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Emaan Siddique

@emaansiddique.bsky.social
185 followers 61 following 51 posts

Deputy Managing Editor @voxdev.bsky.social Writes thedevelopingeconomist.substack.com

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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 23h
Rising ocean acidity cuts small-scale fish catches, pushes up seafood prices and worsens women's nutrition, increasing neonatal mortality in coastal communities of low- and middle-income countries by around 5% for each 0.01-unit fall in pH.
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Global evidence from 2,041 cities linked to 33,262 mines producing 23 minerals shows that resource booms reshape local employment patterns far more than they drive urbanisation.
Effect of mineral-price shocks on employment shares by sector and region
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
This week we featured research on interest rates, health insurance, social welfare and more! You can read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...
voxdev.org
This week in development economics at VoxDev: 09/10/2026
This week we featured research on interest rates, health insurance, social welfare and more!
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
When Colombia shut down its largest health insurer, mortality rose not only among its enrolees but also among patients who were never enrolled with it. The reason is that incumbent insurers reduced the number of hospitals, clinics, and doctors their patients could visit.
Impact of SaludCoop’s closure on individual mortality
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
In 2016, the UN doubled the cash it paid Afghan refugees to leave Pakistan, and 363,000 people went home in the middle of the fighting season. New research finds that policy-induced return reduced insurgent violence but made it deadlier.
The encashment programme triggered mass refugee return
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"We can't draw the same conclusions from one nice, beautifully done trial as we can from an accumulated mountain of evidence, and so we should just be conscious of this." Chris Cotton on VoxDevTalks today:
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Experiments in Uganda reveal that employers and workers prefer to share income through paid work rather than cash, even when the work produces nothing, suggesting that some overstaffing reflects social support rather than inefficiency.
Employers’ and workers’ work vs. cash choices by task
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
🆕 Evidence-based policy: Why one good trial isn't enough 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Chris Cotton (Queen's University) discusses why one good study is not enough for confident policymaking, and how a new four-level evidence scale helps: voxdev.org/topic/method...
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Nepal’s civil service serves political parties more than it serves the public, and is a first-order constraint on growth. The new government has a rare opportunity to change this, but it will only work if reformers treat de-politicisation as a political project, not a technical one.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
A lab experiment in Côte d’Ivoire finds that making applications for cash support public reduced unsuccessful claims but also deterred more than one in four eligible participants.
Public applications reduced unsuccessful claims and programme coverage
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Interest rates paid by households and firms move much less with monetary policy rates in poorer countries than in richer ones, and for households in the poorest countries, they tend to move in the opposite direction.
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A paper-and-pencil-based individualised self-learning programme in Dhaka's disadvantaged communities made children markedly faster and more accurate at math problem solving, with effects still visible years later.
Impacts of Kumon on learning and cognition
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
📢 Our new VoxDevLit on the Political Economy of Public Service Delivery is out now! In this VoxDevLit, Senior Editor Claudio Ferraz (@ubcvse.bsky.social) reviews the evidence on the political economy of delivering public services. Read & download here: voxdev.org/voxdevlit/po...
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Why do politicians steer public contracts to party loyalists, and how do they get professional bureaucrats to go along? Evidence from Ghana, India, and Indonesia shows that merit-based hiring is only the first step in tackling corruption in public procurement.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Thousands die each year waiting for an organ transplant. In Tunisia, one expert-led classroom session tripled student donor registrations.
Treatment effects on secondary outcomes (endline)
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In Pakistan, frontline bureaucrats fund public services – from food banks to flood relief – out of their own pockets, spending up to 15% of their income on an informal system financed in part by the bribes citizens are forced to pay. Read today's article to learn more:
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Local officials in China work harder on air quality when the target is doomed to fail, but relax their efforts when it is secured early, revealing how minimum standards shape bureaucratic effort when they are also judged on economic growth.
How AQI targets create two completion statuses
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Evidence from China suggests that big tech investment helps AI startups innovate by easing access to data, with implications for competition.
Innovation gains emerge after investment by large technology firms
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
In Ethiopia, community leaders tasked with selection of beneficiaries for social assistance prioritised coverage over transfer size when budgets were cut, while discretion allowed them to reach poor and conflict-affected households.
Share of households receiving a transfer and average transfer per beneficiary
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This week we featured research on AI, e-courts, rural migration, targeting and more! You can read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-development-e…
voxdev.org
This week in development economics at VoxDev: 18/09/2026
This week we featured research on AI, e-courts, rural migration, targeting and more!
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We are live! Join to learn about the evidence base on agricultural policies for growth: www.youtube.com/live/akZ-j6y...
youtube.com
Agricultural Policies for Growth | A VoxDevLit Launch
YouTube video by VoxDev
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
📢 Our new VoxDevLit on Agricultural Policies for Growth is out now! In this VoxDevLit, Senior Editors Tasso Adamopoulos (York University) & Diego Restuccia (@econuoft.bsky.social) review agricultural policies for growth. Read & download here: voxdev.org/voxdevlit/ag...
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
📢Public services in low- and middle-income countries have remained low quality for decades In this VoxDevLit launch event on September 30th, Claudio Ferraz will review the evidence on the political economy of delivering public services Register➡️https://ow.ly/KYJg50ZLZBO
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Indonesia's E-Court reform reduced case duration by around 15% without evidence of deterioration in observable decision quality.
Case duration around E-Court adoption
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
When relatives answer on someone else’s behalf, men’s earnings are reported too low. In Mexico, this makes the measured gender wage gap 25% narrower.
Differences in reported earnings by type of respondent – Summary of validity checks
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
This week we featured research on African startups, mining, AI, lockdowns and more! You can read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-development-e…
voxdev.org
This week in development economics at VoxDev: 11/09/2026
This week we featured research on African startups, mining, AI, lockdowns and more!
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Africa’s startup ecosystem is small but growing fast. Researchers built a new dataset to study who starts these firms, what capital they want, and who finances them.
Geographical distribution of startups in Africa
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"If data are collected using public money, then it should be used as a public resource, and it should be used to solve whatever problems need to be solved across the city." Hugh Cole on VoxDevTalks today:
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Chile’s staggered lockdowns raised helpline calls and shelter use, but not police reports. Cash transfers mitigated the effect.
Impacts of lockdowns on indicators of domestic violence
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🆕 Cape Town's day zero: How a water crisis built a data-driven city 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Hugh Cole (City of Cape Town) discusses Cape Town's day zero water crisis, the data-driven transformation it sparked, and lessons for cities: ow.ly/XcHI50ZL9j8
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
In an Ethiopian business plan competition, judges voted less for strong female candidates over the course of repeated assessments, but a simple reminder of the organisation’s commitment to equal opportunity offset this decline.
Female candidates were less likely to win in later rounds
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Whether a new mine raises or lowers a country's risk of violence depends not only on the mine itself, but on the country's entire ethnic and mining geography. Results for Sierra Leone and sub-Saharan Africa suggests that some deposits can be mined for peace.
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
In Chile, elite universities reproduce privilege, but for outsiders who get in, they also open a real path to the very top across generations.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
In Uganda, winning government contracts raises firms' total sales, but largely by reallocating supply away from private customers rather than generating net new business, with no gains in productivity or wages.
Effect of selling to the government on total sales and sales to non-government partners
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
"The growth did not come mainly from building more capital. It came mainly from using labour and existing resources much more efficiently." Kaiji Chen on VoxDevTalks today:
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
📢Agricultural Policies for Growth Join us for this VoxDevLit launch event on September 17th with Tasso Adamopoulos, Diego Restuccia, Julieta Caunedo, @kevindonovan.bsky.social, @mushfiq-econ.bsky.social, Jacob Moscona, Ishan Nath & Karthik Sastry. Register➡️ cepr-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
New research on Kenya finds that cash transfers increase how much very poor households in rural areas spend on food. The response is larger than most previous studies have found, yet the increase is smaller than conventional 'correlational' methods would suggest. Read today's article to learn more:
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
New research using hundreds of administrative reforms worldwide shows that cities that become regional capitals grow faster, especially where political status and market access reinforce one another.
Growth of new capitals relative to comparison cities
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
🆕 Can countries cut air pollution without hurting economic growth? Today on Economics Unpacked, Anant Sudarshan (@warwickecon.bsky.social) & @teevrat.bsky.social (@gpsucsd.bsky.social) discuss the economic consequences of air pollution: www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGZ...
youtube.com
Can countries cut air pollution without hurting economic growth?
YouTube video by VoxDev
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Pairing peer-led nutrition behaviour-change groups with ongoing cash transfers substantially improved children's diets and development, but meaningful reductions in stunting required combining cash with a larger one-time livelihoods grant.
Longitudinal trends in select livelihoods outcomes
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
This week we featured research on AI, cash transfers, urban labour markets and more! You can read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-development-e…
voxdev.org
This week in development economics at VoxDev: 28/08/2026
This week we featured research on AI, cash transfers, urban labour markets and more!
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Digital tools like apps and online platforms are often promoted as a way to expand women's economic opportunities, but access alone rarely translates into lasting engagement or economic gains. Read today's article to learn more:
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Political polarisation is fundamentally a relational problem. In this week's episode of Economics Unpacked, Cesi Cruz and @hlarreguy.bsky.social outline polarisation in various contexts. Watch the full episode below👇
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
🆕 Caste, race, and power: The barriers to political inclusion 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Amit Ahuja (UC Santa Barbara) discusses why subaltern groups in the Global South struggle for political power, and why gains are being reversed: ow.ly/XzBV50ZFuZb
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A light-touch training programme that helped low-skilled workers in Senegal act more conscientiously boosted their job retention and earnings.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
🆕 Why is political polarisation rising – and can we stop it? 📢 Today on Economics Unpacked, Cesi Cruz (@umich.edu) & @hlarreguy.bsky.social (ITAM) discuss the causes and consequences of political polarisation, and how to reverse it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2v0...
youtube.com
Why is political polarisation rising – and can we stop it?
YouTube video by VoxDev
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
In Lebanon, being randomly assigned a female academic advisor makes women hold more egalitarian gender views decades later, while pushing men towards more conservative ones – widening the gender divide, especially in male-dominated fields and among religious students.
Empowerment for women, backlash among men
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
This week we featured research on index-based insurance, information access, carbon markets and more! You can read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-development-e…
voxdev.org
This week in development economics at VoxDev: 21/08/2026
This week we featured research on index-based insurance, information access, carbon markets and more!
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
In villages hit hardest by Pakistan’s 2005 earthquake, a strong relationship between poverty and mental health persisted well after the disaster, while no such relationship existed in less-affected communities.
Construction and variation in the mental health index
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Reposted by Emaan Siddique
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Can community-provided childcare empower more women to work? In this week's episode of Economics Unpacked, Rachel Health discusses recent promising evidence on this bottom-up approach.
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