Publications

Arthur Bloomfield and the West Indian Federation. (with Guy Numa). 2025. History of Political Economy (Forthcoming).PDF

Money-doctors played a crucial role in establishing and advising central banks in underdeveloped countries in the 20th century. However, the Bretton Woods order transformed the doctors’ prescriptions after the second world war. Arthur Bloomfield was a part of this “new generation” who attempted to equip central banks with wide-ranging policy tools in contrast to the rigid instruments proposed by the previous generation of experts. Bloomfield’s assignment to the British West Indies in 1960-1961 is an example of the change in vision of US foreign monetary policy. A significant characteristic of the new tradition was to let the environment of the country or region determine the exact approach of central banking. Therefore, the political and economic conditions of the West Indies, and the efforts to achieve regional integration and gain independence, were a principal consideration for Bloomfield and his advice for the region.

A Simple Model of Group Conflict, Inequality, and Stratification. (with Daniele Tavani). 2024. Review of Black Political Economy (Online First). Link

We present a simple equilibrium model of group conflict that formalizes several key insights of stratification economics. To begin with, discrimination is a purposeful activity pursued by dominant groups in order to maintain their status in society. However, not every member of the dominant group needs to fully engage in discriminatory efforts. In other words, dominant-group members can free ride on discriminatory actions taken by members of the same group. At the same time, though, someone must have discriminated, otherwise discrimination would not exist in equilibrium. We also show that discrimination is wasteful from a societal standpoint; yet, it persists because of the dominant group’s interest in maintaining their status, the fact that marginalized groups’ agency in lessening the effects of discrimination has costs, and the costly and imperfect nature of antidiscrimination enforcement. In particular, when the burden of proving discriminatory behavior falls on individuals in the marginalized group, discrimination will never be completely removed. Finally, we highlight how racial income inequality reverberates into wealth inequality (i.e., stratification), and we discuss the role of reparations in mitigating such outcomes.

A Decline in International Income Inequality? Cross-National Income Convergence Revisited. (with Anthony Roberts). 2023. Sociology of Development, 9 (4), 408–432. Link

Prior research shows global income inequality declined over the last few decades because of a reduction in income disparities between countries. However, concerns over the sustainability of this trend have grown with increases in income disparities within countries. Yet, despite these contrasting trends, few studies examine the extent to which the latter affects the former. Based on dynamic panel models of 108 countries from 1981 to 2017, we find that the rate of convergence in incomes between countries is moderated by the income inequality within countries. The national incomes of egalitarian countries are converging, while the national incomes of inegalitarian countries tableare diverging. Overall, this study calls into question the sustainability of decreasing international income inequality amid increasing national income inequality. More importantly, it shows that national redistribution policies are increasingly important in the twenty-first century, not only to reduce income disparities within countries but also to potentially reduce income disparities between countries.

Working Papers

The Persistent Effects of Compensation for Abolition. Job Market Paper. PDF

Throughout the 19th century, slavery was abolished in West Indian territories. The process of abolition granted compensation to slave-owners as a reimbursement for their ‘property’ loss. I exploit the intuition behind compensation to estimate its long-run effect on current economic performance. The financial award assisted slave-owners in continuing plantation production, mistreating former slaves, and maintaining power in the territories. These effects are detrimental to economical and institutional development, and are still being felt in the Caribbean. Slave-owners received compensation based on the prices they paid for slaves before abolition, and prices were determined by distance to slave markets. With compiled colonial data, I use distance to the nearest slave market as an instrument for compensation and find that compensation significantly reduces 2019 GDP per capita levels.

Abolishing the Color Line: W. E. B. Du Bois on Dynamic Social Equilibrium. (with Guy Numa). Under Review. PDF

This article explores the political economy of W. E. B. Du Bois drawing on the mathematical analogies and theoretical insights outlined in “The Future of the Negro Race in America,” a rarely-discussed essay. We argue that Du Bois put forward a dynamic model of social equilibrium that sheds brighter light on the factors that affect the socioeconomic advancement of Black Americans. The main feature of the model is the interdependence between the social condition of a marginalized group and public opinion. We develop a formal Du Boisian model that distinguishes between four regimes. A shock to education improves the social condition of the Black community. This will then affect public opinion, which in turn will change social conditions, and the process will continue until a new steady state is reached at a higher value of education. A shock to integration creates a similar process. Du Bois’s framework is then compared with Gunnar Myrdal’s model of dynamic causation. We contend that Du Bois was a major theorist of social dynamics.

Building on Synergies between SDGs: WASH and Women’s Empowerment in Haiti. Under Review. (with Alexandra Bernasek, Niroj Bhattarai, Wisnu Nugroho, and Arisa Thongngam)

As the 2030 deadline for achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaches, many countries are far from meeting their targets. In this paper we focus on interlinkages and potential synergies between SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) in the context of Haiti. Following Caruso et al. (2022) and Kishor and Subiya (2008) we examine how improved Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) conditions may contribute to women’s empowerment. Our analysis reveals that access to improved water sources, reduced water collection times, and better sanitation facilities in Haiti are positively associated with two measures of women’s empowerment: household decision-making and attitudes toward violence within households. These results support an approach to WASH policies that develops synergies between improved WASH conditions and women’s empowerment, that is sensitive to rural-urban differences, and that will be sustainable in meeting people’s water and sanitation needs in Haiti

Works in Progress

Uneven Development with an Unlimited Supply of Labor.

Natural Disasters and Economic Recovery: 2010 Haiti Earthquake

Stuck in the Swamp: Automation and the Everglades Agricultural Area

From Development Optimism to Structural Critique: The Evolution of W. Arthur Lewis’s Economic Thought