Latin America's educational systems are failing their students. Despite steady advances in enrollment, students in the region perform considerably worse on standardized tests than their counterparts in advanced economies. They even trail students from developing economies with similar levels of development. The problem is not lack of spending. The average country in the region … [Read more...] about Curing Education’s Ills With Lessons From Medicine
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Can Small Farmers Adapt to Climate Change Shocks?
When researchers consider the economic costs of climate change, they often estimate models based on historical temperature and economic data. But it can be difficult to account for adaptation. Typically, these models estimate an upper bound of the economic costs of climate change. Future adaptation, it is assumed, will reduce those costs. But adaptation could play a more … [Read more...] about Can Small Farmers Adapt to Climate Change Shocks?
Can Government and Civil Society Unite to Combat Corruption?
Corruption is a public enemy. Brazil's ongoing Lava Jato scandal is only the most recent prominent example of what can happen when government expenditures are undertaken with insufficient transparency and accountability. Pointing out a problem is one thing. Learning how to solve it—or at least contain it—is a different issue altogether, and one that raises a variety of … [Read more...] about Can Government and Civil Society Unite to Combat Corruption?
Inequality and the Parent-Child Relationship
From the first words that parents exchange with their children to the games they play, the intellectual and emotional stimulation parents provide is critical. Especially in the early years, sustained and effective parenting can lead to greater intelligence, sociability and mental health. Thus the shock in the mid-1990s when researchers in the United States found that by age … [Read more...] about Inequality and the Parent-Child Relationship
When the Scientific Method Goes to School
Ask any parent in Latin America or the Caribbean what they most want for their kids, and you're very likely to hear it summed up in one word: education. Parents know that learning can bring their children satisfaction, success and prosperity, and they've opened their wallets, spending a higher share of their household budget on schooling than in the United States. Governments … [Read more...] about When the Scientific Method Goes to School