Reading
What I'm reading. The page aggregates the working-paper and applied-econ feeds I follow into one rolling list. Refreshes daily.
Feeds: NBER, World Bank Development Impact, VoxDev, VoxEU, CGD, Marginal Revolution, Bruegel, J-PAL, IPA, IFS, BIS, IMF. Last refresh: May 19, 2026 · 6/12 feeds healthy.
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How to design safety nets: Balancing accessibility and integrity
A study of Indonesia's Kartu Prakerja programme finds that on-demand cash and training assistance can significantly boost self-employment and income among those who genuinely receive it. However, the programme's flexible online design enabled third-party 'jockey' agents to inter…
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Research and development: The research institutes that changed Taiwan and Brazil
Karthik Tadepalli on why adopt vs innovate is a false dichotomy, how Taiwan and Brazil did both, and why R&D should be a central part of the development playbook.
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Beyond access: When does digital finance actually empower women?
Digital financial services can meaningfully support women's economic empowerment across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, but only when products are designed around how women already manage money – with features that enable earmarking, smooth liquidity, and account for househol…
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“Wokeness has peaked. What followed is worse.”
That is the topic of my latest column for The Free Press. Excerpt: It is important to distinguish between the positive side of wokeism and the unreasonable side. The positive side supported gay rights and discouraged racism in the public sphere. The unreasonable side brought us…
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Monday assorted links
1. New newsletter: AI and agentic coding, filtered for economists. 2. Can AI replace Richard Hanania? 3. Predictions for Singapore. 4. Four ways of being seen, one of which is imaginary. 5. HOPE, preview of forthcoming Korean movie. The post Monday assorted links appeared first…
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Who is losing out in marriage market competition?
Over the past half-century, U.S. four-year colleges have shifted from enrolling mostly men to enrolling mostly women, while the economic position of non-college men has weakened markedly. We examine how these changes correspond with the evolving structure of marriage markets acr…
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The lasting economic impacts of war
Wars leave deep and lasting scars on economies. Using data for 115 conflicts across 145 countries over the past 75 years, we document large and persistent declines in output, investment, and trade following the onset of war, with no evidence of recovery even a decade later. Gove…
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Building venture markets where none exist: Coordination, capital, and evidence
African venture and private equity markets often fail to form not due to a simple lack of funding, but because of coordination failures where skilled managers, credible exits, and willing private investors are all missing simultaneously. Development finance institutions can play…
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What else is special about southeastern Michigan? (from my email)
Thanks for swinging by Southeastern Michigan. He are two things other things that this area continues to produce and export at scale that don’t get as much notice: * Mortgages – The two largest residential mortgage lenders are located in Detroit: United Wholesale Mor…
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Why I am skeptical on the relationship between smart phones and fertility
That is from Alex Nowrasteh. And for some country by country graphs: Here is that link. There might be some connection to smart phones, but it just does not seem that strong? Perhaps the phones give a fillip and a modest acceleration to an already in place trend? And are Kenya&#…
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Sunday assorted links
1. University of Vermont enrollments expected to fall fifteen percent this year. 2, New NSF initiative, which seems set to bypass universities? 3. Are firms migrating from the US to Europe, or vice versa? 4. Soft tissue star injuries in the NBA are getting worse. 5. NY high scho…
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Dwarkesh in the Datacenter
Dwarkesh tours one of Jane Street’s datacenters. It’s extraordinary how much compute goes into finance. (I once predicted that the finance AIs would be the first to become conscious, since they have the most compute.) More generally, however, this is a peek inside th…
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“Is the scientific enterprise too risk-averse?”
I participated in an Open to Debate debate at Johns Hopkins not too long ago, argued yes, and my side saw a twelve-point shift in our favor. Here are some links: Links to the full debate: YouTube: https://youtu.be/AuPz09dpLSc Substack: https://opentodebate.substack.com/p/the-hop…
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South Korea facts of the day
When I was young, the South Korean model was generally lumped in with places like Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong as a case of “export-led growth”. Even in the early 1970s, South Korea was still poorer than the North. There was no consensus that East Asia would do better than La…
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Revealing Life Preferences Through LLMs
Here is some Weberian verstehen (or is it?), but from unexpected quarters: Large Language Models (LLMs) are trained on a prodigious corpus of human writing and may reveal human preferences over characteristics of life courses, such as income, longevity, and working conditions. W…
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Saturday assorted links
1. Can opportunities for tax evasion increase tax revenue? 2. Auren Hoffman on the new jobs market. 3. Using AI agents for economic precommitment. 4. The progress against pancreatic cancer. 5. Christian philosophies of technology. The full (new) Substack is here. 6. Economic gra…
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Ned Phelps, RIP
Here is a brief appreciation from Olivier Blanchard, link now corrected. The post Ned Phelps, RIP appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.
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Hayek in Jacobin
Here’s something I never expected to write: Jacobin, the magazine of the DSA-aligned left, has a good article on central planning. In an interview, Vivek Chibber lays out essentially the Mises–Hayek–Kornai critique of central planning. Information problems, incentive probl…
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Detroit notes
It remains one of America’s most interesting cities, and now it is seeing a continuing comeback. Downtown remains mostly empty of foot traffic, but I was stunned to see new office buildings and signs of budding prosperity. It did not feel abandoned or hopeless. Detroit Ins…
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Weapons, Wealth, and the Fates of Societies
Why do weapons sustain durable peace in some societies but provoke perpetual violence in others? We develop a theory in which the value of human life and the frequency of violence are jointly determined by weapons technology and economic conditions. Lethal weapons deter conflict…
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This week in development economics at VoxDev: 15/05/2026
This week we featured research on gender, perfect cities, community health, nowcasting and more!
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Tracking Kenya's economy in real time
A timely assessment of current economic conditions is obtained by extracting common signals from high-frequency official macroeconomic indicators. This approach performs well even in data-scarce settings, serving as a blueprint for economic forecasts in low-income countries. Evi…
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Global health: 25 lessons from VoxDev
How can cost-effective interventions help improve healthcare in developing countries? Evidence from 16 countries sheds light on recent innovations aimed at increasing access and quality.
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When development reduces women's employment
Increasing women’s labour force participation and career progression is a key priority for policymakers in developing and developed economies alike. A central question is whether economic development and rising incomes naturally lead to greater female labour market engagement. T…
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Roshaneh Zafar on 30 years of microfinance and mindset change in Pakistan
Kashf Foundation founder Roshaneh Zafar reflects on three decades of microfinance in Pakistan – from replicating the Grameen model to pioneering gender bonds, micro-insurance, and climate-resilient lending for over one million women clients.
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Ed Glaeser on the perfect city, the demons of density and what makes cities work
What does a perfect city look like in a low- or middle-income country – and how do you get there?
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Two decades on: The enduring costs of childhood abduction for women in Uganda
Twenty years after the Lord's Resistance Army conflict ended in northern Uganda, women who were abducted as children during the war and subsequently released show significantly higher rates of depression and perceived stress, reduced social support, and heightened stress reactiv…
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C’est la Vie! How a popular West African edutainment series changed minds, but not behaviours
A West African TV series in Senegal led to short- and medium-term gains in knowledge and attitudes around violence against women and sexual and reproductive health, though impacts on behaviours were limited, and a podcast version extending content during COVID-19 was ineffective.
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Where international finance meets development: The role of currency risk
Currency volatility in African markets shapes development outcomes by determining who can access capital and on what terms, with firms in shallow financial markets often forced to choose between expensive local-currency finance and exchange-rate risk from foreign-currency debt.…
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Can community health teams reduce preventable hospitalisations?
When El Salvador deployed community health teams, the result was not simply more primary care – it was better-organised care, with more prevention, less infectious disease, and fewer patients ending up in hospital for conditions that should never have progressed that far.
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This week in development economics at VoxDev: 08/05/2026
This week we featured research on institutions, maternity leave, droughts and more!
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How violence reshapes Mexico’s workforce
Rising homicide rates in Mexico have left aggregate employment largely unchanged – but beneath this apparent stability, violence is reshaping who works and where, holding back the labour market and undermining productivity.
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The hidden toll of COVID-19 on India’s infants
Mortality among infants significant increased during the first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in India, not because infants were infected, but because the pandemic disrupted healthcare access, worsened economic conditions, and discouraged mothers from seeking hospital care. Using…
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How Chile's maternity leave extension boosted women’s employment
Extending maternity leave from 12 to 24 weeks in Chile increased mothers' formal employment for up to three years after childbirth, with no negative medium-term effects. This suggests that maternity leave expansions can strengthen labour market attachment in middle-income countr…
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How smallholder farmers in Zambia are adapting to droughts
Evidence from over 6,600 farm households in Zambia finds that droughts reduce yields of maize, beans, and groundnuts while prompting smallholders to diversify crops, adopt resilient seed varieties, and expand cultivated area. This suggests that well-timed extension support and g…
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Leveraging Digital Tools for Women’s Skills Development and Economic Empowerment: Evidence from low- and middle-income countries
Leveraging Digital Tools for Women’s Skills Development and Economic Empowerment: Evidence from low- and middle-income countries mpodesta@pover… Thu, 03/12/2026 - 12:06 Enabling women’s participation in the labor market is important for their empowerment and financial independen…
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Making Finance Work for Women Podcast Highlights IPA Research Publications on Women’s Economic Activity
Making Finance Work for Women Podcast Highlights IPA Research Publications on Women’s Economic Activity cvu@poverty-ac… Fri, 06/27/2025 - 13:18 In this Section Share --> --> Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum --> View in PDF --> --> Cras ultr…
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Understanding the Impacts of Savings Groups on Women’s Economic Activity: Synthesis of Recent Literature
Understanding the Impacts of Savings Groups on Women’s Economic Activity: Synthesis of Recent Literature cvu@poverty-ac… Wed, 05/28/2025 - 15:13 In this Section Share --> --> Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum --> View in PDF --> --> Cras ult…
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Consumer Protection Research Initiative: Gender & Consumer Protection Learning Agenda
Consumer Protection Research Initiative: Gender & Consumer Protection Learning Agenda cvu@poverty-ac… Wed, 04/02/2025 - 13:34 In this Section Share --> --> Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum --> View in PDF --> --> Cras ultricies mi eu turpis…
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Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls: What we’ve learned in the 30 years since the Beijing Declaration
Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls: What we’ve learned in the 30 years since the Beijing Declaration mpodesta@pover… Wed, 03/26/2025 - 09:16 A group of women walking in the district of Kamwenge, Uganda. © 2018 Aude GuerrucciThe 1995 Beijing Declaration and subsequent Pl…
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Why Digital Safety Matters, And What We’re Doing About It
Why Digital Safety Matters, And What We’re Doing About It cvu@poverty-ac… Thu, 03/06/2025 - 14:18 In this Section Share --> --> Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum --> View in PDF --> --> Cras ultricies mi eu turpis fusce convallis metus id fe…
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Supporting Evidence-Based Policy Through Innovation: The Peru MIMP Evidence Lab
Supporting Evidence-Based Policy Through Innovation: The Peru MIMP Evidence Lab mread@poverty-… Thu, 02/20/2025 - 13:08 Overview IPA has partnered with Peru's Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP) to establish an Embedded Evidence Lab within the Ministry's Monitori…
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VoxDev Spotlights IPA Evidence on Credit Access for Women Entrepreneurs
VoxDev Spotlights IPA Evidence on Credit Access for Women Entrepreneurs mread@poverty-… Fri, 11/22/2024 - 16:29 Women often face significant and unique challenges when trying to access capital. These challenges include social and cultural barriers, lack of collateral, and insuff…
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Designing Cash Transfer and Graduation Programs to Support Women’s Economic Activity: Synthesis of Recent Literature
Designing Cash Transfer and Graduation Programs to Support Women’s Economic Activity: Synthesis of Recent Literature mread@poverty-… Thu, 08/29/2024 - 10:07 Women are particularly vulnerable to poverty, given inequitable gender dynamics that may limit ownership of productive ass…
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Preventing Individual-Level Violence in Conflict Settings
Preventing Individual-Level Violence in Conflict Settings mread@poverty-… Thu, 07/11/2024 - 11:30 This policy brief unpacks the current literature on preventing and mitigating gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, and violence against children during and immediately…
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