The development of modern Africa: Conflict, resources and institutions Resource-rich countries do poorly when they have resource-rich neighbours, why? Possibly due to increased conflict. Institutions & Political Economy Achyuta Adhvaryu James Fenske Gaurav Khanna Anant Nyshadham Published 23.04.18
Managing ethnic divisions in diverse societies: Evidence from redrawing political boundaries Redrawing subnational political boundaries potentially reduces interethnic tensions yet also can create new ethnic divisions that exacerbate conflict Institutions & Political Economy Samuel Bazzi Matthew Gudgeon Published 16.04.18
Does patronage still play a role in the public sector? Evidence from Brazil shows that patronage plays an important role in public sector hiring, adversely affecting the quality of the public workforce Institutions & Political Economy Emanuele Colonnelli Edoardo Teso Published 12.04.18
Building a functional state in difficult places Eliana La Ferrara outlines four ways to improve state functionality in fragile environments. Institutions & Political Economy Eliana La Ferrara Published 04.04.18
Voting and peer effects A study in Mozambique shows how peer effects can increase information and interest in politics but at the same time reduce voter participation Institutions & Political Economy Marcel Fafchamps Ana Vaz Pedro Vicente Published 27.03.18
Does your cultural background affect your credit profile? In Indian banks, cultural proximity (shared beliefs, ethnicity) between lenders and borrowers increases access to credit and reduces default Institutions & Political Economy Raymond Fisman Published 14.03.18
When do cultures change? The evolution of culture and tradition, along with their persistence, can be explained by environmental instability Institutions & Political Economy Paola Giuliano Nathan Nunn Published 07.03.18
Learning from drunk and absent policemen in Kenya Historical data from Kenya show that when an ethnic group gains power, public servants of that group may be emboldened to misbehave Institutions & Political Economy Alexander Moradi Oliver Vanden Eynde Patrick M Kuhn Published 22.02.18
Public servants and political bias: Evidence from the UK civil service and the World Bank An experiment shows that public servants make errors when interpreting data, incorrectly concluding that it aligns with their ideological preferences Institutions & Political Economy Stefan Dercon Published 11.01.18
