Here’s to 40 Years
January 4, 2017
As our 40th anniversary year draws to a close, I wanted to share some travel highlights of GIC’s international destinations beyond those that took place in 2016. My first opportunity to manage a program abroad took place in June 2010, during our events in Prague and Paris. For the first time, I was able to […]
Europe: Mourning and Markets
December 6, 2016
“Unsustainable things continue until they stop.” That is how Herb Stein answered Richard Nixon when Nixon asked about economic timing. The financial and economic construction of the EU and the eurozone has now reached the realm of the unsustainable. Something has to give as the boundaries of policy are stretched toward their outer limits while […]
Time to deploy the fiscal levers actively and wisely
November 30, 2016
GIC’s 2016 Frederick Heldring awardee, Catherine L. Mann of the OECD, writes: “The role of fiscal policy has been at the heart of the policy debate since the financial crisis. With the global economy stuck in a low-growth trap and monetary policy overburdened, it is time to re-assess the use of fiscal policy levers. Government interest payments […]
The Day After in Bondland
November 9, 2016
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved” – William Jennings Bryan, 1899 (Democratic candidate for president in 1896, 1900, and 1908) William Jennings Bryan was never elected president, losing to William […]
Debt, GDP, Interest Rate Shock
October 24, 2016
Business Insider has compiled a colorful depiction of the largest debtor countries in the world. Here is the link: http://www.businessinsider.com/wef-countries-with-highest-level-of-government-debt-vs-gdp-2015-10. Does debt to GDP mean anything? The answer is maybe. And perhaps the second part of that answer is that it means a huge economic burden if there is intent to pay the debt back. […]
If You’re Lucky Enough to Be Irish…
October 20, 2016
‘…then you’re lucky enough,’ as the saying goes. Having grown up in a proud Irish household, with ancestors stemming from County Mayo and County Meath, I was pretty excited to plan GIC’s conference in Dublin. Our program in Ireland, held September 28-30, was the seventh out of our eight international events held in celebration of GIC’s 40th Anniversary in 2016, with the final event taking place in Madrid the following week on October 2-4.
Trade has been the Antidote to War in Europe
October 6, 2016
Business men and women, trade officials and EU bureaucrats don’t often see themselves as peace builders. Yet that is the real outcome of their professions. Without the trade they foster and make possible, the continent would not just be poorer but more violent. This might sound like a bold claim but let’s briefly put the achievement of EU trade and the single market in context.
Zika, Cuba, American Politics
October 4, 2016
Why is Zika so important that you write about it often?” I have gotten that question many times. An update on the Zika situation follows. But first let me offer an explanation as to why I write about it. I believe that health issues and disease threats offer us the chance to assess the functioning of a political system. SARS, Ebola, bird flu, and now Zika show whether or not the political system can be proactive. The quality of governance of a country is revealed, and its functionality [...]
Montana: The Last Best Place
September 13, 2016
In the lower part of Montana, about 50 miles south of Bozeman and hidden in the hills beyond several miles of unpaved roads, perched upon a hilltop near the Gallatin National Forest, you’ll find Hubbard’s Yellowstone Lodge. An Orvis-endorsed and award-winning fishing lodge in the summer, a hunting lodge in the autumn and for the […]
NeuroVersity preparing young adults with autism for the job world
September 7, 2016
GIC has partnered on The Bottom Line of Disabilities program series for a few years now with the Columbus Community Center, based out of Salt Lake City. Columbus is an innovative nonprofit agency that works strategically with stakeholders to support individuals so they can make informed decisions, pursue meaningful careers and live with independence in the community. […]
Willing and Able: Why you should consider hiring people with disabilities
July 26, 2016
Since 2014, the Global Interdependence Center has partnered with the Columbus Community Center, based out of Salt Lake City, on a series of programs called “The Bottom Line of Disabilities.” At these events, we explored the social and economic impacts of disabilities in general, as well as incorporating adults with disabilities into the workforce. While […]
Weekly Economic Update: Post-Brexit
June 29, 2016
The British are leaving! The British are leaving! – Maybe. Friday provided a profound shock for the financial markets as the UK voted to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum. Over the past week, following the assassination of Labour MP Jo Cox, polls had shifted from favoring Leave to favoring Stay – right up until the last polls before voting. Indeed, even UKIP party leader Nigel Farage was indicating Thursday that Stay would scrape out a victory. The unexpectedness of the outcome generated substantial volatility and market angst in part because over optimism had led some to exit protective positions and they were forced to run to cover. What we learn from this is that predicting the future is never easy. Now economists have both weather forecasters and pollsters to joke about.