Politics & Current Affairs

A new book, Coming Apart by Charles Murphy, cites statistics that suggest the class divide in America is growing. But why? And what to do about it? Gary Becker and Richard Posner weigh in. 

The cost of crude oil is already 16 percent higher than at the beginning of 2012. How much of a threat do rising oil prices pose to the gradual economic recovery? And what about Iran?

The love for globalization that pervades some American circles often overlooks just how unfair income redistribution is under global trade networks, says a Harvard political economy professor. 

These days it’s hard enough to get any job at all. If it is part of a good life to have a job that you love then the current situation […]

What’s the Big Idea? Happy International Women’s Day! This is the first of many events throughout the month which focus on celebrating the historic achievements of women around the world, […]

What is the Big Idea? Minutes before they’re executed, China’s death row inmates get their 15 minutes in the spotlight on prime time television. Their public confessions are documented in […]

What would the founding fathers think of some of Romney’s ideas? Here we take a look some of the clips from a 2007 BigThink interview and see whether George Washington and Thomas Jefferson might have agreed with 2007 Romney on certain issues.

“Properly led, the World Bank can build bridges among science, business, civil society and finance that will put sustainable solutions within reach,” says Jeffrey Sachs, who seeks its presidency.

What is the Big Idea? Vladimir Putin’s waning popularity is prompting the opposition to allege that voter fraud is the primary explanation for his inevitable win in Sunday’s presidential elections. […]

What if everyday life as I know it is irredeemably complicit in injustice? If this is the case, then does justice not demand that everyday life be overturned? These are […]

What is the Big Idea? Here’s a thought: the Middle East is one of the most resource- and culturally rich, geo-strategic and, alas, unstable pieces of ‘real estate’ on earth.  […]

Why did Vladimir Putin, firmly entrenched in power, extend suffrage to all citizens and conduct an election that could have cost him his job? The answer has more to do with hanging on to power than losing it.    

Fact-checkers were quick to observe how thoroughly Rick Santorum misread John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech on religion and politics when the Republican contender declared his nauseaover JFK’s message on the Sunday […]

What is the Big Idea? Vladimir Putin’s supporters are going after the ladies. Especially the virginal ones. And they have new campaign videos to prove it. Ad agency, Aldus Adv, […]

The prediction goes like this: China will overtake the US first in real GDP, then in per-capita GDP. In other words, it will become the new America. Yet doubts persist about Chinese growth.

An economic report compiled by the Economist details how many years of economic growth have been lost due to the global recession. Greece has lost 12 years; France, 6; the US, 10.

“The space program, including ostensible civil projects, supports China’s growing ability to deny or degrade the space assets of potential adversaries and enhances China’s conventional military capabilities.”

Can we be “post-racial” through music? Should we even want to? 

When we think family, we often think values, tradition, averages: 2 parents, 2.5 kids. But the concept of what makes up a family is anything but stable, says Sonia Arrison, a policy analyst who studies the impact of new technologies on society. And due to an unprecedented recent increase in longevity, it’s changing again.

It took ESPN 35 minutes to remove its controversial “Chink in the Armor” headline about Jeremy Lin. It took Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra a lot longer to remove a political […]

Income inequality in the US is at the highest level in our history. How are private interest groups able to control the conversation and when will consumer-advocates show up to the fight?

“Scientifically literate government leaders who push for evidence-based policies and demonstrate a scientific outlook are needed more than glib panderers with attitude.”

Internships and mid-career opportunities are increasingly present in Latin-America as the region’s economic growth has proven stable throughout the global recession.

Iran’s nuclear development may sound dangerous, but so are the U.S. imposed trade sanctions against Iran.

Xi Jinping, China’s presidential hopeful, pays a visit to the White House.

At the 2012 World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos last week, a record 2,600 global leaders discussed a frenetic mix of economic and social issues facing the global community. […]

If Jefferson was right, and constitutions must inevitably and reasonably be refreshed and updated to fit with the living generation, then the U.S. Constitution is way out of date.

China’s current Vice President and pig farmer during the cultural revolution, Xi Jinping is expected to replace current President Hu Jintao in October. Jinping is visiting the White House today.

With revolutions in transport and communication, many predicted the nation-state would fade into irrelevance behind supranational organizations and multinational corporations. Wrong.