7 November 2018
Question: What was/is the percentage of homebuyers in 2018 that had a student loan?
Abe fuels debate on migration taboos – Pg. 4
– At the heart of the controversy are two elements of Mr Abe’s plan that have been taboo in Japan. First, it will create a path – however long and difficult – for guest workers to become permanent residents. Second, it will allow some guest workers to bring their families
– The population of foreign workers in Japan has soared in recent years – up 18% in 2017 alone to 1.28m – but majority are students or “trainees” whose visas make it impossible to stay for the long term
– The two fastest-growing nationalities in Japan are Vietnamese and Nepalis
US Foreign Policy – Pg. 7
– The results of the 2018 midterms will be seen all over the world as a crucial test of whether Donald Trump has permanently changed America. The stakes have not been higher in a generation
– If Republicans do well, then many will conclude that “Trumpism” is here to stay. The rest of the world would have to make a long-term adjustment to an America that is highly protectionist and suspicious of treaties on principle – whether they deal with climate change, arms control, refugees or migration
– …if Democrats prosper in the election, then the US president’s foreign critics will cling on to the hope that the Trump years may yet turn out to be an aberration – and that the old American is waiting in the wings to return
– …Mr Trump is the first ever US president who seems hostile to the very idea of European unity. In part, this is because Mr Trump objects to the trade surplus of more than $100bn that the EU enjoys with the US
– The US president likes to denounce “globalism” – a term that he and his aides use to describe the encroachment of supranational institutions on national sovereignty
– …the EU is the world’s most successful “globalist” organization, since its organizing principle is the creation of international law that limit the sovereignty of national governments
– Canadians were stung that their country was labelled as a “national security threat” to the US, to justify the imposition of sanctions on steel and aluminium
– …India, Saudi Arabia and Israel – and each of these governments have their own reasons for looking favourably on the Trump administration
– Losing control of Congress has a significant impact on a president’s ability to pass domestic legislation. But it may not change foreign policy all that much
– The main impact of Congress in this area comes through its power to approve or reject trade deals and treaties. But since Mr Trump sees both trade and treaties as manifestations of “globalism” – he is unlikely to be pushing hard in that direction
Answer: 25%