Election 2024 Edition #4: It’s the Economy…..

The US Presidential election is in nearly here, at last. In recent weeks, we have discussed key topics receiving insufficient attention during the bruising campaign: looming fiscal crises, international trade policy, and climate change. In 1992, James Carville famously reminded us the economy is usually the most important determinant of American election outcomes. And, surveys [...]

Global Government Debt: Balloon Still Expanding

Government efforts to mitigate the economic consequences of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the Covid pandemic have led to surging government debt. In the United States, for instance, public sector liabilities are approaching levels not seen before in peacetime (Chart above). And, while I will discuss important differences between countries and regions, the United [...]

Can Turkey Get Back on Track?

12 May 2024 Turkey has long been a classic boom-bust economy. Indeed, the volatility of Turkish GDP growth is higher than most comparable Emerging market and advanced economies (next Chart). In addition, while the global economy has experienced two episodes of negative GDP growth since 1980, Turkey has endured five recessions. In my March 2021 [...]

Asia: Are Countries Taking Sides?

18 April 2024 Since the Global Financial Crisis, globalisation appears to have slowed. Indeed, despite the enormous benefits experienced in the post-WWII era, international trade and financial flows may have gone into reverse (Chart above). In addition, following disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic, some manufacturers have shifted supply chains to domestic producers, or at [...]