Podcast Summary
Effective leadership, partnerships, and societal trends: Effective leadership, like Jacinda Ardern's, brings change and recognition. Partnerships with institutions offer valuable resources. Societal trends, like the growing role of grandparents, are worth noting. New leaders will continue to face challenges and make their mark.
Effective leadership, as demonstrated by Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, can bring about positive change and global recognition, even during challenging times. Meanwhile, in the business world, partnering with institutions like Bank of America can provide access to valuable tools and insights to help businesses thrive. In the social sphere, the increasing number of grandparents in the world and their role in modern families is a significant trend to watch. Despite unexpected departures, such as Jacinda Ardern's resignation, new leaders will continue to face their unique challenges and make their mark.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Popularity Wanes Amid Economic Aftershocks and Strict Health Measures: Jacinda Ardern's popularity declined due to economic challenges and strict health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to her resignation. Chris Hipkins, known for his experience in education and crisis management, is set to become the new prime minister.
Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2017 to 2023, gained immense popularity both domestically and internationally due to her sympathetic and decisive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her authentic communication style and her image as an antidote to populist politics also contributed to her global recognition. However, her popularity began to wane as the economic aftershocks of the pandemic and her stringent public health measures took their toll. Ardern stepped down due to the mental and physical demands of the job and her party's poor political fortunes. Her successor, Chris Hipkins, was recently chosen to lead the Labor Party and will be sworn in as the new prime minister on Wednesday. Hipkins is known for his experience in education and crisis management.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to Maintain Status Quo: Despite Chris Hipkins' low-key political style, Labour's election outcome remains uncertain due to National Party's strong polling.
Chris Hipkins, New Zealand's new prime minister, is expected to maintain the status quo in terms of policies due to his close association with Jacinda Ardern. He is known for his low-key political style, which may be more appealing to voters focusing on bread-and-butter issues. However, Labour's fortunes in the upcoming elections remain uncertain, as the National Party is currently polling strongly. Ardern's decision to resign may not serve as a lesson for other world leaders, as her circumstances are unique, and her popularity stemmed largely from her authentic and empathetic communication style. The election outcome will determine whether her departure is seen as a strategic move or an abandonment of her party.
1.5 billion grandparents worldwide: The increasing number of grandparents globally leads to significant demographic shifts, impacting families and society, with evolving roles and relationships.
The rising number of grandparents worldwide, driven by increased life expectancy and smaller family sizes, is leading to significant demographic shifts. This trend, as reported by The Economist's correspondents, has resulted in an estimated 1.5 billion grandparents globally, up from 600 million in 1960. This demographic change impacts not only the grandparents themselves but also their children and grandchildren, as well as society at large. The team's research evolved from looking at numbers to examining the real-life impact of this trend. Through on-the-ground reporting in various countries, they found that grandparents' roles and relationships with their families have evolved, leading to unique stories in different parts of the world. For instance, in some places, grandparents are more involved in childcare, while in others, they are cherished sources of wisdom and support. Overall, this trend signifies a shift in family dynamics and societal norms, with grandparents playing increasingly important roles in their families and communities.
Grandparents' Role in Childcare: A Global Perspective: In countries with high birth rates, grandmothers often provide extensive childcare, enabling parents to work and earn for the family. In contrast, in countries with lower birth rates, grandparents spend more quality time with fewer grandkids due to better parental benefits and longer lifespans, helping women join the workforce
The role of grandparents in caring for grandchildren is evolving differently across the world, with significant implications for families and women's participation in the workforce. In countries with high birth rates, like Senegal, grandmothers often care for large numbers of grandchildren, allowing their children to work and earn money for the family. In contrast, in countries with lower birth rates, like Mexico and Sweden, grandmothers are spending more quality time with fewer grandchildren due to better parental benefits and longer lifespans. This trend is helping women enter the workforce by providing affordable and flexible childcare. However, the impact on employment and earnings varies by country. For instance, in Mexico, the death of a grandmother providing childcare can significantly reduce a daughter's labor force participation and earnings. Overall, these changes in family dynamics and demographics are having a profound effect on women's ability to work and contribute financially to their families.
Impact of Grandparents on Children and Themselves: Grandparents' presence can lead to educational opportunities and better mental health, but families may not move for jobs and grandparents might retire early, widening the gender gap
The presence of grandparents in a child's life can have positive effects, including increased odds of education in sub-Saharan Africa and improved mental health for grandparents. However, there are also potential downsides such as families not moving for better job opportunities due to grandparent care, and the possibility of an early retirement for grandparents leading to a later gender gap. Additionally, far right groups that were active before the January 6, 2021 capitol riot in the US have been mobilizing again, but this time with a focus on protests against LGBT people. Overall, the trend of more grandparents and grandparenting is generally good, but it's important to consider the potential costs and challenges as well.
Significant increase in far-right activities against LGBT Americans: Far-right protests against LGBT Americans became the second biggest driver of protests in 2022, expanding from 6 states in 2021 to 18 states, while overall number of events remained stable.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) report reveals a significant increase in far-right activities against LGBT Americans, which became the second biggest driver of protests among such groups in 2022. This trend is concerning as it marks a rapid growth in hate-motivated events, which previously centered more on racial hatred. White nationalism remains the most common driver of far-right demonstrations, but the geographical spread of these events has expanded, with protests against LGBT Americans occurring in 18 states in 2022 compared to 6 in 2021. The report also highlights the evolution of far-right protests, from anti-Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, to pro-Trump rallies during the 2020 presidential election, to anti-vaccine and anti-abortion protests in 2021. Despite the expansion of their geographical reach, the overall number of far-right events has remained relatively stable from 2021 to 2022. Overall, the report provides a window into the changing dynamics of the culture wars and the growing presence of far-right groups in various social and political issues.
Far-right activist scene trending towards centralization: The far-right activist scene is becoming more centralized with larger, more radical groups gaining prominence, increasing interactions and cross-pollination through social media and new platforms.
The far-right activist scene is experiencing a trend towards centralization, with a fewer number of larger, more radical groups gaining prominence. These groups, such as the Proud Boys, Patriot Front, and the antisemitic GOYM Defense League, are increasingly interacting and cross-pollinating through social media and new platforms. While some see this as making the far-right movement more dangerous or louder, it was previously a decentralized network of groups that rarely communicated with each other. Listeners can share their thoughts on the podcast at podcasts@economist.com and subscribe to The Economist for more insights at economist.com/intelligenceoffer. Additionally, UnitedHealthcare's Health ProtectorGuard fixed indemnity insurance plans can help individuals manage out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Learn more at uhone.com.
