We analyze the performance of kernel density methods applied to grouped data to estimate poverty (as applied in Sala-i-Martin, 2006, QJE). Using Monte Carlo simulations and household surveys, we find that the technique gives rise to biases in poverty estimates, the sign and magnitude of which...

This paper assesses the distributional impact of the recent VAT reform in the Philippines and evaluates alternative methods to mitigate the effects of the reform on poor households. The reform was progressive and relatively well targeted. To alleviate the impact of the reform on the poor,...

This paper explores the distribution of costs and benefits of pollution control policies across income groups. It begins by providing a conceptual framework for understanding and measuring the burden on different income groups from the costs of alternative emissions control instruments. It then...

Theory and evidence points towards particularly positive effects of high-quality child care for disadvantaged children. At the same time, disadvantaged families often sort out of existing programs. To counter differences in learning outcomes between children from different socioeconomic...

This paper resulted in a publication in <A HREF="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191261514000356"><I>Transportation Research Part B: Methodological</I></A> 64, 1-23.<P> This paper analyses optimal coarse tolling of congestion under heterogeneous preferences, and especially the welfare and distributional effects. With coarse tolling, the toll equals a fixed value...</p></i></a>

In studying congestion tolling, it is important to account for heterogeneity in preferences of drivers, as ignoring it can bias the welfare gains. We analyse the effects of tolling, in the bottleneck model, with continuous heterogeneity in the value of time and schedule delay. The welfare gain...

This paper investigates the long-run effects of open-market operations on the distributions of assets and prices in the economy. It offers a theoretical framework to incorporate multiple asset holdings in a tractable heterogeneous-agent model, in which the central bank implements policies by...

Theory and evidence point towards particularly positive effects of high-quality child care for disadvantaged children. At the same time, disadvantaged families often sort out of existing programs. To counter differences in learning outcomes between children from different socioeconomic...

Financial crises affect income distribution via different channels. We argue that financial transfers is an important channel, which has been overlooked by the literature. By analyzing data from the Mexican (1994-1995) and Argentine (2001-2002) crises, we investigate two types of financial...