The ability to cooperate in collective action problems — such as those relating to the useof common property resources or the provision of local public goods — is a key determinant ofeconomic performance. In this paper we discuss two aspects of collective action problemsin developing...

Based on practitioners’ experience of making things work on the ground, severalcommon themes emerged. These themes prompted questions about how success can bereplicated, how to overcome obstacles, and what role government can play.The themes were:• scaling down and linking up;• cutting...

The computational properties of an econometric method are fundamentaldeterminants of its importance and practical usefulness, in conjunction withthe method’s statistical properties. Computational methods in econometricsare advanced through successfully combining ideas and methods in...

This paper explores the consequences of creating and improvingproperty rights so that …xed assets can be used as collateral. Thishas become a cause célèbre of Hernando de Soto whose views areinfluential in debates about policy reform concerning property rights.Hence, we refer to the economic...

[...]We address several questions in this paper. First,how could macro markets be useful to the average person?Second, how large are the potential benefits from diversificationif these markets were to be introduced andused optimally? Third, can existing financial marketsachieve a similar degree...

[...]In this paper, I examine two methods of measuringthe value of better schools. One involves following individualsover time to determine how the quality of theirschooling affects outcomes later in their lives; the otherinvolves calculating parental valuation of better schoolstoday. I review...

This paper documents the convergence of incomes across Indian states over theperiod 1965 to 1998. It departs from traditional analyses of convergence by trackingthe evolution of the entire income distribution, instead of standard regression and timeseries analyses. The findings reveal twin-peaks...

Our report sets out a framework for delivering new and renovatedhousing in an integrated and sustainable way. Volume one presentsour framework; volume two explores the six elements of theframework in more detail; and volume three brings togethersupporting documentation gathered during the...

Europe is a continent of cities with a remarkable history of cultural inspiration, wealth creation, social and politicaldynamism. But in the late-20th century, many former industrial cities entered a period of steep decline, losingmost of their manufacturing jobs and many of their economic...