Strong anti-tobacco treaty rejected by two rich nations

Poor Nations / Rich Nations : Why the Difference ?

This article argues that the difference between poor countries and rich countries has to do with governance rather than resources, emphasizing the importance of public administration in explaining economic success and failure. Political elasticity (PE) theory is introduced for the analysis presented here, including the following terminology: (1) political elasticity, (2) political inelasticity,...

Landmark global tobacco treaty coming into effect.

Rich nations , poor nations : how much can multiple equilibria explain ?

This paper asks whether the income gap between rich and poor nations can be explained by multiple equilibria. We explore the quantitative implications of a simple twosector general equilibrium model that gives rise to multiplicity, and calibrate the model for 127 countries. Under the assumptions of the model, around a quarter of the world’s economies are found to be in a low output equilibrium....

Rich and poor countries divided on patent treaty.

Developing countries fear that a proposed treaty to harmonize patent laws globally could have a devastating impact on their access to essential medicines, diagnostics and vaccines. A passionate and fractious debate around the proposed treaty underscores the vital role of trade and intellectual property for public health. Indian HIV/AIDS activists and an international lawyers' group lodged an ob...

The fourth retirement pillar in rich nations

What role does the fourth retirement pillar of home ownership and private saving play in rich nations? Does this asset-based welfare spread the risks of retirement provision or does it distort consumption patterns and fail to improve the non-housing consumption of the elderly? Is it associated with more or less inequality of retirement consumption? This paper examines the role of home ownership...