The paper examines the experience in structural reform in five areas- international trade, financial markets, labor markets, and the generation and use of public resources- countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It develops quantitative indicators for the policy reforms and for their...

In the late 1980s, after decades of poor economic management, many Latin American and Caribbean countries undertook structural reform that placed them on a path toward superior economic performance. The authors examine the experience in structural reform in five areas: governance (reforming...

The results of a cross-country empirical analysis suggests that political institutions are extremely important in determining the prevalence of corruption: democracy, parliamentary systems, political stability, and freedom of the press are all associated with lower corruption

The economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela took a turn for the worse in the second half of 2017. Unofficial GDP and inflation measures — the country has long ceased to provide economic indicators — show a sharp deterioration. Declines in oil production and exports are accelerating....

Venezuela is at a breaking point. The political, economic, financial, social and humanitarian crisis that has gripped the country is intensifying. This unsustainable situation raises several urgent questions: Which path will the embattled OPEC country take out of the current turmoil? What type...