Inflation Fires Up Populism, Erodes Political Stability; Rising Food Prices Bode Ill for Incumbent Government

Over 100 years ago in Japan, a shortage of rice and a steep rise in its price caused a great uproar for about a month. This has been called the Kome Sodo, or rice riots. Although Japan at the time was not a democratic country, the turmoil adversely affected politics, causing the government of the da...