Recent research links the inequality across countries and regions to colonial institutions. This paper argues that trade shocks could alter the development path of a country or subnational units, in spite of its colonial institutions. This hypothesis is analyzed using state-level data for...

A protracted legislative battle culminated in the abolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888. We build a new data set of roll-call votes on 1884-1888 emancipation bills in the legislature, and connect it to local features of the districts. This allows us to unpack how the material interests of each...

Do interest groups lobby their friends or foes? The literature is divided when it comes to the main target of interest groups’ tactics. This paper uses a unique case study of Brazil’s National Constituent Assembly (ANC) in 1988 to contribute to this contentious literature. Inside the...

A majority of people living in rural areas depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Investing in smallholder farming can be a sustainable way to revitalise agricultural production based on local and diverse food systems. Inclusive agricultural growth has the potential to reduce rural...

This paper surveys the formation and development of insurance business in Brazil. It describes its very first steps, from the colonial times and imperial era to recent events. Particular attention is given to regulatory changes, showing how they evolved in response to macroeconomic shocks that...

The essay intends to analyze the competition policy in Brazil after twelve years of the Law n. 8.884/1994, which has effectively inaugurated it. Thus, it initiates with a historical approach, exposing the principal premises that guide this public policy exercise. Utilizing data from the...

In this paper, we contribute to the discussion of what determines country risk by arguing that an important explanatory factor is the impact that commodities have on the capacity to pay. We use a newly created data base with state-level fiscal and risk premium data for Brazil states between 1891...

This paper surveys the formation and development of insurance business in Brazil. It describes its very first steps, from the colonial times and imperial era to recent events. Particular attention is given to regulatory changes, showing how they evolved in response to macroeconomic shocks that...

This paper examines how the adoption of the Australian ballot (AB), and ipso facto, the transition from the nominal to effective secret vote, shaped the nature of party politics in Brazil. Engaging the literature on political clientelism, the impact of the AB on three outcomes is studied: 1) the...