Charter Cities Podcast

Our guest today is Joachim Rücker, who currently serves as a key partner in the Sustainable Development Zone Alliance. Preceded by a varied and fascinating career, Joachim served as a special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Kosovo for the duration of its transition to independence and was responsible for its economic reconstruction. He was also the Mayor of a German Industrial City, called Sindelfingen for almost ten years, and has been stationed abroad on numerous occasions with the German Foreign Service in various countries, particularly in Africa. Joachim describes how it all came together in 2017 and 2018 when their company decided to pursue making a positive global impact in migration, humanitarian, and development policies. In our conversation, we discuss Joachim’s work with the Sustainable Development Zone Alliance and how they are utilizing Sustainable Development Zones (SDZs) and Brownfield sites to improve the lives of migrants and increase the transitions from the informal sector to the formal sector. Joachim outlines three key points when considering their new paradigm around integration in cities and the importance of offering integration options for migrants. Find out why it’s important to have an administrative framework in SDZs that exists as a separate entity to the central government, and Joachim explains the importance of collaborating with the local government and grassroots organizations, citing a successful example in Libya when working with local government, even though the central government was fragile and heavily compromised. Finally, we talk about Joachim’s time in Kosovo and how he sees SDZs playing out in the next 20 years. All this and much more. We hope you’ll join us! Key Points From This Episode: ●     Meet today’s guest, Joachim Rücker.●     An outline of SDZs and how they resemble charter cities.●     How the Sustainable Development Zones Alliance is working to support cities during a huge increase in urbanization.●     The challenges of moving people out of the informal sector.●     Why SDZs are helpful tools in moving people out of the informal sector.●     Their use of elements from special administrative and legal frameworks to solve problems.●     Three key points when considering Joachim’s new paradigm around integration in cities.●     Firstly, hear about the importance of avoiding the ‘objects of care’ trap.●     Secondly, Joachim shares why it’s so important for migrants to have a connection with urban developments.●     Lastly, he highlights the necessity of a special legal framework outside of the original city.●     Why migrants are unlikely to return to places where they were violently oppressed.●     The importance of offering local integration options.●     How SDZs determine which sectors of the population to focus on.●     How to go about determining the administration for a particular SDZ.●     The governance authority that SDZs need to be successful.●     What SDZs might look like in 20 years and how they could resemble other decentralized innovations.●     Being in contact with both local government and grassroots movements and organizations when setting up an SDZ.●     Working with local leaders when the central government is fragile, as it is in Libya.●     Why SDZs require donors and investors and how to get them involved.●     Why Joachim doesn’t anticipate hiring problems when countries often have more qualified individuals than jobs available.●     Why a multilateral organization like the UN should be involved in SDZs in a supervisory role.●     The lessons that Joachim draws from Paul Rohmer, the Jordan Compact, and the unfortunate perception of charter cities as neocolonial.●     Joachim talks about his time in Kosovo and the lessons he learned.●     Why Joachim and his team have chosen to pursue Brownfield sites for SDZs and how it informs their broader strategy. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Joachim RückerJoachim Rücker on LinkedInCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on LinkedIn

Our guest today is Alon Levy, a fellow with the NYU Marron Institute. Their research focuses on public transportation and how to apply best practices from cities around the world. Our conversation is about the influence of politics and culture on the cost of building rail-based infrastructure projects across the globe and Alon sketches out many different scenarios, highlighting examples of good or bad construction. Poor building practices often mean cost overrun and surplus extraction and Alon attributes them to cultural elitism, isomorphic mimicry, the ‘design-build plague’, and the hollowing out of the public sector, depending on what country he is speaking about. In the case of the US, part of the reason for the bloated cost premium is a refusal to accept and adopt better building practices from outside its borders and the continued use of outdated models. For some lower-income countries discussed, we see a tendency to adopt practices used by countries perceived to be superior, even though their practices are inherently bad or might not be relevant in a new context. Our conversation also covers recommendations for how a lower-income country like Lagos might approach subway building and the best examples they should follow. For a conversation packed with examples of how political conditions, cultural tendencies, and legal practices influence railway infrastructure building in different countries and the effects this has on cost, be sure to tune in today. Key Points From This Episode: •  How Alon got interested in infrastructure while riding NYC trains.•  Definitions of different rail-based transport types to be found in cities.•  Cost differences of constructing different rail-based transport across the globe.•  Cultural elitism and why there is a cost premium on American rapid transit.•  The high cost of rail transport construction in countries whose planning logistics happen in English and are inherited from America.•  A deterioration in building practices leading to higher construction costs in America.•  The spread of a design-build plague in America and from America outward.•  The role of perceived externality and NIMBYism in producing cost overrun and surplus extraction.•  Hollowing out of the public sector and the overabundance of informal pressures in the private sector.•  The issue of environmental protection laws being enforced by lawsuits rather than internal bureaucracy.•  The evolution of high-cost building techniques in New York.•  Perspectives on effective bureaucracy and the politics of railway building practices in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain.•  How the cost of mega infrastructure projects will evolve considering China and America’s influences.•  The role of isomorphic mimicry and cultural abnegation in inheriting poor building practices.•  Different cultural practices around how close to the city to put that stop’s station.•  Why optimizing for security instead of transportation effectiveness is paranoid.•  Problems with Biden’s infrastructure plan including the budget for State of Good Repair.•  The hallucination that the Anglosphere is the best; American tendencies to point out imagined problems in other cultures as an argument against adopting cheaper methods.•  How Lagos or low-income countries should approach building a subway.•  Perspectives on the internet and outside voices influencing on-the-ground challenges. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Charter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on LinkedInAlon LevyAlon Levy on Twitter

Today’s guest is Erin McDonnell, Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. She joins us on the show to discuss her recent book Patchwork Leviathan, which looks at the emergence of bureaucratic pockets of effectiveness, or high performing groups, within otherwise weak state administrations with a particular focus on Ghana. We unpack Erin’s findings on the causes of these bureaucratic pockets of effectiveness, hearing Erin firstly sketch out what she calls the dual habitus brain. In the pockets of effectiveness Erin studied, she found that many of the participants shared an educational profile which they melded with their knowledge of local conditions. We consider other possible causes of pockets of effectiveness such as team dynamics, the ability to use discretion, systems for reward and the acceptance of failure, and human motives that are difficult to measure formally. We also consider some of the characteristics that keep these pockets of effectiveness robust, a particularly unexpected one being the characteristic of built-in redundancy. Other themes discussed are whether the recent discovery of oil poses a threat to Ghanaian pockets of effectiveness, Erin’s personal approach to effective bureaucratic management, and a whole lot more. So for an episode packed with personal anecdotes and local case studies from Ghana and beyond tune in today!  Key Points From This Episode:•  How bureaucracies are made up of human beings, not just rules.•  Erin’s experiences of Ghanaian culture; food, people, and her fieldwork.•  Perspectives on the idea that there is a lot of variation within states.•  Why Erin’s research began with identifying high-performing groups of the state.•  The common educational profile of people in Ghanaian pockets of effectiveness.•  Better transnational institutional transfer after melding foreign practices in a local context.•  How the idea of the ‘founding team’ factors into pockets of effectiveness.•  What principal agent theory gets wrong when studying bureaucracies.•  Perspectives on agency autonomy and how it plays into cultivating pockets of effectiveness.•  How the charter city can become its own pocket of effectiveness.•  Examples of how discretion is a motivating force for people who are pro-socially minded.•  How systems of reward and acceptance of failure can drive motivation.•  Perspectives on the role of clustering and agglomeration in shaping new culture in cities and pockets of effectiveness.•  The role of redundancy in keeping pockets of effectiveness more stable.•  Whether the recent discovery of oil in Ghana poses a threat to pockets of effectiveness.•  The role of informal characteristics in accomplishing tasks in organizations and how these are measured.•  Contrasts and connections between ‘positive deviance’, ‘problem-driven iterative adaptation’, and pockets of effectiveness theories.•  Why Erin is skeptical about the idea of changing civil service codes in Ghana.•  Erin’s personal approach to effective bureaucratic management.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Charter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on LinkedInErin McDonnellUniversity of Notre DamePatchwork LeviathanEpisode 25 with Yuen Yuen AngSaskia SassenThe Weirdest People in the WorldElinor OstromChris Blattman

A largely unexplored counterargument to immigration liberalization is that immigrants who come from countries with worse institutions will make the institutions in their destination country worse. In Wretched Refuse? The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions, Alex Nowrasteh and Benjamin Powell respond to this argument and today we have Alex on the show to elaborate on their findings. Our conversation begins with a discussion on the foundational piece by Michael Clemens, ‘Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk’. This paper finds that the marginal immigrant to the United States from a developing country can expect a fourfold increase in their wages, and the result of a global, free migration policy would be to increase global GDP by about 50% to 150%. Alex then unpacks why immigrating would be the most efficient option for improving an immigrant’s life. He responds to the arguments that immigrants should improve their home countries rather than immigrate and that the home countries of immigrants will worsen thanks to ‘brain drain’. Later in our conversation, Alex addresses the deep roots theory which proposes that the ancestry metrics of societies influence their GDP per capita. He then weighs in on whether culture impacts economic production. We hear about the central finding of Wretched Refuse, which is that immigrants don't worsen economic institutions in places where they go and in some cases improve them. Wrapping up, Alex shares his perspectives on changing immigration visa laws in the US and what the next ten years might hold in that respect. Tune in today! Key Points From This Episode: •  The argument that immigration does not destroy the institutions responsible for prosperity in the modern world to be found in Alex’s book.•  Why immigrants from Yemen will 16X their salary after moving to the US.•  Alex’s response to the ‘Why don’t immigrants fix their home country rather?’ argument.•  The question of brain drain when immigrants leave their home countries and why matters are more complex than this.•  Why the overall economic gains immigrants offer to the US outweigh the threat they pose to some salaries.•  Why Alex is a skeptic when it comes to the deep roots argument for prosperity.•  Perspectives on the many reasons for why economic status of a country can change.•  The impacts of culture and trust on economic growth and whether immigrants erode this.•  Examples of mass immigrations to countries with poor institutions that experienced massive economic reforms in a liberalizing direction as a result.•  Alex’s thoughts on shifting H1B visa allocation from a lottery to a wage-based system.•  How the heartland visa system might encourage higher rates of legal immigration.•  What Alex thinks will happen around immigration liberalization in the next 10 years. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Charter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on LinkedInJeffrey MasonAlex NowrastehCATO Institute Center for Global Liberty and ProsperityWretched Refuse? The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions‘Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk’‘Post-1500 Population Flows and The Long-Run Determinants of Economic Growth and Inequality’The AnarchyFraser Institute

China’s rapid rise may seem unprecedented, but its journey is oddly familiar. The question is, where have we seen this type of development before, and what does the future have in store? Joining us today to answer this is Yuen Yuen Ang, Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan. Her research lies at the intersection of governance, bureaucracy, business and innovation and she explores which institutions best enable adaptation. A major focal point of Yuen Yuen’s research is China’s rise since 1978. We open our conversation with Yuen Yuen by asking her about how her cultural nomadism has put her in a good position to understand China’s impressive 43-year development. After hearing how her experiences in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States have helped her gain a useful perspective on her studies, we dive into the concept of complex development and talk about why its needs are greater than ever. Following this, we talk to Yuen Yuen about her two books, namely China’s Gilded Age and How China Escaped the Poverty Trap. To help listeners understand China’s meteoric rise in development, Yuen Yuen compares the state to Mcdonald’s and the concept of franchising. She touches on their powerful nature of being centralized, yet having versatility through local variation. China’s “franchised” development is also linked to the way they have used corruption to bolster their development. That isn’t to say that corruption is good though, as Yuen Yuen rather points out how corruption changes in tandem with development. To hear more on China’s current state, their trajectory, and much much more, join us in this deeply insightful and thought-provoking episode. Key Points From This Episode: ●     Introducing today’s guest, Yuen Yuen Ang.●     How cultural nomadism has helped Yuen Yuen’s approach to development processes.●     Yuen Yuen talks about Singapore’s most underrated development factors.●     Hear about Yuen Yuen’s background working in complexity studies.●     The best book that helped Yuen Yuen get to grips with complexity studies.●     Yuen Yuen tells us about her book, How China Escaped the Poverty Trap.●     We boil down development into its most fundamental forms, as written about in How China Escaped the Poverty Trap.●     Why a lot of people in international development are uncomfortable with Yuen Yuen’s book.●     Comparing Chinese bureaucracy to Mcdonald’s.●     The role of SEZs in China.●     We talk to Yuen Yuen about her most recent book, China’s Gilded Age.●     Exploring the nature of corruption in capitalism and how it morphs over time.●     How China’s corruption has evolved as the country has developed.●     Yuen Yuen contrasts her two books.●     Hear about China’s grand crackdown on corruption.●     The drawbacks and doubts that come from China’s efforts to reduce corruption.●     Yuen Yuen talks about her published articles on the Belt and Road Initiative.●     Hear about the beehive campaign.●     We answer: Will China become a technological leader of the future?●     Stay tuned to hear details on Yuen Yuen’s upcoming book.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Charter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on LinkedInYuen Yuen AngYuen Yuen Ang on LinkedInHow China Escaped the Poverty Trap on AmazonChina’s Gilded Age on AmazonHarnessing Complexity on AmazonUniversity of Michigan

Much talk around climate change focuses on mitigation, with far less attention paid to adaptation strategies. Matthew E. Khan, an Economics Professor at Johns Hopkins and Director of the 21st Centuries Cities Initiative, is a climate change adaptation optimist. His research focuses on urban and environmental economics. At the start of the year, he released two books, Unlocking The Potential of Post-Industrial Cities and Adapting to Climate Change. In this episode, Kurtis Lockhart sits down with Matthew to unpack some of the key themes in his books, along with other insights around urban governance and policies. We begin by hearing about the lack of imagination synonymous with climate change adaptation strategies and why policies that focus solely on carbon footprint emissions are misplaced. The mechanisms for each approach are essentially the same, but the buy-in and application are different. Matthew makes the case for adaptation, and we also get into the long-term thinking that this strategy requires. There are economic levers that can be used to deal with climate change which have a longer timeline. However, they are under-utilized, resulting in little to no sustained change. Matthew also talks about the value of competition and how it can make cities more efficient. Our wide-reaching conversation also touches on the place-based policies, the use of big data and how it can be leveraged to help people make decisions about where to live, why the poor have to be prioritized when it comes to climate change policies, and the importance of experimentation before policies are enacted. This was an insightful discussion, that touched on a range of timely topics, which continue to become more urgent as time goes on. Be sure to tune in to hear more! Key Points From This Episode: •  Matthew’s insights into what happened with the Texas freeze.•  The role that private actors have to play in dealing with climate change-related problems.•  How Matthew and Bill Gates’ book differ and what Matthew would say to Bill if he was given a chance to engage with him.•  There is a lot of optimism about carbon footprint reduction, but pessimism about adaptation.•  How quality of life in a city attracts top talents and large companies.•  Why short-sightedness about an issue like climate change is an urban economics issue.•  Why issuing majors parcels of land during their tenure will inspire long-term thinking.•  How the lack of competition between cities in the U.S. contributes to inefficiencies.•  The importance of competition in creating more liveable cities.•  What Matthew’s work in China revealed about state-owned entities.•  Why placed-based policies work well in China but not in the U.S.•  The benefits of creating hubs around universities and the place-based policies that can follow.•  The poor face the greatest challenges in cities in terms of access, and resilience to climate change.•  The tension that comes with moving poorer people to so-called ‘good neighborhoods’ despite empirical evidence that shows better outcomes.•  Use of economic incentives during refugee crises.•  Benefits of using charter cities as ways to deal with climate change refugees.•  The biggest challenges that come with rezoning land in cities; the coordination failure.•  Matthew’s take on The Wire and the good and bad it did for the reputation of Baltimore.•  Adapting to climate change will not be a problem for the wealthy; the poor will suffer.•  Will the value of land in favelas in Brazil increase as sea levels rise?•  What excites Matthew most about the big data revolution and an example of an interesting big data application.•  Big data and access to information will help people make better decisions. •  Voters can make better decisions when they have better information about candidates.•  Why climate change adaptation measures, like carbon taxes, cannot be applied universally.•  The reason that we are not seeing congestion pricing implemented around the world.•  Why Matthew is a proponent for decentralization; it allows for experimentation.•  Insights into the work that Matthew’s consulting firm does. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Charter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterKurtis LockhartMatthew E Khan on Twitter21st Century Cities InitiativeUnlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial CitiesAdapting to Climate ChangeHow to Avoid a Climate DisasterAlexandria Ocasio-CortezFirst Street FoundationMayor Bill de BlasioThe University of ChicagoDavid RicardoDonald Bren'Why Do The Poor Live In Cities?''The birth of edge cities in China'An Analysis of Nevada's Proposed Innovation Zones LawJump-Starting AmericaJohns Hopkins UniversityThe New Geography of Jobs'The Effects of Exposure to Better Neighborhoods on Children'Stefanie A. DeLucaThe Heckman EquationRaj ChettyThe WireHernando de SotoMilton Friedman'Heat and Learning'Andrew YangSiqi Zheng

Today we sit with Judd Devermont, Director of the Africa Program at CSIS, to find out Africa’s current global position. In our conversation, Judd reveals the continent’s shortcomings and touches on foreign policy and local democracy before pulling the curtain back on the many things that Africa can be hopeful for. The show opens with Judd telling us what inspired him to become an expert in his field. We find out about his mission to provide a fairer perspective of the continent that is oftentimes missing by Washington and American media. Judd goes on to tell listeners about the many misconceptions of Africa, and shares some of the top African news stories that have not been reported by western media; namely flourishing democracy and peaceful transitions of power in many of its nations. As the US makes its own transition of power, Judd gives his predictions for African policy under the Biden administration. We then dig into some of Africa’s bigger contemporary struggles like urbanization, revenue mobilization and the need to create better social contracts, and why COVID-19 has been a catalyst for action for many African countries. In the latter half of the show, Judd explores topics like knowledge creation and the difficulties that returning African expats face. We then take a look at how global powers have been involved with the continent, as Judd comments on the Trump administration and China’s heavy involvement. To conclude the show, Judd talks about why Africa has coped well amid the COVID-19 pandemic, oddly thanks due to its disconnected nature. Be sure to tune in today! Key Points From This Episode:●     Introducing today’s guest, Judd Devermont.●     Judd tells us how he got him interested in Africa and what he does as CSIS.●     Hear about some of the biggest misconceptions of Africa.●     Some of the top African news stories that have not been reported.●     Evidence that democracy is flourishing in many parts of Africa.●     Judd’s predictions for African foreign policy under the Biden administration.●     Urbanization trends currently seen in Africa.●     Why domestic revenue mobilization is a sticky issue in African countries.●     How COVID-19 has been a wake-up call for health policy in some African states.●     Judd touches on trickle-down knowledge and returning African expats.●     We hear Judd’s opinion on Trump’s African foreign policy.●     Judd touches on the Trump Administration recognizing Western Sahara’s political status.●     How the world is becoming more transactional and multipolar.●     Judd takes a look at China’s involvement in Africa.●     How Africa can ramp up its industrialization.●     How Africa has been affected by COVID-19.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Judd Devermont on LinkedInJudd Devermont on TwitterCSISBarack ObamaPresident MuseveniBobi WineOmar al-BashirNatalie BrownPresident Joe BidenLinda Thomas-GreenfieldSamantha PowerUSAIDJake SullivanNoah NathanRobert MugabeMuhammadu BuhariJomo KenyattaProsper AfricaDevelopment Finance CorporationEXIM BankUnited NationsPresident XiAbiy AhmedTPLFCenter of Global DevelopmentBoston UniversityPresident KagamePrime Minister MelesAfrican Continental Free Trade AgreementECOWASNew York TimesPresident RamaphosaMacky SallWHO

Vox co-founder, policy writer, and celebrated journalist Matthew Yglesias knows what would actually make America great: more people. Today we speak with Matthew to discuss this idea as captured in his book One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger. After introducing him, we dive straight into the topic and ask Matthew to unpack how population growth will benefit the US. He then shares how his book appeals to both sides of the political spectrum, despite the backlash that his ideas have received. We compare historical US immigration with the current economic climate before looking into why immigration doesn’t necessarily lead to infrastructural challenges, as is often argued. While reflecting on how policy choices impact public projects, we touch on the COVID vaccine rollout and explore issues within America’s political culture. Later, we hear Matthew’s take on whether an ascendant China will forge a stronger America, the positive effects of inclusive American nationalism, and how giving people access to opportunity fosters innovations. Near the end of the episode, we chat about how policy affects birth rates, how zoning reforms might inspire stronger agglomeration, and why Matthew left Vox. Matthew presents a clear vision for how we can increase national prosperity. Tune to hear more of his insights.  Key Points From This Episode: •   Introducing today’s guest, Vox co-founder and journalist Matthew Yglesias.•   Exploring the premise of Matthew’s book, One Billion Americans.•   The benefits of immigration and how it has led to American greatness.•   Why Matthew received more support from conservative readers than he had anticipated.•   Comparing early US immigration with the current economic climate.•   The challenge of building new infrastructure and the case against immigration.•   How policy choices impact the effectiveness of large public projects.•   The dangers of caring more about your political side than solving problems.•   Examining how different nations have responded to COVID.•   From seeing China as a threat to being more proud of the US, Matthew shares factors that could lead to a stronger America.•   Why access to opportunity leads to innovation and growth.•   Ways that policy can increase national birth rates.•   How the conversation around birth rates has become controversial.•   Zoning laws and the impact they have on agglomeration.•   Hear why Matthew now publishes on Substack and not Vox.•   Why don't we get a billion Americans by creating charter cities. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Matthew Yglesias on LinkedInMatthew Yglesias on TwitterOne Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger on AmazonSlow BoringKurtis LockhartCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterVoxThe Weeds PodcastSubstackDoug SaundersMaximum Canada on AmazonKamala HarrisProfessor Michael ClementsEric GoldwynAlon LevyThe Washington PostLarry HoganAndrew M. CuomoGavin NewsomBill de BlasioCharlie BakerTyler CowenMorgan StanleyJ.P. MorganSteve JobsBenjamin NetanyahuTanner GreerBioNTechLee Kuan YewFrom First World to Third on AmazonSherrod BrownMichael BennetLyman StoneViktor OrbánMatt BruenigElizabeth BruenigThe Handmaid's TaleScott WienerDr. Ibraheem SamiraEzra KleinBen SmithBuzzFeedViceCNNFox NewsThe Wall Street JournalNetflixWorld BankThe United Nations

From fleeing Benin for his pro-democracy activism to becoming a renowned Princeton professor and founding one of Africa’s most prestigious universities, Leonard Wantchekon’s life is as impressive as his economic and political research. Today we speak with Leonard and explore his story, academic work, and how he founded the African School of Economics (ASE). After sharing details about his early life in Benin, including how he escaped his unjust imprisonment, Leonard discusses how his personal life has informed his research. We then dive into his research into clientelism and voting behavior, slavery’s prevailing influence on Benin culture, and how environmental factors can drive achievement within a community of learners. A key theme in this episode, we then ask Leonard about how he founded ASE. His answers highlight practical steps that he took along with the challenges that he overcame. Later, we talk about why he uses ASE’s reputation as the benchmark for its success, his aim to link the disparate African academic community, and his plans to create a curriculum that he can export to other universities. Near the end of our conversation, we touch on Leonard’s other influences and passions. Tune in for insights on what it takes to build a top university and to hear Leonard’s incredible story. Key Points From This Episode:•   Introducing today’s guest, economics and politics professor Leonard Wantchekon.•   Leonard shares his story from growing up in Benin to becoming a Princeton professor.•   Hear about what motivated Leonard to become so politically active.•   Exploring what Benin was like under the dictatorship of Mathieu Kérékou.•   How Lenin escaped from prison and ultimately from Benin.•   Why Leonard turned his back on socialist-leaning ideologies.•   How Leonard’s personal life has shaped his research.•   Leonard’s research into clientelism and voting behavior in Benin.•   How aspiration can help people overcome their circumstances.•   The importance of social environments in driving aspiration.•   Why Leonard founded the prestigious African School of Economics in Benin.•   Exploring what’s needed to found a leading university.•   Why Leonard uses academic reputation as the benchmark for his institution’s success.•   Hear about the Pan-African Research Council and how Leonard sees the future of his institute.•   Where on the economics spectrum Leonard’s research lies.•   How the Nobel prize-winning economist Arthur Lewis inspires Leonard.•   Leonard shares details about his support of African history. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Leonard WantchekonLeonard Wantchekon on TwitterKurtis LockhartCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterThe African School of EconomicsNathan NunnEpisode with Nathan NunnMathieu KérékouLaval UniversityThe University of British ColumbiaNorthwestern UniversityKarl MarxDas KapitalNelson MandelaLong Walk to Freedom on Amazon‘The Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in Africa’Donald GreeneNOVAFRICAWorld BankAfrican Development BankBocconi UniversityThe Pennsylvania State UniversityDellThe Pan-African Research CouncilJoe HenrichJeffrey SachsJared DiamondDaron AcemoğluJames RobinsonPaul RomerEdward GlaeserArthur LewisOtto von Bismarck

Today we sit with Sebastian Mallaby, a successful author and esteemed Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council of Foreign Relations. He has also been a contributing columnist for The Washington Post and previously served on the editorial board. To open the show, we put Sebastian’s career into a nutshell before asking him to expand on his background. He tells us about some of his earliest memories as a young roving correspondent in Africa, cutting his teeth in journalism for The Economist. We go on to talk to Sebastian about the World Bank and discover facts about its inception and the evolution of its role since 1944. He discusses some of the World Bank’s constraints before turning his attention to former president of the World Bank, Jim Wolfensohn. Listeners will learn about the life and times of Jim as a human being and as a global leader. Dissecting Jim’s achievements, Sebastian analyses Jim’s structural adjustment programs and comments on the American-Australian’s charisma and knack for communication. In the latter half of the show, we talk about the benefits of the Ease of Doing Business Index and find out Sebastian’s stance on the matter. We continue our conversation and hear from Sebastian on how the world has changed since he published his book in 2004, as he contrasts between the classical left-vs.-right and modern populist-vs.-technocratic divisions. To find out more from Sebastian, his thoughts on Jim Wolfensohn, and the position of the World Bank, be sure to join us today.Key Points From This Episode:●     Introducing today’s guest, Sebastian Mallaby.●     We take a look at some of Sebastian’s career highlights before we begin.●     Sebastian reminisces when he covered Nelson Mandela’s 1990 release for The Economist.●     Hear about the motives behind establishing the World Bank’s.●     Sebastian elaborates on the constraints of the World Bank.●     Hear about Jim Wolfensohn’s private and public life.●     Sebastian’s answers to: Is the World Bank due for a shakeup?●     Hear Sebastian’s thoughts on the Ease of Doing Business Index and its efficacy.●     We cover the changes since Sebastian published his book in 2004.●     Sebastian’s opinion on Charter Cities, and whether or not it has changed.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Sebastian Mallaby on TwitterSebastian Mallaby on LinkedInJim WolfensohnThe World BankCarnegie HallAsian Infrastructure Investment BankIMFRobert McNamaraRobert ZoellickPaul RomerStanford UniversityAlan GreenspanTyler CowenMore Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of the New EliteThe Man Who Knew: The Life & Times of Alan GreenspanThe Washington PostThe Economist