ECONOMICS AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
September 2, 2008
"John McCain Has a Tax Plan to Create Jobs"
Op-Ed, The Wall Street Journal
By Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University and John B. Taylor
"John McCain's tax policies are designed to create jobs, increase wages and allow all Americans -- especially those in the hard-pressed middle class -- to keep more of what they earn. His plan achieves these goals in three important ways."
August 27, 2008
"How to shore up America's crumbling housing market"
Op-Ed, Financial Times
By Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University
"The risk of a downward spiral of house prices is the primary danger facing the American economy. Because of the structure of securitised mortgage finance, this risk has the potential to cause a global financial crisis. Both of these problems will remain until a new policy brings stability to house prices."
August 13, 2008
"Climate of Security"
Op-Ed, The Korea Times
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"...Climate change will put stress on weak governments in poor countries and may lead to an increase in the number of failed states and become an indirect source of international conflict. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon argued in 2007 that the Darfur conflict 'began as an ecological crisis, arising in part from climate change.'
Such direct and indirect effects from human activity, while not malevolent in intention like terrorism, argue for a broadening of our concept of security and the adoption of new policies...."
AP Photo
August 11, 2008
"China's Quick Fall, Slow Return to Glory"
Op-Ed, The Boston Globe
By Philip Auerswald, Associate, Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
"...China's resurgence extends to a domain in which the country has historically been weak: science and technology. Twenty years ago, China was not on the list of the top 10 exporters of high-tech products; today it is number one. The United States remains the world leader with regard to research and development investments, but in China such spending has for over a decade been growing at a remarkable 19 percent per year — more than six times the US rate...."
August 5, 2008
"Stephen M. Walt on the U.S., Iran, and the New Balance of Power in the Persian Gulf"
Q&A
By Stephen M. Walt, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs; Faculty Chair, International Security Program and Kayhan Barzegar, Research Fellow, Project on Managing the Atom/International Security Program
Walt: “…..by maintaining a (new) balance you don’t get conflict breaking out and you tilt in favour whichever side seems to be falling behind. At the same time, you do try to discourage conflict whenever possible. You certainly don’t try to control the region yourselves and if the balance breaks down as it did in 1991 and you have to intervene you go in, you get out as quickly as possible. But you don’t try to organize these societies. You don’t try to tell them how to live. You don’t try to tell them how their governments should be organized and you don’t try to transform them at the point of a rifle barrel. This is not disengagement, but it is also not trying to control the region or dictate its political evolution.”
“…we are not going to have a stable long-term situation in the Persian Gulf until the United States and other countries in the region—including Iran—do come to some understanding about the various issues that concern them. Achieving that goal will require genuine diplomacy…The United States will also have to recognize that Iran’s size, potential power, large population, and its geo-strategic location inevitably make it a major player in the security environment in the Persian Gulf, and ignoring that fact is unrealistic…”
July 29, 2008
New Report from Harvard Kennedy School Researchers Calls for Changes to Biofuels Incentives
News
By Henry Lee, Director, Environment and Natural Resources Program, William Clark, Harvey Brooks Professor of International Science, Public Policy, and Human Development; Co-director, Sustainability Science Program; Faculty Chair, ENRP; and Charan Devereaux
Despite pressure from biofuel critics, governments should avoid simplistic and precipitous changes in course such as rollback or moratoria on existing biofuels mandates or incentives, according to a new report from three Harvard Kennedy School researchers. Instead, the researchers urge governments to initiate an orderly, innovation-enhancing transition towards incentives targeted on multi-dimensional goals for biofuels development.
AP Photo
July 27, 2008
"The way forward for Fannie and Freddie"
Op-Ed, Financial Times
By Lawrence Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor
Lawrence Summers explains the Treasury's rescue plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and how it will impact the housing crisis.
Joe Cicak
July 26, 2008
"What is the greenback’s sustainable value?"
Op-Ed, The Japan Times
By Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University
Martin Feldstein explains how the falling dollar impacts the value of the U.S.'s imports and exports in the international market and what needs to happen to stop the dollar from falling further.
July 2008
"Technical, Environmental, and Economic Assessment of Deploying Advanced Coal Power Technologies in the Chinese Context"
Journal Article, Energy Policy, issue 7, volume 36
By Lifeng Zhao, Former Research Fellow, Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Yunhan Xiao, Kelly Sims Gallagher, Director, Energy Technology Innovation Policy, Bo Wang and Xiang Xu
The authors evaluate the differences in technical performance, environmental impact, and costs for capital and electricity for a variety of advanced coal power technologies based on the technological and economic levels in 2006 in China. This study investigates especially the economic gaps between Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle - the technology most able to capture CO2 at a relatively low cost - and other advanced coal power technologies.
AP Photo
Summer 2008
Hedging Against Uncertainty: US Strategy in an Interdependent World
Journal Article, National Strategy Forum Review
By William Hogan, Raymond Plank Professor of Global Energy Policy
Energy is important, but energy independence is a dangerous myth. The U.S. National Petroleum Council recently observed: "There can be no U.S. energy security without global energy security." Oil flows in a world market and events anywhere affect the price of oil everywhere. There is no escaping these oil price shocks. Even if the United States were to substantially reduce its own oil consumption, there would be no immunity from the effects of high world oil prices that would determine domestic energy prices and ripple through the world economy. Geology and politics make the world deeply interdependent and policy should be crafted to promote and secure energy interdependence. Real energy security comes from robust energy systems with diversity and flexibility, not through isolation and energy autarky.
