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VoxDev

@voxdev.bsky.social
3.7K followers 416 following 1.6K posts

Where research meets practice; a platform for development enthusiasts to discuss key policy issues. Powered by CEPR, IGC & PEDL. Board: Martina Björkman-Nyqvist, Michael Callen, Cesi Cruz, David Lagakos, Joana Naritomi, Oliver Hanney & Emaan Siddique

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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 8h
📢 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 · 2h
Over the past three decades, many low- and middle-income countries have devolved responsibility for public services to subnational governments. Read our latest VoxDevLit to learn more: voxdev.org/voxdevlit/political-econ…
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 3h
A central insight of the political economy literature is that democratic elections create an accountability mechanism – but one that works imperfectly. Read our latest VoxDevLit to learn more: voxdev.org/voxdevlit/political-econ…
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 4h
We are live! Join to learn how political failures undermine public services in low- and middle-income countries: www.youtube.com/live/evxesPy...
youtube.com
The Politics of Public Service Delivery | A VoxDev Launch Event
YouTube video by VoxDev
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 5h
The existence of universal suffrage and contested elections does not guarantee that democratic institutions deliver for citizens. Read our latest VoxDevLit to learn more: voxdev.org/voxdevlit/political-econ…
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 6h
The poor stand to benefit disproportionately from public services, yet their access to political power remains limited in many low- and middle-income countries. Read our latest VoxDevLit to learn more: ow.ly/Wiv150ZSZL9
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 7h
Low- and middle-income countries have lower scores on the quality of public services and the civil service, on policy formulation and implementation, and on the credibility of a government’s commitment to improving or maintaining these aspects. ow.ly/awEx50ZSZIH
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 8h
📢 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 VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🆕 Corruption in public procurement: How politicians co-opt bureaucrats 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Sarah Brierley (LSE Department of Government) discusses why merit-based hiring is only the first step in tackling corruption in public procurement: ow.ly/E4sU50ZSxWa
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Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🆕 How a 30-minute session with medical professionals nearly tripled organ donor registration Today on VoxDev, Christina Sarah Hauser (University College Dublin) & Maleke Fourati (South Mediterranean University) outline research on Tunisia: ow.ly/LU0650ZSxsb
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How a 30-minute session with medical professionals nearly tripled organ donor registration
Thousands die each year waiting for an organ transplant. In Tunisia, one expert-led classroom session tripled student donor registrations.
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Reposted by VoxDev
Sarah Brierley @sarahbrierley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Thanks to @voxdev.bsky.social for chatting with me about the findings of my new book, The Co-opted State. For those who teach on corruption and governance, I hope this podcast might be useful for students.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🆕 Corruption in public procurement: How politicians co-opt bureaucrats 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Sarah Brierley (LSE Department of Government) discusses why merit-based hiring is only the first step in tackling corruption in public procurement: ow.ly/E4sU50ZSxWa
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🆕 How a 30-minute session with medical professionals nearly tripled organ donor registration Today on VoxDev, Christina Sarah Hauser (University College Dublin) & Maleke Fourati (South Mediterranean University) outline research on Tunisia: ow.ly/LU0650ZSxsb
ow.ly
How a 30-minute session with medical professionals nearly tripled organ donor registration
Thousands die each year waiting for an organ transplant. In Tunisia, one expert-led classroom session tripled student donor registrations.
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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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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
🆕 When bureaucrats secretly pay for public services out of pocket Today on VoxDev, Shan Aman-Rana (University of Virginia), Clement Minaudier (University of London) & Sandip Sukhtankar outline research on Pakistan: ow.ly/7PGR50ZS7uM
ow.ly
When bureaucrats secretly pay for public services out of pocket
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. Managers admit the provincial government under-funds these services precisely because it expects bribe-taking to fill the gap.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
🆕 When bureaucrats secretly pay for public services out of pocket Today on VoxDev, Shan Aman-Rana (University of Virginia), Clement Minaudier (University of London) & Sandip Sukhtankar outline research on Pakistan: ow.ly/7PGR50ZS7uM
ow.ly
When bureaucrats secretly pay for public services out of pocket
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. Managers admit the provincial government under-funds these services precisely because it expects bribe-taking to fill the gap.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
📢Call for Applications: Senior Research Fellowships at the FCDO Eligibility: Applicants must be at least Associate Professor level of seniority and employed by a UK academic institution Deadline: 30 September 2026 at 5pm GMT Learn more: ow.ly/twrU50ZRo7U
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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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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This week we featured research on AI, startups, industrial policy 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: 25/09/2026
This week we featured research on AI, startups, industrial policy and more!
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Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
🆕 How bureaucratic incentives drive the fight against air pollution Today on VoxDev, Guangyu Cao (Peking University), Xi Weng, Mingwei Xu (University of Hong Kong) & Li-An Zhou outline research on China: ow.ly/siWk50ZRkVN
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How bureaucratic incentives drive the fight against air pollution
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.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
🆕 How bureaucratic incentives drive the fight against air pollution Today on VoxDev, Guangyu Cao (Peking University), Xi Weng, Mingwei Xu (University of Hong Kong) & Li-An Zhou outline research on China: ow.ly/siWk50ZRkVN
ow.ly
How bureaucratic incentives drive the fight against air pollution
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.
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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 VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
🆕 How corporate investors boost AI innovation through data access Today on VoxDev, Jian Xie (Southern University of Science and Technology) & Kang Zhou (Zhejiang University) outline research on China: ow.ly/fnmr50ZQTvB
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How corporate investors boost AI innovation through data access
Evidence from China suggests that big tech investment helps AI startups innovate by easing access to data, with implications for competition.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
🆕 How corporate investors boost AI innovation through data access Today on VoxDev, Jian Xie (Southern University of Science and Technology) & Kang Zhou (Zhejiang University) outline research on China: ow.ly/fnmr50ZQTvB
ow.ly
How corporate investors boost AI innovation through data access
Evidence from China suggests that big tech investment helps AI startups innovate by easing access to data, with implications for competition.
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Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🆕 No taxation without administration: What makes tax authorities work 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Anders Jensen (Harvard Kennedy School) & Jonathan Weigel (UC Berkeley Haas) discuss why tax administration design matters for revenue, even with scarce data: ow.ly/A0Ye50ZQteI
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Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🆕 When banning foreign products backfires on domestic firms Today on VoxDev, Chirantan Chatterjee (University of Sussex), Ying Fan (University of Michigan) & Debi Prasad Mohapatra (University of Massachusetts Amherst) outline research on India: ow.ly/BHU750ZQspk
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When banning foreign products backfires on domestic firms
Governments increasingly turn to protection and targeted subsidies to help domestic firms compete with foreign rivals. Using India's 4G rollout as a case study, we show why industrial policy needs to account for complementarities between linked markets. Restricting low-priced Chinese phones slows network expansion, and leaves Indian firms no better off. A subsidy open to all 4G phones, by contrast, accelerates coverage far more than one restricted to domestic firms alone.
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🆕 No taxation without administration: What makes tax authorities work 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Anders Jensen (Harvard Kennedy School) & Jonathan Weigel (UC Berkeley Haas) discuss why tax administration design matters for revenue, even with scarce data: ow.ly/A0Ye50ZQteI
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🆕 When banning foreign products backfires on domestic firms Today on VoxDev, Chirantan Chatterjee (University of Sussex), Ying Fan (University of Michigan) & Debi Prasad Mohapatra (University of Massachusetts Amherst) outline research on India: ow.ly/BHU750ZQspk
ow.ly
When banning foreign products backfires on domestic firms
Governments increasingly turn to protection and targeted subsidies to help domestic firms compete with foreign rivals. Using India's 4G rollout as a case study, we show why industrial policy needs to account for complementarities between linked markets. Restricting low-priced Chinese phones slows network expansion, and leaves Indian firms no better off. A subsidy open to all 4G phones, by contrast, accelerates coverage far more than one restricted to domestic firms alone.
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Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🆕 What the coming wave of AI philanthropy means for development Today on VoxDev, Jack Lewars (Ultra Philanthropy) discusses how development organisations can position themselves for the third wave of philanthropy: ow.ly/nYsR50ZQ1xt
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What the coming wave of AI philanthropy means for development
How can development organisations and researchers position themselves for the third wave of US philanthropy?
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🆕 What the coming wave of AI philanthropy means for development Today on VoxDev, Jack Lewars (Ultra Philanthropy) discusses how development organisations can position themselves for the third wave of philanthropy: ow.ly/nYsR50ZQ1xt
ow.ly
What the coming wave of AI philanthropy means for development
How can development organisations and researchers position themselves for the third wave of US philanthropy?
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Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🆕 Do place-based industrial policies pay off in the long run? Today on VoxDev, Stephan Heblich (The Department of Economics, University of Toronto), Marlon Seror (UQAM | Université du Québec à Montréal) & Yanos Zylberberg (University of Bristol) outline research on China: ow.ly/eFSl50ZPy64
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Do place-based industrial policies pay off in the long run?
There is growing evidence that place-based industrial policies lead to positive economic effects. This column analyses the “Million-Rouble Plants” programme of the 1950s when the Soviet Union helped China build state-of-the-art industrial facilities. By tracking the locations that benefitted, it finds positive economic spillovers in the short and medium run. Although the Million-Rouble Plants themselves continued to thrive, the performance of other local establishments eventually declined, as increasing specialisation weakened knowledge spillovers and constrained local entrepreneurship....
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🆕 Do place-based industrial policies pay off in the long run? Today on VoxDev, Stephan Heblich (The Department of Economics, University of Toronto), Marlon Seror (UQAM | Université du Québec à Montréal) & Yanos Zylberberg (University of Bristol) outline research on China: ow.ly/eFSl50ZPy64
ow.ly
Do place-based industrial policies pay off in the long run?
There is growing evidence that place-based industrial policies lead to positive economic effects. This column analyses the “Million-Rouble Plants” programme of the 1950s when the Soviet Union helped China build state-of-the-art industrial facilities. By tracking the locations that benefitted, it finds positive economic spillovers in the short and medium run. Although the Million-Rouble Plants themselves continued to thrive, the performance of other local establishments eventually declined, as increasing specialisation weakened knowledge spillovers and constrained local entrepreneurship....
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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 VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
🆕 Who gets what? Budgets and discretion in community-led social protection targeting Today on VoxDev w/Kibrom Abay (International Food Policy Research Institute), Guush Berhane, Daniel Gilligan, Kibrom Tafere (World Bank Group) & Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse: ow.ly/lJmh50ZP1QX
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Who gets what? Budgets and discretion in community-led social protection targeting
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.
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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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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
🆕 Who gets what? Budgets and discretion in community-led social protection targeting Today on VoxDev w/Kibrom Abay (International Food Policy Research Institute), Guush Berhane, Daniel Gilligan, Kibrom Tafere (World Bank Group) & Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse: ow.ly/lJmh50ZP1QX
ow.ly
Who gets what? Budgets and discretion in community-led social protection targeting
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.
053
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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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 · 16/09/2026
Because rural migrants are deterred far more by distance than they are drawn by higher pay, nearby towns – despite offering lower earnings than cities – end up absorbing far more migrants and doing more to reduce poverty, making them a decisive channel for inclusive urban growth.
KHDS baseline villages and urban destinations across Tanzania
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Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
🆕 Proximity over pay: Why small towns attract migrants Today on VoxDev, Joachim De Weerdt (International Food Policy Research Institute), Luc Christiaensen (World Bank) & Ravi Kanbur (Cornell University) discuss migration flows across cities and towns in Tanzania: ow.ly/VHeX50ZOblJ
ow.ly
Proximity over pay: Why small towns attract migrants
Because rural migrants are deterred far more by distance than they are drawn by higher pay, nearby towns – despite offering lower earnings than cities – end up absorbing far more migrants and doing more to reduce poverty, making them a decisive channel for inclusive urban growth.
042
Reposted by VoxDev
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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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
🆕 Rethinking development cooperation: The case for a 'balance sheet' approach 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Alexia Latortue (Future of Development Cooperation Coalition) & Radha Rajkotia discuss a balance sheet approach to development aid: ow.ly/eNkn50ZObXf
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
🆕 Proximity over pay: Why small towns attract migrants Today on VoxDev, Joachim De Weerdt (International Food Policy Research Institute), Luc Christiaensen (World Bank) & Ravi Kanbur (Cornell University) discuss migration flows across cities and towns in Tanzania: ow.ly/VHeX50ZOblJ
ow.ly
Proximity over pay: Why small towns attract migrants
Because rural migrants are deterred far more by distance than they are drawn by higher pay, nearby towns – despite offering lower earnings than cities – end up absorbing far more migrants and doing more to reduce poverty, making them a decisive channel for inclusive urban growth.
042
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
064
Reposted by VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
🆕 The generative AI learning penalty in secondary school Today on VoxDev, David Strömberg (Stockholm University), Victor Lei (University of Hong Kong) & Yanhui Wu (HKU Business School) discuss evidence on how self-directed use of generative AI affects learning in China: ow.ly/EQlr50ZNHzQ
ow.ly
The generative AI learning penalty in secondary school
Generative AT tools can help students complete assignments faster and achieve better scores. But completing these tasks is not the goal; learning from them is. This column uses data on over 25,000 7th to 12th grade students in China to examine how self-directed use of generative AI affects their learning. Time spent on homework for students who used AI went down and homework scores went up, but their exam scores fell. While the initial effect is small, it grows as students become more proficient with AI tools and as more course material is learned after adoption, suggesting that existing...
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
🆕 The generative AI learning penalty in secondary school Today on VoxDev, David Strömberg (Stockholm University), Victor Lei (University of Hong Kong) & Yanhui Wu (HKU Business School) discuss evidence on how self-directed use of generative AI affects learning in China: ow.ly/EQlr50ZNHzQ
ow.ly
The generative AI learning penalty in secondary school
Generative AT tools can help students complete assignments faster and achieve better scores. But completing these tasks is not the goal; learning from them is. This column uses data on over 25,000 7th to 12th grade students in China to examine how self-directed use of generative AI affects their learning. Time spent on homework for students who used AI went down and homework scores went up, but their exam scores fell. While the initial effect is small, it grows as students become more proficient with AI tools and as more course material is learned after adoption, suggesting that existing...
051
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 VoxDev
VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
🆕 Can digitising courts speed up justice without cutting corners? Today on VoxDev, Sultan Mehmood (New Economic School), Resuf Ahmed (Stanford University) & Aleksandra Filimonova (Bocconi University) discuss research on Indonesia: ow.ly/LHNJ50ZN9CX
ow.ly
Can digitising courts speed up justice without cutting corners?
Indonesia's E-Court reform reduced case duration by around 15% without evidence of deterioration in observable decision quality. The effects extended to untreated appellate courts, showing how technology can reshape the production of justice by altering the use of judicial time and congestion across the court hierarchy.
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