Summary This paper uses new poverty data based on household level surveys to analyze changes in rural poverty and rural-urban poverty differences in 23 transition countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The paper presents a series of hypotheses to explain differences...

Summary This paper provides unique evidence of the positive consequences of seasonal migration for investments in early childhood development. We analyze migration in a poor shock-prone border region in rural Nicaragua where it offers one of the main household income diversification and risk...

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is a high profile initiative to narrow the inequality of access to ICT and improve educational performance. However, there is little empirical evidence on its impacts. In order to assess the effectiveness of OLPC, we conducted a randomized experiment of OLPC with...

Summary This paper investigates the role of media and monitoring in reducing capture. We analyze data on capture of public expenditures by local officials in Madagascar. Our findings indicate important constraints on decentralization of public service delivery, in particular in remote areas....

Summary In the debate on trade and poverty it is argued that standards act as trade barriers and cause marginalization of the poor. This paper quantifies income and poverty effects of high-standards trade and integrates labor market effects, by using company and household survey data from the...

This paper studies the political economy of relief allocation using evidence from aid programs after cyclone Gafilo hit Madagascar in 2004. Relief was provided by the government as well as local and international aid agencies. Aid was more likely in areas with a higher need for relief, in more...