The COVID-19 pandemic is dramatically affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean, taking lives and exacting an immense toll on individual and national economies. Governments have responded with urgent assistance. But with a more than 10% decline in revenues as a result of closed businesses and lost jobs, governments now have to buy … [Read more...] about Don’t Forget to Call: How Personal Interaction Boosts Tax Payments
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Social Environments and the Behavioral Interventions That Work
Alissa Fishbane is a Managing Director of ideas42, a non-profit consulting firm that has grown from a small project of top academics at Harvard to a cutting-edge promoter of scalable behavioral interventions with global influence. A former director of organizations dealing with poverty, health and educational issues, she works with ideas42 in its efforts to address a host of … [Read more...] about Social Environments and the Behavioral Interventions That Work
Rethinking Taxation to Protect Savings
Taxation and savings are inextricably linked. While taxation puts more money in the government’s hands, it also decreases private savings by leaving people and firms with less income to save, invest, and grow the economy. Despite this clear relationship, the negative impact of taxation on private savings is often the blind spot when policymakers tackle tax reform in Latin … [Read more...] about Rethinking Taxation to Protect Savings
The Problem with Taxing the Rich
It's never easy to get the wealthy to pay their taxes — and Latin America is no exception. Not only do they have the political clout to fight legislation that would increase their contributions relative to low-earners. They can afford top-flight lawyers and accountants to help them maneuver around their income taxes through loopholes and offshore tax havens. As a result, tax … [Read more...] about The Problem with Taxing the Rich
Using a Tax to Tackle Traffic
To drive in a major Latin American or Caribbean city is to know what it is like to be stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, enveloped in clouds of exhaust, and driven to distraction by the bleating horns of exasperated commuters. The chronic gridlock in the region's megacities not only creates stress. It leads to accidents, pollution-related health problems, and climate-warming … [Read more...] about Using a Tax to Tackle Traffic