POLITICAL ECONOMY OF DEVELOPMENT
Chinese FDI and the Political Prospects of Leaders in Africa
In this project with Margaret Pearson and Xiaonan Wang, we connect georeferenced data from 223 Chinese FDI projects to 179,278 survey respondents in Africa. We demonstrate that proximity to announced Chinese FDI projects improves local perceptions of political leaders, but that, when those projects become operational, leaders actually pay a political cost. Working paper; please email for details.
Big Men and Informal Insurance in Times of Crisis
This project tests the sources of informal support that residents of Ghana prefer in the aftermath of crisis. Using survey data from villages hit by unexpected and exceptional flooding, and comparing those responses to data from otherwise similar villages that did not suffer flood damage, the study suggests that households experiencing crisis turn to their families and community networks rather than political patrons. Working paper; please email for details.