Sub-Saharan Africa's GDP has grown five percent a year since 2000 and is expected to grow even faster in the future. Although pessimists are quick to point out that this growth has followed increases in commodities prices, the success of recent political reforms and the increased openness of African societies give the region a good chance of sustaining its boom for years to come.

For the U.S. economy to reach its full potential, argues Edward Conard, Washington should decrease federal spending and ease government regulation. Fareed Zakaria demurs, contending that structural reform and government investment are what the U.S. economy needs most.

Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz discusses how the lack of financial regulation creates market instability which results in inequality, and addresses ways to strengthen both the U.S. and international economy, to prevent further collapse.

Joyce Chang, Richard H. Clarida, and Peter B. Henry discuss how emerging markets have responded to the global recession of 2008–2009 and potential lessons for developed countries.

The IMF Board of Governors is advised by the Development Committee and the International Monetary and Financial Committee. After the IMF-World Bank Spring meetings, both committees released final communiqués on April 20, 2013.

Shannon O'Neil reflects on the early years of her "twenty-year relationship with Mexico."

Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, discusses investment treaties, their implications for policies to promote financial stability and sustainable use of natural resources, and the flaws of the arbitration system used by investors and nations to settle conflicts, with a focus on the global south.

Wolfgang Schäuble discusses the financial market regulation and current state of the European Union.

Wolfgang Schäuble discusses the financial market regulation and current state of the European Union.

After more than a decade of war and several years of a deep financial crisis, many Americans are asking whether the country should focus more of its attention—and more of its resources—at home. That said, the impulse to lead is still strong in both political parties and most polls show that Americans still feel both a moral and strategic imperative to remain fully engaged in the world.

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American policymakers have long been concerned about the eroding U.S. advantage in educating science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students. With much of the assembly work for lucrative high-technology products having moved to Asia, future U.S. prosperity depends increasingly on innovating new products and techniques—innovation that requires training (or importing) a new generation of scientists and engineers.

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Icelandic president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson discusses the international economic, environmental, and security implications of a changing Arctic region.

Michael Spence outlines the conflicting objectives that President Obama and the U.S. Congress must reconcile as they negotiate a new federal budget.

The Russian Foreign Ministry released this list on April 13, 2013, in response to the U.S. Treasury April 12 sanctions barring certain Russian citizens barred from entering the United States under the Magnitsky Act.

Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on April 12, 2013, at the American Chamber of Commerece in Seoul after his meetings with South Korean President Park and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun. He discussed economic cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the United States and nuclear issues in the region.

Isobel Coleman, CFR's senior fellow and director of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy initiative, discusses transitions to democracy and market economies, as part of CFR's Academic Conference Call series.

The White House released the proposed FY 2014 U.S. government budget document on April 10, 2013. See also the House Budget Committee budget for FY 2014, presented by Congressman Ryan, and the Senate Budget Committee's proposal, presented by Senator Patty Murray.

The recent announcement of a BRICS development bank raised many questions. Isobel Coleman writes about the potential structure and purpose of the BRICS development bank and its implications for international development and the global economy.

Charles Kupchan reflects on former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher's legacy in Europe.

Peter Orszag argues that switching to the chained consumer price index for calculating Social Security cost-of-living adjustments will not make as much of a difference as many seem to think.