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Begin New Search Topic Political Economy Publication Year within 25 Years

651. Argentina Has Seen the Past—And It Works (For Now)

Author:
Mark Falcoff
Publication Date:
01-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
Probably more than any other Latin American country, the Argentine Republic is susceptible to abrupt changes of spirit and mood. Ten years ago it was apparently hurling itself, pell-mell, into the twenty-first century as South America's great example of economic liberalization and diplomatic alignment with the United States. Today both notions are distinctly out of fashion there, and no wonder—the advantages of both were drastically oversold to the public by the administration of President Carlos Menem (1989-1999). At the end of 2000 the economy virtually collapsed; for a time it appeared as if the country might actually dissolve as a coherent political community. Thanks to the strong hand of Senator Eduardo Duhalde, who took over at the end of 2000 from Fernando de la Rúa, Menem's successor, civic order was restored, though the last three years have been the worst in Argentina's modern history, more dismal even than the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Topic:
International Relations, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
United States, Argentina, South America, and Latin America

652. Time for More Currency Flexibility

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
12-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
The last big wave of European and Japanese concern about a weak dollar came after the August 1971 breakdown of the Bretton Woods System of fixed exchange rates. At that time European countries feared inflation and, not wanting to support the dollar and thereby import U.S. inflation pressures, they accepted revaluation of their currencies with some misgivings because, as always, a weaker dollar meant more difficulty in competing with vigorous U.S. traded-goods companies.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
United States and Europe

653. Listen to the Markets

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
11-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
Market behavior in 2004 has defied most predictions. Interest rates and stock prices have dropped—the reverse of most forecasts at the start of the year. The dollar has been broadly trendless despite a rising and "unsustainable" current account deficit that was supposed to have pushed it down. And, of course, the price of oil, which was widely expected in January—not to mention February, March, April, May, and June—to drop back below $30 per barrel has risen relentlessly to well above $50 per barrel.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy

654. The Recovery: Three Years On

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
10-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
The U.S. post-bubble economic recovery, which officially began in November 2001 after a recession of just six months, will be three years old by election day. The prior recession had lasted a mere eight months-from July 1990 to March 1991-and was followed by an expansion of ten years, the longest on record. The expansion before that one lasted ninety-two months-from November 1982 through July 1990-following a recession of just sixteen months. The period following November 1982 until the stock market crash of March 2000 witnessed one of the longest and most powerful stock market rallies in U.S. history, accompanied by falling inflation and falling interest rates. The remarkable performance of the last twenty or so years will be difficult to match over the next decade. Indeed, merely sustaining the growth in the current expansion will require some changes to current policy.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
United States

655. Paradise Lost

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
05-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
It sure was wonderful while it lasted. Last year was a halcyon period of higher growth and lower inflation, when annualized productivity increases of over 5 percent during the last two quarters gave us GDP growth averaging over 6 percent, while inflation and interest rates fell and earnings surged. These conditions were wonderful for the stock market. Fourth-quarter 2003 corporate profits were more than 20 percent above year earlier levels—nearly four times the average rate of increase over the past decade. The S rose over 40 percent between April 2003 and January 2004.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy

656. America Demands; China Supplies

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
04-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
Say's Law, named after French economist Jean- Baptiste Say (1767–1832), was promulgated at the time of the Industrial Revolution when some feared that purchasing power would be insufficient to absorb the ever-growing output of the newly mechanized economy. It states simply and reassuringly that supply creates its own demand. More specifically, the production of output tends to generate purchasing power equal to the value of that output.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
China, America, and Asia

657. Watch Growth, Not Exchange Rates

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
03-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
The attention being paid to exchange rates and to utterances about them by finance ministers and central bankers is misplaced. It is distracting policymakers from tending to more serious issues such as global excess capacity and attendant deflation risks.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy

658. The Opposite of Stagflation

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
02-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
The blissful combination of higher growth and lower inflation that has characterized the U.S. economy since last spring is the inverse of stagflation, the nightmare scenario that followed the oil shock of 1973–74, when higher oil prices produced lower output, lower growth, and higher inflation. The current cycle is fundamentally benign—more output at lower prices—but if policymakers fail to recognize it as such and ignore falling prices because output growth is strong, a global recession could occur.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy

659. As Good As It Gets

Author:
John H. Makin
Publication Date:
01-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
Old habits die hard. Often, criticism leveled at policymakers is well founded. I certainly have offered up my share. But as 2003 ends and 2004 begins, we find ourselves at a point where the performance of the U.S. economy is about as good as it gets. The stock market is up 20 percent this year, inflation and interest rates are low, productivity growth is high, and U.S. exports are rising strongly. The biggest danger going forward arises from ill-founded criticism aimed at policy measures employed to achieve this excellent outcome and the (fortunately low) chance that policymakers will heed such criticism.
Topic:
Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
United States

660. Do Structural Reforms always Succeed? Lessons from Brazil

Author:
Jorge Saba Arbache
Publication Date:
09-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
United Nations University
Abstract:
In the last twenty years, Brazil has undergone several attempts of improving sustainable growth through stabilization programmes, and more recently, structural reforms in line with the Washington Consensus Agenda. The results, however, have been disappointing, as the per capita output growth has remained below its historic trend, and poverty and inequality remain at high levels. This paper investigates why marketoriented reforms such as trade and capital account liberalization, privatization, deregulation and stabilization failed to boost growth in Brazil. We conclude that structural reforms may contribute to growth if accompanied by microeconomic policies tailor-made to address the country's needs, and by appropriate macroeconomic, institutional and political environments.
Topic:
Development, Human Welfare, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
Washington, Brazil, and Latin America