Every time the United States approaches an election cycle, migration policies become the subject of heated—if not evidence-based—debate. This year is no exception, as demonstrated by the exchange between immigration opponents and sons of immigrants on the stage of the Republican presidential debate. Discussion of migration typically gravitates to the subject of remittances: … [Read more...] about Beyond Remittances: Migrants and the Circulation of Brains
Breastfeeding: The Best Recipe for a Healthy Start
Latin America has a breast feeding problem. But before getting into the details, let me note that August 1-7, 2015 is World Breastfeeding Week. The line-up of sponsors is impressive. This annual event is coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network of organizations and individuals that promote breastfeeding worldwide. Partners in this … [Read more...] about Breastfeeding: The Best Recipe for a Healthy Start
The Littlest Victims of Crime
Children are a mother’s— and a country’s— greatest treasure. Yet they too are victims of violence, often indirectly through their mothers. The repercussions of violence against these littlest victims in society are far reaching. Compromising their health and happiness is not only an emotional issue, but an important economic issue as well and was studied in the context of a … [Read more...] about The Littlest Victims of Crime
Raising Tax Revenues on a Tight Budget: A Field Experiment in the Pampas
Policymakers may have big plans like extending a highway or starting a new social assistance program. Then again, they may have more modest plans such as meeting payrolls or maintaining existing infrastructure and levels of service. Realizing any of those plans requires a dependable stream of revenue, usually including taxes on individuals’ income and property. In an ideal … [Read more...] about Raising Tax Revenues on a Tight Budget: A Field Experiment in the Pampas
Using Technology in Education: How Can We Identify Effective Programs?
By: Elena Arias Ortiz and Julian Cristia As a follow-up to our blog post regarding raising more awareness about the importance of evaluations, today we’d like to share with you the impact of evaluating the best way to incorporate educational technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean (the region). Governments in the region have implemented a wide range of initiatives to … [Read more...] about Using Technology in Education: How Can We Identify Effective Programs?