The tragic case of Charlie Gard, a blind and deaf infant, incapable of breathing on his own and wracked by epileptic seizures, seized the world's attention this month. His British parents held out desperate hope for an experimental treatment in the United States. His doctors, the British courts and the European Court of Human Rights argued that there was no cure for his rare … [Read more...] about Do Parents Really Know Best?
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The Truth About Judicial Reform
Not since Italy's Mani pulite ("clean hands") investigations into political corruption has there been anything like it in Europe or the Americas. In Latin America, it is unprecedented. A sitting president is under indictment; a former president has been convicted, and dozens of lawmakers and their corporate allies have gone to jail. A few decades ago, Brazilians might have … [Read more...] about The Truth About Judicial Reform
When an Excess of Small Firms Hurts Productivity
Policymakers have long accepted the central role of innovation in spurring aggregate productivity and growth. They have looked at the arrival of new systems of organization and new technologies, from the steam engine to electricity and the internet, as catalysts to material progress in the modern age. But in doing so, they may have underestimated the importance of another … [Read more...] about When an Excess of Small Firms Hurts Productivity
Weak Institutions, Fiery Protests
Residents of Hamburg, Germany may have been shocked by the violent protests that erupted July 6 and July 7 during the meeting of the G-20, as protesters armed with rocks and incendiary devices blockaded streets, set cars ablaze and battled with police officers. But for the inhabitants of many Latin American cities, such scenes are commonplace. They are common because ordinary … [Read more...] about Weak Institutions, Fiery Protests
Is Latin America Failing Its Workers?
The deaths of 17 workers building facilities for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, along with a lack of employment contracts and harsh working conditions at the sites, have made headlines recently. They have provoked denunciations by rights activists and drawn attention to labor abuses. But Russia is not alone in failing to protect its workers. Latin America also suffers real … [Read more...] about Is Latin America Failing Its Workers?