During his reign from 1979 to 2005, Pope John Paul II visited 129 countries, more than the 263 Popes before him combined. I document a significant increase in exports to trading partners with a relatively high share of Catholics following a Pastoral visit, leading to a non-negligible increase in aggregate exports. The biggest beneficiaries in terms of increased trade are visited countries that are at lower stages of economic development and have relatively few Catholics and weak trade links.

Hello, shutdown, my old friend ... Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesBrinkmanship, a political scramble to keep the lights on in Washington and finger-pointing over who is to the blame – we’ve been here before, right?

The threat of government shutdowns seems to be a regular feature of modern American politics.

Recent rulings are rolling back federal regulatory authority, echoing past constitutional battles over administrative governance.

Where did everybody go? AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey

CC BY-ND