Cultural enrichment
While there is a Purity Law for German beer (since you asked, it’s from 1516), there is no such law for culture. [...]
Insights
‘Insights’ is the weekly newsletter of The New Zealand Initiative. Every Friday it provides comment pieces on domestic and global policy issues and the state of the world as such. It is a newsletter serious enough for a think tank – and lighthearted enough for an enjoyable Friday afternoon read. Please subscribe to ‘Insights’ by visiting the website of The New Zealand Initiative: www.nzinitiative.org.nz
The salt in the soup of democracy
Perhaps the election of Judith Collins to the National leadership does not change her party’s immediate electoral prospects. National is still fighting an uphill battle to unseat an extremely popular Prime Minister. [...]
The price for overcaution
New Zealand could keep its border shut regardless of whether it is possible to open it safely. But that would mean repeating the mistake it made during lockdown.
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Democracy is not a fairy-tale
In its veneration of Jacinda Ardern, Taking the lead goes so far as to become boring – even for children. [...]
Sneaking a preview of our economic future
Based on real-time data from the economy, a small team of researchers around Professor Christoph Schumacher has created a model to estimate current GDP as it happens. [...]
International confidence matters
To keep international investors’ trust, we must remain squeaky clean in our fundamental economic institutions. If we are not, New Zealand will come out of the Covid-19 crisis as a broken economy and a failed state. [...]
An election year budget
It should have been a budget to steer New Zealand out of this economic depression. But it reads like a budget in an election year. [...]
Paving the path to recovery
Our recovery path will be bumpy. But good policy development can help clear the road and lead us towards a better future. [...]
Seven principles for recovery
How do you get an economy going again when entire industries are destroyed? How do you encourage private consumption when families are trying to make ends meet? How do you run a government when public finances are in disarray? [...]
Be careful what you wish for
The Covid-19 crisis does not and will not change the principles of economics – but that will not stop politicians from trying. We should not let them. [...]