The Czech education system is performing reasonably well. Secondary-school participation and completion rates have traditionally been high, and continue to be so. PISA results are above average, with Czech students performing among the best in the OECD in problem-solving abilities, particularly...

This paper proposes an analytical framework for assessing policies that will contribute to a better integration of environmental externalities in the pursuit of economic efficiency and growth objectives. The framework consists of two parts. The first part lays out principles and criteria for the...

Developing the legal and regulatory framework, improving contract enforcement, and reducing administrative barriers in the business environment increases the amount of investment and improves the efficiency of resource allocation

One strand of research argues that polarized societies find it difficult to reach political consensus on appropriate responses to crises. Another strand focuses on redistribution, asking whether income inequality stifles growth by increasing political incentives to redistribute. Which is right?

Reforms to make infrastructure services more competitive and to provide strong and independent economic regulation of natural monopolies create an environment more conducive to private sector participation in infrastructure investments, efficiency savings that can be passed on to consumers, and...

Transition was never going to be easy, even with the highly promising long-run outlook. Not only was the process itself a major theoretical and policy challenge, but politics and economics were bound to interfere. And yet, with some spectacular exceptions, most countries are now on the right track

January 2000 - Vietnam's gains in poverty reduction between 1992 and 1998 were striking, and the country's impressive growth has been fairly broad-based. Households that have benefited most are well-educated, urban, white-collar households, while agricultural workers, ethnic minorities, and...