democracy

Welfare programmes, even when designed to prevent misuse, can be subverted by a political party and may encourage the centralisation of corruption.

Local elections in Nigeria may improve representation at the local level, contributing to a more peaceful resolution of contests for resources

An experiment in Sierra Leone varied how much say voters, compared to party officials, had in selecting candidates for Parliamentary elections, and sheds light on which systems of leadership selection are most effective

A larger fine for electoral abstention increases voter turnout but does not affect election outcomes in settings with compulsory voting

It is only democracies that perform well on the dimensions that the public cares about – economic growth, control of corruption, peace and political stability and public good provision – that build support for democratic institutions

New empirical evidence on global deforestation casts doubts on Corporate Environmental Responsibility and ESG claims that they can replace state-led regulation as a mechanism to minimise negative environmental externalities in low government capacity...

Autocracies and weak democracies are more likely to import facial recognition AI from China, particularly in years when they experience domestic unrest

Does electoral accountability discipline public spending?

Social media groups can improve voter knowledge, but may also increase polarisation in political preferences