Jason Margolis
How to Lure Foreign Money: Lessons from Fort Dodge, Iowa
Small manufacturing towns throughout the Midwest have been ravaged by foreign competition for some 30 years. Call it irony, or call it smart business, but some of these same communities are now trying to reinvent themselves by turning to foreign competition.
Iowa: Globalization & Immigration
Every four years, politicians, pundits, and reporters descend on Iowa to hear how voters are feeling, and what their mood might say about the selection of the next president of the United States. Iowa is prospering, relative to much of the country: urban areas are thriving and corn is fetching record prices. But smaller industrial towns are struggling. The World’s Jason Margolis spent time in three rural Iowa communities to see how they are dealing with the shifting economic challenges of globalization and changing immigration patterns.
Storm Lake, Iowa: A Meatpacking Town Fueled by Immigrant Labor
Immigration reform has come up in the Republican presidential debates, but it hasn’t been nearly as big of a topic as in years past. The issue still evokes strong passions, however, in many small Iowa towns that rely on immigrant labor at their meat packing plants. It’s an open secret: Many of the workers are undocumented.
Knocked Down by Globalization, Newton, Iowa Rebuilds
On paper, the economics of Iowa look pretty good. It has the seventh lowest unemployment rate in the nation. But not everywhere in Iowa is prospering. Rural manufacturing towns continue to struggle as jobs go to cheaper foreign locations. How does a town that’s hit rock bottom, like Newton in central Iowa, start to rebuild?
Apathy in Iowa
Everywhere I turned, I found disinterest among Iowa voters. I thought this was supposed to be the great hotbed of American democracy in action. Was it me? Or are Iowans over this whole caucus thing already?
Making Money by Making Money
Billions of dollars, euros and yen zap around the globe electronically in milliseconds these days. That’s the way that modern economies work. But there’s still a need for cold, hard cash.
Restaurants Near the Pentagon Feel the Hurt
With the Congressional Super Committee’s failure to come to an agreement, the military now has to cut some $500 billion from its budget, over the next 10 years. Those cuts could also hurt the stores and restaurants near the Pentagon that cater to the military.
How Military Cuts Could Impact the Economy
The work of the so-called Congressional Super committee appears headed for failure. Now, $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts to government spending are slated to happen. The big loser is the Pentagon – but besides the military readiness debate, there’s also an economic debate: How might slashing the military budget impact the wider economy?
How Flat Taxes Worked Abroad
Several Republican presidential candidates are promoting the idea of a flat tax — a system where everybody pays the same tax rate. The idea of a flat tax isn’t all that novel or original. Lots of other countries have one.
My Conversation with the Iron Lady of Africa
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has had quite a year. In October she won the Nobel Peace Prize. Thursday she will likely be announced the winner of Liberia’s presidential runoff election [...]
Shares Tumble on Greek Referendum
World markets slid dramatically after Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou stunned European leaders with an announcement that his government would hold a referendum on a new aid package for Greece.
The Unintended Consequences of More Sanctions Against Iran
President Obama is calling for more sanctions on Iran to halt that country’s nuclear enrichment program. Some argue that sanctions are ineffective, and further, are having unintended consequences such as harming Iranian university students trying to study in the US.
Doing Business With Iraq
President Obama says American troops will be home from Iraq by the end of the year but the connections between Iraq and the US are far from over. The next phase of American involvement will be business ties.
Tomorrow’s Manufacturing: China or the US?
The US has steadily been bleeding manufacturing jobs to China for 15 years. China builds toys and electronics bound for American shelves. Now China is poised to expand its manufacturing dominance into new areas such as renewable energy and large-scale infrastructure projects like bridges and rail. But some American companies and business analysts are saying: Not so fast.
Why China May Lose Manufacturing Jobs to the US
The US has steadily been bleeding manufacturing jobs to China for 15 years. But now, some economic researchers say, the time is ripe for that trend to reverse.
Additional funding for PRI's The World is provided by:
