Evidence from 25 years of data shows countries form persistent ‘development clusters’ according to their levels of internal peace and state capacity

Strategic miscalculation during Afghanistan’s first security transition may have contributed to its current resurgence of violence

Ease of implementation might be a significant factor behind the flow of aid to richer parts of countries

The 2003 introduction of stricter gun controls led to a significant reduction in gun-related homicides and other crimes

An experiment reveals that church members enrolled in formal insurance give less money to their church and to other charitable organisations

Women leaders increase the provision of public goods that benefit women and children more, and also raise the aspirations of girls and their parents

The spread of export agriculture and print technologies across Africa transformed ethnicity via their effects on politicisation and boundary-making

A video experiment uncovers the potential pitfalls of relying on legal reforms alone to reduce female early marriage in low-income countries

Policy crackdowns on dowries can reduce their prevalence, but with unintended impacts on women’s decision-making power and domestic violence