How does automation in the Global North shape politics and violence in the Global South? We develop a political economy theory in which robot adoption in advanced economies reduces demand for export-oriented labor in developing countries, depressing wages and employment and creating social and political consequences. We test this argument in Mexico, a close trade […]

Tackling climate change generates non-rivalrous and non-excludable benefits, while the costs of climate action fall on individual firms. This should incentivize firms to free ride on each others’ efforts. Yet, corporate lobbying on climate issues has increased steadily across sectors. We develop a framework where exposure to climate disasters reduces free-riding by aligning private incentives […]

Abstract: Despite the well-documented nationalization of local politics over the late 20th century, one type of local organization has flourished: the chamber of commerce. Local chambers, influential interest groups in which firms operating in a given municipality band together to lobby for improved local business conditions, are now present in over 6,700 municipalities across nearly […]