The presidential debate won’t be a game changer | The Globe and Mail
September 30, 2020 | "But don’t expect Tuesday’s debate between the two men running for the U.S. presidency – Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden – to make much of a difference to the election outcome. Or any difference at all. That’s because American presidential debates – a relatively recent addition to White House campaigns, first coming in 1960, some 172 years after the initial U.S. election – seldom produce important turning points."
Canada needs more infrastructure spending, but not as short-term stimulus | Maclean's
September 28, 2020 | "The best time for governments to spend on major infrastructure projects is when the long-term benefits are high and when the cost of financing the projects is low. Both of these conditions apply today, and likely will for several more years."
The Great Rethink: Why the Bank of Canada's mandate needs a refresh | Financial Post
September 25, 2020 | In this article, Kevin Carmichael proposes that, while the Bank of Canada has done an excellent job of containing inflation, it may have erred too often on the side of caution.
Click here to read the article.
La Politique Monétaire Canadienne Sort du Placard | La Presse
September 23, 2020 | With the onset of the Bank of Canada's mandate renewal, and economic uncertainty due to COVID-19, many Canadians are left wondering what the future of monetary policy will look like for the country. Read why Hélène Baril says the time is right to open the debate on the role of the central bank with insights from speakers at the Max Bell School's ongoing Choosing the Right Target
McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy to Host Conference on Bank Of Canada’s Mandate Renewal
With the Bank’s mandate up for renewal next year, this conference will broaden the debate and explore the policy options facing the Bank.
Why the Bank of Canada needs a revised mandate | The Globe and Mail
Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan and Professor Stephen Gordon of Université Laval penned this opinion piece to highlight the importance of monetary policy and the upcoming revision of the Bank of Canada's mandate. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many spheres of public policy, the Bank of Canada will need to carefully consider all policy objective alternatives.
Breakfast at Tiff's: Unpacking the Bank of Canada's role in the economic recovery | The Hill Times Hot Room
Christopher Ragan, director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University, joins The Hot Room to take them through Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem's speech on the Bank's role in the economic recovery.
Reframing Canada’s Global Engagement: A Diagnostic of Key Trends and Sources of Influence
This report, co-authored by Max Bell School Professor Jennifer Welsh, begins by summarizing a number of features of Canada’s population, economic power, and geographic and political position, which continue to call for international engagement.
Section Two then provides a strategic assessment of the current global environment and the most significant risks it poses to Canada’s interests and values.
Reframing Canada’s Global Engagement: Ten Strategic Choices for Decision-Makers
The ten strategic questions set out in this report are based on a dialogue among a group of Canadian international policy experts co-chaired by Max Bell School Professor Jennifer Welsh.
One nation under two per cent: Is it time for a shake-up of the economy’s most important number?
September 3, 2020 | As far as the Bank of Canada is concerned, the economy works best when cost of consumed goods and services increases at a rate of about two per cent every year. In this article by The Kingston Whig Standard, Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan shared his thoughts on the Bank of Canada's options for the future of monetary policy.
Implications of a Moratorium on Public Use of Facial Recognition Technology in Canada | Tech Informed Policy
August 17, 2020 | Since the start of this year, there have been increasing calls for the Canadian government to impose a national moratorium on facial recognition technology. This demand arises from the possibility that law enforcement will use facial recognition to discriminate against certain demographics and worsen discrimination in the justice system.
New report finding racism at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was shocking — but predictable | The Conversation
August 10, 2020 | The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has joined the ranks of other Canadian cultural institutions that are facing accusations of discrimination and harassment. Pervasive and systemic bias has been reported in many instances; from inadequate representation of Indigenous perspectives, to the censorship of LGBTQ2+ content, to many other incidents of racism, homophobia, and sexism experienced by staff members.
Algorithm 'gatekeepers' undermine democracy and health | Montreal Gazette
August 6, 2020 | Social media and other digital platforms have begun to overtake traditional journalism as our primary sources of information. The communications difficulties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated how this trend will prove to have drastic consequences on the reliability of information in our democracies.
New report focuses on why invisible infrastructures are key to platform governance reform
A new report released by the Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy — set to launch this September — outlines an infrastructural approach to social media platforms, and has much to add to the policy space around platform governance of harmful content online.
COVID-19: Social media users more likely to believe false information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Montreal, July 29, 2020
A new study led by researchers at McGill University finds that people who get their news from social media are more likely to have misperceptions about COVID-19. Those that consume more traditional news media have fewer misperceptions and are more likely to follow public health recommendations like social distancing.
