But it also kept Congress from sweeping all the spending bills into an omnibus.

NPR: Congress Unlikely to Complete Budget Duties

But while Mr Buchanan explains all this well, he also makes a sweeping claim: that human society too is an example of self-organised criticality, and that it is therefore possible to use science to explain the patterns of history.

ECONOMIST: Megaphoneys

The report also cites the example of Bolivia, which has embraced sweeping forestry reforms that not only give formal recognition to indigenous peoples' rights to forests, but also exempt small-scale producers from onerous regulations and concession fees.

ECONOMIST: What is the best way to save forests?