It is well understood that the same amount of aid makes a bigger difference to peoples’ lives when their incomes are lower. And Development Minister Andrew Mitchell has rightly emphasised a “focus on the poorest and most vulnerable” in the UK’s development activities. With significant cuts to the UK...

Lead poisoning may be among the most pressing public health challenges faced by low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and is certainly one of the least recognized and most neglected. Lead exposure is estimated by the Institute of Health and Metrics to be responsible for 900,000 deaths per year (mo...

What is the response of bank foreign subsidiaries to climate policy in their host countries? We find that global banks with high environmental performance increase their presence in countries after local authorities strengthen their climate-related actions. Our findings show that strengthening clima...

Globally, we are making fewer potential innovators. To extend our two-century era of comparatively rapid progress, we need radically reduced discrimination in the global opportunity to innovate.

The US limits work visas for low-skill jobs outside of agriculture, with a binding quota that firms access via a randomized lottery. We evaluate the marginal impact of the quota on firms entering the 2021 H-2B visa lottery using a novel survey and pre-analysis plan. Firms exogenously authorized to e...

This study surveys Kenya's electronic payment system for social benefits, Inua Jamii, from the perspective of recipients, including their views on convenience and the benefits from competition. It also considers whether these digital G2P payments programs have increased financial inclusion more gene...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is addicted to fossil fuels, like the rest of the world. An energy transition will require a coordinated global shift in both the supply and demand for fossil fuels and cleaner energy, and multilateral institutions can play an important role. These institution...