Children are ubiquitous in African cities but largely absent from development economics research. Here’s what we know about children’s schooling once they’ve moved to the city.
In India, women city councillors outperform men. Yet gender quotas actually reduce the overall welfare of voters as deep-seated discrimination against women outweighs policy gains. Alternative designs can improve both representation and welfare.
The nationwide reshuffling of universities in China during the 1950s sheds light on the long-run effects of higher education on industrial development.
In El Salvador, extreme heat lowers agricultural productivity and rural incomes, pushing farmers – especially those with strong migrant networks – to use international migration as a climate adaptation strategy.
When delivered by a single donor, development aid appears to curtail corruption. However, under donor fragmentation, these benefits are significantly diminished.
The 1933 Soviet famine was not the inevitable result of poor harvests but of Stalin’s collectivisation and procurement policies, which disproportionately targeted Ukrainians and produced catastrophic, unequal mortality.
Extreme heat damages crops and increases the number of strongly undernourished households in terms of calories, iron, and other nutrients. While some households cope by buying food grown elsewhere, the poorest remain highly vulnerable.
Taxpayers respond not only to how much they are taxed, but also to whether the system feels fair: inequities created by crude tax proxies can reduce compliance as much as high rates themselves. Better data and technology can help states improve fairn...
