Quick Update: The Excruciating Choice: “Flattening the Curve” and Prolonging the Global Recession

©2020 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School Click  20 Mar 2020 for earlier post Government Waking Up to the Trade-offs It is not every day that, shortly after I publish a post, the Trump administration responds with a similar thought, addressing – seemingly for the first time – the balance between health considerations and the … Continue reading Quick Update: The Excruciating Choice: “Flattening the Curve” and Prolonging the Global Recession

Trump Administration Labels China a “Currency Manipulator”: What’s behind the accusation, and who’s right?

© 2019 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School At 5 o’clock in the morning on August 5, 2019, unable to sleep, Trump tweeted about China—not for the first time accusing it of being a “currency manipulator,”[1] and describing this as a “major violation.” (See Figure 1 below.) Treasury Secretary Mnuchin followed with an official announcement … Continue reading Trump Administration Labels China a “Currency Manipulator”: What’s behind the accusation, and who’s right?

What Is Globalization? (Part 1): How to Measure It and Why Many Oppose It

© 2017 Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School The rise of nationalistic political leaders has spanned the globe—from Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen in the West, to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the Middle East, to Narendra Modi and Rodrigo Duterte in the East. To varying degrees, each of these leaders espouses an “our country … Continue reading What Is Globalization? (Part 1): How to Measure It and Why Many Oppose It

Globalization’s Angst and the “Brexit” Vote

© 2016 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School A version of this post also appeared as a featured article at  YaleGlobal Online Also listen to the Podcast  Where Do Brexit and Anti-Globalization Sentiments Come From? Recorded by Hira Jafri, Director of Global Programs, Yale MacMillan Center  and see  11/26/19 Post angst noun: “a feeling of deep … Continue reading Globalization’s Angst and the “Brexit” Vote

Update: Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so

SEE UPDATED POST, AUGUST 11, 2019: Trump Administration Labels China a “Currency Manipulator”: What’s behind the accusation, and who’s right? © 2016 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers Business School This article is a 2016 update of my original post of November 16, 2015. It has also been published on The Conversation as Does China manipulate its currency … Continue reading Update: Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so

Happy Tax Day, USA (April 18, 2016): How are corporations and individuals footing the tax bill?

© 2016 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University Source: The Economist, April 9, 2016 Individual Americans will finish filing their returns on April 18, 2016, contributing approximately $3.1 trillion in income and social insurance (Social Security and Medicare) taxes to the highest federal government revenue of any nation on earth. But the US government will spend … Continue reading Happy Tax Day, USA (April 18, 2016): How are corporations and individuals footing the tax bill?

Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so

© 2015 Prof. Farok J. Contractor, Rutgers University After 20 years, the Chinese government must be used to it—being bashed by US politicians and Congress as a “currency manipulator.” Indeed, the exchange value of the yuan (or renminbi [RMB]) is fixed each morning by its central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), with a … Continue reading Is China a “currency manipulator”? Donald Trump says so