How did political dynasties fare in the 2019 midterm elections? This paper extends and analyzes the Ateneo Policy Center's political dynasties dataset, covering the period from 1988 to 2019. It finds evidence that over the past 30 years (or 10 election periods), political dynasties have become...

In almost 30 years of implementation, the Sangguniang Kabataan, which is the Philippines’ version of the village youth council, has faced many challenges, from accusations of exposing ineffective and corrupt practices to young leaders to allegations of electoral malpractices such as...

In this paper, we propose that development trajectories in Philippine provinces are not just influenced by the concentration of power within certain families (fat dynasties) but also by the economic and institutional contexts that they are characterized with. Building on a typology of dynasty...

Most mining operations in developing countries are de facto public-private partnerships, as the state typically owns the resources and partners with a company or consortium in extraction. Revenue sharing is a critically important element of such partnerships, and it is the starting point for any...

The Philippines sits atop vast mineral deposits estimated to be worth around PhP 47 trillion. Yet mining in the Philippines has a mixed track record as far as its impact on human and economic development. This paper tries to draw lessons from the Marcopper Mine in Marinduque, Philippines, using...

As a contribution to the nascent literature, this study examines patterns of vote buying among poor voters in 17 cities in Metro Manila, using a dataset closely following the 2016 national and local elections. Specifically, it will examine the possible factors linked to vote buying, hopefully...

Since 2006, the World Bank has been ranking almost 200 countries in terms of their business environment and the “ease of doing business” in these economies. The rationale behind this is the importance of a thriving private sector in promoting high and inclusive growth and development. It is...

Since 2006, the World Bank has been ranking almost 200 countries in terms of their business environment and the “ease of doing business” in these economies. The rationale behind this is the importance of a thriving private sector in promoting high and inclusive growth and development. It is...

Many young democracies are characterized by the proliferation of political dynasties, i.e. elected politicians from the same clan spanning across time and across different elected positions. In the Philippines, there has been growing concern that political dynasties are on the rise, as more...