Charles Kenny

How to Prevent the Next Ferguson

Testing police corruption using techniques from NYC and India.  For @BW.

After the U.S.-China Pact, Will the World Pick a Peak Carbon Date?

Maybe there's hope for Paris UNFCCC,  For @BW.

Publishing Government Contracts: Addressing Concerns and Easing Implementation

This is a report of the CGD Working Group on Publish What You Buy.  Government contracts regarding the use of public property and finances should be published by default. Many jurisdictions already require that contracts be made public in response to requests for the information; some now publish contracts proactively. Doing so helps new entrants compete in the market for public contracts, helps governments model their projects on other successful examples, and allows citizens greater insight into how their taxes are being spent. This brief, summarizing the conclusions of the Working Group on Government Contract Publication, provides a practical outline for reaping the benefits of open contracts while addressing legitimate concerns about costs, collusion, privacy, commercial secrecy, and national security.  There is the full paper, a brief, and editorials in The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal.

Power to the economists: new books by Ha-Joon Chang and John Lanchester

A book review for the New Statesman.  [Update: a review that contains an embarrassing error: I missed Lanchester's entry on credit default swaps.  Apologies to Lanchester and readers].

Why Raising Taxes Won't Fix Global Inequality

Because rich people don't pay much in the way of taxes in developing countries.  For @BW.

India's Problem Is Rape, Not Uber

Sadly, women get raped in regular taxi cabs, too.  For @BW.

Why Universal Health Care Is No Cure-All

Because the quality of care is often dire.  For @BW.

Why the World Needs Fewer Cops

Because they're often the ones doing the crime.  For @BW.

Why America Needs an Exit Tax

Because it does such a lousy job of taxing wealth at home.  For @BW.

Cheer Up, Liberals: City Dwellers Will Soon Rule the World

We've reached peak rural.  For @BW.

Does More Education Lead to Less Religion?

Nope.  For @BW.

Politicians Really Can't Create Jobs

You create jobs through growth.  We don't know how to promote growth.  For @BW.

Child Labor Is Still Prevalent Around the World. Here's How to Eliminate It

Getting richer reduces child labor.  For @BW.

Why Private Donations Aren't Helping America's Poor

Donations are small, aimed at rich people's charities and pro-cyclical.  For @BW.

Fighting Ebola: The American Argument Against an African Travel Ban

Travel bans won't stop the disease, will stop the fight against it.  For @BW.

America's Foreign Policy Needs a Shakeup

Want to know what's wrong with foreign policy: the most influential voices have an average age of 85.  For @BW.

Sorry, Kids, Changing the World Takes More Than a Killer App

Social enterprise is lovely but we still need government.  For @BW.

Why Apple's New Phones Won't Change the World but Nokia's Will

Cheap cellphones are the revolutionary force for change.  In @BW.

How Germany's Ban on Uber Hurts the Poor

Stand up for the little driver.  In @BW.

Obama’s Right: The World Isn’t Falling Apart

The planet --and America-- is safer than it was ten years ago.  For @BW.

Poor Countries Shouldn’t Sacrifice Growth to Fight Climate Change

People who use less electricity than it takes to run your fridge need more power.  For @BW.

Earthquakes Cost More in Rich Countries but Devastate Poor Ones

Northern California suffered its strongest earthquake in 25 years and no-one died.  For @BW.

The Economic Case for Wiping Out Ebola

It would save the world money if we had better health care in the poorest countries.  For @BW.

The Ebola Outbreak Shows Why the Global Health System Is Broken

Ebola should be easy to fight --its a sign of how weak health systems are that it is spreading.  For @BW.

To Fix the Child Refugee Crisis, End the War on Drugs

The drug-linked violence that the children are fleeing is in large part our fault.  For @BW.

The Pentagon Overpays for Almost Everything—Even Prescription Drugs

Why do we give the DoD so much to do when it does the basic stuff so badly?  For @BW.

The World's Fastest-Growing Economies Won't Be Scary Unless They Slow Down

Welcoming the BRICS bank.  For @BW.

Malaysian Flight's Toll: A Voice for Simpler AIDS Treatment

For the first time last year more people worldwide were put on antiretroviral drugs that treat HIV than were newly infected.  For @BW. 

Is the U.S. as Corrupt as the Third World?

Most Americans see political corruption as a problem that plagues the developing world far more than the U.S. The truth is more complex.  For @BW.