REFERENCE UPDATE
October 2009
1. “Emerging Markets Poised to Perform”
Jonathan Anderson. Far Eastern Economic Review, September 2009, 5 pages.
Developing countries are confounding expectations that slowing external demand from Western consumers will kill their growth. The author, global emerging-markets economist at UBS, wades into the decoupling debate with an explanation as to why Asia is continuing to grow through the crisis.
2. "The Inflation Temptation"
John Steele Gordon. Commentary, May 2009, 5 pages.
The author, who specializes in financial and business history, discusses the threat of inflationary monetary policies by the world's nations intended to alleviate the effects of the 2008 financial crisis. The author argues that concerns of deflation are causing reactionary measures by institutions, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, to resolve the economic recession, a move that will eventually result in rising levels of inflation and prolonged economic recovery.
3. “Economic Security for a World in Crisis”
Muhammad Yunus. World Policy Journal, Summer 2009, 8 pages.
The author discusses the global economic crisis, focusing on the need for a change to the theoretical framework of capitalism. The author examines why social problems cannot be solved by the economic system of 2009, and explores the assumption that free markets can bring prosperity and wealth to those suffering from poverty and hunger.
4. "The 2008 Oil Price "Bubble""
Mohsin S. Khan. Policy Brief #PB09-19, August 2009, 9 pages.
The author looks at the cause behind the extraordinary rise in oil prices in the first half of 2008 and ponders whether such an increase is just a "bubble," unexplained by peak oil theory or market fundamentals. The question as to whether the world is in for another oil price spike in the near term is posed as are ideas on how to prevent another bubble from emerging.
5. "In Search of an Obama Trade Policy"
Claude Barfield and Philip I. Levy. International Economic Outlook#1, August 2009, 9 pages.
The authors examine trade policy actions during the first six month of the Obama administration, focusing on thematic implications. The particularly difficult constraints the administration faces in its trade dealings with Congress and what this portends for trade policy in the near future are also examined.
6. “Eastphalia Rising? Asian Influence and the Fate of Human Security”
David P. Fidler, et al. World Policy Journal, Summer 2009, 12 pages.
The authors discuss how the migration of influence and power towards Asia will impact global affairs. A focus on the possibility that the global economic crisis could allow Asian countries to develop an Eastphalian system is presented with the assertion that an Eastphalian world order would reinvigorate ideas of national sovereignty and non-intervention in the domestic affairs of states.
7. “Counterinsurgency in the Real World”
David R. Haines. Parameters, Winter 2008-09, 17 pages.
The author discusses counterinsurgency strategies needed for nations that might be affected by insurgencies. Specific impediments to planning and implementing a successful counterinsurgency strategy in such nations are examined, citing Thailand and India as prime examples of nations suffering these defects. The piece concludes with recommendations for more realistic counterinsurgency policies.
8. “Humanitarian Crises and the International Politics of Selectivity”
Martin Binder. Human Rights Review, September 2009, 22 pages.
The author looks at how the international community has responded to humanitarian crises after the end of the Cold War, focusing on the extent and nature of the selectivity of humanitarian crises. Different modes of crisis response and different actors yielding a more precise picture of the alleged “selectivity gap” are examined and a number of theoretical implications for contemporary global security governance are presented.
9. “Taking Up the Security Challenge of Climate Change”
Rymn J. Parsons. Strategic Studies Institute, August 2009, 26 pages.
The author examines the destabilizing effects of climate change and how the military could be used to mitigate global warming and assist at-risk peoples and states to adapt to climate change, thereby promoting stability and sustainable security.
10. "Is a Green World a Safer World?"
David J. Rothkopf. Foreign Policy, September/October 2009, 4 pages.
Greening the world will certainly eliminate some of the most serious risks we face, but will it also create new ones? The author explores the potential for green geopolitical crises and discusses whether a shift away from dirty old fuels can actually reduce the security threats that face our planet.
11. "Better Luck This Time"
Joshua Green. The Atlantic, July/August 2009, 8 pages.
The author discusses U.S. government policies on renewable energy and environmentalism, comparing the policies of U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. The focus on atmospheric carbon and clean energy as a key to economic revival are also examined.
12. “Toward a Future without Want”
Frederic Mousseau. World Policy Journal, Summer 2009, 9 pages.
With food riots, high food prices, increasing numbers of the world’s hungry, and declining food production in developing countries, the time has come for the world to change its agriculture and food policies drastically. The author, a policy adviser for Oxfam Great Britain, examines possible policies and actions that can be taken to end hunger around the world.
13. “Water Scarcity Looms”
Gary Gardner. Worldwatch Institute. August 6, 2009, 6 pages.
Water scarcity is increasing in many regions of the world as many factors, including population growth, climate change, and pollution restrict the amount of water available relative to demand. The author, a Senior Researcher at Worldwatch Institute, discusses the causes of water scarcity -- a looming new threat to water supplies globally -- and presents a variety of solutions to address the issue of water scarcity.
14. "The Fight to End Global Slavery"
E. Benjamin Skinner. World Policy Journal, Summer 2009, 9 pages.
The author, a fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School, argues that governments and international groups focus too narrowly on cross-border trafficking and not on ending slavery itself. In this article, the author discusses human trafficking in the 21st century, focusing on the fight to end global slavery by elaborating its extent and impact. Means by which American foreign policy can lead to real global abolition is also explored.
15. “Tipping Point for the New Media”
Arianna Huffington. New Perspectives Quarterly, Summer 2009, 5 pages.
An interview with Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, on the issues surrounding the new media is presented. Huffington discusses whether old media has reached a tipping point wherein new media has vanquished it, and presents ideas how newspapers should relate to the new world of linked content.
16. “Expensive Gifts”
Alissa Quart. Columbia Journalism Review, July/August 2009, 3 pages.
Litigation between artist Shepard Fairey and the Associated Press (AP) over Fairey's use of a copyright photograph in his production of a celebrated and best-selling poster of U.S. President Barack Obama is used to illustrate the legal and moral issues raised by the free culture movement. The author examines the concept of so-called "free culture" and the ethics and importance of money and attribution in the emerging dispensation of the “gift economy.”
17. All (Almost) on the Internet"
Barry N. Brown and Paul Piper. Searcher, June 2009, 11 pages.
With publishing on the web and open access to journal articles becoming more pervasive every day, the authors explore some of the best freely available information resources for locating journal articles, books, and gray literature on the Internet. A description of their scope, content, and special features is also provided.
18. “Public Access Technologies in Public Libraries: Effects and Implications”
John C. Bertot. Information Technology & Libraries, June 2009, 12 pages.
While much research focuses on the amount of public access that public libraries provide, little offers a view into effect of public access on libraries. The author, Professor and Director of the Center for Library Innovation in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, explores the implications for public libraries of the provision of public-access technology (PAT) and seeks to look further into issues and practices associated with PAT provision resources.
19. "The Unwise Men: The Decline of a Caste"
Stephen R. Graubard. World Affairs, Summer 2009, 10 pages.
The author, a history professor at Brown University, discusses U.S. foreign policy from 1933-2009, a period that began with the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt and ended with the presidency of George W. Bush. The concept that U.S. foreign policy experienced a decline from 1961-2009 beginning with the election of U.S. President John F. Kennedy is explored.
20. "The Pentagon's Wasting Assets"
Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr. Foreign Affairs, July/August 2009, 16 pages.
With the spread of advanced military technologies to rising powers, hostile states, and non-state actors, the United States appears to be losing its ability to project power worldwide, as well as its unfettered access to the oceans, space, and cyberspace. The author, President of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, discusses the erosion of the military foundation connected to U.S. global strength, focusing on the need of the U.S. military to adapt to geopolitical and technological changes which affect its strength.
21. "International Volunteer Service: A Smart Way to Build Bridges"
David L. Caprara, et al. Policy Brief 2009-01, June 2009, 10 pages.
The authors examine alternative service models, both domestic and foreign, and offer recommendations to the Obama Administration for harnessing the energy and skills of Americans eager to engage in volunteer work in foreign countries as part of a multilateral mobilization effort and smart power diplomacy.
22. “When Computers Leave Classrooms, So Does Boredom”
Jeffrey R. Young. Chronicle of Higher Education, July 24, 2009, 2 pages.
According to the author, neither tech-filled "smart" classroom technologies nor computer-assisted classroom activities are a smart approach in teaching. In this article, the author argues why tech-free classrooms employ more creative teaching methods and presents ideas on how to engage students without electronic devices.
23. “Tips for Teachers”
Cody Sandifer. Connect Magazine, May/June 2009, 3 pages.
The author discusses the “force and motion” teaching strategy for physical science teachers, including the careful selection of words to be used in class discussions, maintaining the connection with the physical intuitions of the learners, and the follow-up analyses for basic physics class experiments.
24. "Strategies for a Successful Summer School Program"
Andres Dewayne Rischer. The Education Digest, May 2009, 3 pages.
The author discusses how to create an effective summer education program, focusing on the student selection process, the development of summer curricula, and classroom activities.
25. “Remarks by State Secretary Hillary R. Clinton and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem after Their Meeting, Oct. 1, 2009”
4 pages.
The two leaders, U.S. State Secretary Clinton and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Khiem, reaffirmed to strengthen and deepen the U.S.-Vietnam relationship for global progress, prosperity, and peace.
26. “Vietnam/United States: Vietnam, U.S. Step Up Scientific Efforts”
Vietnam News, September 25, 2009, 1 page
“International co-operation in science and research is essential for economic growth and higher living standards,” an official said at a US-Viet Nam conference on scientific co-operation held in HCM City.
27. “Vietnam: A Country of Resilience”
Finance Asia, September 9, 2009, 3 pages
During the past 20 years Vietnam has continued to build its reputation as an attractive emerging market. During this time the country faced reduced FDI and export contraction, the property market sharply contracted and many businesses were reluctant to hire laborers. However, many believed in the resilience of Vietnam.
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