Secure property rights are considered a cornerstone of economic development and are particularly important in developing countries where large fractions of the population are dependent upon agriculture. Land rights are subject to change through laws and policies, and from 1955 to 2000 a billion people and nearly as many hectares were affected by land reform […]
By Jacob Bor. Presentation at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Seminar Series, February 2019.
Despite recent global progress towards reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, nearly 830 women continue to die each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, with most of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Maternal health services like antenatal and skilled delivery care can both improve maternal health and reduce maternal deaths […]
Mahesh Karra, Assistant Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and Associate Director of the Human Capital Initiative at the Global Development Policy Center, published a recent journal article on the role of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate-partner violence in maternal healthcare utilization in low and […]
Throughout the world, one of the striking facts about economic geography is that firms and workers tend to cluster in certain places. Researchers have offered many different explanations for spatial concentration, including transport costs, natural advantages and productivity spillovers. Although economic factors are of doubtless importance, politics may also influence the location decisions of firms […]
In developing countries, manufacturing firms are often characterized by small scale and persistently low growth. Such firms are constrained by restricted access to markets, capital and technologies, as well as by unfavorable investment climates. To spur industrial growth, many developing countries have established special economic zones, a particular place-based policy that provides tax incentives and […]
In economic literature, productivity spillovers refer to events at a firm that lead to ripple effects at another firm. Previous research has investigated spillover effects resulting from multinational firms receiving foreign direct investment and then transferring knowledge to domestic firms. Identification of productivity spillovers between firms is a challenging task, and estimation typically requires data […]
Political boundaries can shape group identity and behavior in fundamental ways. Individuals who share an ethnic background may face incentives for conflict in one area of politics and incentives for cooperation in another. A vast social science literature takes boundaries as given and links diversity within boundaries to weak public goods provision, underdevelopment and conflict. […]
Since the end of the Cold War, the rise of religion in politics led some to predict the 21st century would be “God’s Century.” While this phenomenon has affected every major religious tradition, support for religious politics varies widely between and within societies. Little is known about why some societies—often within the same religious tradition—embrace […]
Julie Klinger, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and Associate Director of the Land Use & Livelihoods Initiative (LULI), was elected as Vice President of the Board for Jhoole, a fair-trade eco-fashion enterprise that works with women weavers and artisans in Maheshwar, India. The Sarees from this […]