A progressive tax system would redistributes incomes to the poor while preserving incentives for the rich COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | While there are many ways to measure economic inequality, key metrics consistently show that disparities are getting worse. According to a recent United Nations report, 71% of the world’s population …
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Studying politics separately from economics creates an artificial gap between interconnected subjects COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | The world economy is at a turning point. As global supply chains face increasingly frequent disruptions, the structures underpinning markets and international trade are unraveling, leading to economic instability which, in turn, is spilling …
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Why Japanese wait patiently for the light to turn green while New Yorkers cross if there is no car close by COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | The way people navigate traffic can tell us a lot about their respective cultures. Recently, while walking to my office in midtown Manhattan, I stopped …
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Why settle for a single TV when you can work harder and install screens in every room and in the car? COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | In 1930, John Maynard Keynes published his short essay “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren,” in which he outlined his vision of a future global economy …
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COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | The International Economic Association (IEA) recently concluded its 20th World Congress in Medellín, Colombia. This triennial event brings together scholars from all over the world to share and discuss the latest developments in economic thinking. This year’s edition underscored the urgency of re-evaluating some of the …
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Concentration of wealth among a few Big Tech billionaires translates into political and is anathema to democracy COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | In these tumultuous times, it often feels like one shock quickly eclipses another. Before one problem can be solved, another crisis emerges. Just a few weeks ago, the war …
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To eliminate it, we must first improve our understanding of its mechanisms and incentive structures COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | Imagine the following scenario. A political outsider wins a critical election by promising to root out corruption. Even if that is a sincere intention, upon assuming office, they will quickly realise …
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To keep up with innovation in technology, policymakers must keep broad considerations in mind COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | Technology is changing the world faster than policymakers can devise new ways to cope with it. As a result, societies are becoming polarised, inequality is rising, and authoritarian regimes and corporations are …
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Can the world avoid annual global growth falling to a three-decade low of 2.2% and remain weak? COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | The Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund usually provide a platform for various organisations, policymakers, and commentators to reflect on the state of the …
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They want their side to win not because it`ll change their lives, but because they want the other side to lose COMMENT | Kaushik Basu | The state of global politics has economists, political scientists, and political philosophers floundering. We are witnessing a level of polarisation rarely seen. From Turkey, Brazil, and …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price