Markets

Does the fact that the Treasury Department still has a significant stake in GM stigmatize the company? Give it a negative “Government Motors” reputation among investors or consumers? There’s lot of chatter but little evidence. And analysts say that the company’s reputation hinges more on it’s product line-up and profit outlook.

A "Robin Hood" tax, a small fee on stock, bond, and derivative transactions, is likely to be enacted soon by several EU countries, including Germany and France, with the backing of high-profile, center-right political leaders. But in the U.S., support is only just developing. Those favoring a financial transaction (FTT) believe that an FTT would help generate the revenue needed to protect and expand government programs — and to deter what it considers the destabilizing and unproductive role of "high-frequency trading." Thus far, despite the introduction of several bills that would impose an FTT, a majority of national Democrats have stayed silent on the issue.

To curb excesses, could capital controls again limit the ability of skittish bond investors to flee?

The faux commercial from SNL's early days was directed at Big Oil. Now, some economists wonder whether bipartisan focus on "reassuring investors" holds U.S. democracy hostage.

Critics question why the SEC is announcing a re-examination of small business regulation when parts of the reform effort are incomplete, in some cases due to limited resources.

Last week’s proposal from a group of Republicans in the House of Representatives to slash federal spending by more than $2 trillion over 10 years includes a proposal that could strip away federal funds for research on an array of energy-related projects, and potentially make it harder for new technologies to reach the marketplace.