International

The Promise, Threats, and Responsibilities of a Pivot to Quantitative Tightening

Quantitative tightening (QT) is the exact opposite of quantitative easing(QE); it’s the process used by central banks to decrease the money supply either by selling the assets they previously purchased or deciding against reinvesting the principal sum of maturing securities. We are more experienced with QE, which was introduced extensively in the aftermath of the global financial crisis to increase the supply of money and … Continue reading The Promise, Threats, and Responsibilities of a Pivot to Quantitative Tightening

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International

An Investigation into Microfinance in India

“Microfinance is an idea whose time has come.” – Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the UN Since independence in 1947, India has prioritised the issues of poverty, rural livelihoods, and women’s economic and social empowerment. Whilst the percentage of Indians who live rurally has been declining since 1951  , this figure still stands at a staggering ≈64% . Poverty in India is also concentrated in rural … Continue reading An Investigation into Microfinance in India

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History, International

The Roman Financial Crisis of AD 33

When considering Ancient Rome, we usually conjure up images like grandiose temples of white marble and soldiers with rectangular shields, but the Roman financial system was, like many other aspects of their society, ahead of its time in terms of complexity, ingenuity, and efficiency: so much so, in fact, that it resembled our modern financial system in many respects. Therefore, it should not be of … Continue reading The Roman Financial Crisis of AD 33

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Inflation Tiles on Dollars
International

The Death of Fiscal Policy as a counter to Inflation

Over the last 50 years, fiscal policy has played a limited role in controlling inflation in Britain, with Harold Wilson’s government being the last to use the policy to manage inflation on a large scale. Unfortunately for Wilson, it was the sensational failure of these policies that greatly contributed to the death of fiscal policy as an inflation management tool. In this essay, I will … Continue reading The Death of Fiscal Policy as a counter to Inflation

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International

How FIFA currency incentivises increased consumer spending

FIFA, the football computer game from EA Sports, has proven the most durable source of ‘in-game’ spending by players of any computer game in history, with over $1bn  spent in each of the past three years. The essay below discusses how the design of the game, and the currency system within it, encourage such purchases. To do this, I have first sought to describe the … Continue reading How FIFA currency incentivises increased consumer spending

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International

Immigration – beneficial or an unnecessary cost?

“Illegal immigration hurts American workers; burdens American taxpayers; and . . . costs our country billions and billions of dollars each year.”, claims former President Donald Trump, voicing the concerns of a large proportion of the US population. Such opinion was further reciprocated by 44% of UK citizens hoping to see a decrease in immigration, and these sentiments were even expressed with Australia’s One nation … Continue reading Immigration – beneficial or an unnecessary cost?

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