ACES is pleased to accept applications for its 2026 ACES Summer School in Political Economy, August 12-14 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Details and application instructions available here: conta.cc/4l2ox5I Application deadline April 15.
The US has imposed a 15% surcharge on most imports from sub-Saharan Africa, despite the Agoa trade programme’s extension. 📉
theconversation.com/trumps-tarif...
#BusinessAndEconomy
Additionally, I want to speak directly to Iranian New Yorkers: you are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders. You will be safe here.
I have a new VoxDev post out which discusses my forthcoming paper with James Robinson in the Annual Review of Economics. In it we put forward the idea that many African societies were organized around the goal of limiting centralization of authority. And they succeeded! 1/2
🆕 Africa as a success story: Political organisation in pre-colonial Africa
Today on VoxDev, Soeren Henn (University of Wisconsin-Madison) & James Robinson (Harris School of Public Policy) provide an alternate view of Africa's history: https://ow.ly/G89C50YkUmp
Deep breath.
I'm honored and excited to join the faculty of America's oldest research university, Johns Hopkins.
I'll start this summer as a full professor, one of the founding faculty at the brand-new School of Government and Policy.
We're building something unique & important, even historic.
Development policy effects are context-dependent and social traits often labeled as barriers may, in some settings, be sources of economic success, from Jacob Moscona, @nathannunn.bsky.social, and James A. Robinson www.nber.org/papers/w34810
Everyone working in development economics should read this chapter.
They provide evidence that what works in development is less about finding universally good levers and more about designing interventions compatible with locally embedded social structures.
www.nber.org/papers/w3481...
Glad to see this is out in @nber.org WP series and since my excellent co-author @chinemeluokafor.bsky.social and I have been discussing the results for the past few weeks, here's an old-fashioned paper thread on why protests matter/can work to influence economic redistribution 1/n
Studying how managers’ gender attitudes shape workplace culture and gender inequality, from Virginia Minni, Kieu-Trang Nguyen, Heather Sarsons, and Carla Srebot www.nber.org/papers/w34782
Study of the 2012 Occupy Nigeria protests presents evidence that protests increase fiscal transfers to protesting regions, but only in politically aligned areas, from @belindaarch.bsky.social, Chinemelu Okafor, Evans S. Osabuohien, and Tom Moerenhout www.nber.org/papers/w34787
Call it the Benito Bowl. Grammy-winning mega-star Bad Bunny brought the island of Puerto Rico to the Super Bowl halftime stage, bringing palm trees, tropical foliage and dancing shrubs to the field, as well as a makeshift market.
See more at the link: https://cnn.it/4r9tfAX
Surveying recent research on changing culture and social norms in developing countries and proposing a simple framework to interpret these changes, from Eliana La Ferrara and David H. Yanagizawa-Drott www.nber.org/papers/w34784
This @bostonreview.bsky.social piece by @adambonica.bsky.social and @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social is an absolute must-read, as are many of the responses to it.
Spread this one far and wide.
Using surnames, we show that colonial-era hierarchies continue to shape access to Colombia’s best schools and elite social networks, limiting intergenerational mobility through both education and marriage.
Read today's article to learn more:
#DemocraticBacksliding: The erosion of US democracy under Trump is steeper than any recent precedent, including Hungary, Venezuela, Turkey, R//ZZ.l'a/nd
Source: Financial Times @jburnmurdoch.ft.com www.ft.com/content/b474...
New research by Soeren J. Henn and James Robinson challenges common views of pre-colonial Africa. Decentralized political systems prioritized local communities and shaped economic institutions around shared goals rather than centralized control or personal accumulation.
🔗 https://ow.ly/7aXE50Y5shY
Call for Papers: The 2026 Women in Empirical Microeconomics Conference will be held Oct 16–17 at UChicago’s David Rubenstein Forum. All early-career, tenure-track scholars are invited to submit works in progress across empirical micro fields.
🔗 https://ow.ly/Z00L50Y5vAH
Do markets make us moral? In my column this week I wrote about a super-interesting study using historical data to explore how markets have shaped culture.
1st 300 clicks free to read...
as.ft.com/r/b02da2ad-d...
America’s economic mood deteriorated in January to its lowest level in more than a decade as consumers fretted about geopolitical tensions, affordability and President Donald Trump’s unrelenting trade war. https://cnn.it/4rmyD3n
Ta-Nehisi has a way of clarifying things. So good to read him today.
It’s in Vanity Fair but I got past the paywall by using Apple News.
Please apply to this pre-doc position to work on projects related to culture, political economy, and development in DRC and Mozambique. Strong data analysis skills required. First round of applications reviewed Feb. 2. employment.ucsd.edu/research-ass...
Climate change caused drought and flooding is damaging Nigeria’s staple foods, maize, cassava, millet and yam, smallholder farmers say.
theconversation.com/nigerian-far...
#Climate
ICE officers tell media that the conduct in Minneapolis is part of a plan by Stephen Miller to provoke as much violence and death as possible—which in turn will be taken as pretext for more. “They’re essentially operating now in a resource constraint-free environment and doing very dangerous things”
Why are some African countries doing better today than others, prospering while others are in conflict? Martha Wilfahrt’s @apsrjournal article analyzes the nature of pre-colonial states for an answer. Read a clear discussion by @deborah_saki for Political Science Now
Ryan Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic “Sinners” led all films with 16 nominations for the 98th Academy Awards, setting a record for the most in Oscar history.
📣 Call for Papers:
🗓️ 23-24 April 2026 at LSE
Submit full papers: forms.office.com/e/9qVWeNTK0p
Please share with colleagues & early-career researchers!
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is educate normal people on complex subjects in ways that are engaging and digestible.
Quick estimate: Trump just launched a (renewed) trade war against countries that collectively account for around 11% of U.S. imports of goods. If they retaliate, 22% of U.S. goods exports are at risk (that's 15% for the 8 countries affected, plus 7% for the rest of the EU).
All for Greenland.
