This paper uses political reservations for women in India to study the impact of women’s leadership on policy decisions. In 1998, one third of all leadership positions of Village Councils in West Bengal were randomly selected to be reserved for a woman: in these councils only women could...

This paper argues that attempts at state-building in Afghanistan have led to institutions that are not robust. The state institutions and organizations continue to be highly dependent on external resources and technical expertise, and lack of critical mass of people able and willing to maintain...

How does growth actually trickle down to remove an individual’s poverty? Is it through increases in employment? What other avenues did the benefits of growth travel through before reaching and helping poor people in this country? How do people become poor in the first place? What pathways...

Using the case of Delhi and drawing on examples from other metropolitan cities, this paper attempts to understand the factors that have led to the rise of middle class neighborhood associations and their subsequent advent into formal politics. [AI Working Paper No. 4].

This paper focuses on two specific social funds, those in Zambia and Malawi, to consider the possible contribution of social funds to decentralisation of government administration. Both social funds have a strong commitment to the community signified in direct disbursement to the community. Both...

The Finances of the PRIs are looked into. The role of 13th Finance Commission is explained. Some ‘learnings’ from International experience is given.

With the strengthening of the fiscal decentralisation process in the Philippines, local government units (LGUs) were provided with more opportunities in terms of local level gender responsive budgeting (hereafter LLGRB) and challenges as well. This paper analyses the process and interface...