The recently reelected president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, wants people to know he is determined to fight inflation through combating “speculation.” A noble goal, to be sure. But the weapons chosen for that battle by President Correa—a PhD economist trained at the University of Illinois—actually will doom his anti-inflation campaign. …
A new study on public debt presented at the recent University of Chicago Booth School of Business monetary policy forum in New York has highlighted “tipping point dynamics” that can occur to countries with high debt loads. The study entitled, Crunch Time: Fiscal Crises and the Role of Monetary Policy, …
Republic of Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, in his February 17 speech commemorating the 5th anniversary of the country’s independence, expressed pride in his country’s visible accomplishments, but noted appropriately his awareness that “we need to do much more.” Indeed. Despite notable reforms since independence, the foundations of economic freedom …
Heritage Foundation President Dr. Edwin Feulner is in South Korea on Monday attending the inauguration of Park Geun-hye as that nation’s new president and successor to Lee Myung-bak. Feulner has remained a stalwart advocate for Korea-U.S. relations for more than 40 years, and in that time has met with every …
In a globally competitive world, competition is key. Fundamental for competition is the rule of law, according to Myron Brilliant, Senior Vice President for International Affairs of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who spoke at a recent Heritage Foundation event. In his remarks, which elaborated on a chapter he contributed …
The recently launched “Americas Barometer,” by Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), includes important insights about day-to-day corruption burdening citizens in every country in the Western Hemisphere, including the U.S. and Canada. According to a LAPOP poll, one in five people report that they had to pay at …
Newly installed Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is seeking to revamp Mexico’s economy, and one tool he has already pursued is labor reform. It is long overdue. According to the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, published by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, Mexico ranks below the world …
It has now been two months since Venezuela President Hugo Chavez departed Miraflores Palace (Venezuela’s White House) to undergo cancer surgery in Havana, Cuba. Very little is known about Chavez’s health. So far the only proof of life presented by senior officials are reported visits to the hospital where Chavez …
As wages in China rise with economic growth, some companies are beginning to look elsewhere for what was once China’s selling point: cheap labor. It just highlights the power that free trade provides—growing economies and raising living standards. Consider that wages in China are five times greater than they were …
