4 papers · 1 filter
Poverty traps are rare, but trappedness isn't
Isaak Mengesha, Debraj Roy
The persistence of poverty is not well explained by who is poor. We argue the relevant object of measurement is trappedness--expected escape time from deprivation--which varies sys…
Cities cluster into growth regimes that propagate shocks
Isaak Mengesha, Hourican Cillian, Debraj Roy
Economic growth is conventionally analyzed at the national level, yet cities generate the bulk of global output. Here we construct GDP trajectories for 8,808 functional urban areas…
Measuring growth and convergence at the mesoscale
Isaak Mengesha, Debraj Roy
Global inequality has shifted inward, with rising dispersion increasingly occurring within countries rather than between them. Using 8,790 newly harmonised Functional Urban Areas (…
Cognitive biases shape the evolution of zero-sum norms
Isaak Mengesha, Meiqi Sun, Debraj Roy
Why do maladaptive perceptions and norms, such as zero-sum interpretations of interaction, persist even when they undermine cooperation and investment? We develop a framework where…