Developing economies face a far more challenging international trade environment than they did at the start of the 21st century. Yet trade remains an essential component in reaching development objectives. This column offers possible policy options for developing economies to leverage untapped opportunities for cross-border cooperation and improve domestic conditions that will make trade more […]
A 2018 Vox column examined the geopolitical premium enjoyed by the US thanks to its security alliances and ‘dollar diplomacy’. This column, written by one of the original authors, suggests that in light of recent moves by the Trump administration, it is timely to recall the earlier conclusions that countries that rely on the US […]
Johannesburg, 16 August 2025 — The highly anticipated Wiki Finance Expo Johannesburg 2025 is set to take place on 16 August 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre. As the largest and most influential Fintech and Web3.0 event in Africa this year, Wiki Finance Expo Johannesburg 2025 promises to deliver an unparalleled experience for the industry. […]
Over the last two decades, social media has become a primary news source for millions of people, raising concerns over ‘echo chambers’ and ‘filter bubbles’. This column uses US data covering over a million Facebook articles classified by political slant to show that Democrats and Republicans consume sharply different content on the platform, largely driven […]
President Trump’s Chief Economic Adviser, Stephen Miran, has claimed that the international monetary system in which the US provides the rest of the world with a safe, liquid asset is “unfair” as it supposedly prevents the US from eliminating its current account deficit. His proposed solution is to lower the value of the dollar through […]
GDP growth appears to be on a global slowdown. This column uses survey data from individuals across 161 countries since 1990 and data for the US going back to 1958 to provide evidence of a robust connection between citizens’ experiences with economic growth and their perceived trust in government. As the state relies on citizen […]
Forecasts from professionals (economists, analysts, brokers, academics) are a key input into economic decision-making. This column highlights that professional forecasts are ‘lumpy’, often remaining unchanged for several periods, before shifting in large, infrequent jumps. It argues that this reflects ‘rational inaction’, as frequent adjustments or constant swings could undermine credibility. It suggests a natural distinction […]
On 2 April 2025, the US announced tariffs on most of its trading partners, creating a major trade policy shock to the world economy. This column shows that the US dollar depreciated on impact, rather than appreciating as expected based on standard theory and prior evidence. The authors argue that this unusual transmission impact of […]
Economic historians widely acknowledge that historical price data are measured with error. This column collects pre-WWI inflation data from 15 countries and uses instrumental variables to estimate inflation persistence that is unaffected by measurement error. It finds that the persistence of inflation is much stronger than previously estimated when accounting for measurement error, but still […]
Emerging markets with partially dollarised financial systems are particularly vulnerable to global financial cycles. This column examines how reserve requirements on foreign currency deposits can help mitigate credit booms induced by capital inflows. Focusing on Peru between 2008 and 2017, the authors combine microdata with a calibrated macro model to show that foreign currency reserve […]
