Constitutional Changes in Latin America: Political instability or Social Positive change?

Constitutional Changes in Latin America: Political instability or Social Positive change?

Mauricio Ramirez
Political Process

Since 1900, all Latin American countries have made drastic changes to their constitutions (Jstor, 2012). The idea of changing the constitution denotes a line of thought that assumes the previous regime was the problem and the only way to improve is to reimagine the government from the ground up. The rhetoric of presenting the new government on a messianic scale is very appealing for incoming Latin American governments, but how long can this be sustained? Where is the line that separates continuity from chaos? Changes in the constitution can create opportunities to bring the people's voices together and create a positive social impact. However, these changes have also proven to be the perfect opportunity for a "strong leader" to become the only voice that matters.

Land Reform in Venezuela -- Developmental Economics Analysis on Property Rights, Part A

Land Reform in Venezuela -- Developmental Economics Analysis on Property Rights, Part A

Vincent Z. Yu
Economics

In Venezuela, the discovery of oil was an excitement for the fast and easy track it paved to wealth. Venezuela’s agricultural industry, on the other hand, was largely neglected due to over-emphasis on the oil industry. Such a tilted policy design deepened the tremendous gap between rural and urban areas, with only 12% of its population living in the rural area who produces food insufficient for the whole nation (Wilpert, 2007). Nevertheless, the greater demand for food did not fuel the welfare of the most fundamental supplier group – the farmers. Instead, it filled up the pocket of the elite class, the latifundista, as they had overwhelming property control over the key resources. Misallocation of property rights not only hinders the production power of the traditional farming class, it also causes a vicious cycle where incentives for relevant activities are nowhere to be found.

Pandemic Investors

Pandemic Investors

Kirtan Patel
Finance

The initial fear of Covid-19 in Wuhan, China and the first reported case in the United States of America marked a new day for investors worldwide. The fear of the pandemic had led us to halt everything, forcing our lives into an ultimate state of limbo, and financially damaging all sectors as lockdowns continued to be enforced. This catastrophic event led to one of the greatest and sharpest declines across all sectors in the market. Eclipsing the turmoil created during the 2008 recessions, “6 trillion USD in wealth was washed out from the global stock market in the week of 24th February” (Chowdhury). This unprecedented amount would lead the International Monetary Fund to declare that the world is facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

The EV Effect

The EV Effect

Bobby Markus
Technology

Innovation and popularity of the electric vehicle industry has reached new heights recently, as the push for saving our environment through cleaner emissions are taking root in America. The United States is behind in the EV industry when compared to their competitors, but is beginning to take initiative and eliminate gas-powered cars from their roads. Currently, China’s EV market is three times as large as the United States’, but this could soon change as President Biden is proposing a substantial $174 billion investment in the EV market, with hopes to increase domestic supply chains, create American jobs in the industry, and provide sale rebates and tax incentives to encourage both consumers and producers (“The American Job Plan” 2021). Although this infrastructure package is still being debated, the Biden administration has already taken many other steps in promoting a cleaner and more fuel-efficient future.

The Infrastructure Needed To Support Electric Vehicles in the U.S.

The Infrastructure Needed To Support Electric Vehicles in the U.S.

Samuel Jaffe
Environmental Policy

Over the past decade, the Electric Vehicle (EV) market has rapidly gone from proof-of-concept to full manufacturing, and now approaching mass adoption. The economic environment is primed for EVs to flourish. Battery prices continue to fall each year, political climate policies push towards less carbon emissions, and legacy automakers are shifting into the EV space. It is only a short matter of time before EVs become the most common choice for transportation. Both personal and commercial.

Gone Cashless?

Gone Cashless?

Peyton Stanley
Economics

Leaving your wallet in the car was once a big frustration, but now all you need is one plastic card to make it through the day. As businesses across the country get rid of their bulky registers and trade it in for a sleek and minimal monitor, having a wallet full of cash won’t get you as far as it used to.

The Privatization of Water

The Privatization of Water

Daniel Lizarazo
Public Policy

The involvement of the private sector in the provision of water supplies is a highly controversial topic. Typically, water supplies across the United States are handled and managed by not-for-profit entities which are overseen by state and local municipalities, meaning the public sector, and more specifically the government. With the public sector at the helm of water provisions, citizens can typically expect to see reasonable prices and clean water. Most have not considered the possibility of their local water supplies being privatized, but the US economy is currently being battered by exogenous effects that are unabating. It is during these times, where cash flows are diminishing, that companies and individuals alike begin to explore ways to cut costs. State and local municipalities face the same set of issues. In some cities and towns, the burden of debt becomes too heavy to bear, and the municipal governing boards have to make hard decisions. The sale of a city’s water system can shift a substantial debt burden over to a private sector company all while providing the city a monetary windfall. Multiple cities in Indiana have gone through this (Douglas, Elizabeth). This can be more likely to occur in small towns that are highly levered who are not able to raise funds as quickly compared to bigger, well-capitalized towns.

No, Movie Theaters Are Not the Next Blockbuster

No, Movie Theaters Are Not the Next Blockbuster

Andy Colando
Business Current Events

Even if you haven’t been paying close attention to the movie theater industry, it should come as no surprise that cinemas have had an extremely challenging time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Similarly, to cruise lines and restaurants, operations were brought to a near standstill in March of 2020. Even with restrictions in many states reduced or fully lifted, some consumers, at least for now, have remained wary. Even amid the initial releases of anticipated blockbusters like Marvel’s “Black Widow” and Warner Bros’ “Space Jam”, weekend box office sales in the United States are only slightly surpassing some of the worst weekends for the box office from 2019.

Fuel Cell Industry Frenzy

Fuel Cell Industry Frenzy

Ananya Malik
Investing

With the lingering volatility in the markets due to the pandemic, some industries have outperformed others by making huge financial gains. Within the energy industry, stock prices have skyrocketed even with wary financials. Technologies within this industry, such as fuel cells, have recently become more relevant after decades of being in the shadows of many other innovations. Fuel cells are similar to batteries that never run down. Hydrogen fuel cells are produced in sustainable ways due to the abundance of Hydrogen. (Energy.gov, 2021). With many companies needing different ways to generate sustainable forms of energy with fuel cells, companies such as Plug Power have risen to the top.

The Power of Cathie Woods’ Long-Term Perspective

The Power of Cathie Woods’ Long-Term Perspective

Andy Colando
Finance

Cathie Woods—the founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Ark Investment LLC—became something of a financial Rockstar in 2020. Her flagship portfolio, the Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK), has returned close to 50% in the last 12 months and has an annualized return of over 25% since its inception in November 2014. Much of this success has been attributed to the explosive growth of stocks in emerging or disruptive industries, affirming Woods’ foresight in key areas of growth and innovation over the last 6 years. These include an emphasis on autonomous vehicles, fintech disruptors like cryptocurrency, space exploration, and the advancement of genomics, all of which Ark has additional ETFs to capitalize on specifically. As you may expect, Ark’s innovation-focused investing strategy can require a great deal of conviction, and with that the resolve to prioritize a long-term outlook over daily price movements of stocks and quarterly results when making decisions. This may sound obvious, but it is a key aspect of markets that investors and company managers alike often struggle with.

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