Returns to schooling in urban Argentina increased from 1992 to 2003, a period of economic reforms and macroeconomic volatility. In this paper I provide the most consistent estimates of returns to education so far, while I also investigate earnings profiles over time. This paper contributes to...

This paper provides unique evidence of a reversal of gender gaps in cognitive development in early childhood. We find steep caste and gender gradients and few substantive changes once children enter school. The gender gap, however, reverses its sign for the upper caste, with girls performing...

This report reviews the effectiveness of early childhood stimulation interventions in developing countries. The report aims to answer the questions: What works in terms of early stimulation for young children in developing countries? For whom and under what conditions do these programs work and...

We design a field experiment to study if people with less attractive faces are less likely to be contacted after submitting a resume. We find that attractive people receive 36% more responses (callbacks) than unattractive people.

Delivering early childhood programs at scale is a major policy challenge. One way to do so is by using existing public infrastructure. This paper experimentally assesses the short-term impacts of a new government home visiting program integrated into health care services. The program changed the...

In many low- and middle-income countries, the lack of access to essential infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and information and communications technology may hinder the provision of many critical services such as health care. For instance, scarce and deficient roads might limit the...

A legitimate and effective democracy is essential for sustainable economic and social development. This updated and expanded edition of "Democracies in Development: Politics and Reform in Latin America" analyzes the effects of institutions on the democratic process, identifies regional trends in...

¿Es posible mejorar la calidad de la educación en América Latina y el Caribe? Según los expertos autores de estas páginas, hay soluciones pero no atajos: se trata de comenzar de cero y de apuntalar los aprendizajes sobre todo en los niveles preescolar y primario. Este volumen ofrece una...

Education quality can be measured in various ways, including the analysis of learning and other outcomes in children and through the analysis of underlying services. In Brazil, a collaborative endeavor between the IDB, the Ministry of Education and the Carlos Chagas Foundation focuses on the...