Member Views

Addressing Global Agreements in Digital Trade

The failure of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and indefinite suspension of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) marked the death knell of large complex multilateral trade and investment agreements.

Act now to prevent a new sovereign debt crisis in the developing world

Since late February, the world’s attention has been focused on Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. However, some of the most damaging economic and financial impacts of this act of aggression will be felt by non oil-exporting developing economies in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

A U.S. Call for Modest IMF Gold Sales to Help Africa

"Modest IMF gold sales to help Sub-Saharan African nations and low-income countries could strongly bolster the IMF’s global role and benefit not only these countries, but also U.S. national interests," writes BWC member Mark Sobel. 

"On the heels of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the United States should lead an international effort to sell modest amounts of IMF gold for LICs."

A Stronger IMF Will Bolster the US Recovery

All indications are that global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be a daunting challenge. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is already stepping up to help emerging markets and developing countries by approving several emergency loans.

A rare, nonpartisan good news story in Washington

One of the government’s most important obligations is to protect our national security. Getting the details right for how to do so often leads to debate and disagreement, as it should. Unfortunately, such discussions can devolve into partisan acrimony.

A proposal for the Fed’s balance sheet

To save financial institutions from the collapse that threatened them after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, the Federal Reserve purchased government securities and Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) sufficient to increase the size of its asset holdings from $0.9 trillion to $4.5 trillion by the end of 2014.

A More Robust Macroeconomic Policy Framework Is Needed

The COVID-19-triggered economic shutdown has precipitated the second collapse in economic activity and surge in unemployment in 12 years.

A Divided Electorate Spells Trouble for the US Economy

In the wake of the US presidential vote, there are three things that are clear at this stage that spell trouble for the US economy, and well beyond that.

A Call for Institutional Entrepreneurship

Beverly Barrett, PhD is policy program advisor and economics faculty at the University of St. Thomas, Houston. Dr. Barrett is the author of Globalization and Change in Higher Education: The Political Economy of Policy Reform in Europe (Palgrave Macmillan). You may email her at [email protected]. This blog is a part of special series on the coronavirus.

2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything

The world is changing drastically before our eyes—will you be prepared for what comes next? A groundbreaking analysis from one of the world's foremost experts on global trends, including analysis on how COVID-19 will amplify and accelerate each of these changes.