Stephanomics

For the past three decades, South African politics have been defined by the African National Congress. But with initial forecasts from the May 29 vote showing a marked decline in support for the ruling party, change looks likely. 

So what do the various potential outcomes mean for South Africa’s growth and debt outlook? For investor interest in the country? Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldridge and Senior Executive Editor Jacqueline Simmons review the landscape with Bloomberg economist Yvonne Mhango.

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Bad actors using machine-learning, generative artificial intelligence and the power of digital networks are seeding ever-more distrust in democracy, warns Audrey Tang, former digital affairs minister for Taiwan. Tang joins this week’s episode of Voternomics to discuss the risk of foreign interference in the many elections happening around the world, as well as lessons learned while combating efforts to distort the political debate in Taiwan. 

Plus, Bloomberg political correspondent Nancy Cook discusses the latest Bloomberg News/Morning Consult polling which reveals the unease voters feel around the US election—from misinformation to political violence and foreign interference.

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On this special edition of Voternomics, we discuss the possible reasoning behind the Conservative’s decision to gamble on an earlier-than-expected vote. 

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Former Munich Security Conference Chair Wolfgang Ischinger joinsVoternomics to explain the new European project he says is needed. Plus, Bloomberg reporter Michael Nienaber discusses why German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s popularity remains at historic lows while the far-right AfD party may see gains in the European parliament next month. 

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Ben Page, chief executive of market research company Ipsos, joins Voternomics this week to outline what he’s discovered about voters and what they think about their politicians, governments and economies. He tells Stephanie Flanders and Allegra Stratton that trust in politics is the “lowest we’ve ever measured.” 

Also on this episode, Flanders, Stratton and Adrian Wooldridge ask Bloomberg Opinion columnist John Authers whether—given the question of when the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates between now and the election—the central bank can remain above the political fray.

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Karen Ward, J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s chief market strategist for EMEA, joins this week to explain why politicians are being punished for the sins of central banks. Ward, a former Bank of England economist and adviser to both UK Chancellors Philip Hammond and Jeremy Hunt, tells Stephanie Flanders, Allegra Stratton and Adrian Wooldridge about the damage done as a result of missteps when it comes to inflation. 

Plus, Bloomberg News editor Craig Trudell unpacks how Elon Musk is driving on both sides of the US-China relationship. 

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Welcome to the first episode of Voternomics. On this podcast, Stephanie Flanders, Bloomberg’s head of government and economics coverage, Allegra Stratton, author of Bloomberg’s The Readout newsletter and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldridge discuss how voters have the opportunity to affect markets, countries and economies like never before. Historian Niall Ferguson and Bloomberg Washington reporter Nancy Cook join our hosts to give their take on this unique moment in time.

Ferguson explains why he believes the 2024 US presidential election isn’t about foreign policy, why Donald Trump is using his 2016 campaign strategy and why the second Cold War is escalating faster than the first. 

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Stephanie is back with a new podcast series.

This is the year of elections. Around 40 percent of the world has the chance to vote in 2024. And those votes will shape the geo-economic landscape for years to come.

The implications for business and democracy are huge and worth exploring, which is why Stephanie is joining Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldridge and Bloomberg contributor and former government advisor Allegra Stratton for a new series called “Voternomics.”

It’s a weekly look at the way geopolitics - and elections - are upending the longstanding assumptions of policymakers and business people around the world. In short, it’s a series about how elections mean business.

Don’t miss the first episode coming this Friday. 

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The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

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The Deal, hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, features intimate conversations with business titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs who reveal their investment philosophies, pivotal career moves and the ones that got away. From Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals, The Deal is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Television, and Bloomberg Originals on YouTube.

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