VoxDev Development Economics

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  • 5.0 (13)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
VoxDev Development Economics

Hear about the cutting edge of development economics from research to practice.

  1. How do cash transfers impact prices?

    2 DAYS AGO

    How do cash transfers impact prices?

    What are the price impacts of cash transfer programs? Do they raise prices as well as incomes? And what is the impact on people in the community who don’t receive the transfer? Eeshani Kandpal of the Center for Global Development is one of the researchers who has investigated this topic. She talks to Tim Phillips about the conclusions of her own research, the insights of other economists, and the implications for policy.

    26 min
  2. The economics of ecosystems

    FEB 12

    The economics of ecosystems

    How does a healthy ecosystem benefit humanity? How does the normal functioning of the economy impact natural habitats and animal populations? And what are the costs and benefits of conservation? Eyal Frank of the University of Chicago works at the intersection of economics and conservation. He speaks to Tim Phillips about how economic growth often has a hidden environmental cost. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/energy-environment/economics-ecosystems-how-nature-and-economies-interact

    36 min
  3. Peacemaking, peacebuilding and post-war reconstruction

    FEB 5

    Peacemaking, peacebuilding and post-war reconstruction

    The Reducing Conflict and Improving Performance in the Economy (ReCIPE) programme, established in April 2024, aims to provide a better understanding of the links between conflict, economic growth, and public policies. One of its many themes is on what happens post-conflict: peacemaking, peacebuilding, and reconstruction. Salma Mousa and Lisa Hultman, theme leaders, talk to Tim Phillips about why peacebuilding must always be both bottom-up and top-down if it is going to work. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/institutions-political-economy/peacemaking-peacebuilding-and-post-war-reconstruction

    31 min
  4. What have we learned about microfinance?

    JAN 30

    What have we learned about microfinance?

    Published this week: the latest VoxDevLit covers microfinance. After many decades, microfinance is pervasive and popular in developing countries but is often controversial. What have we learned about what works, how it works, and who it helps – and what is there still to understand? Authors Simon Quinn, Muhammad Meki, and Jing Cai talk to Tim Phillips about the problems of evaluation, the surprising uses to which microfinance has been put, and the lessons that policymakers can learn from the story of microfinance so far. Read the full show notes here: https://voxdev.org/topic/finance/what-have-we-learned-about-microfinance Read and download the VoxDevLit from our new look website here: https://voxdev.org/voxdevlit/microfinance

    31 min
  5. How can countries develop their economies in a changed world?

    JAN 22

    How can countries develop their economies in a changed world?

    In 2018, “Unorthodox policies for unorthodox times” was the title of the first in a series of blogs published by the International Growth Centre. The authors argued that the environment for development had changed, and so development policies should change too. Seven years on, as delegates gather in Davos for the 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, how prescient was the analysis in these articles, and what does this mean for future growth policy? Tim Dobermann and Francesco Caselli talk to Tim Phillips about which “unorthodox policies” the delegates to Davos should be discussing this week. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/macroeconomics-growth/how-can-countries-develop-their-economies-changed-world

    30 min
  6. Rethinking evidence in development economics

    JAN 15

    Rethinking evidence in development economics

    Many development economists would argue that the most important innovation of the last two decades has been a commitment to use only rigorous evidence for policy, and usually what they mean is evidence generated by RCTs. But are systematic reviews of the results a useful guide to policy? And should development economics continue to be focusing so much on the programmes that flow from RCT- driven research? Lant Pritchett of LSE talks to Tim Phillips about the nature of “rigorous” evidence in development economics, and the future of the discipline itself. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/macroeconomics-growth/rethinking-evidence-and-refocusing-growth-development-economics

    29 min
  7. How does internet connectivity impact developing economies?

    JAN 8

    How does internet connectivity impact developing economies?

    For more than 30 years, optimists about technology have been telling us that the internet is transforming our economies. What is the evidence that this has happened, or is happening, in low- or middle-income countries? And if the promise has not been fulfilled, why not? Lin Tian is one of the authors of a new paper that examines the evidence so far. She talks to Tim Phillips about what the research is telling us. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/macroeconomics-growth/how-does-internet-connectivity-impact-developing-economies

    23 min
  8. The role of evidence at development finance institutions

    12/19/2024

    The role of evidence at development finance institutions

    Chris Woodruff has pioneered academic research into businesses, large and small, in low-income countries, He is also a non-executive Director of British International Investment (BII), a development finance institution and impact investor that partners with more than 1,500 businesses in emerging economies, with assets of £8.1 billion.  Chris talks to Tim Phillips about what he has learned from his association with BII into how research can inform policy and investment – and whether economists worry too much about external validity. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/firms/role-evidence-development-finance-institutions

    30 min
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Hear about the cutting edge of development economics from research to practice.

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