Frédéric Munier

Frédéric Munier

Professeur de Géopolitique, SKEMA Business School
  • Articles: 117

The American prison system or the business of incarceration

The United States has the highest prison population rate in the world with 655 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants – nearly six times more than China – and is home to a quarter of the world’s convicts. Might the land of the free also be the land of freedom deprivation? Undoubtedly, but it is also the land of business opportunity, where half of inmates work in prison, sometimes for the private sector. A business that generates several billion dollars in profit each year…

Sanctions, a geoeconomic weapon in the age of globalisation

In 1989, in a prophetic article, Edward Luttwak heralded the advent of geoeconomics. He believed that in the dual context of globalisation and the end of the Cold War, power relationships would be governed more by economics than by military might. The EU’s unprecedented sanctions against Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine have made this revolution in the expression of power strikingly relevant once again. But are sanctions truly effective? 

Periods, the ‘universality of terror’?

It was 45 years ago, but it seems like yesterday: in 1976, the horror film Carrie told the story of a young girl exhibiting supernatural powers which her mother associated with the start of menstruation. This story has its roots in ancient beliefs linking menstrual cycles, lunar cycles and magic. It is also a reminder of the extent to which, even today, menstrual bleeding can be taboo.

Skin lightening, a dangerous fantasy

Skin lightening is an age-old practice dating back to the end of the Middle Ages in Europe. It spread from Asia to the American continent. According to the WHO, 40% of African women currently engage in this practice. But using chemical substances in an attempt to whiten the skin can cause irreversible damage. This article examines this fantasy that is as timeworn as it is hazardous to health.

Populism against the people? The avatars of an impoverishing ideology

Populism is a complex ideology that first appeared in Russia in the late 19th century. At the time, it was a movement started within the progressist, democratic and demophilic intelligentsia, which advocated genuine concern for the populace with the aim of helping and educating them, but also of maintaining contact between the social elite and the common people. Since then, the nature of populism has changed and there is a strong possibility that the political actions of its representatives, carried out on behalf of the people, are now turning against the latter and risk pushing them further into poverty.

Science in the era of sensationalism

Freakonomics is a word for an original way to view the world, by uncovering the influence of economic prompts and cognitive biases in particular on our choices. This type of research purports to reveal unconscious or unexpected factors that are confirmed by scientific studies, and this makes it even more intriguing. But as the astronomer Carl Sagan highlighted, the problem is that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. And such evidence does not always exist, as we will see.

INTERVIEW OF SERGEI GURIEV: Informational Autocrats

In this Third Interview of the ThinkForward Conferences cycle, Sergei Guriev discusses key insights from his most recent research about Autocracy and Autocrats. Sergei Guriev is the Scientific Director of Sciences Po's Master's and PhD programmes in economics. He is a Research Fellow at the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and member of the Executive Committee of the International Economic Association.