Cross-border patenting is a key channel for the international transfer of technologies. Using a new dataset that tracks patents within and between countries and industries, this column examines the influence of technology transfers on development and income inequality. Policy and globalisation have a positive impact on cross-border patent flows, especially from rich to poor countries: […]
Land prices, as reflected in house prices relative to incomes, are near all-time records, pricing younger citizens out of home-ownership and affordable rents. This column argues that a green land value tax – a charge on the land plus a charge on the house minus a discount related to efficiency of the building’s energy usage […]
The use of historical data for economic analysis has been on the rise in recent decades. Persistence studies in particular have been essential in developing our understanding of how historical factors can contribute to present-day economic and social outcomes. In this literature, maps are often a key source of historical data. For example, many papers in the […]
Each year, the US Circuit Courts of Appeals consider thousands of appeals on the rulings of federal district courts. This column examines whether the identity of the politicians that appoint judges to these courts can help predict outcomes in these cases. Based on more than 650,000 circuit court cases from 1985 to 2020, the author […]
Recent research suggests that wages below legally established minimum wages are surprisingly prevalent. This column reviews ‘wage theft’ in the US and its impact on the wage gains workers might otherwise enjoy. Most firms comply with increases in the minimum wage, especially when they have time to plan for the increase, but evasion and avoidance […]
In seven East Asia and Pacific (EAP) countries, policymakers prioritize secondary school completion over basic learning quality, while underestimating the levels of learning poverty – which measures the share of 10-year-olds who can’t read and understand a simple text – among their students. This oversight can hinder efforts to improve student learning outcomes in the […]
On this year’s International Day of Education, we reflected on the almost 15.5 million refugee children and youth worldwide. More than half of these children are not in school, with significant additional challenges for girls, children with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. The scale and increasingly protracted nature of displacement makes it critical to act […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is considered a general-purpose technology that, like electricity, could transform our lives. AI technology can detect symptoms related to the early stages of cancer, predict the next virus mutation, create works of art, plan your investment portfolio, and even help craft this blog. The growing number of AI applications promises to transform […]
Improving management of road travel speeds will decrease traffic deaths and injuries in the Asia and the Pacific. Policies focused on enforcement, road design, vehicle technology, and urban planning are needed. Managing travel speeds on the roads of Asia and the Pacific will save lives and avoid economically costly, often debilitating, injuries. Recent studies show that […]
Waste amounted to 3.3 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, with landfills the primary source. As climate change continues to pose an ever-looming existential threat to the world and its inhabitants, managing waste more sustainably and efficiently is critical. The waste management process (See Figure 1) involves many stakeholders, including businesses, governments, households, community […]
