× The German connection. A New America Foundation offers a policy paper analyzing the symbiotic but often strained relationship between the United States and Germany. A major point of contention between the two nations is whether to adopt fiscal stimulus measures to ease the effects of the recession, but because of Germany's paramount economic importance in the European Union, the U.S. should help Germany strike economic harmony with neighboring countries of vastly different economic structures in order to ensure a collective European recovery. -- AS When America sneezes, poor countries catch cold. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reminds us: “although the United States is at the epicenter of the global economic crisis, it is one of the countries least affected by the financial fallout.” The report examines the unequal impact of the global economic crisis, and finds, unsurprisingly, that developing countries suffer disproportionately from the downturn. The three countries most affected by the crisis are the Ukraine, Argentina, and Hungary. Large industrialized nations like the U.S. and Japan, on the other hand, benefit from having relatively stable economies that appeal to investors, now more than ever. The countries least affected by the crisis are China, Japan, and the United States. The report underscores that because developing countries pay the highest price for crises that originate in industrialized nations, they “have a crucial interest in the financial soundness of large economies like the United States.” -- MD Technology will save us all. While we might be some years away from the future as written by Isaac Asimov, a new report from the Center for American Progress reinforces the idea that developing and implementing low-carbon technology around the world is key to making real progress on climate change. The report asked asked 100 experts from eight countries for their views on the challenges facing the "development and transfer" of such technology. Among the report's recommendations: a new focus on technology as common ground in international climate talks; increased R&D spending; strong domestic technology programs; and new "joint innovation" programs to increase funding and rewards for companies that experiment in planet-saving technology. -- CKS How to reform California. California’s current budget woes stem from one unavoidable fact, says the New America Foundation: “California is ungovernable.” Plagued by systematic gridlock and paralyzed by structural problems, the state’s best hope for reform may be a constitutional convention.The report recommends limiting the scope of a Convention to governance, elections, and budget reform, and proposes an extensive six-week “Learning Phase” prior to the convention that includes submitting a report to the people of California and holding approximately 30 public hearings around the state over a two-month period. The authors hope that utilizing modern technologies to live stream the proceedings and solicit input from the public could make the convention “the most inclusive in history.” -- MD
Today's TTR celebrates Bastille Day! But it also takes a closer look at the German-U.S. economic relationship, the relative suffering of developed and developing countries in the global recession, the impact of green technology projects and how California can get its groove back.
-- TAP Staff
