Development Economics (Audio)

The major states of India provide some good cross-sectional variation for estimating the impact of trade on poverty reduction.

Comparative advantage is one of the deepest and most profound ideas in economics. Should Martha Stewart iron her own shirts? No! We explain why and the implications for trade across countries. If you have covered this material before, consider it...

Answer to the "homework question" from the previous video.

What generates comparative advantage? We look briefly at geography, factor proportions, increasing returns to scale and institutions such as labor market flexibility.

What do the data show about trade and poverty?  It's a pretty positive story.

He has led a heroic struggle on behalf of people trapped without property rights or the ability to earn a living legally.  It started in Peru and has spread to the broader world.

In this video we look at a very basic distinction that between private and collective property rights. What are the advantages of private property rights? The Great Leap Forward and the the heroes of Xiaogang Village provide a vivid illustration. We...

A reliable system for identifying (mapping), titling and transferring property can increase the power of property rights. We look at the effect of Peru's efforts to title property and also at Argentina and also at a natural experiment in Micronesia.

Were classic (fee-simple) property rights an unintended side-effect of government's desire to tax? We look at communal property, private property, taxation and some of James C. Scott's ideas in his book Seeing Like a State.

One piece of good news is that the world has been moving toward freer trade for many decades.