Transparency International has issued its annual report, the “Global Corruption Barometer,” and it suggests that people all over the world are losing confidence in their governments. Corruption has been a principal theme in many of the protests that we have witnessed over the last two years, and the report confirms that it is a major issue for most people. From a political point of view, corruption is perhaps the most important cause for a withdrawal of legitimacy by the people in their governments. Governance under such circumstances is increasingly difficult, and governments are more likely to resort to coercion to get citizens to comply with the laws and directives.
The relationship between fertility rates and economic activity has been difficult to define precisely. But in the recent economic downturn in Europe, the effects have been dramatic: birth rates in all 28 European countries have gone down. The relationship seems to suggest that younger couples defer having children when the economic prospects seem cloudy or difficult. Fertility rates in Europe have been declining for many years, a trend that augurs ill for the future of pensioners in Europe as there will be fewer workers contributing to the pension funds of retired people.
Drone warfare has taken a new turn. The US has landed a drone on an aircraft carrier. The capability is more significant that it initially appears. The US has made agreements with a large number of countries for base rights so that it can use drones in a variety of circumstances. By being able to use aircraft carriers, the US no longer needs to secure these base rights thereby avoiding all the discomfort of those rights such as in Pakistan. Of course, this new capability likely means that the US will rely more heavily on drones in the future.
World Politics News 
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