The feel good factor

MATTHEW LYNN

Worried about the state of your economy? You could try tweaking interest rates, or figuring out ways...

Worried about the state of your economy? You could try tweaking interest rates, or figuring out ways to improve productivity. Then again, you could just get a better football team. Every time a major sporting event rolls around, economic pundits jokingly try to draw a parallel between the performance of the national team and its effect on the stock market and consumer confidence. Now it seems that it may not be so lighthearted after all. A country's sports team really can affect the economy. A study on the World Cup in Germany in June and July this year found the unexpectedly good showing...