But many states (mostly poor and ill-run) resist the trend and some rich democracies like the Netherlands and Germany are trying to curb it (see article), offering a variety of excuses.

ECONOMIST: Citizenship

At last year's meeting, however, directors persuaded 73% of those voting to resist the temptation to grab the money and run, arguing that they would get better value in the long run from having their mortgages and savings with a mutual organisation.

ECONOMIST: Nationwide Building Society: Floating in limbo | The