We investigate the impact of China's 2014 hukou reform - a major change allowing migrants living in small and medium-sized cities of less than 5 million people to apply for urban residence - on formal and informal borrowing at a time of rapid economic transformation. We find that the hukou...

The economic downturns in South Africa present a significant threat, with the potential to disrupt the nation's notable advances in addressing the persistent challenges of high unemployment, widespread poverty and stark inequality. In the absence of substantial and extensive structural...

China's economy has maintained solid growth momentum in early 2025, supported in part by monetary, fiscal, and property sector policy easing. However, growth is projected to moderate from 5.0 percent in 2024 to 4.5 percent in 2025 and 4.0 percent in 2026, as global trade restrictions and...

This paper examines the intersection between entrepreneurship government policy and managerial theory. The context chosen for this study is India. India has experienced a significant global geopolitical shift that is coinciding with India's domestic policy reforms and notable domestic...

This Brief introduces the Justice Pillars Towards Evidence-Based Reform (JUPITER) initiative, a standardized yet flexible, country-based assessment tool that evaluates the effectiveness of justice systems across countries. Developed by the World Bank's Global Program on Justice and the Rule of...

This Brief examines the complex relationship between statutory courts and customary law systems, highlighting the historical context that fostered legal pluralism in many countries. It argues that attempts to replace customary practices with uniform legal frameworks have largely failed,...

Judicial map reforms refer to an emerging stream of reform programs that attempts to improve the responsiveness of the justice system by adjusting the courts' location, size, and jurisdiction to demographic and socio-economic factors. Building on the World Bank's experience in supporting client...

Europe has a large and persistent per capita income gap with the United States. Deficiencies in total factor productivity, labor utilization, and capital intensity all play a role. While deeper intra-Europe integration is one key element towards closing these gaps, remaining structural domestic...

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been undergoing fundamental structural reform aimed at improving operational preparedness and combat capability. The imperative of a military loyal to the Communist Party dominates China's defence policy and permeates the PLA's organisational...

Argentina has been characterised for a long time by inflation, recession, poverty and failed reforms. We analyse the reforms of Javier Milei with the help of the Austrian School of Economics, German ordoliberalism and the theory of financial repression. It is shown that Milei’s reforms have...

Over the last century, the United States has witnessed three approaches to achieving better regulatory outcomes: the removal of "economic" regulations in certain sectors; regulatory impact analysis (RIA) of new "social" regulations; and retrospective analysis of existing regulations. This...

Economic governance is a key aspect of the EU enlargement process, mirroring efforts in the EU to strengthen economic policy coordination and multilateral surveillance under the European Semester. The Annual Economic and Financial Dialogue with Regional Partners aims to prepare these (potential)...

China’s economic and political development under the third term of Xi Jinping’s leadership presents both opportunities and challenges, viewed by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While there are potential rooms for cooperation and diplomatic engagement between India and China, there...

Das ZEW Mannheim hat in Kooperation mit der Süddeutschen Zeitung die finanziellen Auswirkungen von Reformvorschlägen der Parteien zur Bundestagswahl 2025 untersucht. Diese betreffen die Einkommensteuer und den Solidaritätszuschlag, die Vermögensteuer, das Bürgergeld, den Mindestlohn und...

China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth has moderated since the second quarter of 2024, owing to subdued domestic demand. The government has responded to the domestic demand slowdown with incremental policy stimulus, balancing short-term growth support with longer term de-risking objectives....

Does social media or offline social cohesion overcome collective action problems more effectively when both types of networks are prevalent? We investigate non-violent protests against a place-based economic reform in Austria - a country where one in two citizens uses Facebook but also one in...

This paper surveys tools to analyse the macroeconomic impact of structural reforms, with a focus on two general approaches: (i) econometric estimates, linking indicators of policy change to macroeconomic outcomes, and (ii) structural macroeconomic models simulating the effect of reforms on...

Since the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, the European Union's economic governance framework has played a key role in promoting economic stability, growth, and employment across Europe. As this framework has evolved over time, it has become increasingly intricate, with some of its instruments failing...

Created at the beginning of the current European Commission's mandate, DG REFORM has emerged as the centrepiece of EU support for the implementation of EU policies and the further integration and convergence of the Member States within the single market. Amid a period of economic and social...

The joint implementation of structural reforms and investments has gained traction in policy initiatives and recommendations, including those aimed at supporting productivity growth and the competitiveness of the European economy. This brief collects arguments, grounded in economic theory and...

Adequate budgeting of the judiciary is critical for the effective delivery of justice. This brief presents trends in judicial budgets. Courts account for less than 2 percent of total government expenditure on average, with significant portions dedicated to fixed costs such as salaries, thereby...

This note explores the use of technology to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of judicial service delivery. It examines how technological solutions can support streamlining internal court processes, facilitate access for court users, and support the quality of judicial...

Small claims courts and procedures play an important role in enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of the justice system. When well-designed, they can significantly streamline judicial processes, reduce the burden on courts, and increase access to justice for individuals and small...