The speed of the downturn was remarkable, given America's economic performance in the preceding decade.

ECONOMIST: Taking no chances | The

Politicians between the Baltic and the Black seas showed grit in dealing with the economic emergency (and voters displayed remarkable tolerance of the pain involved).

ECONOMIST: Eastern Europe��s economies: Some calm amid storms | The

For a Jurassic institution, exempt from elections and economic pressure, the judiciary shows remarkable flashes of adaptability.

ECONOMIST: How to reform Brazil's justice system

He also had good fortune to govern California at a time when surging Japanese investment, the high tech boom and, perhaps most important of all, the military buildup accelerated by the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan generated a remarkable economic boom.

FORBES: California's Third Brown Era

Some of the success stories are remarkable: Poland's continuing economic growth, Latvia's climb back from a deep recession and Estonia's qualification to adopt the euro (on January 1st).

ECONOMIST: Putinisation in eastern Europe

The improvement in economic stability has been almost as remarkable.

ECONOMIST: Indonesia

But the most remarkable quality of this health-care exercise is its reckless disregard for economic and fiscal reality.

WSJ: A Reckless Congress: Health-care bill to impose new taxes, welfare state

Moreover, the remarkable development of the U.S. capital markets during this period set the stage for the economic prosperity and surge in technological innovation that occurred in the 1990s.

FORBES: New Sources of Capital in China

Between 2002 and 2010, Colombia recovered its standing in the international community thanks to remarkable improvements in our domestic policy, not just in security matters, but also the rule of law, economic performance and social policy.

ECONOMIST: Letters