Indeed, sanctions weaken an economy and public health, but do not necessarily make it more likely that a despotic regime will collapse. Sanctions purportedly undermine the regime by causing widespread unrest and by reducing the government's power base and tax collections.

Budget deficits automatically increase government debt, requiring higher future taxes to pay the interest on that debt. The resulting higher tax rates distort economic incentives and thus weaken future economic performance.

Indeed, sanctions weaken an economy and public health, but do not necessarily make it more likely that a despotic regime will collapse.

The resulting higher tax rates distort economic incentives and thus weaken future economic performance.

The weak and diluted EU Takeover Directive, adopted after more than a decade of debate, fails to facilitate the cross border mergers within Europe that are needed to build world champions. And company based social benefits in some leading European countries weaken corporate flexibility by locking in labor.

And company based social benefits in some leading European countries weaken corporate flexibility by locking in labor.

Indeed, oil rents eventually weaken state institutions, and this hollowing out of the state often gives rise to growing discontent.

The prizes conferred on opportunistic defectors not only undermine the party system, but weaken the foundations of parliament by making organized opposition impossible.

In this way, they conclude, money enhanced individualism but diminished communal motivations, an effect that is still apparent in people s responses today.

The answer lies in this fact increased competition and improving productivity reduce the inflationary pressures that arose during previous economic expansions.

Such asymmetries impair market performance in a variety of ways, and conflicts of interest are particularly dangerous in such an environment because they create an incentive to exploit precisely these advantages.

All bailouts can create moral hazard, because they weaken the incentive to implement reforms that will avoid bad outcomes in the future.

If anything, the US has been gradually loosening its close links with Taiwan, with no US cabinet member visiting the island since those missile maneuvers.

Looser standards for issuers weaken protection for investors, and there is evidence that lax regulation of new issues may reduce investor demand for them, raising the cost of finance.

Though interpretations of Article 9 have liberalized over the years, and Japan now maintains a very capable self defense force, constitutional constraints continue to impair Japan's military capabilities and posture considerably.

At the same time, however, purely bilateral negotiations between individual EU members and oil and gas producing countries weakens the member states bargaining power, as well as undermining Europe s geopolitical weight in world affairs.

And it is not only major stressful life events that exact a toll on our bodies the many conflicts and demands of daily life elevate and sometimes disrupt the workings of our response systems for stress, causing wear and tear on the body and brain.

Europe needs structural reforms, but such reforms alone will not end the Continent's malaise, and some measures those that weaken employment protection or the social safety net may come at a high price, especially for people at the bottom.