Which of the democratic checks and balances--opposition parties, the judiciary, a free press--is the most critical? Peru has the full set of democratic institutions. In the 1990s, the secret-police chief Montesinos systematically undermined them all with bribes. We quantify the checks using the...

Which of the democratic checks and balances—opposition parties, the judiciary, a free press—is the most forceful? Peru has the full set of democratic institutions. In the 1990s, the secret-police chief Montesinos systematically undermined them all with bribes. We quantify the checks using...

Latin America has put its faith in democracy and the market economy. Efficient, fair and equitable fiscal policy can help foster development and consolidate democracy. * This Policy Insights is based on the Latin American Economic Outlook 2008.

Education is one of the most important drivers of economic growth. The benefits of education go beyond the academic, contributing to economic objectives such as growth and productivity, as well as to social goals such as health and social cohesion. In a highly competitive, globalised world...

L’Amérique latine croit en la démocratie et en l’économie de marché. Une politique budgétaire efficace, juste et équitable peut favoriser le développement et consolider la démocratie.

Les dépenses publiques d’éducation sont en hausse en Amérique latine, mais les avancées récentes ne peuvent masquer des problèmes persistants. Les systèmes éducatifs latino-américains doivent être plus inclusifs et l’enseignement de meilleure qualité. ? ? L’enseignement est...

Many international comparisons of education over the past 50 years have included some measure of students’ opportunity to learn (OTL) in their schooling. Results have typically confirmed the common sense notion that a student’s exposure in school to the assessed concepts, operationalized in...