North America
Midterm Series: Will independents determine US midterm elections?
The US 2014 will hold midterm congressional elections on November 4. Although the House of Representatives is essentially conceded to the Republican Party, the Senate is fiercely contested, and will likely end with
Will Schultz’s proposed tax solutions benefit the US?
Former U.S. Secretary of Labor George P. Schultz offers some common sense solutions to economic problems that beset the U.S. While most of the ideas lean toward conservative ideals, there are few
Inversion rules transform US tax reform debate
The new US rules to discourage tax inversions are surprisingly tough, and set the table for tax reform debates in 2015. The ongoing tax inversion debate in the US can
US credit rating reform comes up short
US legislators have proposed several reforms of the US credit rating system. Yet, incentives for credit agencies remain misaligned, while a new subprime market begins to grow. Financial regulation in
US municipal bonds squeezed by austerity
A perfect storm of austerity, low interest rates, and rebounding tax revenues are causing US municipal bond yields to plummet. The first part of 2014 was strong for municipal bond
Opinion: New assertive Canadian foreign policy
The last decade has seen a dramatic transformation of Canada’s reputation and assertiveness abroad. Recent comments from Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau highlight just how fundamentally its foreign policy discourse has
Mexico’s oil reforms aim to boost revenue
President Enrique Peña Nieto’s privatization efforts are an attempt to restart revenue generation in the oil sector, which had stalled. Nieto hopes greater tax revenue from the sector may help cover federal budget deficits.
Crises around the world put a wrench in Fed plans
Investors’ flight to safety will eventually limit the Fed’s ability to normalize rates. When the US announced new sanctions on Russian officials before Wall Street opened on July 17, most
Canadian aboriginal victory jeopardise energy projects
Late June, Canada’s Supreme Court granted the First Nations group Tsilhqot’in aboriginal title over a vast area of land in British Columbia. The ruling puts energy and natural resource projects there in
US utility companies push back in net metering battle
Net metering has helped propel the American rooftop solar market. Nevertheless, net metering customers may see less favorable energy policy in the future. With the advent of generous incentives for
