We provide evidence that fiscal policy in resource-rich countries is strongly procyclical. The empirical analysis reveals that on average real government consumption in these countries tends to significantly rise (fall) in good (bad) times. To control for endogeneity we use an instrumental...

We posit that historical resource scarcities played a role in the emergence of gender norms inimical to women, and that these cultural norms have persisted to this day. This thesis is supported by our finding that nations' historical resource endowments, as measured by the historical...

Misunderstanding of the structure of microcredit interest rates remains a rich source of generating criticism against the industry high interest rates. Research has focused its attention on the cost structure of interest rates and recently on the macroeconomic and macro-institutional factors....

We examine how trade sanctions can be imposed effectively in a trading network. We focus on three factors that affect trade sanctions: a country’s endowment, distance between trading countries, and connectivity in the network. Our models explain several empirical observations: (i) sanctions...

We posit that historical resource scarcities played a role in the emergence of gender norms inimical to women that persist to this day. This thesis is supported by our finding that nations' historical resource endowments, as measured by the historical availability of arable land, are...