The design of a regulatory agency's decisionmaking structure encompasses issues relating to the number of decisionmakers, the basis for selecting them, the role played by stakeholders, and the regulatory and appeals processes. The selection of the regulator is critical--especially in countries...

Some governments are reluctant to surrender political control over regulatory decisions, and some who agree on the general desirability of independent agencies may question whether they are feasible in all country settings. The author argues that regulatory independence is worth the effort even...

There are three main issues in defining a utility regulator's role: the scope of its coverage, its role in relation to ministers, and its role in relation to other regulatory entities such as the competition agency or agencies dealing with environment or health and safety. The author makes a...

The debate on whether natural disasters cause significant macroeconomic impacts and indeed hinder development is ongoing. Most analyses along these lines have focused on impacts on gross domestic product. This paper looks beyond this standard national accounting aggregate, and examines whether...

East Asia has experienced a dramatic decrease in output growth volatility over the past 20 years. This is good news, as output growth volatility affects poor households because of coping strategies that have long-term, harmful consequences, and the overall economy through its negative impact on...