Re-imagining South Africa’s state structure for inclusive growth
When economies lose momentum and stagnation becomes entrenched, a shift in thinking and action is imperative. So urged Kofi Annan at a Davos panel decades
Incomplete contracts and renegotiation in public procurement
Public procurement contracts worldwide often face high risks of cost overruns and project delays, raising questions about the scope for contract modifications. This column examines
Winners and losers from the energy crisis: Policy lessons from the Iberian electricity market
Europe’s recent energy crisis generated large windfall rents for electricity producers. Yet, most EU governments responded with costly downstream measures that left wholesale prices –
No green growth without innovation
The ‘green growth’ debate is taking place in an oversimplified setting, largely disregarding the innovation factor. Technologies to mitigate climate change are being treated as
Fentanyl: The transnational vector of violence
Since 2013, synthetic opioid overdoses have surged in the US, claiming over 70,000 lives each year. This crisis has had international spillovers, reigniting drug-related violence
Revisiting the consequences of job displacement
Decades of research have confirmed that job displacement causes significant and persistent earnings losses. This column presents new evidence from workers displaced during firm closures
Dollar rises versus euro and yen before US economic data
It also sees the European Central Bank as having concluded its easing cycle. The dollar edged up against the euro and the yen, but remained
Gender-neutral economics can no longer be the default
Economic research often treats tools such as tariffs, subsides, interest rates, monetary policy, and austerity measures as gender neutral. This column argues that when sex-disaggregated
Under pressure? Central bank independence meets blockchain prediction markets
The independence of monetary authorities from political interference is a foundational principle of modern central banking, and understanding whether threats to this independence affect expectations
Bias in, bias out: How to strengthen evidence aggregation
In a world saturated with research and policy recommendations, it’s more important than ever to synthesize evidence well. A single study in a single setting
