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6351. Integration of Immigrants in OECD Countries Do Policies Matter?

Author:
Orsetta Causa and Sébastien Jean
Publication Date:
07-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Abstract:
This working paper assesses the ease of immigrants' integration in OECD labour markets by estimating how an immigration background influences the probability of being active or employed and the expected hourly earnings, for given individual characteristics. Applying the same methodology to comparable data across twelve OECD countries, immigrants are shown to significantly lag behind natives in terms of employment and/or wages. The differences narrow as years since settlement elapse, especially as regards wages, reflecting progressive assimilation. Strong differences in immigrant-to-native gaps are also observed across countries, and the paper shows that they may, to a significant extent, be explained by differences in labour market policies, in particular unemployment benefits, the tax wedge and the minimum wage. In addition, immigrants are shown to be overrepresented among outsiders in the labour market and, as such, highly sensitive to the difference in employment protection legislation between temporary and permanent contracts.
Topic:
Migration, Labor Issues, Immigration, Employment, and Social Services
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6352. Globalisation and Higher Education

Author:
Simon Marginson and Marijk van der Wene
Publication Date:
07-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Abstract:
Economic and cultural globalisation has ushered in a new era in higher education. Higher education was always more internationally open than most sectors because of its immersion in knowledge, which never showed much respect for juridical boundaries. In global knowledge economies, higher education institutions are more important than ever as mediums for a wide range of cross-border relationships and continuous global flows of people, information, knowledge, technologies, products and financial capital. Even as they share in the reinvention of the world around them, higher education institutions, and the policies that produce and support them, are also being reinvented. For the first time in history every research university is part of a single world-wide network and the world leaders in the field have an unprecedented global visibility and power. Research is more internationalised than before and the mobility of doctoral students and faculty has increased. The specifically global element in academic labour markets has gained weight, especially since the advent of global university rankings. This working paper explores the issues for national policy and for individual institutions. Part I provides an overview of globalisation and higher education and the global responses of national systems and individual institutions of higher education. Part II is focused on certain areas of policy with a strong multilateral dimension: Europeanisation, institutional rankings and typologies and cross-border mobility.
Topic:
Education, Globalization, Multilateralism, and Higher Education
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6353. Reducing Risks from Global Imbalances

Author:
Research and Policy Committee of the Committee for Economic Development
Publication Date:
09-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Conference Board
Abstract:
This report traces the evolution of the current large global trade and financial imbalances, examines their sources, and makes recommendations that, if adopted, will help ensure continued growth in the global economy.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance, Economy, Global Political Economy, and Risk
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6354. Adjustment Options and Strategies in the Context of Agricultural Policy Reform and Trade Liberalisation

Author:
Osamu Kubota
Publication Date:
08-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Abstract:
Reforming agricultural policies by reducing distorting support improves economic efficiency as a whole through a better allocation of resources. This implies that adjustment may have adverse effects on some agricultural households and other people engaged in the sector, in particular in the short term. There may also be negative impacts on upstream and downstream sectors and on regional economies that rely on commodities whose prices and production levels fall with reductions in support and protection. Despite pressures to reform to meet multilateral and bilateral trade commitments and to respond to budgetary constraints, these adverse impacts are a major reason why governments find it difficult to make progress in policy reform.
Topic:
Agriculture, Reform, Trade Liberalization, and Trade
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6355. Financing Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in EECCA Countries, including Progress in Achieving Water-Related Millennium Development Goals (MDGS)

Author:
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
Publication Date:
11-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Abstract:
At their meeting in Almaty in October 2000, EECCA Ministers of Environment, Finance, and Economy, Ministers and senior representatives from several OECD countries, as well as senior officials from International Financial Institutions (IFI), International Organisations, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector, recognised the critical condition of the urban water supply and sanitation sector in EECCA and endorsed "Guiding Principles for the Reform of the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in the NIS". Participants requested the EAP Task Force to assess progress in implementing these Guiding Principles for review at a major conference of stakeholders that took place in 2005 in Yerevan, Armenia. This paper is an update of a report that was prepared for the Ministerial meeting in Yerevan, drawing on more recent data, and responds to the Ministers' request to prepare such a paper for the Environment for Europe Conference in 2007.
Topic:
Water, Millennium Development Goals, NGOs, and Sanitation
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6356. Who Failed Whom? Assessing the UN's Human Rights Efforts

Author:
Balakrishnan Rajagopal
Publication Date:
10-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:
Several months ago, during the finalization of the plan to replace the United Nations’ Commission on Human Rights with the new UN Human Rights Council, John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, said with characteristic flourish, “We want a butterfly. We’re not going to put lipstick on a caterpillar and declare it a suc- cess.” Is the new UN Human Rights Council a butterfly or a cater- pillar (with or without lipstick)? Bolton’s pungent remark rests on three underlying assumptions: first, UN reform was urgently needed in the human rights field because its predecessor, the UN Commission on Human Rights, was a failure; second, the cause of failure was the takeover of the Commission by undemocratic and repressive states and the resultant hijacking of the human rights agenda; third, the best way to make the UN effective and legitimate in the human rights field was to restrict the membership of its premier body, i.e., the Council, to a handful of liberal democratic states and have them act as the custodians and enforcers of human rights. Bolton’s critique of the Commission (if not his lan- guage) and his vision to go forward have been shared widely by many academics, policy specialists, and western international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that specialize in human rights advocacy.
Topic:
Human Rights, International Cooperation, United Nations, and NGOs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6357. State-Sponsored Homophobia (2007)

Author:
Daniel Ottosson
Publication Date:
09-2007
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ILGA World (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association)
Abstract:
Every year, ILGA World publishes its State-Sponsored Homophobia report, a world survey of sexual orientation laws. Since its first edition, back in 2006, ILGA World’s State-Sponsored Homophobia has been a fundamental resource for those interested in accessing the core information on legislation affecting people on the basis of their sexual orientation. Not only human rights defenders, but also civil society organisations, governmental and United Nations agencies, allies and media worldwide value the publication as one of the main sources of information on the issue. The publication is accompanied by a series of maps and charts illustrating where criminalisation, protection and recognition laws exist.
Topic:
Human Rights, Law, LGBT+, and Homophobia
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6358. 2007-2008 Guide to Women Leaders in International Affairs

Author:
Women's Foreign Policy Group (WFPG)
Publication Date:
12-2007
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Women's Foreign Policy Group (WFPG)
Abstract:
WFPG's Guide to Women Leaders in International Affairs highlights women shaping foreign policy around the world and the role that they play as leaders, diplomats, and policymakers. The Guide provides an index of prominent women from across the international community, including heads of state and government, government ministers and diplomats, and leaders of international organizations and corporations.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Government, United Nations, Women, Leadership, and NGOs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6359. How to Win the Olympic Games - The Empirics of Key Success Factors of Olympic Bids

Author:
Arne Feddersen and Wolfgang Maennig
Publication Date:
09-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Chair for Economic Policy, University of Hamburg
Abstract:
This paper examines the probability of the success of city bid campaigns on the basis of quantified determinants for a total of 48 bids for the Summer Olympic Games between 1992 and 2012. Using a model comprising the distance of sporting venues from the Olympic Village, local temperatures and unemployment rates, we can correctly predict the decision for 100% of failed bids and 50% of successful bids.
Topic:
Economics, Sports, Olympics, and Bids
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6360. Mega-Sporting Events as Experience Goods

Author:
Malte Heyne, Wolfgang Maennig, and Bernd Suessmuth
Publication Date:
01-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Chair for Economic Policy, University of Hamburg
Abstract:
This paper tests the hypothesis that a nation’s hosting of a mega-sporting event is an experience good for its residents. Applying data from an ex-ante and ex-post query based on contingent valuation methods, we use the Soccer World Cup 2006 as a natural experiment. The significant ex-post increase in valuation is shown to be due to adventitious citizens requiring an involving experience, rather than to an updating of a-prior assessment.
Topic:
Economics, Sports, World Cup, Cotingent Valuation Method, and Experience Goods
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6361. Arenas vs. Multifunctional Stadia – Which Do Spectators Prefer?

Author:
Arne Feddersen and Wolfgang Maennig
Publication Date:
09-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Chair for Economic Policy, University of Hamburg
Abstract:
Large sports stadia construction follows two different general concepts: (1) Mono-functional arenas which are specially suited for one sport exclusively and which are characterised by the absence of an athletic track. (2) Multifunctional sports stadia which can be used for different sporting or cultural events. Officials of clubs often argue that the atmosphere in an arena is significantly better than that of a multipurpose facility and that spectators prefer such an atmosphere. Estimated panel regressions with fixed effects show a significant positive effect of a mono-functional soccer stadium on spectator demand. Controlling for other demand determinants in the German professional soccer league, Bundesliga, an isolated effect of around 4,800 additional spectators a game can be found. This translates into a substantial increase of about 18.7% against the mean value of 25,602 spectators per Bundesliga game.
Topic:
Economics, Sports, Soccer, and Stadiums
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6362. The UN Security Council’s Response to Terrorism: Before and After September 11, 2001

Author:
Hilde Haaland Kramer and Steve A. Yetiv
Publication Date:
09-2007
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Political Science Quarterly
Institution:
Academy of Political Science
Abstract:
HILDE HAALAND KRAMER and STEVE A. YETIV argue that the UN Security Council’s response to global terrorism has been more forceful and comprehensive since September 11 and that it has broken some new ground. The authors posit that although the UN remains controversial in the United States, Washington benefited from its response to September 11, as imperfect as it was.
Topic:
Terrorism, United Nations, 9/11, and UN Security Council
Political Geography:
Global Focus and United States of America

6363. The Case Against a Dollar Policy

Author:
Samuel Brittan
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
Milton Friedman’s classic “The Case for Flexible Exchange Rates” was published in 1953, but its inception dates back to 1950 when the author was a consultant to the U.S. Economic Cooperation Administration that was responsible for implementing the Marshall Plan. At that time, it was taken for granted that the Western nations were committed to a system of fixed exchange rates, except for periodic adjustments to new parities. Little did he know that in 1952 the British Treasury had proposed—in a very pessimistic vein and as a result of gloomy and wrongheaded forebodings—that sterling should move to a floating rate. The plan, known as “Robot,” was defeated in the British Cabinet. The country had to wait until 1972 to move to floating and another 20 years—after it was forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism—to learn how to operate economic policy under such a system. Internationally the big shift to floating dates to the early 1970s, between President Nixon’s suspension of gold convertibility in 1971 and the collapse of the Smithsonian attempt to rebuild a fixed exchange rate system in 1973. The fixed rate system broke down because of the inherent tensions between the goals of free multilateral trade, national freedom to determine monetary policy, and fixed exchange rates. It is fortunate that a fixed exchange rate regime was the element that gave way in the end. The main force for change was as usual the pressure of events. Insofar as there was an intellectual influence it was the coming together of a coalition of “sound money” economists who wanted to be free to run stable domestic policies and “expansionists” who wanted to experiment with a more rapid increase in domestic nominal demand.
Topic:
Economics, Exchange Rate Policy, Currency, and Exchange Rates
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6364. The Unsustainability of the US Twin Deficits

Author:
Nouriel Roubini
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
Global current account imbalances are increasing rather than decreasing. The U.S. current account deficit was about $665 billion in 2004 and rose to $791 billion (around 6.5 percent of GDP) in 2005, and it is likely to grow to more than $950 billion in 2006 and well above $1 trillion in 2007. Most other regions of the world—with the exception of Central Europe—are now running a current account surplus. Thus, with the exception of a few countries—Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Spain, Britain, and some Central European countries—most of the world is running a current account surplus and financing the U.S. current account deficits. Moreover, unlike some of these other countries running current account deficits, the United States is also running a large budget deficit that is growing— after a drop in 2005—at rates that are worrisome. Thus, the United States appears to be experiencing a twin fiscal and current account deficit whose medium- to long-term sustainability is doubtful. The stability of this global current account disequilibrium is widely debated. According to some (Dooley, Folkerts-Landau, and Garber 2004, 2005), we are in a new Bretton Woods 2 (BW2) regime where Asia and most of the emerging world is now actively pegging its currencies to the U.S. dollar and thus following a mercantilist policy of undervalued currencies that lead to export-led growth. The resulting current account surpluses lead to an accumulation of official foreign exchange reserves that imply a cheap financing of the U.S. current account deficit. According to the supporters of the BW2 view, this is a stable disequilibrium that could last for a decade or two. In fact, this BW2 regime and the growing global imbalances are unsustainable and bound to unravel in the next couple of years. The U.S. current account deficits—bound to rise above 7–8 percent of GDP in 2006–07—imply an accumulation of foreign liabilities that will lead the U.S. net foreign debt to grow from the 25 percent of GDP level of 2004 to over 50 percent by 2010. Thus, the issue is whether foreign investors—both private and public—will be willing to accumulate U.S. assets at the net rate of $800 billion to $1,000 billion a year for the foreseeable future. Those who believe in the sustainability of such trends point to the strength of the U.S. dollar in 2005 and to the low levels of U.S. long-term interest rates—the so-called bond market conundrum. They also argue that global imbalances are not due to the U.S. fiscal deficits but, rather, to other phenomena such as a global savings glut or foreigners’ desire to accumulate U.S. assets (the “capital account surplus” interpretation of the current account deficit in the Council of Economic Advisers 2006 Economic Report of the President). However, a careful analysis of the data refutes the complacency of financial markets and the revisionist interpretations of the U.S. external deficit.
Topic:
Economy, Fiscal Policy, Deficit, and Bonds
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6365. Will Emerging Markets Escape the Next Big Systemic Financial Crisis?

Author:
Kenneth Rogoff
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
For the past four centuries, emerging market debt crises have broken out like clockwork. In the early period, it was the European countries—the emerging markets of that era—that did the defaulting, with France reneging on its external debt eight times and Spain, the all-time record holder, 13 times (see Reinhart, Rogoff, and Savastano 2003). Over the last two centuries, it is today’s emerging markets, with countries like Brazil and Mexico having defaulted eight times, and Turkey six times. Venezuela leads them all with nine defaults. Defaults were relatively unknown in Asia until the 1990s, though in large part because most of these countries had been too poor until recently to become major borrowers on the world scene. Another factor, of course, is that they have achieved independence only this century. Today, the world seems very different, with credit risk premia on emerging market debt near record lows, and most countries in a position to borrow liberally on international capital markets. Indeed, the idea that emerging market countries cannot borrow in their own currency, which Eichenbaum and Hausman (2002) term “original sin,” seems like a distant memory, with many governments having issued large pools of internal market-based debt, with foreigners freely entering these markets. Even countries like Brazil, which has experienced two hyperinflations in the past 20 years, have succeeded in issuing domestic currency bonds sold directly to international investors. Now some people are even asking if European countries like Italy may soon face higher spreads than today’s emerging markets. Has the world been turned upside down? In this article, I will consider some rather sharply opposing perspectives on the admittedly complex current situation.
Topic:
Debt, Emerging Markets, and Financial Crisis
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6366. The U.S. Dollar and Prosperity: Accidents Waiting to Happen

Author:
Reuver Brenner
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
Development in the rest of the world depends on the United States because America continues to be the engine of the world economy and the U.S. dollar is the main reserve currency. In this article, I examine the prospects of America remaining an economic superpower and the dollar maintaining its status as a reserve currency. I also show that unless the United States succeeds financial markets and development around the world will suffer. During the last decade, the U.S. dollar has experienced wide fluctuations. The dollar’s real effective exchange rate relative to the seven major currencies varied from about 80 in 1995 to 120 in 2001, and back to 90 in 2005 (BIS 2005: 91). The dollar was up roughly 30 percent relative to commodity prices between 1997 and 2001. Then, between 2002 and the end of 2004, the dollar fell by about 30 percent relative to gold and commodities. During the first 10 months of 2005, all hard currencies (except the Canadian and Australian dollar) were down by another 15 percent relative to gold. Nevertheless, the bond market still expects a stable dollar over the long haul, as reflected in long-term interest rates. The relative stability of the long-term interest rates offers comfort because the world depends on a predictable value of the dollar. The havoc its demise as reserve currency would provoke is hardly imaginable. The significant upward movement in the U.S. dollar during the late 1990s brought financial, political, and social havoc in countries that either pegged their currencies to the dollar or had currency boards, Argentina’s case being the most prominent. Later, the decline in the dollar between 2002 and 2004 has brought about much antagonism in trade relations around the world and cries for protectionism. Even with the dollar’s volatility around a downward trend since 2002, the euro did not displace the U.S. dollar as the world’s main reserve currency—and will not do so unless drastic events happen, which I do not foresee.1 One such drastic event would be an utter mismanagement of the U.S. dollar. Another would be the European Central Bank (ECB) announcing that it was moving toward targeting the price of gold to manage the euro. The ECB would then become a supranational monetary institution independent of all political pressures. Anchoring the euro to the price of gold would reflect changes in global demands for euro liquidity, functioning as a reserve currency. The reason I do not expect the euro to replace the U.S. dollar as the main reserve currency, unless either of these two events happens, is that the euro is the very first paper currency not backed either by a strong government or by gold. It is a unique experiment. For the euro to become a reserve currency, the eurozone would have to run persistent trade deficits, allowing surplus countries to build up their euro reserves. To achieve that outcome, however, the eurozone countries would have to radically reform their fiscal and regulatory policies, to encourage far more domestic entrepreneurship and consumption than they presently do. This scenario does not seem to be in the cards. Indeed, as Europe’s population gets older, meaningful reform becomes less likely, and I do not see any chance for a strong European government to emerge and tackle the situation. Aging baby boomers, who dominate Europe’s voters, prefer the status quo. In sum, the chances of the euro becoming a serious alternative to the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency are slim, or nonexistent. The Federal Reserve would have to seriously mishandle monetary affairs for this to happen.
Topic:
Currency, Economic Development, and Dollar
Political Geography:
Global Focus and United States of America

6367. Sound Monetary Policy, Credibility, and Economic Performance

Author:
Mickey Levy
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
History is a constant reminder that sustainable healthy economic development requires sound and credible monetary policy. This is true of all nations, industrial and developing. Frequently, economic policy conferences focus on issues that elicit tirades about how everything is going wrong and radical reform is required. But recent trends in the conduct of global monetary policies have been highly favorable, helping to generate dramatic improvement in international inflation and economic performance. My focus in this article is on the key foundations for sound and credible monetary policy, the plusses and minuses of when simple principles are followed or violated, and suggestions for maintaining recent favorable trends. The bottom line is that well-understood principles—such as zero inflation and the importance of maintaining inflation-fighting credibility, transparency, central bank independence, reliance on market-based mechanisms to address undesired imbalances—apply to both developing and industrialized nations, and must be pursued independently of fiscal and regulatory policies. If such independence is impossible—primarily because of the lack of independence between the monetary authorities and the treasury—other institutional arrangements are required to ensure monetary soundness and credibility. A generation ago, around 1980, the circumstances and perceptions about central banks and monetary policy were far different than now. Inflation was very high and economic and financial market performance was poor in industrialized and developing nations alike. Central banks lacked credibility and inflationary expectations were high and volatile. Budget deficits were high and rising, and projections of soaring government debt-to-GDP ratios dominated the fiscal debate. The projected unsustainable rises in debt-to-GDP and the associated “unpleasant monetarist arithmetic” that pointed to eventual debt monetization suggested that monetary policy ultimately may be hostage to irresponsible fiscal policy. On top of the undesirable macroeconomic trends of the day, this perception undercut the implied independence and credibility of the monetary authorities. The potential for improvement seemed remote. Other aspects of monetary policy were also distinctly different, and weighed heavily on central bank credibility. Many monetary authorities— including the U.S. Federal Reserve—either did not have sound objectives that included zero inflation, did not articulate them effectively, or were not credible. Central bank opacity of policies and actions was the rule, as it long had been, with market participants and the public purposely left in the dark. Some misunderstood the rational expectations school to imply that policy surprises, theoretically necessary in order to affect real activity, were somehow desirable. In fact, the key implication, as Milton Friedman, Robert Lucas, and others were early to recognize, is that fine-tuning in order to achieve multiple objectives is ultimately counterproductive. It has not been a smooth ride by any means—there have been supply shocks, several “crises,” including financial upheavals in Mexico and other Latin American nations, the Russian default and Asian tumult of 1997, Long-Term Capital Management in 1998, and the stock market bubble of 1999–2000—but the conduct of monetary policy globally has been significantly transformed for the better, and macroeconomic performance has improved accordingly. By and large, most leading central banks now pursue low inflation objectives and have gained significant credibility. Importantly, most know that this hard-won credibility cannot be taken for granted and must be maintained through adherence to sound principles.
Topic:
Markets, Monetary Policy, Economic Policy, and Credibility
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6368. Monetary Credibility, Inflation, and Economic Growth

Author:
Roger W. Ferguson Jr.
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
By now it must be universally agreed that low and stable inflation is a primary and essential goal for monetary policy, in large part because we believe it brings stability to financial systems and fosters sustainable economic growth over the longer run. In pursuit of this goal, central banks can report some success. According to the 2005 World Economic Outlook from the International Monetary Fund (IMF 2005), consumer price inflation in the advanced economies over the decade beginning in 1997 looks set to come in at an average annual rate of less than 2 percent, down from 3.5 percent for the previous 10 years. The IMF figures for the United States show a smaller but still substantial decline in headline inflation, from about 3.75 percent to 2.5 percent. The drop in inflation for the nonindustrial economies has been more striking, with average inflation falling from double to single digits.1 As someone who started work as a monetary policymaker in 1997, I am happy to acknowledge the accomplishments of many policymakers at the Federal Reserve and in other central banks around the world. Thanks to their success in fighting inflation, the central banking profession enjoys a very high standing. And as a related matter, we might say that monetary credibility, which I would define as the perception in the private sector that central banks will do what it takes to keep inflation under control, is also quite high. This credibility is hard won, however, and can be easily lost. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) at its November 1, 2005, meeting increased the federal funds rate 25 basis points, to 4 percent, and observed: The cumulative rise in energy and other costs has the potential to add to inflation pressures; however, core inflation has been relatively low in recent months and longer-term inflation expectations remain contained. . . . With underlying inflation expected to be contained, the Committee believes that policy accommodation can be removed at a pace that is likely to be measured. Nonetheless, the Committee will respond to changes in economic prospects as needed to fulfill its obligation to maintain price stability [FOMC 2005]. Unfortunately, however, the story over the past 20 years is not so uniformly positive for growth. Again according to IMF figures, growth among the nonindustrial economies appears to have increased to about 5.25 percent in the decade beginning in 1997, compared with growth of 3.75 percent in the previous 10 years. Growth in the United States has also moved slightly higher over the two periods, from 3 percent to 3.25 percent. However, growth in the other industrial economies has softened, to less than 2.5 percent in the recent decade from more than 3 percent in the previous one. This decline reflects slowing in some of the larger economies—Japan, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands—as well as the effect of the Asian crisis in 1997 on newly industrialized Asian economies.2 To me, it is axiomatic that monetary credibility, by reducing the level and variability of inflation, lays the foundations for stronger and more sustained economic growth. In this article, I want to discuss anecdotal and academic evidence for the relationship between monetary policy credibility and economic growth and to do so in two segments: first, the link between monetary policy credibility and inflation performance and, second, the link
Topic:
Monetary Policy, Economic Growth, Inflation, IMF, and Credibility
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6369. Building Better Institutions

Author:
Rodrigo de Rato
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
It is a pleasure to be here today at the Cato Institute. I know that Cato believes in competition. Perhaps it is this spirit of competition that led you to schedule today’s conference to coincide with the International Monetary Fund’s research conference and steal the IMF’s managing director and its current and past directors of research as participants. But while you have missed out on our research conference you will not miss out on our research: my talk today is based to a large extent on the findings of our latest World Economic Outlook, which conveniently has the theme “Building Institutions” [IMF 2005a]. My remarks address three questions. First, what have we learned about the importance of institutions in promoting economic development? Second, how we can accelerate the transition to better institutions? And, third, what reforms of international organizations, the IMF in particular, are needed to help this transition?
Topic:
Economics, International Organization, Reform, Economic Development, and Financial Institutions
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6370. Analysis of International Patent Protection and Global Public Health

Author:
Victoria E. Hopkins
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA)
Institution:
School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Princeton University
Abstract:
The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), governed by the World Trade Organization, provides for stringent patent protection in the name of intellectual property rights. This international agreement has elicited public health concerns in developing countries, worried that they will be unable to access essential medicines as a result of increasing patented drug costs. This paper confi rms legitimate attempts to promote global public health and, more specifi cally, ready access to medicines through ‘fl exibilities’ including compulsory licensing and parallel importation, outlined in TRIPS, and reaffi rmed in the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. However, it is determined that, in practice, barriers exist which erode or have the potential to erode the implementation of these fl exibilities in developing countries. These include a lack of local production capabilities and technological know-how, lack of economies of scale, needed legislative reform, and pressure from TRIPS-plus bi-lateral and regional agreements. Policy recommendations highlight the need for developing countries to cooperate on regional levels, developed countries to focus foreign aid strategies on building capacity, and for non-state institutions to create more proactive policies to assist implementation and information sharing amongst developing countries.
Topic:
Treaties and Agreements, Intellectual Property/Copyright, Trade, Public Health, and Patents
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6371. Looking for Facts in the GATS Attack: Impacts on Social Service Sovereignty

Author:
Katherine Walraven
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA)
Institution:
School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Princeton University
Abstract:
This paper investigates the implications of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) for members’ regulatory sovereignty over social services. It presents the moderate view that, while some of the outcomes envisioned by those opposed to the agreement are unlikely, they are not impossible and there is therefore some cause for concern. Legal ambiguities and gaps in the GATS undermine how both civil society and World Trade Organization (WTO) members perceive it, limiting its credibility and future scope. The essay concludes with recommendations aimed at improving the reliability and credibility of the agreement in order to increase the degree of trade occurring under its purview.
Topic:
Sovereignty, Trade, Social Services, and WTO
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6372. Mother and Child: A Multi-Determinant Model for Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Urban, Low-Income Communities and the Effectiveness of Prenatal Care and Other Interventions

Author:
Matthew W. Wolfe
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA)
Institution:
School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Princeton University
Abstract:
Research examining the outcomes of prenatal care has largely been restricted to medical interventions. Focusing on low-income women in urban communities, this paper fi rst describes a broadened set of expectations of prenatal care and other interventions. It proposes a more holistic framework for analyzing policy choices by examining the numerous determinants that affect maternal and child health outcomes. Then, it examines policy options through these determinants.
Topic:
Health, Children, Cities, Parenting, and Pregnancy
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6373. Turning Pirates Into Proprietors: How and Why to Make Software Intellectual Property Work in Developing Countries

Author:
Steven Yarger
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA)
Institution:
School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Princeton University
Abstract:
Intellectual property (IP) assets are of paramount importance in the developed world. Yet the regulations used to protect these assets artifi cially limit their application in developing countries that could benefi t from the ideas these assets utilize. In the software industry, and because of distinct characteristics of software IP, this paper offers a solution that shares the value of these assets among various parties to improve outcomes for all. Through a partnership between local government and software IP owners, the labor enhancing benefi ts of software can be spread throughout the developing world legally and effi ciently
Topic:
Development, Intellectual Property/Copyright, Regulation, and Software
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6374. On the Influence of World Religions on International Trade

Author:
Matthias Helble
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA)
Institution:
School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Princeton University
Abstract:
As the world economy is integrating, trade between countries is growing rapidly. The exchange of goods not only has an economic, but also a cultural dimension. This paper investigates the possible ways that religion infl uences international trade patterns. It studies the view of the fi ve world religions, namely Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, on economic activity, and trade in particular. Analyzing empirically trade fl ows between 151 countries, the paper fi nds an impact of religion on trade. Furthermore, the results indicate that religious openness boosts trade performance of countries. Given these results, the paper derives several policy recommendations.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance, Religion, Culture, and Economy
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6375. Creating a Policy Environment for Entrepreneurs

Author:
Thomas A. Garrett and Howard J. Wall
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
Entrepreneurship is often viewed as a catalyst for economic growth. Through innovation, hard work, and a willingness to accept financial risk, the entrepreneur takes advantage of previously undiscovered opportunities for arbitrage and profit (Kirzner 1997).1 This quest for profit, and the possibility of personal and financial failure, aid in ensuring that an economy’s resources are used efficiently. Successful entrepreneurs provide employment opportunities to others, generate innovation, spur economic growth, and contribute to state and local governments in the form of tax revenue (Gwartney, Holcombe, and Lawson 2004; Kreft and Sobel 2005). Because of this perception of the benefits generated by entrepreneurship, a large literature has focused on the factors that influence the decision of an individual to become an entrepreneur and the conditions under which entrepreneurship prospers.
Topic:
Finance, Entrepreneurship, Economic Growth, and Risk
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6376. Economic Freedom and Development: New Calculations and Interpretations

Author:
Erich Weede
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
For some time there has been a debate about the effect of economic freedom on economic growth and development (Beach and Davis 1999: 10; de Haan and Siermann 1998; de Haan and Sturm 2000; Edwards 1998; Goldsmith 1997; Gwartney, Lawson, and Block 1996: 109; Knack and Keefer 1995; Pitlik 2002; Scully 1992; Torstensson 1994; Weede and Kämpf 2002). Although there is wide agreement about the stylized fact that economically free societies are richer than other societies, there is less agreement about the impact of economic freedom on growth rates. Some writers contend that the level of economic freedom affects growth, whereas others, in particular de Haan and his associates, dispute the robustness of this claim and find only a relationship between improvements in economic freedom and growth. The most recently published research on the effects of economic freedom on growth (Gwartney and Lawson 2004; Gwartney, Holcombe, and Lawson 2006) reaffirms that there are strong and beneficial effects of the level of economic freedom and of its improvement on growth rates. Looking at the published literature as well as at the work in progress by one of my doctoral students (Liu 2007), my impression is that there are two ways to strengthen the effects of the level of economic freedom on growth: first, choose a longer rather than shorter period of growth observation; second, and more important, use an average measure of the level of economic freedom rather than a single time point measure of economic freedom that refers only to the first year of growth observation. If one compares, say, de Haan and Sturm’s (2000) study with Gwartney, Holcombe, and Lawson’s (2006), then one finds that the former study uses a somewhat shorter period of growth observation, but both of them use the level of economic freedom at the beginning of the growth period to be explained.1 Whereas de Haan and Sturm (2000) find no significant and robust effect of the level of economic freedom on growth, Gwartney, Holcombe, and Lawson (2006) arrive at the opposite conclusion: The level of economic freedom does promote growth.2
Topic:
Economy, Economic Growth, Economic Development, and Freedom
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6377. Regulation, Investment, and Growth across Countries

Author:
John W. Dawson
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
Numerous studies have explored the relationship between economic freedom and long-run economic growth across countries.1 One particular aspect of economic freedom that has received relatively little attention in the empirical growth literature, however, is the extent of government regulation. Determining the impact of regulation on cross-country economic performance has been virtually impossible because of the inherent difficulties in measuring the scope of regulation across countries. While a few studies investigate various aspects of specific regulations, none are able to assess the importance of a comprehensive measure of regulation on long-run economic performance in a large sample of countries.
Topic:
Regulation, Economic Growth, and Investment
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6378. The Case for Market‐​Based Regulation

Author:
Gerald P. O'Driscoll Jr.
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
In this article, we reconsider the rationale for government regulation of markets. We begin by identifying markets as governed not only by prices but also by evolved institutions, rules, and standards. We then analyze how this complex order regulates human behavior, discuss the case for adding a layer of government regulation to the market’s own regulatory system, and present a number of case studies to clarify the issues. Our focus is not on the familiar public choice criticism of government regulation—namely, that regulation is more about the pursuit of economic rents than protecting the so-called public interest. While that criticism is correct and we make reference to it where appropriate, the thrust of our argument is that market self-regulation is often superior to government regulation, which frequently is a solution in search of a problem.
Topic:
Government, Markets, Regulation, and Economy
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6379. Science, Public Policy, and Global Warming: Rethinking the Market‐​Liberal Position

Author:
Edwin G. Dolan
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Cato Journal
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
A survey of market-liberal or libertarian publications and websites finds a large and growing literature on the issue of global warming. Almost without exception, this literature conveys a comforting message: Our planet is in good health. The markets that regulate resource use are working well. The only real dangers come from ill-considered policy initiatives that, if implemented, would do more harm than good. It would seem that the message is well received by its audience—it is repeated, embellished, and applauded with little variation. In this article, I take a contrarian position, not so much with respect to the science of climate change as with respect to the arguments used by market liberals in support of their message of comfort and complacency. One problem area concerns the proper use of scientific evidence in reaching conclusions regarding public policy. It seems to me that market liberals are often reckless in the degree of certainty they professes regarding climatological hypotheses that are, in fact, still controversial and in early stages of development. A second problem concerns the use of cost-benefit analysis. Market-liberal writers are prone to make cost-benefit arguments regarding climate policy that they would never accept in other contexts. Third, the literature on global warming is often weakly rooted, if rooted at all, in the core principles of classical liberalism from which modern market liberalism has evolved. Instead, it is, for the most part, indistinguishable from what is said by conservatives. It might even be said that there is no market-liberal position on this issue—only an echo of arguments made by Republican patriots and the carbon lobby. In short, the whole issue of global warming policy, as viewed by market liberals, needs to be revisited. This can best be done by going back to some of the classical liberal sources, particularly Friedrich Hayek and John Locke, from which modern market-liberal thought is derived.
Topic:
Climate Change, Markets, Science and Technology, Public Policy, and Libertarianism
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6380. Liquidity Shocks and the Dollarization of a Banking System

Author:
Carlos Gustavo Machicado
Publication Date:
09-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for Advanced Development Studies (INESAD)
Abstract:
This paper shows how uncertainty about liquidity demand can lead to a high degree of dollarization in the banking system. I study a model where the demand for currency in each period is random, and where it is easier for banks to borrow in local currency in times of crisis than in dollars. Banks choose a portfolio composed of local currency, dollars, and real loans. Compared to the anticipated transactions demand for each currency, I show that the bank will hold a relatively large amount of dollars and a relatively small amount of local currency. I also show the existence of a dollarization multiplier : as the anticipated transactions demand for dollars increases, the dollarization of the banking sector increases more than proportionately
Topic:
Banking, Banking Crisis, Liquidity, and Dollarization
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6381. Welfare Gains from Optimal Policies in a Partially Dollarized Economy

Author:
Carlos Gustavo Machicado
Publication Date:
09-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for Advanced Development Studies (INESAD)
Abstract:
This paper evaluates welfare under optimal monetary and fiscal policy in a dynamic stochastic model of currency substitution and capital. It shows that in a partially dollarized economy, the main optimal policy results, i.e. the Friedman Rule and the zero capital tax, hold. Welfare implications of these optimal policies are computed for the Bolivian economy using a second-order approximation technique. The primary conclusions are that the welfare gains under optimal monetary policy are negligible. The welfare gains when optimal fiscal policy is considered alone or in conjunction with optimal monetary policy are sizable and come from the increase in real variables and also by the increase in real balances in local currency. Thus, welfare gains are negatively related to dollarization.
Topic:
Economics, Monetary Policy, Fiscal Policy, Welfare, and Dollarization
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6382. Inequality and Suicide Rates: A Cross-Country Study

Author:
Antonio Rodríguez Andrés
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for Advanced Development Studies (INESAD)
Abstract:
This paper tests whether economic inequality is related to suicide mortality. Using an unbalanced panel of 40 countries for the period 1947-2001 allows us to control for the effect of unobserved factors that may have an impact on suicide rates. Our results indicate that there is a statistically insignificant positive effect of inequality on the incidence of suicide. The latter result seems to be robust to a number of specification issues explored in a sensitivity analysis. Our results also suggest that female labour participation has a significant positive effect on the total (males and female) suicide rates, supporting the sociological argument that the role conflict dominates more than the role expansion. Contrary to the total and male suicide rates findings, the fertility rate matters in explaining female suicide rates. Finally, in contrast to previous studies, suicide rates were not sensitive to income levels, divorce rates and alcohol consumption.
Topic:
Economics, Inequality, Public Health, Data, and Suicide
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6383. When Does Domestic Saving Matter for Economic Growth?

Author:
Philippe Aghion, Diego Comin, and Peter Howitt
Publication Date:
08-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
Can a country grow faster by saving more? We address this question both theoretically and empirically. In our model, growth results from innovations that allow local sectors to catch up with the frontier technology. In relatively poor countries, catching up with the frontier requires the involvement of a foreign investor, who is familiar with the frontier technology, together with effort on the part of a local bank, who can directly monitor local projects to which the technology must be adapted. In such a country, local saving matters for innovation, and therefore growth, because it allows the domestic bank to cofinance projects and thus to attract foreign investment. But in countries close to the frontier, local firms are familiar with the frontier technology, and therefore do not need to attract foreign investment to undertake an innovation project, so local saving does not matter for growth. In our empirical exploration we show that lagged savings is significantly associated with productivity growth for poor but not for rich countries. This effect operates entirely through TFP rather than through capital accumulation. Further, we show that savings is significantly associated with higher levels of FDI inflows and equipment imports and that the effect that these have on growth is significantly larger for poor countries than rich.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Foreign Direct Investment, Economic Growth, Investment, and Savings
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6384. Why Doesn’t Capital Flow from Rich to Poor Countries? An Empirical Investigation

Author:
Laura Alfaro, Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan, and Vadym Volosovych
Publication Date:
04-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
We examine the empirical role of different explanations for the lack of flows of capital from rich to poor countries—the “Lucas Paradox.” The theoretical explanations include differences in fundamentals across countries and capital market imperfections. We show that during 1970-2000 low institutional quality is the leading explanation for the lack of capital flows. For example, improving Peru’s institutional quality to Australia’s level, implies a quadrupling of foreign investment. Recent studies emphasize the role of institutions for achieving higher levels of income but remain silent on the specific mechanisms. Our results indicate that foreign investment might be a channel through which institutions affect long-run development.
Topic:
Economics, Markets, Capital Flows, Investment, and Institutions
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6385. Capital Flows and Capital Goods

Author:
Laura Alfaro and Eliza Hammel
Publication Date:
03-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:
We examine one of the channels through which international financial integration can help promote growth. We study the relation between equity market liberalization and imports of capital goods. For the period 1980-1997, we find that, after controlling for other macroeconomic policies and fundamentals, stock market liberalization is associated with a significant increase in the share and variety of imports of machinery and equipment. We hypothesize this can be attributed to the consequences of financial integration, which allows access to foreign capital, and provide evidence consistent with this channel. Hence, we find that increased access to international capital allows countries to enjoy the benefits embodied in international capital goods.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Trade Liberalization, Imports, Capital, and Stock Markets
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6386. Who Adjusts and When? On the Political Economy of Reforms

Author:
Alberto Alesina, Silvia Ardagna, and Francesco Trebbi
Publication Date:
02-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
Why do countries delay stabilizations of large and increasing budget deficits and inflation? And what explains the timing of reforms? We use the war of attrition model as a guidance for our empirical study on a vast sample of countries. We find that stabilizations are more likely to occur when time of crisis occur, at the beginning of term of office of a new government, in countries with "strong" governments, (i.e. presidential systems and unified governments with a large majority of the party in office), and when the executive faces less constraints. The role of external inducements like IMF programs has at best a weak effect, but problem of reverse causality are possible.
Topic:
Political Economy, Reform, Budget, Inflation, IMF, and Stabilization
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6387. Why is Fiscal Policy Often Procyclical?

Author:
Alberto Alesina and Guido Tabellini
Publication Date:
02-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
Fiscal policy is procyclical in many countries, and especially in developing ones. We explain this policy failure with a political agency problem. Procyclicality is driven by voters who seek to "starve the Leviathan" to reduce political rents. Voters observe the state of the economy but not the rents appropriated by corrupt governments. When they observe a boom, voters optimally demand more public goods or fewer taxes, and this induces a procyclical bias in fiscal policy. The empirical evidence is consistent with this explanation: procyclicality of fiscal policy is more pronounced in more corrupt democracies.
Topic:
Corruption, Democracy, Economy, Fiscal Policy, and Voting
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6388. Cyclical Budgetary Policy and Economic Growth: What Do We Learn from OECD Panel Data?

Author:
Philippe Aghion and Ioana Marinescu
Publication Date:
06-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
This paper uses yearly panel data on OECD countries to analyze the relationship between growth and the cyclicality of government debt. We develop new time-varying estimates of the cyclicality of public debt. Our main findings can be summarized as follows: (i) less procyclical public debt growth can have significantly positive effects on productivity growth, in particular when financial development is lower; (ii) public debt growth has become increasingly countercyclical in most OECD countries over the past twenty years, but this trend has been less pronounced in the EMU; (iii) less financially developed or more open economies display less countercyclical public debt growth.
Topic:
Budget, Economic Growth, Macroeconomics, Data, Public Debt, and OECD
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6389. Traders, Teachers, and Tyrants: Democracy, Globalization, and Public Investment in Education

Author:
Ben Ansell
Publication Date:
01-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
The globalization debate has largely been fought between those who prophesize a “race to the bottom” in government expenditure and those who foresee continued divergence, with some states better shielded from global economic volatility. However, over the past few decades there has, in fact, been “upward convergence” in the percentage of national income governments devote to public education, albeit amidst considerable crossnational variance. This phenomenon has an enormous distributional impact, yet it has been largely neglected by political scientists. What explains this tremendous shift? This paper argues that two forces in particular shape the aggregate pattern of human capital expenditure: the level of democracy and the level of openness of any given state. By developing a model of the political economy of education investment, and testing its implications over a dataset of 115 countries from 1960 to 2002, this paper provides a first cut at explaining this critical issue.
Topic:
Globalization, Political Economy, Democracy, Trade, and Public Investment
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6390. Sovereign Debt: Indexation and Maturity

Author:
Laura Alfaro and Fabio Kanczuk
Publication Date:
04-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
In this paper we review the literature on sovereign debt with particular emphasis on indexation and maturity and the main policy proposals related to these topics. We also advance some implications derived from our work. In Alfaro and Kanczuk (2005a, b, c), we modeled sovereign debt as a contingent claim following the framework developed by Grossman and Van Huyck (1988). Our framework, however, recognizes that contingent debt might be associated with incentive problems. Applying this framework to the study of the sustainability of sovereign debt, the tradeoff between nominal and indexed debt, and the optimal debt maturity, we find some of the proposals advanced in the literature regarding lengthening debt maturity and issuing nominal debt to be unsustainable in emerging (volatile) economies.
Topic:
Economics, International Affairs, Volatility, Sovereign Debt, and Emerging Economies
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6391. Social Cohesion, Institutions

Author:
William Easterly, Michael Woolcock, and Jozef Ritzen
Publication Date:
08-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Abstract:
We present evidence that measures of “social cohesion,” such as income inequality and ethnic fractionalization, endogenously determine institutional quality, which in turn casually determines growth.
Topic:
Civil Society, Development, Government, and Poverty
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6392. Security Matters

Author:
Centre for European Security Studies
Publication Date:
01-2006
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Centre for European Security Studies
Abstract:
In the Starlink programme, sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CESS is developing training courses on democratic governance in the security sector. These are tried out in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and come in three types. One focuses on the defence sector, another on law enforcement, and the third on intelligence
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6393. Why Do Islamist Groups Become Transnational and Violent?

Author:
Quinn Mecham
Publication Date:
08-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:
Since al-Qaeda’s rise to prominence as the most commonly rec- ognized Islamist group worldwide, Islamist movements are increasingly viewed as violent, transnational organizations. Most Islamist groups, however, are actually non-violent and focused on the domestic audience of their home countries. They can become both violent and transnational as their domestic contexts and incentives change, however. The reasons that Islamist movements move from non-violence to violence, and from national to transna- tional strategies, have far-reaching implications for the way we deal with Islamist groups and are critical for policymakers to under- stand.
Topic:
Terrorism, Violent Extremism, Al Qaeda, transnationalism, and Militant Islam
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6394. Deterring Cyber War: A U.S.-Led Cybersecurity Summit

Author:
Andy Johnson and Kyle Spector
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Third Way
Abstract:
Every day, U.S. military and civilian networks are probed thousands of times for cyber weaknesses. As a result of the mounting threat, there is a growing consensus that international action is required to reduce the threat of cyber war. The U.S. should take the lead in deterring cyber war by hosting a cybersecurity summit—a key first step to building an international cyber accord
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Diplomacy, International Cooperation, and Cybersecurity
Political Geography:
United States, North America, and Global Focus

6395. Public-Private Partnerships for Development: A Handbook for Business

Author:
Suezan C. Lee
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Conference Board
Abstract:
CED partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on this handbook, published in 2006, which is designed to help businesses operating in developing countries understand how to build public-private partnerships that will benefit their host country populations and the participating firms.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance, Partnerships, Business, Public Sector, Economic Development, and Private Sector
Political Geography:
Global Focus and United States of America

6396. Reducing Global Poverty: Encouraging Private Investment in Infrastructure

Author:
Research and Policy Committee of the Committee for Economic Development
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Conference Board
Abstract:
This paper builds on some of the findings and recommendations of the 2002 CED policy statement, A Shared Future: Reducing Global Poverty, which broadly examined the phenomenon known as globalization and offered a blueprint for how best to harness economic integration and political cooperation between developed and developing countries towards enhancing economic growth and combating global poverty. Encouraging Private Investment in Infrastructure evaluates various options for public-private partnerships and provides brief analyses of several successful projects in order to identify best practices.
Topic:
Globalization, Poverty, Infrastructure, and Investment
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6397. Stealing Al Qa’ida’s Playbook

Author:
Jarret Brachman and William McCants
Publication Date:
02-2006
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
Abstract:
The key to defeating the jihadi movement is identifying its strengths and weaknesses so that the former may be countered or co-opted and the latter exploited. In this article, we argue that the people who know these strengths and weaknesses best are the jihadis themselves; one just needs to know where (and how) to look for their insights. Jihadi leaders are surprisingly frank when discussing the vulnerabilities of their movement and their strategies for toppling local regimes and undermining the United States. Their candor is, in large part, a consequence of struggles for leadership within the movement; thus, a leader of one group will publish his strategic vision in order to gain more recruits and achieve a reputation as a serious scholar worthy of respect. It is also a consequence of the United States’ success in destroying jihadi training camps and denying safe havens—jihadi leaders have had to put their writings online so as to provide continuing guidance to a very decentralized following. In a sense, members of the jihadi movement have put their playbooks online. By mining these texts for their tactical and strategic insights, the United States will be able to craft effective tactics, techniques, and procedures to defeat followers of the movement. In what follows, we will demonstrate the efficacy of this approach by highlighting the insights we have gleaned from the works of four prominent jihadi ideologues.
Topic:
Terrorism, Al Qaeda, Leadership, and Ideology
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6398. Militant Ideology Atlas

Author:
William McCants
Publication Date:
11-2006
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
Abstract:
The Militant Ideology Atlas identifies the most influential thinkers in the Jihadi Movement and delineates the movement’s key ideological vulnerabilities. It situates the Jihadi Movement within the various Muslim constituencies that Jihadi leaders seek to influence and persuade. Each constituency is responsive to leaders in the broader constituencies of which it is a part, but each also has its own set of thinkers that are best positioned to influence their base. The largest constituency is comprised of Muslims. This includes Sunnis and Shi’as and ranges from secularists to fundamentalists. The authors assert that Jihadi propaganda, which is designed to reclaim the credibility lost among mainstream Muslims, can be countered with the following messages: Jihadis want a totalitarian system of government. The Jihadi message is so weak and unappealing that they have to use violence to persuade people. The next constituency is comprised of Islamists, who differ over the meaning of Islamic law, and the means of achieving its supremacy. Among Sunnis the Muslim Brotherhood is the most influential group in the Islamist constituency, including Yusuf Qaradawi as their spokesman. Next, Salafis differ over the final form of these states and the proper means for achieving them. The most influential Salafis are Saudi clerics. They are Sunni Muslims who want to establish and govern Islamic states based solely on the Qur’an and the example of the Prophet as understood by the first generations of Muslims close to Muhammad. Finally, the Jihadis, the holy warriors, are a movement that is part of the larger Salafi Movement. Since Jihadi thinkers draw their legitimacy from the same tradition as Salafis, Salafi scholars are best positioned to discredit the movement among other Salafis. Specific prescriptions for delegitimizing the Jihadi Movement are outlined at the conclusion of this report.
Topic:
Terrorism, Counter-terrorism, and Ideology
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6399. Legal Survey 2006 - With the governments in our bedrooms

Author:
Daniel Ottosson
Publication Date:
11-2006
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ILGA World (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association)
Abstract:
Every year, ILGA World publishes its State-Sponsored Homophobia report, a world survey of sexual orientation laws. Since its first edition, back in 2006, ILGA World’s State-Sponsored Homophobia has been a fundamental resource for those interested in accessing the core information on legislation affecting people on the basis of their sexual orientation. Not only human rights defenders, but also civil society organisations, governmental and United Nations agencies, allies and media worldwide value the publication as one of the main sources of information on the issue. The publication is accompanied by a series of maps and charts illustrating where criminalisation, protection and recognition laws exist.
Topic:
Human Rights, Law, LGBT+, and Homophobia
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6400. Stadium Architecture and regional economic development: International experience and the plans of Durban

Author:
Wolfgang Maennig
Publication Date:
01-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Chair for Economic Policy, University of Hamburg
Abstract:
For the FIFA World Cup 2010, South Africa plans to invest heavily. The positive economic effects that the country is hoping for stand in contrast to almost all statistical ex-post studies. This contribution emphasises that these results, usually from research under-taken in the USA, can only be generalised to a limited degree. The density of sports venues in developed countries is so high, that the marginal effects of new stadia are necessarily limited. We also emphasise that stadium design around the world was not hitherto adequately targeted towards positive economic effects. The example of Durban and its plans for a new “iconic” stadium is used to illustrate fundamental principles of stadium design and their embedding in a re-urbanisation process that have to be undertaken in order to consciously achieve positive regional economic effects.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Sports, Architecture, World Cup, Regional Economy, and Soccer
Political Geography:
Africa, South Africa, and Global Focus