VoxDev Development Economics

VoxDev.org

Economic Growth

Economic Development

Climate Change

Development Economics

Poverty

Education

Cash Transfers

Inequality

Intimate Partner Violence

World Bank

Bangladesh

Labor Market

Developing Countries

Agriculture

Sub-Saharan Africa

Poverty Reduction

Human Capital

Public Policy

Gender Inequality

Labor Markets

Hear about the cutting edge of development economics from research to practice.

108 ratings

Publishes	Twice weekly	Episodes	323	Founded	8 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	Social SciencesGovernmentScience

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Latest Episodes

S7 Ep31: Nonelite Women's Participation in Politics

The usual way to measure women's power in politics is to count the seats they hold in parliament. But most women who take part in politics never stand for office. They vote, attend meetings, petition, protest, or try to get the water supply fixed.

18 Jun 2026 • 31 min

S7 Ep30: The end of aid dependency

This episode follows a wide-ranging panel convened at Stanford's King Center on Global Development, featuring Gyude Moore, as well as Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman, former USAID Administrator and Ambassador Mark Green, and Chair and Founder of the... more

10 Jun 2026 • 22 min • Popular

S7 Ep29: What the $1-a-day global poverty line gets wrong

It's 1990. A young staff economist walks into a director's office at the World Bank and says the number he's about to publish is "crazy". The director tells him not to worry about it.

The number was the dollar-a-day poverty line. Lant Pritchett, no... more

3 Jun 2026 • 29 min • Most popular

S7 Ep28: Why civil service reform fails (and what actually works)

Every civil service reform plan opens with the same list of complaints: poor performance, low motivation, weak accountability. Across six African countries and three decades, governments launched 131 separate reform efforts; not one fully achieved wh... more

27 May 2026 • 37 min

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Recent Guests

Martina Viarengo

Coauthor of Raising the Bar, an Inclusive Global Poverty Line

Coauthor on the paper with Lant Pritchett

Episode: S7 Ep29: What the $1-a-day global poverty line gets wrong

Martin Williams

Author of Reform as Process; researcher focusing on systemic civil service reform

University of Michigan (and author of Reform as Process)

Episode: S7 Ep28: Why civil service reform fails (and what actually works)

Nancy Birdsall

President Emerita, Center for Global Development

Center for Global Development

Episode: S7 Ep27: The World Bank's East Asian Miracle

Ed Glaeser

Professor of economics at Harvard University, urban economist

Harvard University

Episode: S7 Ep26: Ed Glaeser on the perfect city and the demons of density

Roshaneh Zafar

Founder and managing director of Kashf Foundation

Kashf Foundation

Episode: S7 Ep25: Roshaneh Zafar on 30 years of microfinance and mindset change in Pakistan

Leonard Wantchekon

James Madison Professor of Political Economy at Princeton University; founder and president of the African School of Economics

Princeton University; African School of Economics

Episode: S7 Ep24: Leonard Wantchekon on youth and governance in African cities

Chris Blattman

Economist, political scientist, Professor at University of Chicago

University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy

Episode: S7 Ep22: Chris Blattman on how organised crime takes over cities

Craig McIntosh

UC San Diego

Episode: S7 Ep21: Boosting farmers' profits

Sebastian Galiani

Economist, University of Maryland (architect of the reforms discussed)

University of Maryland

Episode: S7 Ep20: Argentina’s 2017 tax reform

Hosts

Timothy Phillips

Host of VoxDev Talks; longstanding moderator and voice in development economics discussions

Oliver Hanney

Managing editor and host with roles across Ideas in Development and VoxDev; coordinates research-to-policy conversations

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 108 ratings

Accessible and engaging
A neat, accessible way of keeping up with some of the latest development work.
Apple Podcasts
4
camwho?
Australia3 years ago
Great podcast for development economists
Would be great if the episode note had the citation and link to the paper posted.
Apple Podcasts
5
chiecon
United States4 years ago

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Listeners Say

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Chart Rankings

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Apple Podcasts	#64	United States/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#172	United Kingdom/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#206	Canada/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#93	Italy/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#131	France/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#162	Australia/Science/Social Sciences

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

S7 Ep28: Why civil service reform fails (and what actually works)

Q: How would you advise the head of a civil service to design and implement reforms to improve performance?

Start by working within the existing rules to improve performance and compliance, then pursue small, continuous improvements that build credibility. Avoid a projectized, time-bound approach; instead decentralize leadership and catalyze ongoing improvement across units.

S7 Ep29: What the $1-a-day global poverty line gets wrong

Q: How would you implement the proposed inclusive global poverty line in policy practice?

Use an array of lines (lower bound, national lines, and an aspirational upper bound) and employ measures like the prosperity gap and sophisticated poverty metrics to target broad-based growth and inclusive productivity rather than focusing only on a single line.

S7 Ep29: What the $1-a-day global poverty line gets wrong

Q: Why is the dollar-a-day line considered a bad basis for policy today?

Because it excludes many who are poor by other reasonable measures, misallocates attention away from broader redistribution, and overly simplifies poverty to a single threshold rather than a range of well-being indicators across a distribution.

S7 Ep29: What the $1-a-day global poverty line gets wrong

Q: What was the origin of the dollar-a-day poverty line and why did it become so influential?

The line was chosen to produce a global poverty figure for the 1990 World Development Report, and it gained influence because it generated clear, attention-grabbing numbers that policymakers and the public could grasp, even though it didn't fully capture the complexity of poverty.

S7 Ep27: The World Bank's East Asian Miracle

Q: What were the conclusions the report drew about what was working in East Asia, and how did it treat the line between fundamentals and deliberate policy choices?

The report acknowledged strong macro fundamentals and export-oriented growth while showing that certain policies—such as export support, credit subsidies tied to export orders, and selective credit access—could be framed as industrial policy without labeling them as such, revealing a nuanced path to growth.

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Frequently Asked Questions About VoxDev Development Economics

What is VoxDev Development Economics about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show consistently features prominent development economists and policy researchers who unpack empirical findings and real-world policy implications. Episodes span topics like industrial policy, urban economics, microfinance, digital payments, tax reform, and the politics of reform, with guests ranging from university professors to think-tank and international organization researchers. The conversations tend to balance rigorous evidence with practical lessons for policymakers, donors, and practitioners working in low- and middle-income settings. Noteworthy is the blend of historical context, field experiments, and contemporary data-driven insights, plus a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom on growth and governance.

A standout... more

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Which podcasts are similar to VoxDev Development Economics?

These podcasts share a similar audience with VoxDev Development Economics:

1. Ideas in Development
2. The Economics Show
3. The Pie: An Economics Podcast
4. Trade Talks
5. Economist Podcasts

How many episodes of VoxDev Development Economics are there?

VoxDev Development Economics launched 8 years ago and published 323 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on VoxDev Development Economics?

Recent guests on VoxDev Development Economics include:

1. Martina Viarengo
2. Martin Williams
3. Nancy Birdsall
4. Ed Glaeser
5. Roshaneh Zafar
6. Leonard Wantchekon
7. Chris Blattman
8. Craig McIntosh

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