Higher education in Latin America has achieved some impressive gains over the past quarter century. An elite system consisting of at most a few dozen traditional universities in each country has radically transformed to include hundreds of new professional institutes, technical and vocational schools. At the same time, enrollment has soared. Between 1992 and 2012, the … [Read more...] about When Information on Higher Education Narrows the Skills Gap
Social Issues
Who’s the BO$$? What Lies Behind Women’s Economic Empowerment
Women have been consolidating their economic power in the region, increasing their autonomy within the family and commanding the attention of banking and other marketing sectors. In our newly released report, Social Pulse 2016: Realities and Perspectives, we find that the contribution of women to the total labor income of households in the region increased from 28% in 1996 to … [Read more...] about Who’s the BO$$? What Lies Behind Women’s Economic Empowerment
Public Transfers to Households: Who are the Real Beneficiaries?
Knowing how governments spend their resources is important because it reflects their development priorities. Moreover, it allows, especially in lean times, trying and seeing “what can be done to improve growth and maintain recent and perhaps fragile benefits in terms of prosperity and social protection?” as mentioned in a previous publication of this blog. In recent years, … [Read more...] about Public Transfers to Households: Who are the Real Beneficiaries?
Can New Methods Sharpen Targeting in Programs for the Poor?
In recent years, developing countries have struggled to make social welfare programs for the poor and vulnerable more efficient. The distribution of preventative health products is an important example. Such products can help the poor stave off malnutrition and disease and improve overall productivity. But they have traditionally been distributed using subsidized pricing, and … [Read more...] about Can New Methods Sharpen Targeting in Programs for the Poor?
Is Being ‘Smart’ About Taxes Contagious?
In recent weeks, the issue of tax avoidance has surged into the United States presidential election. It gained momentum Sept. 26 during the first presidential debate when Republican candidate Donald Trump said that not paying federal income taxes made him “smart.” It moved to the forefront Oct. 1 with the revelation by the New York Times that Trump had declared a $916 million … [Read more...] about Is Being ‘Smart’ About Taxes Contagious?