Rupee slips past 85/USD to all-time low as Fed setback adds to woes
The Indian rupee declined past 85 to the U.S. dollar for the first time on Thursday after the Federal Reserve signalled fewer rate cuts next
Political distrust and the populist alt-view trap
The recent rise of populist movements in Western democracies has accompanied an erosion of trust in institutions and expertise. This column examines the dynamic between
Chinese infrastructure lending and Africa’s global value chain participation
Chinese lending to African countries has surged over the past 15 years, primarily aimed at financing infrastructure projects. This column shows that by lowering trade
Climate change, central banks, and monetary policy trade-offs
High temperature shocks create monetary policy trade-offs. This column uses a new monthly data set to study how 14 European central banks have responded to
The Chinese plastic waste import ban: Lessons for EU policy
In 2017 China banned the import of plastic waste, which led to large reallocations of plastic waste between countries. This column discusses the lessons that
Social mobility and inequality: New evidence from Imperial China
Social mobility in pre-industrial times has been argued to be much lower than often estimated and that it hardly changes over time. This column uses
China’s military rise: Comparative military spending in China and the US
Estimates of China’s military spending relative to the US vary widely from around one quarter of US spending to near parity. This column argues that
High moments for superstar exporters
Aggregate exports are highly concentrated in a small group of firms, which are generally more productive than other firms. This column shows that productivity shocks
Misperceptions and demand for democracy under authoritarianism
Authoritarian regimes often maintain power via cultivating misperceptions about the quality of state institutions and the value of democracy. This leads citizens to underestimate the
Climate change putting Philippines at double risk of typhoons, scientists say
Climate change is making the Philippines more vulnerable to tropical storms, with rising temperatures already putting the country at nearly double the risk of deadly typhoons,
