articles 11 to 25 of 382
Why America Is Losing the Race for Entrepreneurial Talent
In 2005, immigrant entrepreneurs launched 52% of all startups in Silicon Valley. But today, the number has dropped to 44%, and America is not only losing the opportunity to create new jobs but also losing its competitive edge, argues Vivek Wadhwa in his book, The Immigrant Exodus: Why America Is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial Talent. In the 1980s, skilled immigrants could get green cards in as little as 18 months, but today it can take as long as 17 years. Failure to fix this problem, says Wadhwa in an interview, is killing American innovation. (Video with transcript)
From: November 20, 2012
One Organization's Fight against Hunger -- and Why Victory Is So Elusive
Bill Clark's job only gets harder. As executive director of Philabundance, a Philadelphia area hunger relief organization, he has this to say about today's food crisis: "The hunger that used to exist in inner cities or rural areas like Appalachia has leapt beyond those pockets into the middle and working classes. I don't think there is a zip code in the country today that is totally devoid of hunger." Clark talks about the challenges Philabundance faces at a time when natural disasters, cutbacks in social programs and unusually high unemployment have created a "tremendous" unmet need. (Podcast with transcript)
From: November 20, 2012
More Questions Than Answers: Assessing China's Leadership Transition
China's leadership transition took place during the 18th Communist Party Congress that ended November 15. As expected, Xi Jinping has succeeded Hu Jintao as the Party general secretary and head of the armed forces, and vice premier Li Keqiang moved into position to replace Wen Jiabao as prime minister when government positions are staffed next spring. Still, experts at Wharton and elsewhere note that the political change is touched with uncertainty as senior Communist Party leaders seek to bridge factional divisions and re-establish internal equilibrium in the wake of high-profile scandals.
From: November 20, 2012
What Now, Mr. President?
The election is over. After three feisty debates, hundreds of campaign stops, billions spent on ads and countless candidate "robo-calls," America has re-elected Barack Obama as Commander in Chief. Now the real work begins. What should the President prioritize over the next four years? Wharton faculty weigh in.
From: November 07, 2012
The Cost and Consequences of the U.S. Drought
The 2012 farming season may be in its waning days, but the consequences of this year’s drought, the worst of its kind in 25 years, are yet to be known. While insurance and government assistance programs have shielded some farmers from damage, it's still unclear how long it will take to shake off the drought's effects on consumers and the wider agricultural industry.
From: October 24, 2012
How Is the U.S. Doing in the 'Global Bandwidth Race'?
The worldwide competition for bandwidth "is like the space race where the winner will see benefits ... that will last for years to come," according to Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In an interview with Wharton's Kevin Werbach, Genachowski says that while the U.S. is leading the world in terms of developing infrastructure for the next generation of mobile broadband, the country faces "some real challenges" in keeping ahead. (Video with transcript)
From: October 24, 2012
Parents' Incomes and Children's Outcomes: Can Tax Policy Level the Field?
In Lake Wobegone, the fictional Midwestern town that "Prairie Home Companion" radio host Garrison Keillor made famous, all children are above average -- as new parents always wish. Sadly, that isn't so in the real world, especially for children born to low-income families without sufficient financial resources to nurture their inherent abilities. But as a new study coauthored by Wharton professor Alexander Gelber shows, a fresh twist on tax policy might level the odds and pay dividends across the whole population, rich and poor.
From: October 10, 2012
The Dark Knight's Dark Secret: Bill Finger's Uncredited Role in the Story of Batman
The closing credits of the summer's blockbuster film, The Dark Knight Rises, say the following: "Based upon Batman characters created by Bob Kane." This statement is, at best, only a half truth. As author Marc Tyler Nobleman notes in his recent book, Bill: The Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, the Dark Knight was co-created by Bill Finger, who has never received credit, or money, for his role in the character's origin. Nobleman talks about his book -- and the troubling issues it raises.
From: October 10, 2012
Public Sector Pensions: 'Their Accounting Makes Enron Look Good'
The growing debt crisis in public sector pensions is coming as unprecedented numbers of baby boomers are reaching retirement age. What can these retirees, and the next generation, expect in the future? Wharton experts and others define the problem and suggest some solutions.
From: September 26, 2012
Has International Trade Reached a Deadlock? An Interview with Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the WTO
Has international trade come to a standstill with the crisis that started in 2008? Things are not that simple, said Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, during a joint interview earlier this month with ParisTech Review and Knowledge@Wharton. While protectionist pressures may appear here and there, he noted, the real question revolves around the growing complexity of trade and the structural limits that are part of the negotiation process involving member states.
From: September 12, 2012
The Soda Tax Gamble: Will It Really Make Us Healthier?
In the latest round of efforts to curb rising obesity rates, officials in New York City and two cities in California are trying to pass legislation designed to cut down on consumption of sugar-sweetened soda and other beverages. Experts from Wharton and elsewhere say New York's proposed "soda ban" and the soda excise taxes on ballots in California could convince some consumers to change their habits -- but they could also have unintended consequences, including increased prices for healthier staple items and fewer choices for populations that already have limited food options.
From: September 12, 2012
The Once and Future U.S. Shale Gas Revolution
The U.S. has emerged as a leading producer of shale gas. Using innovative extraction techniques, private companies are turning gas that was previously too difficult and costly to recover into a leading candidate to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. But the boom in production has resulted in falling gas prices, even as many environmental groups are concerned about the extraction method known as fracking, and how the use of shale gas might impede development of alternative fuels.
From: August 29, 2012
High-speed Railways: Worth Their Hefty Price Tag?
Amtrak's ambitious new high-speed rail proposal for the Northeast Corridor promises to create a rail-centric economic "mega-region" -- but for a whopping price tag of $151 billion. A similar proposal -- totaling $68 billion -- was recently approved in California. According to experts at Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania, high-speed rail systems do in fact hold vast economic potential, but there's no easy way to predict their benefits.
From: August 01, 2012
USA 10-K: Why America Needs an Annual Report
On the eve of America's Independence Day on July 4, the nation seems deeply divided. Trust is low; temperatures are high. Still, the U.S. has witnessed difficult times in the past and bounced back. In this opinion piece, Jay Clayton, David N. Lawrence, Stephen Labaton, Matthew Lawrence, Carl Schramm and their co-authors propose that the U.S. should adopt a simple solution that was successfully used to restore trust in public companies and markets after the Great Depression: an annual report that spells out the most significant issues the country faces. The nation's shareholders, the authors say, deserve nothing less.
From: July 03, 2012
Africa: The Next Horizon for Business Opportunity
While Europe and the U.S. struggle with economic challenges, growth -- albeit at a slower pace -- continues on in emerging markets. Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa, whose nations are starting to coalesce into a massive market of more than 900 million consumers. In this special report, Knowledge@Wharton looks at lessons from the rise of Rwanda, the ongoing battle over natural resources, the challenges of developing modern infrastructure and the role of private equity in driving growth, among other themes. In addition, the report includes interviews with Eric Kacou, author of Entrepreneurial Solutions for Prosperity in BoP Markets, and Liban Soleman, chief of staff for the President of Gabon.
From: June 06, 2012
