Voices of Freedom

Trust in national governments is low globally, though improving slightly from 2010 to 2011. However, over half the world’s people live in countries that are not free in terms of political rights and civil liberties. Increasingly people have been turning to communities of choice to get their voices heard – but 2011 witnessed a dramatic shift from raising voices to taking action, with revolution and popular protest in the Middle East and North Africa.

The impact of the voice of the people  is not just confined to the developing world.  In the most developed economies, the dismal level of trust from voters plus falling tenures among politicians and converging policies among parties suggests the potential for governments to drive development and prosperity at home, let alone tackle global issues, is falling. Many governments are now seen as barriers to growth and prosperity rather than enablers of positive development – for example, the continued partisan infighting in the US which has yet again failed to address the country’s growing debt and economic  issues.  Or the continued political machinations in Europe as Germany and France attempt to stop the Eurozone debt crisis spiraling further out of control – which will potentially mean changes to the EU treaty and moves towards more integration of fiscal  and economic policies, changes which will likely generate resistance in countries see some resulting loss of sovereignty.  Nationalism and protectionism are squarely back on the agenda.

The nation-state may remain the preeminent unit of organization, but the need to find hybrid models of governance reflecting a balance between states, individuals and communities of choice – within and across national borders – may signal increased political volatility in future. Against this backdrop, the leaders of major economic and geopolitical powers will exert significant influence on the way the world lives and works. In this report we profile a number of these key shapers and influencers.

Questions for Business Leaders

• How well do we know and understand the influence of the key political/ government shapers in the world?
• How  can they potentially impact our industry, markets and business?
• What do the different approaches to political influence across the globe imply for our business models, as an exporter, as an operator in different countries, and as a global corporation?

The GT Trend Report: Governments offers profiles of some of the key government leaders and food for thought on these topics.