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
Phil Keefer
Philip Keefer is a Principal Economic Advisor at the Inter-American Development Bank. Prior to this he served as a Lead Research Economist in the Development Research Group of the World Bank. The focus of his work, based on experience in countries ranging from Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic to Indonesia, México, Perú and Pakistan, is the determinants of political incentives to pursue economic development. His research, on issues such as the impact of insecure property rights on growth; the effects of political credibility on policy; the sources of political credibility in democracies and autocracies; and the influence of political parties on conflict, political budget cycles, and public sector reform, has appeared in journals ranging from the Quarterly Journal of Economics to the American Political Science Review.