Soldiers' funerals are powerful symbols of sacrifice with ambiguous effects: funerals may leave voters weary of conflict or, alternatively, galvanized to defend their national pride and homeland. Which force dominates shapes elected leaders' …
Prominent theories of conflict argue that belligerents fight to capture valuable rents (``prizes'') such as oil and other resources. Yet, we show that armed groups rarely attack sites with the most oil above or below ground, oil terminals and wells; …
We experimentally evaluate whether an interest-based negotiation (IBN) training for community leaders in Liberia improves their ability to strike beneficial deals related to their land and forests. We use environmental assessments, lab-in-the-field, …
Social scientists not only conduct impact evaluations but also participate in the design and implementation of the programs being evaluated. While Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) oversee research activities, they do not assess risks posed by the …
How do government budgets affect autocrats' incentives to share or consolidate power? We estimate a dynamic decision problem in which autocrats build their ruling coalitions to maintain power and maximize rents amid fluctuating budgets. Even for …
How does conflict affect firms’ investment decisions? Past results are mixed: a third of the studies we reviewed report null or mixed correlations; some suggest that conflict increases investment. We rationalize these results, arguing that armed …
Property titling enables tax collection and encourages private investment. Yet, governments across the developing world often fail to invest in land registration systems, such as cadastral maps that record land ownership and values. In this paper, we …
Pervasive overuse and degradation of common pool resources (CPRs) is a global concern. To sustainably manage CPRs, effective governance institutions are essential. A large literature has developed to describe the institutional design features …
Global forest loss depends on decisions made in the rural, often poor communities living beside the Earth's remaining forests. Governance problems in these forest-edge communities contribute to rapid deforestation and household vulnerability. In …
We address a debate over the effects of private versus customary property rights on external investment. Despite political economists' claims that external investors favor private property rights, other experts argue that customary systems enable …