The Mayor deserves special credit for recognizing that innovation of the fundamental and transformational kind does not emerge from a committee or agency gazing into a crystal ball and laying bets on any specific company or technology.

FORBES: Crowdsourcing Innovation In New York City: Cornell v Stanford

As the tournament starts in earnest, and as millions of brackets are being taped to cubicle walls, the Journal set out to figure out who deserves the credit (or the blame) for this innovation.

WSJ: NCAA Tournament: Where Was the Bracket Born?

In recent years, the government has cut red-tape for new businesses, and boosted the tax credit for investment in research and innovation.

ECONOMIST: France

These proposals include a more generous, permanent extension of the tax credit that goes to companies for all the research and innovation that they do here in America.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama News Conference

Another barrier to entry and innovation for alternative credit ratings models is simply the scarcity of data--in particular, identified defaults.

FORBES: Rating Agencies Should Get A Death Sentence

For instance, excessive regulation can stifle financial innovation, reduce the flow of credit to worthy firms and consumers, and impede economic growth.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Mr Schultz, who earlier this year returned to the helm of the company he built into a global giant, deserves credit for trying to return Starbucks to its old approach to innovation, which was all about incremental product variation around a central platform.

ECONOMIST: Innovative things to do with a banana