Many factors led to Detroit's bankruptcy, some within control of the city government: Factors include borrowing too much for future income, over reliance on the auto sector and leadership issues.
The bad news is the Turnbull government seems to be cementing in the $1.3bn in cuts that the Abbott government factored in to its 2014 budget from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency although it was never able to legislate them.
In contrast, Garfors described Eritrea as a "truly amazing country" hindered by military conscription and a heavy-handed government – factors which are thought to contribute to the unprecedented exodus of up to 5,000 citizens every month.
It says that if the ALP uses the same accounting as the government, factoring in a 367-megatonne contribution in its carbon budget, Labor's 45% emissions reduction target would become a 35% target.
To be sure, more than bragging rights are at stake: the federal government factors in population when it allocates aid, and elected officials say that the city could be shortchanged by millions of dollars if the current figures stand.
State colleges have long been heavily subsidized by state governments, a factor that has kept tuition manageable and, in many cases, even quite low.
Until now, the accounting rules have permitted governments to factor in actuarial assumptions and smoothing techniques that greatly lowballed the benefits' cost.
It's up there with the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 in terms of its potential world influence, meaning future UK governments must factor in gender rights when doling out overseas investment.
Mr Marr paints a frank picture of Mr Rudd's one-man-band style of running government, a factor that helped to trigger his downfall in June.
Movie producers have grown more receptive to the idea of filming in states that can offer non-union labor and cooperative local governments, two factors for which Hollywood is not known.
