All over the world, schools have closed down as part of strict lockdown measures designed to slow the spread of Covid-19. According to UNESCO, over 90% of the world’s pupils have been affected by these closures. Yet for such drastic action, the supporting evidence is at best dubious. Studies have shown that school closures will do little to halt the spread, with UCL calling it … Continue reading Lost Potential: School closures’ devastating effects

Protectionist policies are typically exercised by countries in order to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. Protectionism is usually expressed in the form of tariffs on foreign imports, subsidies, regulatory blocks and import quotas, alongside other restrictions placed on foreign trans-national corporations. Governments often implement protectionist measures in order to protect domestic industries and firms. This is especially true when there are levels of high … Continue reading Protectionism: The impact on a country’s development

Supreme, Off-White, Palace, Nike – all part of a collection of “hypebeast” brands that have taken the world of modern fashion by storm through challenging the accepted value proposition of more conventional clothing brands. Supreme ‘bogos’, otherwise known as ‘box logos’ hoodies are an icon of streetwear which have online resell prices of over $500 even for the most basic models. So why are people … Continue reading Explaining the Phenomenon Behind ‘Hypebeasts’

The border has become the focal point of the 21st Century debate on globalisation. To some, it is an arbitrary boundary hampering efficiency; to others, the mainstay of security and prosperity.  What happens when these barriers fall? The economy lies at the heart of the migration conundrum and it is largely economic factors that motivate movement. Higher wages, better working conditions, greater availability of jobs, … Continue reading The Economic Implications of Global Free Movement

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a government initiative consisting of an unconditional periodic payment to every adult citizen. UBI has been described as one of the most ambitious social projects in history that could reap countless benefits if implemented correctly. On a microeconomic scale it would lift every citizen above the poverty line, whilst on a macro scale it would act as a catalyst to … Continue reading UBI: A leap into the dark?

Since New Zealand’s adoption of an inflation targeting system to guide monetary policy in 1990, 25 other countries have followed suit. However, in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, big-hitting economists such as Gregory Mankiw, Paul Krugman and Scott Sumner have proposed alternative methods, such as nominal GDP targeting and price-level targeting. The question the debate raises is two-fold: has inflation targeting brought prosperity, … Continue reading Inflation Targeting: A flawed idea?