Journal of Development Economics
Volume 115, Pages A1-A2, 1-232 (July 2015)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03043878/115

.
Banking the poor via savings accounts: Evidence from a field experiment
Original Research Article
Pages 16-31
Silvia Prina
Abstract
In a setting with low penetration of bank accounts, I randomly gave access to bank accounts with zero fees at local bank-branches to a large sample of female household heads in Nepal. The zero fees and physical proximity of the bank led to high take-up and usage rates compared to similar studies in other settings. However, impact on income, aggregate expenditures, and assets are too imprecisely estimated to draw a conclusion. I do find reallocation of expenditures across categories (e.g. more spending on education and meat and fish, and less on health and dowries), and higher ability to cope with shocks. On qualitative outcomes, I find households report that their overall financial situation has improved. The lack of a clear story on mechanisms, yet strong result on aggregate self-perception of financial wellbeing, is consistent with access to quality savings accounts leading to household improvements via multiple mechanisms.

.
Economic shocks, civil war and ethnicity
Original Research Article
Pages 32-44
Thorsten Janus, Daniel Riera-Crichton
Highlights
:: Commodity terms of trade declines cause civil war in countries with intermediate ethnic diversity.
:: Every one percent terms of trade decline increases the risk of civil war onset by about 0.5%.
:: The vulnerable countries are characterized by ethnic dominance or, potentially, ethnic polarization.
:: The paper helps to synthesize the distinct views that ethnicity and economic shocks cause :
:: While previous studies focus on export price fluctuations, we stress the importance of import prices.