Would developing countries be safer if governments listened to business owners more? Participation in drafting regulation appears to make firms more willing to see government as a legitimate regulatory authority Firms Edmund Malesky Markus Taussig Published 03.07.19
Intergenerational mobility in Africa Digging below aggregate statistics highlights the significant inequalities in social mobility in Africa despite rising educational levels Health Alberto Alesina Sebastian Hohmann Stelios Michalopoulos Elias Papaioannou Published 20.06.19
Who debates, who wins? Debate participation and electoral outcomes in Liberia An intervention in Liberia increased electoral debate participation and led citizens to engage more in the election Institutions & Political Economy Jeremy Bowles Horacio Larreguy Published 17.06.19
The value of reference letters: Experimental evidence from South Africa References from former employers help women to find jobs and assist hiring firms in selecting high-ability candidates Labour Markets Martin Abel Rulof Burger Patrizio Piraino Published 13.06.19
The labour market impacts of soft skills certificates Soft skills certificates improve the allocation of workers to jobs, and raise earnings conditional on employment Labour Markets Vittorio Bassi Aisha Nansamba Published 10.06.19
Can variation in firm growth explain the development gap? Colombia vs the US A deficit of superstar plants, an excess of microestablishments, and the success of underperformers are key symptoms of Colombia’s development problem Firms Marcela Eslava John Haltiwanger Alvaro Pinzón Published 03.06.19
Education and domestic violence in Turkey Increased schooling for girls in Turkey led to a rise in psychological violence, but also reduced the intergenerational transmission of violence Education Bilge Erten Pinar Keskin Published 31.05.19
Can wealth taxation work in developing countries? Progressive wealth taxes may be difficult to enforce if wealthy individuals underreport their wealth, but disclosure incentives and greater enforcement can improve tax collection Public Economics Juliana Londoño-Vélez Published 29.05.19
Globalisation and the rise of Narcos: Understanding violent crime in urban Mexico Manufacturing job loss, induced by competition with China, increased cocaine trafficking, thereby increasing violent crime in urban areas in Mexico Labour Markets Melissa Dell Ben Feigenberg Kensuke Teshima Published 27.05.19