As geopolitical uncertainty rises, firms are increasingly factoring political alignment into their investment decisions. This column uses detailed global data on greenfield projects, mergers and
Population ageing makes it harder for governments to finance programmes like public pensions and long-term care. But policy responses, such as tightening programme eligibility and
Policy debates around climate change frequently focus on the trade-off between the near-term costs of reducing carbon emissions and the long-term benefits of mitigating climate
The EU and the US have taken starkly different approaches to the regulation of new monies issued using distributed ledger technology. The current US administration
The role of the US dollar is much in the news because confidence in it has been shaken by erratic government policies in Washington and
Politicians often wager their campaigns on big-ticket promises. Donald Trump rode to power in 2016 vowing to build a US–Mexico border wall, while Joe Biden’s
The introduction of value added taxes has been widely perceived as successful, boosting government revenue and stimulating industrialisation. This contrasts with the empirical finding that,
Forecasts play a pivotal role in fiscal policymaking. They are not simply attempts to predict the future but critical instruments that shape budgetary plans and
While the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1973 has traditionally been seen as heralding a major shift towards floating exchange rates, the extent
Services are becoming increasingly important in global trade. This column shows that strong growth in services trade was driven by a decline in non-tariff trade