The shock of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the human capital formation of children and youths. As a consequence of this disruption, the pandemic is likely to imply permanent lower levels of human capital. This paper provides new evidence on the impact of COVID-19 and school closures on...

In the late 1990s, José emigrated from Bolivia to Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, he found a formal job, which he lost in 2000. The following year, in 2001, José obtained 50 dollars and, using his mother's sewing machine, began informally manufacturing children's caps and selling them in La...

In well-functioning democracies, the policymaking process should in principle respond to persistent economic inequality with corrective policies. This process is set in motion through majority demands for redistributive taxation and spending that elected representatives eventually supply through...