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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2013 version)

  America's Budget Impasse

  Richard H.K. Vietor

  In the spring of 2013, Barak Obama faced a difficult budgetary challenge—reducing fiscal deficits over ten years without dampening the weak economic recovery but soon enough to avoid another breach of the debt ceiling, with potential default. Finally, in April, he released his budget—calling for spending cuts and tax hikes adding to $1.8 trillion (over ten years). However, in the preceding two weeks, both the House Republicans and the Senate Democrats had approved budget resolutions that were exceedingly different. Now, amidst flurries over gun control and immigration reform came the time to bargain on the macroeconomy of the United States.

  Keywords: United States; competitiveness; stimulus; Budgeting;

  Citation:

  Vietor, Richard H.K. "America's Budget Impasse." Harvard Business School Case 713-078, May 2013. (Revised from original April 2013 version.)

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2011 version)

  South Africa (A): Stuck in the Middle?

  Richard H. K. Vietor and Diego Comin

  Fifteen years after ending apartheid, formal unemployment in South Africa was still at 24%. While the country had grown at 4 to 5% annually during the 2000s, the financial crisis set it back by 1 million more unemployed. Moreover, it seemed as if the nation were stuck between low wage and fully developed competitors. The government of Jacob Zuma has just adopted a "New Growth Path," hoping to create several million jobs over the next few years. Both the Finance Minister and the head of the Central Bank support the initiative, but worry how they can sustain fiscal discipline and control inflation, in light of these stimulative policies. Organized labor, meanwhile, has little sympathy for any sort of sacrifice.

  Keywords: Financial Crisis; Inflation and Deflation; Policy; Employment; Wages; Competition; South Africa;

  Citation:

  Vietor, Richard H. K., and Diego Comin. "South Africa (A): Stuck in the Middle?" Harvard Business School Case 711-084, May 2013. (Revised from original April 2011 version.)

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2012 version)

  Turkey—A Work in Progress?

  Richard H.K. Vietor

  For the past 10 years, Turkey has grown its real GDP at about 6% annually. This came after a huge debt crisis in 2001-02, wherein Turkey had to borrow $16 billion more from the IMF and comport with its difficult conditionality. Today, Turkey is a middle-income country, in search of an effective development strategy. It tends to run high inflation with a devalued currency, despite massive capital inflows and a huge current account deficit. At home, the government has carefully managed between Islamicization, democracy and secularism. And abroad, it deals with a difficult neighborhood—Syria, Iran, Iraq, Israel (not to mention Russia, Europe and the USA). Prime Minister Erdogan is trying to rewrite the Constitution before 2014 when the next election occurs.

  Keywords: Turkey; Economy; Macroeconomics; International Relations; Growth and Development Strategy; Turkey;

  Citation:

  Vietor, Richard H.K. "Turkey—A Work in Progress?" Harvard Business School Case 713-018, May 2013. (Revised from original August 2012 version.)

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