Read all posts from ‘Global Issues’

Most Americans have, for generations, never truly questioned the basic system that allows goods and services to flow across state borders, unencumbered by tariffs, taxes, or other measures that would protect local industries from rivals in other states. And yet, many criticize international free trade agreements for their supposed pernicious results. Why the hypocrisy?

Abstract: It is hard to tell if government spending cuts and austerity measures are good or bad to deal with deficits and financial crisis. In Colombia, the tendency to reduce public spending has affected sensitive sectors like education and health. This is far from being unnoticed, there have been lots […]

What can the experiences of people and communities tell us about the value of austerity measures? Have austerity policies exacerbated inequality in our societies, or rendered us all more equal? How do people in different countries view austerity policies?

Nigeria has come a long way from 1974 when General Gowon said that the problem was not money itself but rather how to spend it. Sadly, the way since then has been been all downhill. Back then we spent more on capital projects and infrastructure than on recurrent spending. These […]

Ever since the negative effects of the global economic crisis began to show in 2009, countries have nearly focused on patching budget deficits and reducing debt to retain “economic health”. But recently European Union leaders have begun to acknowledge that speedy  spending cuts could not be the magic solution for […]