This paper investigates the relationship between inequality and redistributive taxation. It provides a review of existing research on the topic and a cross-country empirical analysis of this relationship. Using data from the World Income Inequality Database, Government Revenue Dataset, and other...

Donors face distinct challenges in operating in fragile states and supporting the building of state capacity. This paper explores one type of assistance - the 'embedding' of highly-skilled staff members within local government agencies - through a unique case study of Finn Church Aid's...

Conflict depletes all forms of human and social capital, as well as supporting institutions. The scale of the human damage can overwhelm public action, as there are many competing priorities and resources are often insufficient. What then should be the priorities for 'post-conflict' policy?...

This study draws on a rigorous systematic review-to our knowledge the first in this area-to take stock of the literature on aid and democracy. It asks: Does aid-especially democracy aid-have positive impact on democracy? How? What factors most influence its impact? In so doing, it considers...

This paper investigates the impact of foreign aid on democratic outcomes using a panel of countries for the period between 1995 and 2018. In so doing, it speaks to a major critique of foreign aid, which is that it negatively impacts democratic governance. The analysis distinguishes between...

More than a decade after becoming a buzzword on the development agenda, governance remains a high priority for the international donor community. This article provides an introduction and overview of key findings from the UNU-WIDER symposium on “Aiding Government Effectiveness in Developing...

Why and how some states transition successfully from fragile to more robust – and some do not – are both topical and age-old questions. This volume addresses these questions with particular attention to the role of foreign aid, offering new traction on theory development on state-building...