Reading Development

Random readings on society, politics and change – Jorge Carrillo

Aiming at the Wrong Targets: The Domestic Consequences of International Efforts to Build Institutions

Buntaine et al – We explain why international development organizations have had so little success building and reforming public sector institutions in developing countries. They often fail despite their apparently … Continue reading →

Tuesday, 19 September 2017 · Leave a comment

Measuring poverty and wellbeing in developing countries

Detailed analyses of poverty and wellbeing in developing countries, based on household surveys, have been ongoing for more than three decades. The large majority of developing countries now regularly conduct … Continue reading →

Tuesday, 5 September 2017 · Leave a comment

The Production of Space and Governmentality in the Urban Poor’s Claim over Land and Housing

This article explores the politicized process of claiming urban land for housing the urban poor in the metropolitan city of Bengaluru. It is premised on the recognition that space and … Continue reading →

Saturday, 17 June 2017 · Leave a comment

Is global inequality getting better or worse? A critique of the World Bank’s convergence narrative

The dominant narrative of global income inequality is one of convergence. Recent high-profile publications by Branko Milanovic and the World Bank claim that the global Gini coefficient has declined since … Continue reading →

Friday, 16 June 2017 · Leave a comment

Property Is Only Another Name for Monopoly

The existing system of private property interferes with allocative efficiency by giving owners the power to hold out for excessive prices. We propose a remedy in the form of a … Continue reading →

Sunday, 11 June 2017 · Leave a comment

When Does Globalization Help the Poor?

{Behind paywall] – What is the relationship between globalization and poverty? Developing economies have long turned to international trade and finance as a solution for development, yet 35% of the world’s … Continue reading →

Saturday, 27 May 2017 · Leave a comment

De-Democratisation and Rising Inequality

This paper is concerned with the question of why economic inequality has increased so dramatically in recent decades, and in particular, with the seemingly paradoxical situation that this upswing in … Continue reading →

Thursday, 25 May 2017 · Leave a comment

Effects of Public Policy on Child Labor

Many policy instruments can be used to address or affect child labor, even if they are implemented to achieve other objectives. From a theoretical point of view, however, the impact … Continue reading →

Friday, 17 March 2017 · Leave a comment

The social realities of knowledge for development

Knowledge and evidence for policy and practice matters in any context. But critical scrutiny of this process is particularly important in development contexts, where knowledge is often produced or brokered … Continue reading →

Wednesday, 8 March 2017 · Leave a comment