How much of the variation in state effectiveness is due to the individuals and organizations responsible for implementing policy? We investigate this question and its implications for policy design in the context of public procurement, using a text-based product classification method to measure...

In 2004 the Japanese economy was in a gravely depressed state, with little growth for nearly a decade. However, it would be wrong to call this period 'the lost decade' as many do. A better approach is to examine how a dynamic society, progressive in ways different from those which only generate...