Does affirmative action incentivise schooling?

Caste-based reservations in government jobs and colleges in India resulted in potential future beneficiaries staying in school longer...

The dynamic effects of computerised VAT invoices on Chinese manufacturing firms

Evidence from China shows tax revenues increase in the short run from better enforcement, but these increases decrease over time as firms downsize...

The (unintended) effects of China’s 2004 tax reform

Firms used VAT savings from China’s tax reform to invest in machinery as intended, but the reform reduced firm productivity, exports and employment...

The long-term effects of cash transfers: Mexico’s Progresa

Conditional transfers in childhood improve education, labour, and economic outcomes in adulthood, especially for women...

The benefits of financial inclusion in Rwanda

Positive spillovers of a microcredit expansion programme on the commercial banking system can foster local development...

Prosperity without freedom? Media bias in China

Even in a highly controlled environment such as China, media bias is affected by competition and a trade-off between political and economic goals...

How football can help build a nation

Even in the presence of deeply rooted divisions, shared experiences can be an effective nation-building tool and have a tangible effect on violence...

The welfare effect of inducing persistent changes in behaviours

The welfare effect of policies aimed at changing behaviours persistently may be larger than usually measured because of 'hysteresis'...

Economic shocks and crime: Evidence from the Brazilian trade liberalisation

Homicides increased in Brazilian regions exposed to greater foreign competition following trade liberalisation, with employment rates the main driver...