Digging for dirt: Rent-seeking among elected politicians in India’s mineral belt Increases in local mineral wealth raise both the likelihood of criminally charged politicians entering office and asset accumulation among incumbents... Institutions & Political Economy Sam Asher Paul Novosad Published 16.11.20
Social ties and ‘hometown favouritism’ towards local officials in China Hometown auditors report lower suspicious expenditures, implying that social ties are associated with greater leniency... Institutions & Political Economy Raymond Fisman Yongxiang Wang Jian Chu Songtao Tan Published 12.06.20
Autonomy – not rules – may be a government’s best weapon in the fight against corruption Giving government procurement officers more leeway in decision-making over expenses could save billions... Public Economics Katie Parry Oriana Bandiera Michael Best Adnan Khan Andrea Prat Published 22.05.20
Balancing corruption and exclusion: Incorporating India’s Aadhaar into public food distribution Fighting corruption with India's new national ID system has cost some low-income households their benefits in the process... Social Protection Karthik Muralidharan Paul Niehaus Sandip Sukhtankar Published 17.04.20
The power of biometric identification for development The technology can reduce leakages in programmes, increase access to public programmes and market services, and improve the delivery of healthcare... Technology & Innovation Thomas Bossuroy Clara Delavallade Vincent Pons Vestal McIntyre Published 09.12.19
Would developing countries be safer if governments listened to business owners more? Participation in drafting regulation appears to make firms more willing to see government as a legitimate regulatory authority... Firms Edmund Malesky Markus Taussig Published 03.07.19
Guardians of accountability: Corruption and inefficiency in local public infrastructure Civil society oversight can curb corruption in public infrastructure development, when supported by the relevant anti-corruption authority... Public Economics Paul Lagunes Published 01.04.19
Does China’s bureaucracy work? Analysing the pattern of promotions provides illuminating evidence on current levels of corruption in Chinese bureaucracy... Institutions & Political Economy Peter Lorentzen Published 20.02.19
What source of money do corrupt officials prefer? The capacity of Brazilian local governments to source tax revenue has a greater impact on education and corruption than external transfers... Public Economics Lucie Gadenne Published 07.12.18