Analysis & Opinions

On April 9, the study group met for the third time to examine economic development in Africa. The group explored connections between politics and economic growth trajectories across the continent, and analyzed the role of political instability and policy decisions in fostering development. Discussions covered the impact of factors like commodity markets, foreign aid, trade deals, and regional integration initiatives on development indicators. The study group counted with the presence of external expert guest H.E. Patrick Achi, former Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire. Prime Minister Achi shared about his experience at the highest level of government and presented the story of Côte d’Ivoire’s post-independence development as a microcosm of the broader challenges and opportunities facing African nations.

Even those who believe that Democrats, by and large, pursue better economic policies than Republicans have a hard time explaining why the US economy performs so significantly and consistently better under Democratic presidents. But the figures speak for themselves.

Africa is home to approximately 1.4 billion people[1], about 16 percent of the world’s population, yet its continental share in global trade remains below 3 percent[2], according to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This suboptimal proportion of world trade is compounded by Africa's limited intra-continental trade. During the 26th Africa Business Conference (ABC) held at Harvard Business School (HBS) on the 17^th of February 20, 2024, industry experts, policymakers, students, faculty members, and entrepreneurs converged to interrogate these concerns and explore opportunities for improving intra-African trade. 

At least six reasons have been advanced to explain the apparent disconnect between US economic indicators and public-opinion surveys. While some are clearly wrong, others – in particular, the idea that perceptions are simply lagging behind reality – are convincing.

While the United States has valid reasons to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia, supporting Ukraine’s war effort should be a top foreign-policy priority. Aiding Ukraine costs a fraction of what the Iraq War cost, does not entail the potential loss of US soldiers, and advances America's interest in deterring wars of aggression.

The U.S. position in the global value chain puts it at a disadvantage, and Washington's confrontational policies are making things worse.

Understaffed and underfunded, the United States’ air-traffic control system is close to its breaking point. The main obstacle to reform is the wealth and influence of private-jet owners, a group that has its own successful lobbying operation focused on retaining access to airport slots and ensuring that fees remain low.

According to the traditional rules of politics, the US Federal Reserve and President Joe Biden’s administration should get credit for America’s relatively painless escape from inflation, regardless of whether their past policies helped create it. But do they really deserve it?

China’s ongoing economic slowdown is partly the result of its failure to implement crucial structural reforms that would have enabled it to escape the middle-income trap. While previous Chinese leaders saw economic prosperity as the key to maintaining popular support, Xi Jinping has prioritized political control over growth.

In her new book "Doppelganger," leftist writer and activist Naomi Klein seeks to make sense of our current political climate by exploring the “mirror world” of online conspiracy theories. In the process, she admirably confronts her own biases and blind spots.