Lower informality does not necessarily translate to higher total factor productivity or improved welfare

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

Connected cities request and receive 15% more funds from the national government. Yet the welfare loss from this may be only 0.24% of the budget.

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

Evidence from Brazil shows that patronage plays an important role in public sector hiring, adversely affecting the quality of the public workforce

The Brazilian experience shows that removing obstacles to political participation can have sizeable effects on public policy and development outcomes

When local governments in Brazil improve tax collection rather than rely on grants to raise revenues, local officials help citizens, not themselves