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August 18, 2015

Why Kids Are Dropping Out of School and What Works in Education – Podcast with Karthik Muralidharan

India is a great example of what not to do, suggests Professor Karthik Muralidharan of the University of California, San Diego, a leading researcher on what works – and what does not work – in education in developing countries. Seems strange when you consider Indians head up some of the biggest companies on the planet, including Google, Microsoft and Pepsi. But Muralidharan says these high achievers show up the weaknesses in India’s education system. “The history of education in developing countries has not been about how to educate whole populations but how to channel those who are smart,” he told me in a CGD Podcast, recorded earlier this year.

Rajesh Mirchandani
August 18, 2015

Climate Change and Development in Three Charts

The story of climate change and development can be told in three simple pie charts: Developing countries are hurt most by climate change (chart #1). Historically, developed countries were most responsible for climate change (chart #2). But now, developing countries are most responsible for climate change (chart #3). That shift may be what leads to a successful climate agreement this December in Paris.

Jonah Busch
August 13, 2015

Strange Bedfellows – Politics of Immigration Policy in the 2016 Presidential Election

Spoiler alert: this is not a blog post about #DumpTrump. However, the 2016 U.S. presidential election – and last week’s Republican debate – demonstrates an increasing focus on U.S. immigration policy and reform. While many candidates are sticking to the oft-repeated refrain of ‘border security first,’ some have taken unexpected stands.

Cynthia Rathinasamy, Hannah Postel and Michael Clemens
August 10, 2015

Forget the Fish, Forget the Fishing Rod. Give a Man Some Capital – Podcast with Chris Blattman

Give a man a fish, the old adage runs, and he’ll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will eat forever. Professor Chris Blattman doesn’t think we should do either. “We’re saying don’t give a man a fish. Don’t teach a man to fish. Give them the capital to decide, first of all, whether they want to be a fisherman or something else. And if they want to be a fisherman, they can use that capital to decide, do they need a rod, do they need someone to teach them how to fish.”

Rajesh Mirchandani
August 7, 2015

Cashing In on Coal

India is getting some serious cash from coal. According to official estimates, the government will get nearly $250 billion in revenues over a period of 30 years from the sale of over two hundred coal blocks to private bidders. Given India’s record of corruption and mismanagement of natural resources, it is difficult to be optimistic that it will be able to cash in on this windfall and use it for development. But there are a few silver linings that may prove us (happily) wrong.

Anit Mukherjee and Jennifer Richmond
August 5, 2015

What I Hope to Hear in the First GOP Presidential Debate

The Republican presidential primary debate season starts this Thursday evening (August 6). Although the discussion won’t center on global development policy or even foreign policy, if the questions from the 2012 debates are any indication, we should expect quite a few questions on foreign policy. This time, Rob Morello hopes to hear better answers.

Robert Morello
August 4, 2015

What We're Reading — Summer Edition

Because we know you relish our weekly list of What We’re Reading, we thought you would appreciate a similarly well-curated list of suggested Summer Reading, compiled from the recommendations of our esteemed Senior Fellows and our on-the-pulse Research Assistants, communications, operations and outreach teams.

Rajesh Mirchandani

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