Development theory has come a long way over the last century. It started with the notions of economic growth and development, and eventually has reached a stage where governments and academics are looking at more holistic patterns of living than merely growth. Sustainable development,...

Structural explanation of political development offers a finite set of factors that cause democracy to consolidate or not (Acemoglu and Robinson, 2006). This approach is, however, insufficient to explain political development of post-communist countries because it ignores a role of social...

What is the nature and extent of historical awareness in the development discourse? Does the development discourse learn from history, including its own? Set in the contexts of aging development institutions and a changing geopolitical climate, this paper provides one account through a...

A number of major policy documents and academic research have informed a renewed push in recent years to develop northern Australia, which comprises all of the Northern Territory and those parts of Western Australia and Queensland above the Tropic of Capricorn (the ‘north’). Recent debate...

The speed and sustainability of convergence in the region will crucially depend on reform efforts. As these countries get closer to the frontier, reforms that support innovation, selection and allocative efficiency will become more important. The quality of government, corruption, education,...

Despite extensive policy discussion, limited empirical literature is available concerning the impacts of infrastructure on human development. Furthermore, major infrastructure services, such as transport and energy, are missing in the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) framework;...

This paper quantitatively compares water infrastructure interventions that prioritize equity with those that prioritize efficiency. The community-based model developed by Haiti Outreach (HO) trains communities to operate and maintain wells, and has clear efficiency gains over the status quo aid...

To what extent have developing countries’ patterns in reducing under-5 mortality rates (U5MR) changed since the advent of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? This paper investigates that question across multiple time horizons, with attention to the fact that countries’ progress had...

We examine how an unassuming domestic technology — the fuel-efficient stove — came to be construed as an effective tool for reducing sexual violence globally. Highlighting the process of problematization, the linking of problems with actionable solutions, we show how US-based humanitarian...

The economy of Punjab state in India offers an interesting case study. Punjab has been for decades – and remains – one of India's better-off states, and so it tends not be included in the primary focus of national programs meant to reduce poverty or spur economic development. But, Punjab's...