Production networks matter for firm growth. However, little is known about what shapes firms’ production networks in developing countries. This column explores the role of community networks in West Bengal in firm-to-firm trade between 2010 and 2016. Firms systematically trade more within their caste than they would if trading relationships were randomly chosen, both for firms in large and smaller castes. Being in the same caste doubles the probability that two firms trade and, when they do, increases trade volumes by almost 20%.

Public service reforms can provoke political backlash from service providers, but when quality increases sufficiently, the electoral rewards can outweigh the costs

In democracies around the world, elections mobilise thousands of campaign workers who play an integral role in shaping candidates’ electoral performance. Yet, little is known about these workers and how working in a campaign shapes their professional lives. This column explores the career trajectories of campaign labour in Brazil. The connections forged on a campaign provide qualified young workers with better employment and earnings opportunities.

After the public disclosure of alleged forced sterilisations during a family planning campaign, municipalities in Peru with more victims exhibited a steep decline in public health services and lower levels of trust in public institutions

Union leaders exhibit better leadership qualities than average workers and cultivate collective action in labour movements through a coordinating role

Falling groundwater levels in India have enabled politicians to manipulate aid for electoral gain

The impacts of a campaign to raise awareness of Chile’s new gender quota show how voters strategically respond to electoral laws

When electoral rules encourage politicians to secure a broader base of support, politicians provide public goods more broadly