Member Views

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 Global Climate Guarantee Company Could Accelerate Private Funding of Climate Projects

The purpose of this article is to make the case for the establishment of a new financial guarantee company (referred to as Global Climate Guarantee Company or “GCGC”) that would facilitate and scale up private sector debt financing of climate and sustainable infrastructure projects globally.

RATIONALE

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 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 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 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 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."

Absolute Poverty Rises Amid Debt Distress and Corruption

BWC member Frank Vogl writes that "the era when IMF-austerity programs were seen as the solution, and where... IMF loans are negotiated behind closed doors between international bureaucrats and the senior assistants to kleptocrats regimes, needs to end."

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.

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.