International Selection

Germany has been an attractive target for external-deficit countries in Europe and beyond. But beating up on Germany alone appears to be the wrong way to get results. A column by Daniel Gros.

Too much regulation leads to «shadow banks», large financial institutions keep warning us. But they themselves conduct shadow activities. A column by Simon Johnson.

Unless Greece is able to increase its rate of economic growth, the budget will remain in deficit and the debt will remain at nearly its current share of GDP. A column by Martin Feldstein.

Temporary wealth taxes are no substitute for fundamental long-term reform to make tax systems simpler, fairer, and more efficient. A column by Kenneth Rogoff.

Nouriel Roubini expects the Fed to taper at latest in March 2014, while the ECB will have to start its own outright QE next year. The Bundesbank won't be able to stop Draghi.

Two similar countries, but with hugely differing economic performance. It's about good or bad policies. A column by Michael J. Boskin.

The Chinese regime is convinced that a first-rank industrial power needs a banking system that is active globally. This ambition is fine - but only as long as it is handled with great caution. A column by Simon Johnson.

When Chancellor Merkel’s new government is in place, Germany will assume an even more important role in the pursuit of greater European integration. A column by Harold James.

Advanced-country central banks are risking their standing in society as well as their political independence and hard-won credibility. A column by Mohamed A. El-Erian.

The potentially fatal flaw in Obamacare is the very same feature that appeals most to its supporters: the ability of even those with a serious preexisting health condition to buy insurance at the standard premium. A column by Martin Feldstein.

The challenge for governments is to devise ways to encourage firms or individuals to engage in more innovation to bolster economic growth. A column by Sami Mahroum.

Urbanization, schooling, and Internet access are insufficient to transmit the tacit knowledge required to be productive. That is why today’s emerging markets are less productive than rich countries were in 1960. A column by Ricardo Hausmann.