In today's global environment, countries face various shocks, such as natural hazards, economic and health crises, conflict, violence, and forced displacement. Disasters triggered by natural hazards cause billions of dollars in damage per year, and these disasters, and their costs, are...

The gains from the transition in post-communist Russia were captured by the new managerial class, which won rents from the state in the form of privatized enterprises, state subsidies, credits, and opportunities for tax evasion. Those rents reduced state revenues that could have supported social...