How can emerging markets protect themselves from abrupt shifts in cross-border banking flows? That has been a fundamental question for economic policymakers in recent years, including those entrusted with banking supervision in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean. In a study made available online in May, Gabriel Cuadra and I examine the issue, focusing on how … [Read more...] about Reducing Volatility from Cross-Border Banking Flows
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A Unique Database Charts Latin America’s Deepening Democracy
This year's update to the Database of Political Institutions marks its 17th year of tracking institutional and electoral data for countries from around the world, and the second update at its new permanent home at the IDB. Researchers at the World Bank Development Research Group first compiled the database in 2000, coding institutional and electoral variables for 180 countries … [Read more...] about A Unique Database Charts Latin America’s Deepening Democracy
Send Us Your Research Papers on Crime and Policy
The latest ranking of the world's deadliest cities continues a sad pattern: the overwhelming majority—43 out of 50—are in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Los Cabos in Mexico topping the list. Many of the reasons behind this state of affairs are chronic—weak institutions; impunity; poverty; inequality and growing urbanization—all feeding and, at the same time, … [Read more...] about Send Us Your Research Papers on Crime and Policy
Pushing the Frontier of Solar Cells
Areas of Latin America, like Mexico and Chile, have some of the world's greatest solar potential. But a new technological development in solar cells could allow them to harness more of the sun's energy and speed the growth of solar in the region. The new solar cells are known as perovskites. They are made of a crystalline structure and can be printed on sheets of plastic or … [Read more...] about Pushing the Frontier of Solar Cells
Dealing with Corporate Debt and Rising Interest Rates
They have risen bit by bit. But since the financial crisis in 2008, the Fed has kept interest rates in the United States exceedingly low. Now with healthier economic growth and employment in the United States, that may be changing, and Latin American countries need to be on their guard. Latin America's major economies have accumulated large amounts of foreign corporate debt … [Read more...] about Dealing with Corporate Debt and Rising Interest Rates