Very few countries have demonstrated the political will to put further emphasis on this threat to international peace and security.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

13. Preparing for uncertainty

Author:: Gregory Claeys
Publication Date:: 07-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Bruegel
Abstract:: Memo to the president of the European Central Bank. Grégory Claeys, Maria Demertzis and Francesco Papadia present the challenges that the next ECB president will face during the upcoming mandate, reinventing monetary policy in a system riddled with uncertainties.
Topic:: International Relations and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Europe

14. China and the world trade organisation: towards a better fit

Author:: Petros C. Mavroidis
Publication Date:: 06-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Bruegel
Abstract:: China’s participation in the WTO has been anything but smooth, as its self-proclaimed socialist market economy system has alienated its trading partners. The WTO needs to translate some of its implicit legal understanding into explicit treaty language, in order to retain its principles while accommodating China
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: China

15. Europe – the global centre for excellent research

Author:: Michael Balternsperger
Publication Date:: 05-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Bruegel
Abstract:: This report, requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, analyses the EU’s potential to be a global centre of excellence for research as a driver of its future growth in a complex global S&T landscape, and how EU public resources can contribute to this
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

16. U.S Recognition of Golan Heights Annexation: Testament to Our Times

Author:: Victor Kattan
Publication Date:: 03-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Palestine Studies
Abstract:: On 25 March 2019, U.S. president Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel. The Golan Heights proclamation, which endorses Israel’s annexation of the territory captured from Syria in the 1967 war, was issued two weeks before the Israeli general election in a photo-op with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Undermining internationally agreed-upon norms prohibiting states from recognizing the annexation of territory by force, the proclamation could have detrimental consequences for the international legal order, providing a precedent for other states to take steps to annex territory they claim is necessary for their defense.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Affairs, and Occupation
Political Geography:: Israel and Palestine

17. BDS Supression Attempts in Germany Backfire

Author:: Shir Hever
Publication Date:: 03-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Palestine Studies
Abstract:: German organizations are among the last Palestine solidarity groups in Europe to have embraced the call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), launched in 2005. Pro-Israel German groups have been quick to respond with aggressive rhetoric equating a BDS-favorable stance with Nazism. The vilification of the movement has had the unintended consequence of inserting BDS into German politics, both at federal and local levels. Select case studies show that the BDS debate in Germany has developed somewhat differently than in other European countries, and that religious discourse is significant in shaping attitudes to Israel and Palestine. While the Palestine solidarity movement tends to single out the “Anti-Germans”—a pro-Israel formation that grew out of the Left after the reunification of Germany—as the major culprit, it is in fact conservative Christian, mostly Evangelical, organizations that are largely responsible for discouraging BDS activism.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Israel

18. Emerging Trends in India-U.S Oil and Gas Engagement

Author:: Sujata Ashwarya
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: Oil and gas trade is emerging as a new area of engagement between India and the United States against the backdrop of increasingly complementary interests. The emergence of the United States as the world’s top oil and gas producer in the last few years dovetails perfectly with India’s energy-deficient status and growing demand. With high rates of economic growth and over 17 percent of the world’s population, India’s energy consumption growth is largely fed by foreign imports of fossil fuels.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

19. A Silicon Curtain is Descending: Technological Perils of the Next 30 Years

Author:: Lindsay Gorman
Publication Date:: 10-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS)
Abstract:: pal story of 1989 in Europe is a story about technology – of radio and information crossing the East-West divide to bring down the Berlin Wall. Indeed, the post-communist narrative became that more connectivity and more connection meant more freedom and more democracy. It was on the wave of this narrative that the Internet became the world’s ultimate connector.1 It has brought globalization and international commerce in an unprecedented and unimaginable way, given activists a platform and a megaphone, and made information about democratic governance available to anyone with a router. Or almost anyone.
Topic:: International Political Economy, Science and Technology, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

20. The Decline of Employment Protection and the Rise of Precarious Work

Author:: Anne Marie Brady
Publication Date:: 09-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS)
Abstract:: By 1989, the employment landscape in the United States and Europe had changed significantly from the immediate post-Second World War decades. Between 1960 and 1973, the unemployment rate as a percentage of the total labor force averaged two percent or below in Western Europe’s big economies and 4.8 percent in the United States, but between 1990 and 1995, the average unemployment rate in the United States was 6.4 percent and between 7 and 10.7 percent in Germany, France, and the United Kindgom.1
Topic:: International Political Economy, Employment, and Income Inequality
Political Geography:: Global Focus

21. Behavioral Insights as a New Generation of Public Service Delivery

Author:: Robert Gawłowski
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:: For many years behavioral insights has been on the top of political agenda. The aim of this article it to examine how the most innovative countries use this public management tool into public administration realm. In pursuit of this, behavioral insights units have been research in six countries. In conclusion author figure out that there is still a huge room for development and looking a new strategy to implement nudging in a larger scale.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Affairs, and Public Opinion
Political Geography:: Global Focus

22. A Vision of the State’s Political System in the Political Thought of the National Party between 1928 and 1939

Author:: Aneta Dawidowicz
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:: Views of the National Party (1928–1939) merit special attention, given both the Party’s prominent role in the political life of interwar Poland and the interesting combination of various elements derived from diverse ideological trends within the Party’s programme. The ideological legacy of the National Party reflected, to a large extent, the key constituents of the National Democracy’s political thought, such as nationalism, representation of all social classes, national integrity and the concept of the nation-state. The National Party underwent major evolution and was subject to internal divisions which makes the image of its political thought much more complex. Based on an analysis of the National Party’s political thought, several conclusions can be formulated. The National Party developed its own views regarding political systems. These were, to a large extent, determined by their own system of values based on the national idea. The National Party’s political system projections were mainly inspired by (1) the successes of the “new type” states; (2) pressure from totalitarian systems; and (3) the influence of the economic and spiritual crisis. The National Party leaders wanted to make the political system more efficient. Nonetheless, views in favor of directly imitating any foreign political systems could hardly be found in the Party’s political thought. The National Party’s ideologists and journalists invariably stated that there was no pre-defined political system, but its form had to be adjusted to the specificity and unique character of a given national body. Although inspiration was drawn from external political systems, the Party’s political thought did not lose its independence.
Topic:: International Political Economy and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Global Focus

23. Activities of the Catholic Church in Poland Against Pedophilia in 2018

Author:: Kamila Rezmer-Płotka
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:: The aim of the article is to determine the type of activities undertaken by the Catholic Church towards clergymen committing sexual offenses, and more specifically: pedophilia. The research problem is a question: what actions does the Catholic Church take against pedophilia? In order to realize a research project, it was first determined how the offense is defined in the doctrine of church criminal law. Then, there was made an analysis of the activities undertaken by the hierarchs of the Catholic Church. On its basis, a typology of the forms of the Church’s influence at various levels was reconstructed in the field of both preventive and sanctioning actions against the clergy. In the article there was adopted a time restriction covering only 2018. It can be described as a breakthrough, first of all due to the verdict that was made in Poznań (MS, 2018), the accusations that appeared at the end of the year against the deceased chaplain of Solidarity, Fr. Henryk Jankowski and initiatives taken by both citizens and politicians, such as the first anti-clerical happening of Baby Shoes Remember in Poland or the creation of a pedophile map. In the cinemas, a movie entitled “Kler” showed up. It moved the topic of pedophilia in the Church. Results: the Catholic Church in Poland, apart from symbolic activities, i.e. oral and written declarations, assurances, and prayers, undertakes also substantial actions, such as personal changes, cooperation with the state or the meetings of hierarchs centered around pedophilia
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

24. A New Method to Calculate Power of International Actors

Author:: Abdullah Metin Durmuş
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:: This article is based on the idea that it is necessary to develop a quantitative method to calculate power of international actors, which will enable scholars to analyse international conflicts. The Global Potential Power Distribution Chart, which is calculated based on three main characteristics of international actors, namely population, territory and economic power, shows “potential power of states and international organisations”. It may be called “Durmuş Scale of Power (DSoP)”. The chart is a comprehensive indicator with considerable accuracy and 100 % objectivity. In this article, potential powers of international actors have been calculated for years 1987, 2004 and 2015, which gives a clear overview of the potential power distribution (balance of power) of the World regarding states and as well as international organisations. Potential military powers of some states and international organisation in year 2015 have also been calculated. This research proves by means of a contemporary approach applied and a quantitative method developed that, the World is multipolar since 2004, and China is, potentially, the most powerful state of the World since 2015. The method introduced in this article were sufficient enough to explain the effects of the enlargement of NATO and EU, EU after BREXIT, reform of the Security Council of the United Nations and instrumental enough to provide a peaceful understanding for the self-determination issue of Kosova. There are three conclusions to this research: 1) The method “Durmuş Scale of Power” is calculated is reliable because everybody with a scientific calculator or a computer can easily calculate potential power of a state provided that he or she has reliable data for territory, population and GDP. 2) “Global Potential Power Distribution Chart” is a comprehensive Chart which shows “balance of power” at a specific year. It enables us to compare power of states and international organisations in different years. 3) It is convenient to use “Durmuş Scale of Power” while analysing issues of international relations
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

25. About Women in Conflicts and Wars: Theories of Violence and Collective Memory

Author:: Inga B. Kuźma and Edyta Pietrzak
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:: The article deals with the subject of relations between theories of violence and the category of collective memory in relation to women’s war stories. The text introduces the issue of war and conflict, understanding the theory of violence, the category of collective memory and female war narratives, as well as the ways of their political interpretation. The interpretation is crucial because of method used in the research, meaning hermeneutics, but also because of the, presented here, perspective of polyphony
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

26. Human Rights from the International Relations

Author:: Alejandro Anaya Muñoz
Publication Date:: 05-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL)
Abstract:: Human rights are a very important area in contemporary international relations. The doctrine of human rights was concretized after a process of development of more than three centuries after the end of the Second World War and has changed the institutional panorama and the relations between actors at the international level. On the other hand, regardless of its «lack of teeth», the international regime on the subject has transformed the way states relate to international bodies, transnational civil society organizations and other governments.
Topic:: International Relations, Civil Society, Human Rights, International Political Economy, International Affairs, and Norms
Political Geography:: Global Focus

27. Tax Reform and Interstate Migration

Author:: Chris Edwards
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Cato Institute
Abstract:: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was the largest overhaul of the federal income tax in decades. The law changed deductions, exemptions, and tax rates for individuals, while reducing taxes on businesses.
Topic:: International Political Economy and Immigration
Political Geography:: America

28. Government and the Cost of Living Income-Based vs. Cost-Based Approaches to Alleviating Poverty

Author:: Ryan Bourne
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Cato Institute
Abstract:: Federal, state, and local governments seek to assist poor households financially using transfers, minimum wage laws, and subsidies for important goods and services. This “income-based” approach to alleviating poverty aims both to raise household incomes directly and to shift the cost of items, such as food, housing, or health care, to taxpayers. Most contemporary ideas to help the poor sit firmly within this paradigm
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: America

29. The Role of Natural Gas in Europe's Electricity Sector Through 2030

Author:: Tim Boersma and Tatiana Mitrova
Publication Date:: 08-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
Abstract:: The developments underway in Europe’s natural gas sector are some of the most influential and closely watched in the global gas market. In the past decade, Europe has seen significant demand swings, falling domestic production, growing concerns about dependence on Russian gas, and the advent of US liquefied natural gas exports to the world. Just as important has been the emerging competition from renewable fuels. Indeed, questions are now arising about whether Europe needs new investments in natural gas infrastructure or if those investments would become stranded assets. However, suggesting that the EU does not need new investments risks underestimating the role—or the potential role—natural gas plays in various sectors of Europe’s energy economy, including industry, transportation, and commercial and residential usage.
Topic:: Energy Policy and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: America

30. Emissions, Energy, and Economic Implications of the Curbelo Carbon Tax Proposal

Author:: Noah Kaufman
Publication Date:: 07-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
Abstract:: In July 2018 Representative Carlos Curbelo proposed legislation that would put a price on US carbon dioxide emissions (“Curbelo proposal”). A carbon price is widely viewed as a necessary part of a cost-effective national strategy to address the risks of climate change. This proposal is especially notable because Republicans, who currently control the US Senate, House of Representatives, and presidency, have not proposed national carbon pricing legislation in nearly a decade.
Topic:: Energy Policy, International Political Economy, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

31. The Energy, Economic, and Emissions Impacts of a Federal US Carbon Tax

Author:: Noah Kaufman and Kate Gordon
Publication Date:: 07-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
Abstract:: Climate change is a serious threat to global progress and stability. Actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and stabilize global temperatures can avoid impacts of climate change on human health, the economy, national security, and the environment. But without a strong federal-level climate policy response from the United States, chances of serious global climate action are slim.
Topic:: Energy Policy and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: America

32. Asian LNG Trading Hubs: Myth or Reality

Author:: Mike Fulwood
Publication Date:: 05-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
Abstract:: Almost every LNG conference has on its agenda nowadays the topic of Asian LNG trading hubs. Governments, regulatory authorities, academics, and market participants are all presenting on how a hub might be developed in Asia. There have also been a number of reports published in the last few years on the development of hubs in Asia.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

33. Making Sense of the Trump Administration's Fuel Economy Standard Rollback

Author:: Jason Bordoff, Akos Losz, and Aaron Linn
Publication Date:: 06-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
Abstract:: On April 2, 2018, the EPA announced that planned fuel economy increases for cars and light trucks in model years 2022–2025 are too stringent and should be revised.[2] The EPA thus initiated a process to set new standards for 2022–2025, in partnership with the NHTSA. The standards were a central part of the Obama administration’s efforts to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions. The move to weaken the standards has been sharply criticized by many environmental groups, policymakers, and others. Supporters of the current standards argue that the standards would substantially reduce emissions at a modest cost. But the standards have been highly controversial, and the move has also received a great deal of praise from other groups. Supporters of weakening the standards—including those in the Trump administration—argue that the current standards would be excessively costly to consumers and automakers, while providing little or no benefit to the public. Many analyses have proclaimed that this announcement would have profound effects on consumers, oil consumption, oil imports, and greenhouse gas emissions. One think tank, for example, told the Financial Times that US oil consumption, which was nearly 20 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2017, would be 1.5 million bpd higher in 2025 if the 2022–2025 fuel economy standards were rolled back
Topic:: Energy Policy, International Political Economy, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

34. Modernizing conventional arms control in the Euro-Atlantic region

Author:: Peter van Ham
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:: Europe’s conventional arms control architecture requires a thorough makeover. Today’s arms control and confidence-building arrangements are based on two legally binding pillars: the Conventional Armed Forces Europe (CFE) Treaty of 1990 and the Open Skies Treaty of 1992. The Vienna Document on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs), originally adopted in 1990 and most recently updated in 2011, is politically binding and aims to increase the transparency of military postures and activities in Europe. Today, these arrangements are either blocked or in dire need of modernization.
Topic:: International Relations and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Europe

35. Take a different look at the neighbours

Author:: Luuk van Middelaar and Monika Sie Dhian Ho
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:: The Netherlands shouldn’t dramatize Britain’s departure from the European Union. Sure, it’s a downer for the economy and a political blow, but not a catastrophe. Brexit may even help us to break the established patterns of our foreign policy. And that is urgently needed: Brexit and Trump require us to reset our geopolitical compass towards our neighbours and partners on the continent. In this Alert authors Luuk van Middelaar and Monika Sie Dhian Ho give four tips for a new Europe policy.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

36. The Future of the European Central Bank

Author:: John Ryan
Publication Date:: 06-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: LSE IDEAS
Abstract:: This report explores the need to make the ECB more transparent and democratically accountable to prevent the next Eurozone crisis. The ECB can justly claim to have held together a poorly-designed system in difficult circumstances, but its overlapping roles create potential conflicts of interest. What does this mean for the countries, companies, and banks that have grown to depend so much on the ECB?
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

37. Global Cities and Integration

Author:: Matteo Villa
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Abstract:: European cities are at the forefront of tackling the complex challenges of integration. The foreign-born population is constantly growing and already exceeds 30% in Berlin, Vienna, and London. Local authorities are therefore playing a more and more important role in managing increasingly complex integration processes. Integrating foreigners requires a commitment to the coordination of policies in diverging areas such as: reception, education, the labour market, health services, and fighting segregation. This report addresses the issue of urban diversity by answering some crucial questions: what problems do cities face in addressing the challenge of integration? How can best practices be replicated? And how can the dialogue between cities, regions, national governments, and European institutions be improved?
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Europe

38. Hamas parliament approves budget for Gaza gov't

Author:: Emad Drimly and Fares Akram
Publication Date:: 11-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Pal-Think For Strategic Studies
Abstract:: GAZA, Hamas parliamentary bloc has recently approved the financial budget for Hamas’ government in the Gaza Strip, officials said on Monday. The Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) approved the budget, although other parliamentary blocs, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement, boycotted the session. The budget for the fiscal year is 428 million U.S. dollars and it applies only in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, excluding the West Bank which is ruled by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) led by Abbas. Fatah says the PLC sessions have been illegal since June 2007 when Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and seized control of the coastal strip. The approval of the budget took place as Israel still keeps a tight blockade on Gaza and amid vagueness and controversy over Hamas’ financial resources. In the West Bank, the Western-backed Abbas government goes through fiscal crisis despite financial support from the international community.
Topic:: Democratization, International Political Economy, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Gaza

39. Hamas Finds Gaza Tunnels’ $500 Million Loss Worse Than Madoff

Author:: Pal Think
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Pal-Think For Strategic Studies
Abstract:: Investment opportunities are rare in the Gaza Strip. So when Nabila Ghabin saw one last year, she pawned her car and jewelry and put $12,000 into a network of tunnels that brought in supplies smuggled from Egypt. She was one of about 4,000 Gazans who gave cash to middlemen and tunnel operators in 2008 as Israel blocked the overland passage of goods. Then Israeli warplanes bombed the tunnels before and during the Dec. 27 to Jan. 18 Gaza offensive and the investments collapsed. Now investors, who lost as much as $500 million, want their money back from Hamas, which runs Gaza. Hamas Economics Minister Ziad Zaza says about 200 people were taken into custody in connection with the tunnel investments; most have been released. Hamas is offering a partial repayment of 16.5 cents on the dollar using money recovered from Ihab al-Kurd, the biggest tunnel operator. The imbroglio over the 800 to 1,000 tunnels has deepened Hamas’s decline in public opinion in Gaza and highlights the Wild West nature of the underground economy that supports this jammed enclave of 1.4 million people
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Security, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Gaza

40. When the Greek Political System Clashed with Europe: Why the Greek Sovereign-Debt Crisis is Taking so Long to End?

Author:: Constantine A. Papadopoulos
Publication Date:: 10-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:: The central argument of this essay is that, in order to understand the reasons behind the Greek economy’s inability to recover sooner from its 8-year recession, analysis must focus on the institutional, political and cultural traits of the country rather than take a primarily “economistic” approach and simply blame “excessive austerity” and/or the euro. In fact, it will be argued that Greece’s positive performance under the euro (until government actions derailed the economy) is generally underappreciated, suggesting that if the country’s institutional weaknesses are addressed, the economy will grow. If they are not, the country’s long-term economic potential will almost certainly remain unfulfilled
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Greece

41. Sisyphean Tactics and Manoeuvring of the Greek Debt Crisis Post-2015: A Dead-end Crisis Management Paradigm

Author:: Nicolas Papanastasopoulos
Publication Date:: 10-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:: The field of crisis management in public policy (both in its internal and external aspect) is currently facing a number of essential and important challenges with theoretical, institutional and political dimensions. This paper aims at deconstructing existing limitations by bringing together the necessary inter-disciplinary elements. The paper attempts to analyze Greek public policy and the government’s capacities to cope with a turbulent (geo)political environment. At the same time, an effort is made to analyze the way the Greek political personnel managed the debt crisis. In this context, the discussion combines both theoretical and empirical approaches.
Topic:: International Political Economy and Domestic Politics
Political Geography:: Greece

42. Advancing the U.S.-Korea Economic Agenda

Author:: Wendy Cutler and Hyemin Lee
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Asia Society
Abstract:: For nearly 70 years, the United StatesRepublic of Korea (hereafter, Korea) alliance has remained strong, built mainly on shared strategic and national security interests. While the North Korean nuclear threat has long dominated political discussions and media headlines, today the economic pillar of the relationship is no less important. Economic engagement and cooperation have been strengthened since the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) went into effect in 2012, which in turn helped solidify the overall bilateral relationship.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: America and Korea

43. Global Magnitsky Sanctions: Raising the Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Bar

Author:: Samantha Sultoon
Publication Date:: 11-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: Economic sanctions have become a policy tool-of-choice for the US government. Yet sanctions and their potential pitfalls are often misunderstood. The Economic Sanctions Initiative (ESI) seeks to build a better understanding of the role sanctions can and cannot play in advancing policy objectives and of the impact of sanctions on the private sector, which bears many of the implementation costs.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

44. Reshaping Trade through Women's Economic Empowerment

Author:: Oonagh Fitzgerald and et al
Publication Date:: 06-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:: At the December 2017 World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, 118 WTO members joined forces to launch the Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment. The members undertook to work together to develop best practices on how to apply gender-based analysis to domestic economic policy and international trade policy to encourage female entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, remove barriers to women’s participation in trade, and develop useful gender statistics and research. The Centre for International Governance Innovation undertook this essay series to raise awareness about this initiative and contribute to increasing understanding of how the declaration might contribute to economic empowerment of women.
Topic:: Gender Issues and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

45. Japan’s Trade Strategy in the 21st Century and Economic Partnership with Latin American Countries

Author:: CEBRI
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
Abstract:: On November 30, 2017, the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), in partnership with the Consulate of Japan in Rio de Janeiro, hosted a fruitful debate with Dr. Yorizumi Watanabe, Professor at Keio University in Japan. Among other topics, the Professor emphasized Japan’s strategy of negotiating bilateral Economic Partnership Agreements with countries in Asia and beyond, complementing its liberalization commitments under the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Latin America

46. Brexit, Strategy, and the EU: Britain takes leave

Author:: Sven Biscop
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: The 100th Egmont Paper deals with an issue that, unfortunately, provides little cause for celebration: the impact of Brexit on European diplomacy and defence. Unless, as Sven Biscop argues, a new “special relationship” can be established between Britain and the EU, both London and Brussels will
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Affairs, and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

47. Global Hotspots: Africa

Author:: Global Political Trends Centre
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: Recent years have seen many regions of Africa involved in war and internal or external conflict, from the seven or so countries directly involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the Libyan crisis and the war in Sudan/South Sudan and the various other civil wars. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), there were 6.9 million new Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) caused by conflict and violence in 2016. Sub-Saharan Africa overtook the Middle East as the region most affected with almost one million new displacements in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of violent clashes in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Kasai.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Africa

48. Blue Economy Vision 2025: Harnessing Business Potential for India Inc and International Partners

Author:: FICCI Task Force
Publication Date:: 05-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:: Blue Economy Vision 2025: Harnessing Business Potential for India Inc and International Partners is a pioneering effort by FICCI to sensitise India Inc about the growing global and regional emphasis on sustainability of harnessing the ocean resources. It makes a convincing argument that the oceans, with a current estimated asset value of US$ 24 trillion and an annual value addition of US$ 2.5 trillion, would continue to offer significant economic benefits both in the traditional areas of fisheries, transport, tourism and hydrocarbons as well as in the new fields of deep-sea mining, renewable energy, ocean biotechnology and many more, only if we integrate sustainable practices with our business models.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

49. The political economy of the transformation of Islamic finance in Turkey

Author:: SETA
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
Abstract:: When Islamic finance is mentioned around the world, the first thing that comes to mind is Islamic banks. The sphere of Islamic finance has expanded in the last decade with developments particularly in capital markets and the insurance sector. Nonetheless, the market share of Islamic finance in the world’s financial market accounts for approximately 1 percent. Still, many segments are interested in Islamic finance because of its high growth figures, resilience against crises, and the fact that it offers a system that prioritizes ethical values in contrast to conventional finance. Islamic banks in Turkey date back to the establishment of the Adapazarı Islamic Trade Bank (Adapazarı İslam Ticaret Bankası) in Sakarya (Adapazarı) in 1913. However, examples of globally accepted Islamic banking models in Turkey appeared with the emergence of Special Finance Houses (SFHs) following the passage of relevant legal regulations in 1984
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Markets

50. Making the ‘Special Relationship’ Great Again?

Author:: Tim Oliver and Micheal Williams
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: LSE IDEAS
Abstract:: Donald Trump’s election poses uncomfortable questions for Britain about the future of the UK-US ‘Special Relationship’.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Global Focus

51. The Qatar Crisis

Author:: Marc Lynch and Stephanie Dahle
Publication Date:: 10-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS)
Abstract:: On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates launched a campaign against Qatar. Tensions between these Gulf Cooperation Council members were nothing new, but few anticipated the sudden escalation or the intensity of the campaign. The anti-Qatar campaign leaders then failed to achieve a rapid resolution of the crisis in their favor through a Qatari capitulation. More than four months later, the GCC remains badly divided and both sides are increasingly entrenched in their positions. To make sense of this political conflict, POMEPS is pleased to release this collection of essays by a wide range of leading scholars published in The Monkey Cage and in POMEPS Studies over the last several years. The collection is divided into four major sections: the origins and course of the current conflict; regional responses; how the Arab uprisings impacted the GCC; and background on the divisive question of Islamism and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Security
Political Geography:: Middle East

52. Conference Report: Climate Change and Sustainable Investment in Natural Resources: From Consensus to Action

Author:: Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment
Publication Date:: 03-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: A conference report on CCSI’s Conference on “Climate Change and Sustainable Investment in Natural Resources: From Consensus to Action” is available here, and a shorter outcome document , which was disseminated at COP22, is available here. These documents summarize the discussions at the eleventh annual Columbia International Investment Conference, which took place on November 2-3, 2016, at Columbia University. The Conference offered a high-level opportunity to discuss how countries can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement, while also advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular the important implications for the world’s approach to natural resource investments. It featured leaders from government, the private sector, civil society, and academia, and brought together nearly 400 participants. In the lead-up to the Conference, CCSI also published a Blog Series on the Earth Institute’s State of the Planet Blog.
Topic:: Climate Change and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

53. Informe sobre sostenibilidad en España 2017

Author:: Ana Belén Sanchez
Publication Date:: 11-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: Lo que este IIº Informe sobre sostenibilidad plantea es que conviene pasar a la acción, sin más demora, si queremos evitar situaciones catastróficas. Los datos son concluyentes. En 40 años hemos doblado las emisiones de carbono, dentro de unos años habrá más plásticos que peces en los mares, con la desaparición de miles de especies marinas; la energía sigue dependiendo de materias fósiles y 7 millones de personas mueren al año por contaminación. Los desórdenes atmosféricos se suceden, amenazando territorios y millones de personas. Es como si la madre naturaleza protestara ó castigara los despropósitos de sus descarriados hijos, los humanos.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Spain

54. The state of the European Union 2017: Relaunching Europe

Author:: Fundación Alternativas
Publication Date:: 06-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: The year since the publication of our previous report in April 2016 has been nothing short of an annus horribilis for the European Union. The victory for Leave in the UK referendum was followed by the triumph of Donald Trump in the US elections and his stated support for the further weakening of the EU, an attitude that the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has described as a threat. At the same time, there have been a number of significant events, both in Europe and elsewhere in the world, which we analyse in this 6th Report on the State of the EU, produced in partnership between Fundación Alternativas and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Topic:: International Political Economy and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

55. VI Informe sobre El estado de la Unión Europea 2017: Relanzar Europa

Author:: Fundación Alternativas
Publication Date:: 05-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: El periodo comprendido entre la publicación del anterior Informe –abril 2016– y el actual se podría calificar, sin exagerar, como el annus horribilis de la Unión Europea (UE). Al referendo británico que se inclinó por la ruptura con la Unión, el brexit, se ha sumado el triunfo de Donald Trump en las elecciones norteamericanas y su manifestado deseo de que se produzcan nuevos brexits. Una amenaza en palabras del presidente del Consejo Europeo Tusk. Entre medias se han sucedido muchos acontecimientos en la vida europea y global que se analizan en este VI Informe sobre el estado de la UE, producto de la colaboración de la Fundación Alternativas y de la Fundación Friedrich Ebert.
Topic:: International Political Economy and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

56. The impact and consequences of Brexit on acquired rights of EU citizens living in the UK and British citizens living in the EU-27

Author:: Antonio Fernández Tomás
Publication Date:: 04-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: La Fundación Alternativas presenta un nuevo estudio: ¨The impact and consequences of Brexit on acquired rights of EU citizens living in the UK and British citizens living in the EU-27¨. Informe encargado y financiado por el Parlamento Europeo, ha sido elaborado por Antonio Fernández Tomás y Diego López Garrido.
Topic:: International Political Economy and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

57. Assessing and Redefining Policies towards Africa in a New Global Scenario: Intersecting Perspectives between Brazil and Morocco

Author:: CEBRI
Publication Date:: 07-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
Abstract:: In July, representatives from the public and private sectors, think tanks, and academia, discussed, over a day, themes common to Brazil and Africa, explored ways to bring the two regions together, and inaugurated, in practice, a new phase of inter-Atlantic interaction.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Africa

58. Trumps National Security Strategy: A new brand of mercantilism

Author:: Salman Ahmed and Alexander Bick
Publication Date:: 08-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Abstract:: The sixteen national security strategies issued by presidents Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama reaffirmed U.S. leadership of a liberal international order, even as they acknowledged it enabled the rise of others and eroded U.S. economic dominance. President Donald Trump may decide that is no longer tenable. His forthcoming national security strategy will be closely scrutinized to understand what “America First” means for the U.S. role in the world and whether it represents a shift toward a narrower, neo-mercantile approach.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: America

59. Envisioning the Future: Iranian and Saudi Perspectives on the Post-Oil Economy

Author:: Wael Abdul-Shafi
Publication Date:: 04-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: EastWest Institute
Abstract:: Falling oil and gas prices and shrinking demand across global energy markets pose enormous challenges for energy exporting countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia and lead to decreasing revenues from this sector. Despite differences in the structures of their respective national economies, both countries share common challenges in adapting to this new situation. High youth unemployment rates, an underrepresentation of women in the workforce, a public sector unable to absorb the high numbers of university graduates as well as environmental degradation and pollution, all constitute major problems for both countries and their economies. But, while solving many of these issues would ideally demand bilateral cooperation, a political climate of mutual mistrust and enmity currently inhibits such a process.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Iran and Saudi Arabia

60. Chinease Investment in Europe: A country level approach

Author:: Thomas Renard
Publication Date:: 12-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: Belgium may not be China’s prime destination for investment in Europe, but as in other neighboring countries these investments are increasing in quality and quantity. Chinese investments are mostly welcomed and encouraged by the government, its agencies and the business community. However, a recent failed deal with EANDIS, a public energy company, has also raised some concerns about the economic and security implications of (some) Chinese investments. Belgian intelligence services, notably, argue for a bit of caution vis-à-vis China. While these two visions could be complementary, they remain held by distinct communities that seem reluctant to acknowledge and listen to one another. As a result, the Belgian response to China’s economic offensive remains overwhelmingly reactive and uncoordinated.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: China

61. Key Risks Companies Face in Petroleum Investment and Operations

Author:: Bud Coote and Karl V. Hopkins
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: This report is a collaboration between Dentons and the Atlantic Council that provides analysis on the array of risks and uncertainties faced by international energy firms investing in and operating energy projects worldwide. It focuses on lessons learned from a variety of experiences and offers risk mitigation options.
Topic:: Energy Policy, International Political Economy, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: Global Focus

62. Downstream Oil Theft: Global Modalities, Trends, and Remedies

Author:: Ian M. Ralby
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: This report is the first comprehensive study of the theft of refined oil products around the globe. It provides insight into the modalities and trends in oil theft, the culprits responsible, the stakeholders affected by illicit activities, and recommendations that could change the dynamics. It is divided into three parts.
Topic:: Energy Policy, International Political Economy, and Oil
Political Geography:: Global Focus

63. The End Of Saudi Arabia's Addiction To Oil: Downstream Industrial Development

Author:: Jean-Francois Seznec
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: Saudi Arabia’s leadership recently introduced an ambitious plan called Vision 2030 to move the country away from oil and toward a more diversified, modern economy. Fortunately, the economy is already much more diversified than is often reported, a fact obscured by the very high price of oil from 2000 to 2014. Since the mid-1970s, the Kingdom has developed chemical, metal, and fertilizer industries that are among the most advanced in the world. Most of these industries have been built on the natural advantages of Saudi Arabia: low-cost energy, large mineral resources, access to plentiful capital, and proximity to the huge markets of Asia.
Topic:: International Political Economy, Oil, Natural Resources, and Economic structure
Political Geography:: Saudi Arabia

64. India's Energy Needs And The Arab/Persian Gulf

Author:: Jean-Francois Seznec and Ramesh Pallakonda
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: India’s economy is increasing at the fastest rate in the world, now making it the globe’s third largest user of crude oil. While India is benefitting from the low oil prices seen since mid-2014, it has precious few oil and gas resources of its own and will remain highly dependent on imports. On the other hand India is now a large exporter of products like gasoline and diesel fuels because it has built a very large refining capacity, which ultimately renders India’s need for crude oil more pressing.
Topic:: Emerging Markets, International Political Economy, and Oil
Political Geography:: India

65. Reinvigorating U.S. Economic Strategy in the Asia Pacific

Author:: Charlene Barshefsky, Evan G. Greenberg, and Jon M. Huntsman Jr.
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Abstract:: The Asia Pacific is home to over half of humanity and many of the world’s largest and most dynamic economies. Over the coming decades, no region of the world will do more to shape U.S. economic fortunes. More than ever before, American jobs and growth are tied to the Asia Pacific, and these opportunities are likely to grow. But the region is undergoing profound change. Today, mutually beneficial relations with the Asia Pacific are challenged by slowing growth, a rise in security tensions, and threats to the U.S.-led order. The rise of China is altering the Asia-Pacific landscape in profound ways and playing a critical role in the region’s prosperity and perceived stability. These economic and security shifts offer opportuni- ties for the United States to strengthen cooperation with emerging economies and reinforce part- nerships with established allies. But new policies are needed in what has become a more volatile environment. These policies must be grounded in the enduring interests of the United States and informed by the realities of a changing Asia Pacific. And just as economics is at the heart of Asia’s rise, so must economics be at the heart of an effective strategy.
Topic:: International Relations, Globalization, International Political Economy, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: America and Asia-Pacific

66. How should we view China's rise?

Author:: CHRISTOPHER K JOHNSON, Amy Searight, and Victor D. Cha
Publication Date:: 12-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Abstract:: It is evident that China’s rise will continue to dominate the geopolitics of Asia. How do the Chinese view this? Do its neighbors view it as inevitable, benign, or concerning? Where is there greatest convergence of Chinese views with that of its neighbors, and where is the greatest divergence?
Topic:: Globalization, International Political Economy, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: China

67. Rethinking a Key U.S. Strategic Interest: Energy Stability, Energy Independence, and the United States as a Net Exporter

Author:: Anthony H. Cordesman
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Abstract:: Ever since the oil embargo following the October 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict, the United States has tended to measure its strategic interests in energy in terms of its dependence on direct imports of oil and gas. The new Annual Energy Outlook of the U.S. Energy Information Administration was issued on January 5, 2017. [i] Taken at face value, it reports that United States has reversed its past dependence on energy imports in spite of massive cut in world oil prices.
Topic:: Energy Policy, International Political Economy, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: America

68. U.S.-Sino Relations in the Arctic A Roadmap for Future Cooperation

Author:: Heather A. Conley
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Abstract:: The emergence of the Arctic as a region of political and economic opportunity adds a new dimension to U.S.-China relations. Despite divergent priorities in the region, there are opportunities for greater cooperation. Both countries experience the physical challenges of climate change while investing in scientific research to gain a better understanding of a transforming Arctic. They both also seek cooperation through the Arctic Council and the International Maritime Organization to promote governance in the region. For these reasons, among others, the United States and China should create a more purposeful dialogue on a range of Arctic issues. U.S.-Sino Relations in the Arctic: A Roadmap for Future Cooperation is the result of fruitful exchanges between American and Chinese experts who addressed a range of issues: the future of Arctic governance, geopolitical factors shaping the Arctic’s future, international maritime issues in the Central Arctic Ocean, future trends in sustainable Arctic development, and new bilateral scientific research initiatives in the Arctic. Through frank and candid exchanges, this report aims to lay the foundation of strong bilateral cooperation between the United States and China in the Arctic.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, Geopolitics, and Climate Finance
Political Geography:: China, America, and Arctic

69. Charting a Course for Trade and Economic Integration in the Asia-Pacific

Author:: Asia Society Policy Institute
Publication Date:: 03-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Asia Society
Abstract:: OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE GLOBAL AND REGIONAL TRADE LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN CHALLENGED AS NEVER BEFORE. A growing number of people around the world are questioning the value of trade agreements, holding them accountable for slow wage growth, rising inequalities, and job losses. Exemplified by Brexit and the U.S. presidential election, a wave of anti-globalization has washed over the world. Further, global trade is slowing, and existing trade agreements have not kept pace with the changing nature of trade itself, owing to the increasingly important role of digital and services trades. But trade has been one of the strongest drivers behind global growth and stability, particularly in Asia. In the past quarter century, the number of trade agreements in the region has increased dramati- cally. At the same time, Asian countries experienced average annual growth rates nearly 3 percent higher after liberalizing their markets.1 The region’s openness has been a critical ingredient in spurring growth, creating jobs, and lifting millions out of poverty. Trade has also helped nations develop stronger ties, giving them a greater stake in one another’s economic success and reducing the likelihood of conflict. What the French philosopher Montesquieu wrote during the eighteenth century remains as relevant in the twenty-first: “Peace is a natural effect of trade.” 2
Topic:: International Relations, International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Global Focus

70. Business Principles for Promoting Integrity in the Pharmaceutical Sector

Author:: Transparency International
Publication Date:: 05-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Transparency International
Abstract:: The aim of the Pharma Integrity Principles for Latin America is to provide a framework for good business practices and risk management strategies for promoting integrity in the pharmaceutical sector. They are intended to assist companies and industry associations across the region in: • eliminating bribery and related conflicts of interest; • demonstrating their commitment to doing business with integrity; and • making a positive contribution to improving business standards of integrity, transparency and accountability. The Pharma Integrity Principles combine anti-bribery principles of general applicability developed by Transparency International with more specific guidelines for preventing conflicts of interest in the pharmaceutical sector in relation to prescribing practices by healthcare professionals and interactions with healthcare institutions, patients and patient organisations.
Topic:: Corruption and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

71. New Pact for Europe - National Report - ITALY

Author:: European Policy Centre
Publication Date:: 07-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: European Policy Centre (EPC)
Abstract:: This is the fifth in a series of National Reports to be published as part of the new phase of the New Pact for Europe project.* According to the NPE Italian Reflection Group, the EU is stuck, with member countries prioritising national interests over the European ones, while problems in the economic, security and migration policy areas are far from overcome. Drawing on the discussions held amongst the members of the group, the report presents a set of conclusions on how to address the key challenges the Union and member states are facing at the moment, and calls on them to take action to boost the legitimacy of the European integration project:
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

72. The Future of Transatlantic Sanctions on Russia

Author:: Peter Harrell, Tom Keatinge, Sarah Lain, and Elizabeth Rosenberg
Publication Date:: 06-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Abstract:: Sanctions on Russia are part of a broad and coordinated U.S. and European policy to counter Russian aggression. The majority of these transatlantic coercive economic measures target Russia’s involvement in Eastern Ukraine and date from 2014. The strategic foreign policy concerns that underlie the use of sanctions as a tactic, however, are far broader and much more longstanding. Contemporary financial sanctions are fundamentally a new and innovative tactic among a broader array of military, diplomatic, media, and cyber options, to coordinate transatlantic policy on Russia and craft political and economic leverage for the West.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Security
Political Geography:: Russia

73. How has Qatar Fended Amidst a Sociopolitical and Economic Blockade by its Neighbours?

Author:: Thembisa Fakude
Publication Date:: 08-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Al Jazeera Center for Studies
Abstract:: The haphazard nature of the political campaign by the anti-Qatar forces demonstrated serious political immaturity and the over-estimation of the power of money in politics and shaping world opinion.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Middle East

74. Saudi Vision 2030 and the Consequences of the Gulf Crisis

Author:: Naser al-Tamimi
Publication Date:: 07-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Al Jazeera Center for Studies
Abstract:: The Saudi government has begun an ambitious process of economic reforms, but internal resistance and external disturbances – worsened by the Gulf crisis – are increasing costs and may lead to its failure.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Middle East

75. A View from South Korea on Sino-ROK Relations

Author:: Kim Heung-kyu
Publication Date:: 08-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI)
Abstract:: Although we are only into the first months of the Trump administration, many Koreans recognize that the U.S.-led, market-oriented, liberal international order has been severely shaken. In the background, the rapid rise of China and rather successful economic reforms under Xi Jinping have dramatically reduced its vulnerability and sensitivity to the United States. As one power’s grip is shaken and another’s is energized, two different orders are emerging in East Asia. We accordingly witness a “Clash of Titans,” the fallout from which could be fatal to the security and economy of the Republic of Korea.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Asia

76. Transforming the Power Sector in Developing Countries: Indonesia’s Diversification Challenge

Author:: Robert Ichord
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: Although often overshadowed by significantly larger energy systems in India and China, Indonesia is assuming an increasingly important role in international energy markets and global efforts to address climate change. In Transforming the Power Sector in Developing Countries: Indonesia’s Diversification Challenge,” Global Energy Center nonresident Senior Fellow Dr. Robert F. Ichord, Jr. identifies the challenges Indonesia faces in the energy sector and provides recommendations for policy makers and other stakeholders on strategic priorities. As Ichord points out, Indonesia is a critical country for international power sector transformation—the question is how to meet Indonesia’s growing electricity needs in a clean, efficient, and affordable manner.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Indonesia

77. Chinese FDI in Latin America

Author:: Angel Melguizo, Sean Miner, and Rolando Avendano
Publication Date:: 06-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: China's global influence is on the rise. In Latin America, Chinese firms are not only increasing their investment, but rapidly expanding to new areas of the economy. To explore the implications for all stakeholders in the region, the Atlantic Council, in partnership with the OECD, launched on June 26 a revealing study analyzing data not previously available to the public. New numbers show dramatic rises in FDI from China in Latin America—beyond oil and mining, China is today focusing on ICT, electricity, finance, and alternative energy.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: China and Latin America

78. The Euro's Difficult Future

Author:: Luigi Bonatti
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: In The Euro’s Difficult Future – Competitiveness Imbalances and the Eurozone’s North-South Divide author Luigi Bonatti, a professor of economics at the University of Trento in Italy, stresses that the existing North-South competitiveness divide creates growing tensions between member countries and fuels hostility towards European Union institutions. The paper illustrates why this competitiveness divide is structural, cannot be tackled by macroeconomic policies, and could threaten the euro’s survival.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Europe

79. Canada' s Trade Minister Is Ready to Make a Difference at the WTO

Author:: François-Philippe Champagne
Publication Date:: 10-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:: There is an inverse relationship between the number of kilometres François-Philippe Champagne travels and the amount of attention he receives. Canada’s trade minister was in Morocco over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend for a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting, and in Mexico less than a week later for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first official visit to the country.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: Canada

80. Environmental Gems in Trade Agreements: Little-known Clauses for Progressive Trade Agreements

Author:: Jean-Frederic Morin and Rosalie Nadeau
Publication Date:: 10-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:: Trade agreements contain an increasing number of environmental provisions. Some of these provisions now relate to precise environmental issues, such as biodiversity or hazardous waste management. Certain trade agreements even devote entire chapters to environmental protection. However, the rate of innovative environmental clauses per agreement has declined over the years. This paper draws attention to some of the lesser-known provisions encountered in five agreements or fewer. These “legal one-hit wonders” do not often reach the billboard, despite their uniqueness and creativity.
Topic:: Environment and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

81. Linkages to the Resource Sector: The Role of Companies, Governments, and International Development Cooperation

Author:: Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment
Publication Date:: 07-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: With support from GIZ, CCSI prepared a report titled “Linkages to the Resource Sector: The Role of Companies, Governments, and International Development Cooperation.” It outlines options for how these stakeholders can increase the economic linkages to the extractive industries sector not only in terms of ‘breadth’ (number of linkages) but also in terms of ‘depth’ (local value added). Apart from providing the theoretical framework for linkage creation and an overview of existing literature on this topic, the study highlights successful case study examples. Recommendations are provided for the three types of stakeholders.
Topic:: Government, International Political Economy, and Natural Resources
Political Geography:: Global Focus

82. China’s Global Rise Can the EU and U.S. Pursue a Coordinated Strategy?

Author:: Philippe Le Corre and Jonathan Pollack
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Brookings Institution
Abstract:: China’s emergence as a global economic power and its fuller integration in the international order are among the principal policy challenges facing Europe and the United States in the early 21st century. At the time of Beijing’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China (though already growing rapidly) was in global terms an economic actor of limited consequence. A decade and a half later, China’s transformation is without parallel in economic history. Over the past 15 years, China has experienced an eightfold increase in GDP, enabling it to serve as the pri- mary engine of global economic growth in the early 21st century. It has leapfrogged from sixth to second place among the world’s economies, trail- ing only the United States in absolute economic size. In addition, China has become the world’s leading trading state and is now the second largest source of outward foreign direct investment. Change of this magnitude has enhanced China’s political power and eco- nomic leverage. It has also stimulated China’s internal economic evolution, simultaneously expanding the power of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) while also contributing to major growth in the private sector. China has also begun to think bigger, devoting increased attention to the rules of global economic governance. Although Beijing insists it has no intention of supplanting the existing international order, China contends that chang- ing power realities will require modification of global rules.
Topic:: International Cooperation, International Political Economy, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: China, America, and Europe

83. Gateways to the World: Port Cities in the Gulf

Author:: Center for International and Regional Studies
Publication Date:: 09-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), Georgetown University in Qatar
Abstract:: Glittering skylines, high urbanization rates, and massive development projects in the Gulf have increasingly attracted the attention of urban development scholars and practitioners. Within the GCC, an average of 88 percent of the total population lives in cities, while on average only 56 percent of Yemen, Iraq, and Iran’s populations lives in urbanized spaces. The tempo and spatial ethos of urbanization in the Gulf differ markedly from patterns of traditional urbanism in other developing countries. Within a matter of decades, Gulf port cities have rapidly evolved from regional centers of cultural and economic exchange to globalizing cities deeply embedded within the global economy. Explicitly evident features of Gulf cities such as international hotel chains, shopping centers, and entertainment complexes have classified these cities as centers of consumption. Other urban trends, such as exhibition and conference centers, media and knowledge cities, and branch campuses of Western universities have integrated Gulf cities within numerous global networks. From the advent of oil discovery until the present day, forces of economic globalization and migration, national conceptualizations of citizenship, and various political and economic structures have collectively underpinned the politics of urban planning and development. While oil urbanization and modernization direct much of the scholarship on Gulf cities, understanding the evolution of the urban landscape against a social and cultural backdrop is limited within the academic literature. For instance, within the states of the GCC, the citizen-state-expatriates nexus has largely geared the vision and planning of urban real-estate mega-projects. These projects reflect the increasing role of expatriates as consumers and users of urban space, rather than as mere sources of manpower utilized to build the city. Other state initiatives, such as the construction of cultural heritage mega-projects in various Gulf cities, reveal the state’s attempts to reclaim parts of the city for its local citizens in the midst of a growing expatriate urban population.
Topic:: International Political Economy, Migration, Urbanization, and Citizenship
Political Geography:: Middle East

84. Trading Pains and Gains: Expanding Trade Alliances in Asia

Author:: Rupert Hammond Chambers, Pek Koon Heng, and Tami Overby
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Wilson Center
Abstract:: Since its rather humble beginnings as a free trade agreement between Chile, Brunei, Singapore, and New Zealand in 2005, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement has ballooned into a pact that includes two of the three biggest economies in the world. Signed by the 12 founding members in February 2016, namely the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, and Malaysia as well as the four original signatories, the TPP represents nearly 40 percent of the world’s GDP. It has been described as the most ambitious multinational trade deal in history, with high standards that address issues that have not been address by trade agreements until now including environmental protection, labor rights, and addressing competition issues related to state-owned enterprises.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: Global Focus

85. Committed: U.S. Foreign Policy in Asia and Completing the Rebalance

Author:: Shihoko Goto, Robert Daly, Michael Kugelman, Sandy Pho, Meg Lundsager, Robert Litwak, Robert Person, and James Person
Publication Date:: 09-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Wilson Center
Abstract:: The United States is a Pacific power. It may be so reluctantly, but its continued military, political, and economic engagement has been key to Asia’s stability and prosperity. Ensuring that the Asia-Pacific remains robust politically and economically will be in the United States’ own interest, and will be a key foreign policy challenge for any administration. The realities on the ground in Asia, though, are rapidly changing. The region has become increasingly divided, and rivalries are manifesting themselves in territorial disputes, competition for resources, as well as a growing arms race. Having overtaken Japan as the world’s second-largest economy, China has sought to become as much a political and military power as much as an economic one. Beijing’s vision for the region puts China at its center, which has led to rifts in relations among Asian nations, not to mention Sino-U.S. relations. Continued stability in the region cannot be taken for granted. Washington must continue to be committed to Asia, not least amid growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear aspirations, maritime disputes, and alternative visions for economic development.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, International Cooperation, International Political Economy, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: America and Asia

86. Big is beautiful? State-owned enterprise mergers under Xi Jinping

Author:: Wendy Leutert and François Godement
Publication Date:: 11-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Abstract:: It is merger season again in China, as evidenced by the sources drawn on in this special issue of China Analysis. But who really knows why? Our contributor Wendy Leutert points out how the government’s goals have shifted within the last year alone. In September 2015, new guidelines emphasising the importance of separating state suppliers of public goods from more commercial state firms suggested a possible shift towards the latter having to play by the rules of the market. Today, the more traditional goal of mopping up excess supply and inefficient companies seems to have taken over.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: China

87. Shared Border, Shared Future: A Blueprint to Regulate US-Mexico Labor Mobility

Author:: Carlos Gutierrez, Ernesto Zedillo, and Michael Clemens
Publication Date:: 09-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Global Development
Abstract:: Mexico and the United States have lacked a bilateral agreement to regulate cross-border labor mobility since 1965. Since that time, unlawful migration from Mexico to the US has exploded. Almost half of the 11.7 million Mexican-born individuals living in the U.S. do not have legal authorization. This vast black market in labor has harmed both countries. These two neighboring countries, with an indisputably shared destiny, can come together to work out a better way. The time has come for a lasting, innovative, and cooperative solution. To address this challenge, the Center for Global Development assembled a group of leaders from both countries and with diverse political affiliations—from backgrounds in national security, labor unions, law, economics, business, and diplomacy—to recommend how to move forward. The result is a new blueprint for a bilateral agreement that is designed to end unlawful migration, promote the interests of U.S. and Mexican workers, and uphold the rule of law.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Affairs, Labor Issues, and Border Control
Political Geography:: America and Mexico

88. Financial Regulations for Improving Financial Inclusion

Author:: Stijn Claessens and Liliana Rojas-Suarez
Publication Date:: 03-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Global Development
Abstract:: As recently as 2011, only 42 percent of adult Kenyans had a financial account of any kind; by 2014, according to the Global Findex, database that number had risen to 75 percent. [1] In subSaharan Africa, the share of adults with financial accounts rose by nearly half over the same period. Many other developing countries have also recorded gains in access to basic financial services. Much of this progress is being facilitated by the digital revolution of recent decades, which has led to the emergence of new financial services and new delivery channels. Whereas payment services often are the entry point into using formal financial services, they are not the only lowcost and widely accessible financial services being delivered in recent years. Driven by advances in new digital payment services, smallscale credit and new modes for delivering insurance services are being offered in several developing countries. Digital (payment) records are being used to make decisions about provision of credit to small businesses or individuals who do not have traditional collateral or credit history to secure loans. Additionally, affordable mobile systems have led to the provision of new and innovative financial services that would not be economically sustainable under the traditional brickandmortar model such as mobilebased crop microinsurance in subSaharan Africa and payasyougo energy delivery models for offgrid customers in India, Peru, and Tanzania. [2] Increased access to basic financial services, especially payments services, by larger segments of the population reflects the growing use of digital technologies in developing countries. Simultaneously, the adoption of proper regulation based on countryspecific opportunities, needs and conditions has been critical.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, and Financial Markets
Political Geography:: Global Focus

89. Assessing EU development cooperation: from infancy to maturity?

Author:: Eva Krizkova
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Europeum Institute for European Policy
Abstract:: The development cooperation policy of the EU is an important political and economic tool. Nevertheless, its importance might be underestimated in today’s public debate. In 2000 and 2015 the international community adopted development goals (the so-called Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals), in which poverty eradication and global inclusive sustainable prosperity were set as priorities. In this framework, EU development cooperation is one of the most important tools in the accomplishment of these goals.
Topic:: International Political Economy, Millennium Development Goals, and International Development
Political Geography:: European Union

90. A new Atlantic Community: the European Union, the US and Latin America

Author:: Joaquín Roy
Publication Date:: 06-2015
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: Joaquín Roy es licenciado en Derecho por la Universidad de Barcelona y doctor por la Universidad de Georgetown. Es catedrático Jean Monnet ad personam y anteriormente fue profesor en Georgetown University, John Hopkins University (Washington DC) y Emory University (Atlanta). Entre las distinciones recibidas destaca la Encomienda de la Orden del Mérito Civil, otorgada por el Rey Juan Carlos I.
Topic:: International Relations and International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

91. Rio de Janeiro as a Global Financial Center

Author:: Virgílio Gibbon
Publication Date:: 10-2015
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
Abstract:: Situational crises tend to concentrate economic activity in centers where such activity already is historically more significant. As a result, financial markets — especially the organized markets — tend to coalesce around these same centers because they benefit from the higher level of liquidity that concentrated economic activity offers. This undoubtedly was one of the major causes of the waning of the financial market in Rio de Janeiro, and the hegemony conquered by São Paulo as of the 1980s.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, Financial Crisis, and Financial Markets
Political Geography:: Brazil

92. Power to the States: Making Fiscal Transfers Work for Better Health

Author:: Center for Global Development
Publication Date:: 12-2015
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Global Development
Abstract:: Most money and responsibility for health in large federal countries like India rests with subnational governments — states, provinces, districts, and municipalities. The policies and spending at the subnational level affect the pace, scale, and equity of health improvements in countries that account for much of the world’s disease burden: India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Fiscal transfers between levels of government can — but do not always — play an important role in turning money into outcomes at the subnational level. Well designed, transfers can help put states on a level financial playing field by equalizing spending across states and adjusting allocations for the health risks of each state’s population. Transfers can increase accountability and create incentives for greater spending or effectiveness in service delivery. But transfers are rarely designed with attention to their desired outcomes. To get to better outcomes, international experience suggests that transfers need to be reexamined and reformed along three dimensions. First, central government’s allocation of national revenues to subnational governments should respond to needs and population size. Second, transfers should generate incentives to improve subnational governments’ spending quality and performance on outcomes. Third, independent systems to monitor, evaluate, and provide feedback data on subnational performance can generate greater accountability to the central government, parliaments, and legislatures as well as to citizens. These insights are seemingly simple and suggestive, but each country starts from its own unique history that requires careful technical analysis and political savvy to define reforms with genuine potential to improve health.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, and Financial Markets
Political Geography:: Global Focus

93. Losing Control? Sovereignty in the Age of Globalization

Author:: Saskia Sassen
Publication Date:: 02-2015
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Columbia University Press
Abstract:: What determines the flow of labor and capital in this new global information economy? Who has the capacity to coordinate this new system, to create some measure of order? What happens to territoriality and sovereignty, two fundamental principles of the modern state? And who gains rights and who loses rights? Losing Control? examines the rise of private transnational legal codes and supranational institutions, such as the World Trade Organization and universal human rights covenants, and shows that though sovereignty remains an important feature of the international system, it is no longer confined to the nation-state. Other actors gain rights and a kind of sovereignty by setting some of the rules that used to be within the exclusive domain of states. Saskia Sassen tracks the emergence and the making of the transformations that mark our world today, among which is the partial denationalizing of national territory. Two arenas in particular stand out in the new spatial and economic order by their capacity to set their own rules: the global capital market and the series of codes and institutions that have mushroomed into an international human rights regime. As Sassen shows, these two quasi-legal realms now have the power and legitimacy to demand action and accountability from national governments, with the ironic twist that both depend upon the state to enforce their goals. From the economic policy shifts forced by the Mexico debt crisis to the recurring battles over immigration and refugees around the world, Losing Control? incisively analyzes the events that have radically altered the landscape of governance in an era of increasing globalization.
Topic:: Debt, Globalization, International Political Economy, Sovereignty, World Trade Organization, Labor Issues, and Governance
Political Geography:: Global Focus
Publication Identifier:: 9780231106092
Publication Identifier Type:: ISBN

94. Investment Treaties and Industrial Policy: Select Case Studies on State Liability for Efforts to Encourage, Shape and Regulate Economic Activities in Extractive Industries and Infrastructure

Author:: Lise Johnson
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: This paper, prepared in connection with a February 2014 conference organized by the UN Economic Commission for Africa, discusses some of the implications that investment treaties have for investments in infrastructure and the extractive industries. It focuses on liability for government conduct (1) in connection with tenders and negotiations; (2) when responding to questions regarding the legality of the investment; (3) in using performance requirements to leverage benefits and capture spillovers from the investment; (4) changing the legal framework governing an investment in response to evolving needs, circumstances, and interests; (5) administering the investment; and (6) requesting, and responding to requests for, renegotiation. After describing some investment treaty disputes, this paper concludes by outlining options for addressing and minimizing tensions between investment treaties and government policies and practices in these areas.
Topic:: International Political Economy and Foreign Direct Investment
Political Geography:: Global Focus

95. Policy Perspective: India’s curious stand at WTO

Author:: Rajrishi Singhal
Publication Date:: 10-2014
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:: India’s decision to block the Trade Facilitation Agreement at the World Trade Organisation in July was perplexing; the confusion was compounded because India was almost alone in its position. This policy perspective explains the reasons for India’s curious stand
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: India and Global Focus

96. Pathways to 'The future we want': socio-environmental indicators

Author:: José Veiga
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
Abstract:: José Eli da Veiga critically examines the socioeconomic measures already established, like the GDP and the Human Development Index (HDI). The author contextualizes the creation of such measures and points out the limits of those, which can measure the economic performance of a given society, but are not intended to measure welfare and sustainability. With a keen eye, Eli da Veiga addresses the major issues related to the development and adoption of new indicators, selecting four emerging indicators to be examined in detail. These indexes – all created by renowned international institutions – seek to overcome the notion of wealth based on the production of commodities and on physical capital and propose a narrative of progress that is more compatible with the 21st century, focusing on people’s quality of life and on environmental sustainability.
Topic:: International Political Economy, Political and institutional effectiveness, and International Development
Political Geography:: Global Focus

97. Investing For Impact on Economic Mobility In The US: “Insights from Abroad: Impact Investing in Emerging Markets”

Author:: Alexander Pan and Randall Kempner
Publication Date:: 12-2014
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Aspen Institute
Abstract:: From our perspective at ANDE, we have seen impact investing become an increasingly important tool used to support small and growing businesses in the developing world that are capable of creating jobs, stimulating long-term economic growth, and generating social impact. However, impact investing is still very much an emerging tool. If it is to scale and become a viable solution to social issues in the United States, There are several key lessons from the international context that the industry should consider.
Topic:: International Political Economy and Social Movement
Political Geography:: America

98. Metrics to Align Mission with Financial Performance: Tips from Practitioners

Author:: Mike McCreless
Publication Date:: 09-2014
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Aspen Institute
Abstract:: Social enterprises and impact investors, along with non-profits and foundations, have invested significant effort in designing metrics to monitor and evaluate impact. Yet these impact metrics do not create as much value as they could. Too often, impact metrics, and the people who manage them, are siloed in their own departments, databases, and discourses, one step removed from strategic and financial decision-making in their organizations
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Global Focus

99. Mapping the Impact Investing Sector in Brazil

Author:: Aspen Institute
Publication Date:: 08-2014
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Aspen Institute
Abstract:: During the past 10 years of impact investing in Brazil, we have observed a significant development in the impact investing space. Five years ago, only a few players identified themselves as impact investors, very few organizations in the social sector were investor-ready, and there were almost no co-investment opportunities. A steep increase in the number of investors and amount of capital, greater coordination among players, and a more professional workforce active in the industry today have facilitated the development of impact investing. This market study of the impact investing sector in Brazil reveals significant market growth. Nineteen of Brazil’s largest impact investors, including fund managers, banks, foundations, family offices and others surveyed expect to commit 40% to 50% more capital to impact investments in 2014 compared to 2013.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Brazil

100. ANDE Brazil Impact Investing Conference

Author:: Aspen Institute
Publication Date:: 08-2014
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Aspen Institute
Abstract:: ANDE Brazil chapter releases, in partnership with LGT VP, Quintessa Partners and University of St. Gallen, the most recent mapping about the Impact Investment sector in the country. A study conducted with various national and international investors that captures some data about capital and investments on the field as some trends and challenges for the sector evolvement in the country. O polo da ANDE no Brasil lançou, em parceria com LGT VP, Quintessa Partners e Universidade de St. Gallen, o mais recente mapeamento sobre o setor de Investimento de Impacto no país. Um estudo realizado com vários investidores nacionais e internacionais, que capta alguns dados sobre o capital e os investimentos realizados no campo, assim como algumas tendências e desafios para a evolução do setor no país.
Topic:: International Political Economy
Political Geography:: Brazil

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS