Are global incomes converging or diverging? Despite recent empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis of unconditional beta convergence, this paper argues that such findings overlook the stark reality...
The role of 'first movers' in fragile states is critical: they grow and diversify markets in ways that no other firms do, generating disproportionate impact in terms of development and stability. But pioneer...
The connections between transport infrastructure and economic development have been extensively analyzed in previous research, but little is known about the cost of infrastructure investments in poor countries...
The accumulation of decent housing matters both because of the difference it makes to living standards and because of its centrality to economic development. The consequences for living standards are far-reaching...
The accumulation of decent housing matters both because of the difference it makes to living standards and because of its centrality to economic development. The consequences for living standards are far-reaching...
This paper investigates the effectiveness of post-conflict aid at the project level and aims to identify post-conflict situations as a window of opportunity for project success. The Independent Evaluation...
During civil wars governments typically resort to inflation to raise revenue. A model of this phenomenon is presented, estimated, and applied to the choices and constraints faced during the post-conflict...
Over the past four decades Africa has diverged from other developing regions and is now the poorest region in the world. This paper offers an explanation of Africa's slow growth in terms of its distinctive...
Almost all wars in actuality are civil wars. While wars between nations attract the most attention, it is civil strife that is more common and likely to last many more years. When development fails and...
Empirical work in labor economics has focused on rent sharing as an explanation for the observed correlation between wages and profitability. The alternative explanation of risk sharing between workers...
Macro and micro perspectives of growth and poverty in Africa; by Luc Christiaensen, Lionel Demery, and Stefano Paternostro. Risk sharing in labor markets; by Arne Bigsten, Paul Collier, Stefan Dercon...
Most wars are now civil wars. Even though international wars attract enormous global attention, they have become infrequent and brief. Civil wars usually attract less attention, but they have become increasingly...
Using global data for the period 1960-99, the authors estimate neighborhood arms races. They find that the level of military expenditure is strongly influenced by the expenditure of neighbors. The authors...
Countries emerging from civil war attract both aid and policy advice. This paper provides the first systematic empirical analysis of aid and policy reform in the post-conflict growth process. It is based...
Usage of health facilities in Ethiopia is among the lowest in the world; raising usage rates is probably critical for improving health outcomes. The government has diagnosed the principal problem as the...
This Note analyzes the role of aid in the economic recovery of countries emerging from a violent conflict. Empirical evidence suggests that post-conflict situations should be treated as specific cases...
Until recently virtually all developing countries were heavily dependent upon exports of primary commodities. Globally, this gave rise to three severe problems. First, because commodity prices are highly...
This paper analyzes theoretically and empirically the effects of economic policy and the receipt of foreign aid on the risk of civil war. The research finds that aid and policy do not have direct effects...
This study investigates the causes of civil war, using a new data set of wars during 1960-99. Rebellion may be explained by atypically severe grievances, such as high inequality, a lack of political rights...
Ethnically differentiated societies are often regarded as dysfunctional, with poor economic performance and a high risk of violent civil conflict. The author distinguishes between dominance, in which one...