While some commentators say the Chinese government has improved its relocation techniques since the controversial methods employed during the construction of the Three Gorges project, recent reports suggest it’s the same old story. According to a report from Global Times, residents in Pingshan country in China’s Sichaun province say the compensation packages being offered by the government are far too low.  read more »

If an identical earthquake struck two different countries of the same economic standing, but of a different political makeup, would the results be the same? And if one country was founded on a democracy, while the other was led by an autocrat, who would be worse off? Two professors, writing in Foreign Affairs, provide a convincing argument that citizens living under a democratically-run government would be much better off than those living under the rule of an autocrat.  read more »