The Guardian (October 17)
“If Brazil’s recent decline could be plotted in the falling popularity of its presidents, Michel Temer represents the bottom of the curve.” Overall, his popularity now sits at 3%, but “among under 24-year-olds, Temer’s approval hit zero.” Brazil’s president “has been charged with corruption, racketeering and obstruction of justice.” He may conceivably “escape impeachment, but the ongoing political crisis undermines democracy and opens the door to authoritarian hardliners.”
Tags: Approval, Brazil, Corruption, Crisis, Democracy, Impeachment, Obstruction of justice, Popularity, Racketeering, Temer, Zero
Businessweek (September 13)
“As Putin prepares to run for a fourth term in elections next March, the plight of his working-class base across the Russian heartland is emerging as a top domestic challenge.” There’s little doubt Putin will win, “but the discontent threatens Putin’s popularity as the economy continues to sputter. After the longest recession in his 17-year rule, real incomes have fallen 12 percent over the past three years, sparking protests in areas that provided solid backing for Putin in 2012.”
Tags: Discontent, Economy, Elections, Heartland, Incomes, Popularity, Protests, Putin, Recession, Russia, Working class
The Economist (January 31)
America’s “favourite entertainment faces many charges. One of them will finish it.” Despite soaring popularity, the Economist believes football is due for a fall now that the “maiming of so many of football’s professional players” is no longer a secret. Roughly one third of ex-pros go onto suffer from brain injuries and this ugly fact will cause the sport’s popularity to wane. Though it seems unthinkable, “football will go the same way” as boxing and westerns, which once also enjoyed broad appeal.
USA Today (March 18)
“It would be foolish to think that Putin — basking in record popularity and surrounded by hard-line advisers — will do anything other than press the objective he has pursued for years: restoring the historic subjugation of Ukraine to Russia’s will.” The U.S. and “Europe, which has deeper trade ties to Russia” must not mislead themselves. They “must make clear how high the price of further aggression will be.”
Tags: Advisers, Aggression, Europe, Hard line, Objective, Popularity, Price, Putin, Russia, Trade, U.S., Ukraine
The Economist (February 15, 2014)
“Rule changes have made activism easier and therefore more commonplace. Nor is it restricted to America: shareholder activism is gaining in popularity around the world, in places such as Japan and continental Europe, where it was once unknown.” While there are instances where activists cause damage in pursuit of short-term gains, “recent academic studies suggest that, by and large, activists are good for companies. An analysis of around 2,000 interventions in America during 1994-2007 found not only that the share prices and operating performance of the firms involved improved over the five years after the intervention, but also that the improvement was greatest towards the end of the five-year period.”
Tags: Activists, Europe, Improvement, Japan, Performance, Popularity, Rules, Share prices, Shareholders, Short-term gains
Financial Times (June 1)
Stirring both celebration and reflection, Queen Elizabeth’s reign marked 60 years. “Monarchy may seem an outdated concept in a modern democratic age. But the enthusiasm spilling out on to Britain’s streets as the public celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee shows that it can still command widespread respect and affection.” About 80% of Brits support the monarchy, and the Queen’s popularity is even higher. At her coronation, “Britain was in the grip of austerity. The occasion brought a flash of welcome pageantry to the everyday grimness. Today Britain is again facing hard times. This weekend offers another chance to forget the everyday but also to celebrate a monarch who has helped the UK stay a steady course.”Stirring both celebration and reflection, Queen Elizabeth’s reign marked 60 years. “Monarchy may seem an outdated concept in a modern democratic age. But the enthusiasm spilling out on to Britain’s streets as the public celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee shows that it can still command widespread respect and affection.” About 80% of Brits support the monarchy, and the Queen’s popularity is even higher. At her coronation, “Britain was in the grip of austerity. The occasion brought a flash of welcome pageantry to the everyday grimness. Today Britain is again facing hard times. This weekend offers another chance to forget the everyday but also to celebrate a monarch who has helped the UK stay a steady course.”
Tags: Austerity, Coronation, Diamond jubilee, Monarchy, Popularity, Queen Elizabeth, UK
