In the Boston Review, Nancy Birdsall discusses the effect of economic inequality on development promotion and globalization.

This report by the Economist Intelligence Unit examines the impact of a surge in protectionism.

ISN Security Watch documents China's growing commercial interests in Africa.

In Perspectives on Politics, Erika Weinthal and Pauline Jones Luong argue that existing policies to solve the resource curse for oil-rich economies have failed. They recommend domestic private ownership: in some countries, it would serve as a more viable way to avoid the resource curse by fostering institutions that more effectively constrain state leaders, encouraging them to invest in institution building and enabling them to respond more successfully to commodity booms and busts.

This paper from the U.S. Treasury Department examines the growth of petrodollars going to OPEC countries, the major sources and uses of the oil windfall, and its impact on global imbalances.

The Doha negotiations have stalled and the November elections in the United States showed that advocates of economic nationalism are growing in strength. Nevertheless, a new Council Special Report makes a case for the effectiveness of the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly its dispute settlement system. “The dispute settlement system reflects a delicate balance between toughness and respect for sovereignty; rather than criticizing the result, U.S. policymakers and legislators should invest more energy in defending it,” says the report.

Charles Landow and Courtney Lobel trace the evolving similarities between Pittsburg and Bangalore's economic development.

America's generals understandably spend much of their time worrying about strong countries, notes Richard N. Haass. But in today's world, when the consequences of weakness in the remotest areas can quickly become global, the United States arguably has more to fear from weak countries.

Benn Steil explains in his column for Dow Jones' Financial News why the latest craze in monetary policymaking—targeting nominal output—has no staying power.

Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the China model of economic development, which he describes as, "economic liberalization without political liberalization."

Peter Orszag examines how cities could foster more public-private partnerships in infrastructure construction with revenue-based auctions.

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

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.

Peter Orszag argues that low interest rates and high unemployment make today an ideal time to repair deteriorating U.S. infrastructure.