OK, I should have headlined it, “My favorite economics books of 2016.” There surely are many good books that I missed. Still, the four below share certain appealing characteristics. They tell us stuff we don’t know, which alters our view of the world. They are all deeply researched and reported. They’re clearly written. For your dedicated economics wonk or …

  In questioning the “One China” policy that’s governed US-China relations for nearly four decades, President-elect Donald Trump seems to believe he’s wielding powerful leverage to persuade leaders in Beijing to give the US a better deal on trade. In fact, he’s setting himself up to fail —and ignoring the more effective tools at his disposal. The 1979 decision to …

  The United States announced that it has withheld a major aid package to the Philippines over significant concerns about the rule of law under President Rodrigo Duterte. This comes as a response to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte war on drug pushers. It has claimed more than 5,000 lives so far. Even before he was elected Philippines president, Duterte had …