Journal Article
“Why Being Wrong can be Right: Magical Warfare Technologies and the Persistence of False Beliefs” American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings. 2017 (with Nathan Nunn) Coverage: VOXeu, CIFAR
“Fishing, Commitment, and Communication: A Proposal for Nonbinding Research Registration” Political Analysis, 21(1): 1-20, Winter 2013 (With M Humphreys and P van der Windt) Coverage: World Bank’s Development Impact blog
Working Paper
On the Origns of the State: Stationary Bandits and Taxation in Eastern Congo Revision Requested, Journal of Political Economy. Coverage: Marginal Revolution, Chris Blattman, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Die Zeit, PEDL Research Note, A Crowing hen’s blog,
Can Externally Mandated Gender Requirements Empower Women? Revision Requested, Journal of Development Economics (With M Humphreys and P van der Windt)
Ethnic contract enforceability
Institutional Change (or not) by Imitation of Cultural Practice: Delivering Democracy in the Congo under review (with M Humphreys and P van der Windt). Coverage: Financial Times, World Bank’s Development Impact blog, The undercover economist
Who’s Watching? Effects of Monitoring on Strategies for Corruption
On the mechanics of Kleptocratic States: Administrators’ Power, Protection, and Taxpayers’ False Confessions (With Soeren Henn, Laura Paler, Wilson Prichard, Cyrus Samii)
On the Ends of the State: Stationary Bandits and the Time Horizon
Work in Progress
The state as organized crime: industrial organization of the police (with Kristof Titeca)
State administration reform, Democratic Republic of Congo (with E. Mvukiyehe)
Impacts of aid on conflict (with David Ifkovitz and Peter van der Windt)
Economics of state kidnaping: Sicilian Fishermen (with Naor Ben-Yehoyada and Vito Pipitone)
Emotional factors of participation into armed groups
Magical beliefs (with Nathan Nunn)
Cleaning up the supply chain: multinational sourcing in the Congo “What are the economic implications of ‘responsible sourcing’ policies?” (with Benjamin Faber and Benjamin Krause)
Policy Report
Social and Economic Impacts of Community Driven Development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
