Do Regulatory Reforms Stimulate Investment and Growth? Evidence from the Doing Business Data, 2003-07 - Working Paper 159

In this paper, with a foreword by senior fellow Vijaya Ramachandran, Benjamin Eifert of UC-Berkeley investigates the effects of regulatory reform by drawing on years of data across 90 countries.

While bilateral and multilateral institutions have directed significant resources to support good business environments in developing countries, we still do not know much about the impact such reforms in fragile economic environments. This paper fills that gap through careful data analysis to find the characteristics of countries that choose to reform and the results of these reforms. In particular, it contains valuable insights for policymakers and institutions focused on regulatory reform in weak states.