The COVID-19 pandemic is dramatically affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean, taking lives and exacting an immense toll on individual and national economies. Governments have responded with urgent assistance. But with a more than 10% decline in revenues as a result of closed businesses and lost jobs, governments now have to buy … [Read more...] about Don’t Forget to Call: How Personal Interaction Boosts Tax Payments
For a Region in Turmoil, An Updated Database of Political Institutions
In a year when political institutions around the world were tested and pushed to their limits, understanding institutions and institutional features has become more important than ever. The rise of populism, increasing economic inequality, and the emergence of racial and other protests in the U.S. and globally—all against the backdrop of … [Read more...] about For a Region in Turmoil, An Updated Database of Political Institutions
Communicating Better in the Covid-19 Era
Covid-19 is still spreading rapidly on a global level, with more than 11.4 million cases and 407,000 deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean alone as of early November. This is happening despite the imposition of strict mobility restrictions and other constraints, like mask wearing and school closings. Indeed, in Argentina, with some of the most rigorous restrictions as … [Read more...] about Communicating Better in the Covid-19 Era
Using Social Network Analysis to Identify Decision-Makers and Improve Public Policy
Latin America has achieved significant social progress in recent decades. From the 1990s through 2019, poverty fell by almost 50 percent: mortality in children under five was cut by more than half; and primary school education became nearly universal. But while significant investment was made to accomplish those outcomes, much more could have been achieved if it wasn’t for … [Read more...] about Using Social Network Analysis to Identify Decision-Makers and Improve Public Policy
How to Reduce Imprisonment in Latin America
With about 1.4 million people—including pre-trial detainees and convicts—held in penal institutions, Latin America is suffering from a dramatic incarceration crisis. Over the last ten years, the prison population in the region has grown by 76%, and today 241 people for every 100,000 in habitants are in detention, about twice the level of the European Union. Overcrowding and … [Read more...] about How to Reduce Imprisonment in Latin America