The LinkedIn page of José Juan Ruiz, the IDB's chief economist, shows not a photo of himself but a drawing by the iconic Spanish cartoonist Andrés Rábago, alias El Roto, depicting an exhausted traveler and emigrant draped over his suitcase, deep in sleep. "The dreams of a nation produce exiles," says the caption over the weary man. It is a fitting observation for Ruiz, a … [Read more...] about IDB Chief Economist Reflects on Region
Politics and Institutions
What Does Saving Have to Do with Resilience to Natural Disasters?
Investing in infrastructure is crucial for a country’s economic performance and growth prospects. In fact, it not only can make a difference in people’s everyday lives by providing better roads and schools, but it can actually save lives. During the last decade, Chile and Haiti provided two contrasting examples of this in the face of earthquakes due to their different levels of … [Read more...] about What Does Saving Have to Do with Resilience to Natural Disasters?
Reform and the Power of Party Platforms
For decades, analysis of political parties around the world focused on where they stood on the role of the state versus the markets in the economy; the need for high or low taxes; and the advantages or disadvantages of social-welfare spending. It focused, in other words, on the position of parties on the ideological spectrum of left to right. More recent analysis, however, … [Read more...] about Reform and the Power of Party Platforms
Tracking the Decline of the Right
Mauricio Macri presented a face of change to world leaders in Davos last month, the first Argentine president to represent the South American country at the World Economic Forum in over a decade. Macri's efforts to normalize relations with international stakeholders reflect a new direction in policies and international relations that have taken hold since December 2015 when he … [Read more...] about Tracking the Decline of the Right
Seating Business and Government at the Table
Businesspeople seek as much as influence as possible over their government's productive development policies. From many points of view, this makes sense. Company executives experience firsthand the structural problems that prevent them from serving their clients better, accessing new markets and increasing productivity. They know where the information asymmetries lie. If they … [Read more...] about Seating Business and Government at the Table