This paper introduces preliminary evidence from a cross-country database of policy characteristics and potential uses of that database. While most databases have emphasized either the content of policies (e.g., size of government deficits) or countries formal institutions (e.g., political...

The capacity to sustain policies over time and the capacity to adjust policies in the face of changing circumstances are two desirable properties of policymaking systems. The veto player approach has suggested that polities with more veto players will have the capacity to sustain policies at the...

This paper proposes an agenda for the study of the determinants and the processes by which strong policymaking institutions emerge, with emphasis on the most central democratic institution: the legislature. It reviews extant theories of institutionalization, and proposes further ways of...

Public policies are the outcome of the interaction among a variety of key political actors, each with its own preferences and incentives, who meet in different arenas and interact within the constraints of the institutions that frame their engagement. Therefore, to recognize the reasons behind...

This paper investigates the effects of political (mis)alignment on public service delivery when mandates are shared between state and local governments. We analyze sewage treatment policies in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Relying on difference-in-differences estimations, we establish a...

Als onderdeel van de technische samenwerking "Energiebesparing voor de Caraïbische Drinkwater en Afvalwaterbedrijven" heeft het "Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initative (SECCI)" van de IDB een regionale methodologie ontwikkeld om de energie-efficiency en het onderhoud van...

Als onderdeel van de technische samenwerking "Energiebesparing voor de Caraïbische Drinkwater en Afvalwaterbedrijven" heeft het "Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initative (SECCI)" van de IDB een regionale methodologie ontwikkeld om de energie-efficiency en het onderhoud van...

In the last decade, Belize has seen major improvements in access to water, but it is behind in achieving universal access to improved sanitation facilities. Belize has also made progress in terms of the disposal of solid waste in the central and western regions, including in the largest urban...

While privatization of water, electricity, transport and communications infrastructure continues to gain momentum in Latin America, its success often depends on whether countries implement the reforms essential to attract private investment. This book analyzes the legal, regulatory, economic and...

Power sector reforms across Latin America in the 1990s based on privatization, liberalization, and market forces were largely unavoidable. This book argues that while there is no turning back from this process, many reforms may not prove sustainable without further efforts to build a stronger...