Up Front Blog

Reuters/Desmond Boylan - An Afghan man counts notes in a money exchange area in Kabul.
Daniel Kaufmann, November 18, 2009
In reaction to news of brazen corruption in Afghanistan and the release of the new Corruption Perceptions Index, Daniel Kaufmann asks tough questions about the relationship between aid and corruption and suggests improvements in how development aid effectiveness is reviewed.
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Corruption, Foreign Aid, Governance, Afghanistan, Global Economics
U.S.-China Relations

Reuters/Siu Chiu - China's Central Bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan.
Eswar Prasad and Grace Gu, November 11, 2009
While the economic entanglements between the U.S. and China have increased over the last decade, so has the tension. With President Obama visiting China and other Asian nations, Brookings expert Eswar Prasad and Grace Gu of Cornell University discuss the tightening embrace between the two countries—in terms of flows of goods and services, financial capital and people—and the implications.
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Global Economics, China, China's Economy, U.S. Economy, Fiscal Policy
Up Front Blog

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin - Russia's Prime Minister Putin and tycoon Deripaska attend a forum in Sochi.
Clifford G. Gaddy and Barry W. Ickes, November 11, 2009
When Putin took power in 2000, he established a protection deal among powerful business owners. Clifford Gaddy and Barry Ickes discuss the intricacies of this arrangement and what message a recent suit against one of the country’s leading business newspapers is meant to send.
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Russia, Politics, Business, BRICs, Media & Journalism
Spotlight: Climate Change
Adele Morris, November 06, 2009
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a climate change bill last week despite a boycott from Republican committee members. Fellow Adele Morris examines the legislation and what policymakers will be able to offer at the climate change talks in Copenhagen next month.
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Climate and Energy Economics, Climate Change, Global Environment
Up Front Blog

World Bank/Scott Wallace - Fishermen prepare nets on shore of Lake Victoria, Tanzania.
Ernest Aryeetey, November 03, 2009
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Treasury Neal Wolin's visit to three African nations demonstrates the commitment by the current administration to African development issues. Ernest Aryeetey urges Deputy Secretary Wolin to focus on sustainable development and encourage countries to establish frameworks for long-term growth.
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Africa, Development, Developing Countries, Global Poverty, Economic Development