Corruption and Culture
Edward Miguel, Raymond Fisman
National Post
Canada is not a corrupt country. Nigeria is. What is it that keeps us from slipping a 50 to a policeman who pulls us over for speeding, whereas such transactions are the norm on the roads of Lagos? That is, why do Nigerians bribe with impunity, while we in Canada have a collective reputation as …
Bombing Vietnam: The Long-Term Economic Consequences
Edward Miguel and Gérard Roland
Milken Institute Review
The 20th century was witness to the most destructive wars in all history. Technological progress in weaponry as well as innovation in their manufacture made it possible to destroy lives and property on an unprecedented scale. What is less clear, though, is whether the unrivaled destructiveness of modern warfare has had enduring consequences on economic …
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Stop Conflict Before It Starts
Edward Miguel
Bloomberg
Dozens of countries have suffered through civil conflicts in the past few decades. The humanitarian consequences have been staggering: 3 million civilian deaths in Congo and hundreds of thousands more in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. The direct human impacts for survivors are enormous, and there may be lasting economic setbacks for whole societies. Likewise, …
Incentives to Learn: Merit Scholarships That Pay Kids to Do Well
Michael Kremer, Edward Miguel, Rebecca Thorton
Education Next
Proposals for education reform generally focus on teachers and curricula. But the most important factor in education may be the student himself or herself. A growing number of states, including Georgia, Michigan, New York, and Massachusetts, have established programs that provide financial rewards in the form of merit scholarships for college for students who perform …
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Cash Talks
Edward Miguel
Forbes
A generation of reforms–including more school resources and new curricula–has failed to improve urban schools. In Oakland, Calif., near where I live, 20% of high school students drop out. Only a third meet the minimum requirements for entrance to the California state university system. The dropout problem is especially severe among African-American and Latino high …