US Green New Deal will evolve piecemeal

Significance The GND calls for massive changes to the US economy, environment and social policy to make the country fully ‘green compliant’. The March 26 rejection of a GND resolution before the US Senate does not mean the idea is dead: many contenders for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination support the GND or GND-style ideas. While on the Republican side there is more scepticism, this only means that the GND will provide a lively debate down to 2020, and beyond. Impacts Republicans will espouse market-based climate change solutions, and promote more environmental deregulation and fossil fuels. Any pushes to make US industry greener, such as via automation, could alienate labour unions from Democrats. GND-style reforms would need continual follow-up investments, something harder for poorer states and municipalities. While this implies private-sector opportunities, equally, GND-style laws will likely face lawsuits and lawmaker-inserted caveats.

Subject The US reparations debate. Significance In recent weeks, virtually all the leading candidates for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination have declared support for legislation that would create a commission to explore the payment of reparations for the descendants of slaves in the United States. The question of reparations will be prominent in the Democratic Party primaries, bringing a formerly fringe issue to the centre of progressive politics. Impacts The Democratic platform will likely include a commitment to establish an exploratory committee on reparations. Some Democratic candidates will formulate, and commit to, specific reparative policies. Most if not all Democratic candidates will commit to policies seeking social equity for African-Americans.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 32-35
Author(s):  
Mark Thomas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze Lenovo’s successful acquisition of IBM’s PC division using Ghemawat’s (2001) CAGE framework. It was an acquisition that was so full of symbols that it is difficult to know where to begin. Lenovo’s purchase of IBM in 2005 was first seen as a sign of the rapid growth and expansion of the Chinese economy and its transformation away from the traditional manufacturing base to more high-tech areas. For doomsday merchants in the land of Uncle Sam, it foretold the end of the world domination of the US economy. Despite a considerable number of skeptics at the time, Lenovo was clearly up to the task. Such was the success of the acquisition that by 2015, Lenovo could claim to have grown into the world’s number 1 PC maker, number 3 smartphone manufacturer and number 3 in the production of tablet computers. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a case study. Findings Despite a considerable number of skeptics at the time, Lenovo was clearly up to the task. Such was the success of the acquisition that by 2015, Lenovo could claim to have grown into the world’s number 1 PC maker, number 3 smartphone manufacturer and number 3 in the production of tablet computers. Indeed, by 2014, the firm had enough confidence to add the IBM server business to its portfolio. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Irshad Younas ◽  
Mahvesh Khan ◽  
Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan

Purpose The purpose of the study is to explore the misconception that in developed countries, macroeconomic performance lead to sustainable firms or improves stakeholder well-being. The results may be the opposite or even worse. Design/methodology/approach This study examined this misconception using balanced panel data from 1,122 firms from different sectors of the US economy and data on macroeconomic performance from the World Bank. Findings The results of the one-step generalised method of moments indicate that most macroeconomic performance indicators had significant and negative impacts on firm sustainability and stakeholder well-being. Practical implications From a societal perspective, the results illustrate that the fruits of macroeconomic performance of the US economy do not reach stakeholders through firms’ sustainability. Thus, linking the economy’s macroeconomic performance with firm sustainability is vital for sustainably uplifting society and for stakeholder well-being. Originality/value From a policy perspective, this study reveals that the greater focus on macroeconomic performance in the USA over the past decades has resulted in lower firm sustainability because of the malfunctioning of social, economic, environmental and governance factors. This has negatively influenced stakeholder well-being in the country.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-595
Author(s):  
Konstantinos N. Konstantakis ◽  
Panayotis G. Michaelides ◽  
Theofanis Papageorgiou ◽  
Theodoros Daglis

PurposeThis research paper uses a novel methodological approach to investigate the spillover effects among the key sectors of the US economy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper links the US sectors via a node theoretic scheme based on a general equilibrium framework, whereas it estimates the general equilibrium equation as a Global Vector Autoregressive process, taking into consideration the potential existence of dominant units.FindingsBased on our findings, the dominant sector in the US economy, for the period 1992–2015, is the sector of information technology, finance and communications, a fact that gives credence to the view that the US economy is a service-driven economy. In addition, the US economy seems to benefit by the increased labour mobility across knowledge-intensive sectors, thus avoiding the ‘employment trap’ which in turn enabled the US economy to overcome the financial crisis of 2007.Originality/valueFirstly, the paper models by means of a network approach which is based on a general equilibrium framework, the linkages between the US sectors while treating the sector of information, technology, communications and finance as dominant, as dictated by its degree of centrality in the network structure. Secondly, the paper offers a robustness analysis regarding both the existence and the identification of dominant sectors (nodes) in the US economy. Thirdly, the paper studies a wide period, namely 1992–2015, fully capturing the recent global recession, while acknowledging the impact of the global crisis through the introduction of the relevant exogenous dummy variables; Lastly and most importantly, it is the first study to apply the GVAR approach in a network general equilibrium framework at the sectoral level.


Subject Exposure to US final demand. Significance The Commerce Department reported on March 7 that the US goods trade deficit widened to 69.7 billion dollars in January after a five-year high of 4% of GDP last year. The new administration has threatened to build a wall along the Mexican border, impose punitive tariffs on countries it runs a goods deficit with and label China a currency manipulator. Other countries also rely on US demand -- through goods and services trade, investment and remittances. Impacts In the unlikely event that Trump follows through on all his most extreme trade threats, the world could plunge into recession. Evidence does not support the new administration's view that free trade has damaged the US economy and the fortunes of its workforce. The WTO is reviewing several cases the previous US administration began against China -- extreme escalation could trigger US WTO withdrawal. Germany is the only G7 country that the United States runs both a goods and services trade deficit with, placing it in the firing line.


Subject The implications for Japan of the US presidential election. Significance US presidential election campaign rhetoric has sparked serious concerns in Japan about Washington's commitment to the East Asia region in the context of a long-term rise in geopolitical tensions. Republican candidate Donald Trump has publicly questioned the value of the US-Japan alliance, while Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton has muted her previous support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, seen as the economic component of the US 'rebalance' to Asia under President Barack Obama's administration. Impacts Doubts about the US commitment to the region work to Beijing's advantage. The US government's likely failure to ratify the TPP will damage perceptions of Washington's commitment to the region. Though occasionally mooted, the idea of developing nuclear weapons is a non-starter in Japan.


Significance One of the conundrums of the US economy that will influence the Federal Reserve's timing of an interest rate rise (currently projected for September) is where the savings from low energy prices have gone. Oil prices have dropped sharply since September 2014, from 97 dollars per barrel for West Texas Intermediate in June 2014 to 60 dollars per barrel today. Yet US personal consumption expenditures (PCE) only grew by 2.7%, well below the rate of growth of personal income, 4.1%. Impacts Greater spending on petrol will help the Highway Trust Fund slightly, but not before a new funding package is due by July 31. Low oil prices will outweigh consumer savings in such producing states as Texas and North Dakota. Greater consumer spending will adversely affect the US trade balance, as imports will rise due to the strong dollar.


Subject The US indictment of Russian intelligence officers. Significance The latest indictment to come out of the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is the most striking yet as it targets Russian state actors for the first time. It sets out charges of hacking into Democratic Party networks, stealing more than 50,000 documents and using them for disruptive purposes in the 2016 US presidential election. Despite the considerable level of detail in the evidence offered, the White House has yet to address publicly the issues raised or confronting Russia. Impacts US government, election software providers, parties and social media platforms will face pressure to prepare for the midterm elections. Detailed attribution of cyber interference will likely weaken the notion that perpetrators enjoy a high level of plausible deniability. Hackers will continue to employ 'spearphishing' for its simplicity, success rate and cost-effectiveness.


Subject Employment and trade union law. Significance The Supreme Court will shortly rule on two cases which, if decided in the respective plaintiffs’ favour, will greatly weaken labour unions’ influence and employee contract rights. Impacts If the unions lose the Janus case, the loss of funds could reduce their ability to campaign and influence elections. Weaker unions would have a disproportionate effect between the various US gender and ethnic groupings; minorities could suffer. The Democratic Party is traditionally closer to unions and would feel the effects of weaker unions more than Republicans.


Subject Prospects for the US economy in 2018. Significance In 2018, US GDP should continue growing at the 2017 pace of 2.0-2.5%, and 0.2-0.3% higher if Congress can pass a tax cut. Incoming Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell yesterday gave his first testimony to the Senate Banking Committee, vowing continuity and stability in monetary policy. US economic activity has been expanding for 100 months, the third-longest expansion since 1854 and almost twice the post-Second World War average of 58 months.


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