By Emma Näslund-Hadley* An education reform in Belize launched in 2011 to make government funding more equitable on a per student basis reduced the gap between the richest and poorest schools by 20% and continues to close this gap. Not long ago, schools in Belize’s wealthiest communities received up to twenty times more public funding per student than other … [Read more...] about Robin Hood Takes On Belizean Schools
Can land markets reduce land inequality in developing countries?
By Leonardo Corral* and Heath Henderson** Land inequality in developing countries has been found to hamper long-term economic growth and also mitigate the poverty-reducing effects of existing growth by limiting effective access to land by the rural poor. Further, given the often-observed inverse relationship between farm size and productivity, land inequality can … [Read more...] about Can land markets reduce land inequality in developing countries?
How to avoid building more bad roads?
By Graham Watkins* A month ago I was bumping along a dusty road in the Beni (Bolivia) from San Borja to San Ignacio de Moxos. Someone in the car said that this road had been named as the “worst road in the world.” That reminded me of a 36 hours trip on the Georgetown-Lethem road (Guyana). We only had to travel 60 kilometers in an old British Army Bedford truck, but the … [Read more...] about How to avoid building more bad roads?
Errors: the simpler the better?
By: David Alfaro Serrano* Proper estimation of the standard errors of the estimators of regression coefficients is important. These estimates are needed when analyzing statistical significance, which is the basis of the interpretation of the results of an econometric analysis. In impact evaluation practice, analysis of statistical significance is what allows the researcher … [Read more...] about Errors: the simpler the better?
Can incentives improve our habits?
By Sebastian Galiani* No doubt, we economists believe that incentives matter. Recently, it has been argued that incentives could be used to encourage desirable habits, such as getting regular exercise or having a healthy diet. This has become particularly important in Latin America given its demographic and epidemiological situation (Galiani and Weinschelbaum, 2014). If … [Read more...] about Can incentives improve our habits?