Midday meals in India improve children’s learning outcomes

Prolonged exposure to ‘midday meals’ can improve learning outcomes on top of its other objectives...

Targeting relief aid after natural disasters: Should donors work through governments or NGOs?

After natural disasters, governments and non-governmental organisations differ in their effectiveness at targeting the hardest hit populations...

Forced displacement and human capital: Evidence from Mozambique

Conflict-driven displacement can trigger structural transformation, but can also cause long-lasting social and psychological trauma...

Fiscal rules, public overspending, and political accountability in Colombia

Limitations to fiscal spending reduced overspending in public administration without affecting public goods, aligning with voters’ preferences...

Returns to work, child labour, and schooling: The income versus price effects

Returns to child work play an important role in determining child labour and schooling through changing the opportunity costs of schooling...

Terrorism financing, recruitment, and attacks

Financial counterterrorism is under attack for being costly and ineffective, but a new study shows it can reduce terrorist attack casualties...

Maternal mortality and women’s political participation

Reserving seats for women in parliament leads to sharp reductions in maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries...

The impact of intranational trade barriers on exports: Evidence from a nationwide VAT rebate reform in China

Rising local protectionism reduces interprovincial trade and manufacturing exports, and increases ’inward-looking’ sourcing by local intermediaries...

Electricity grid expansion and firm turnover in Indonesia

Electrification generates industrial development by attracting entrants through lowering barriers to entry, and thus increasing competition...