Papers

How Does Climate Finance Affect the Ease of Doing Business in Recipient Countries?

This study examines the impact of climate finance on the ease of doing business (EODB) across 86 countries (2002–2021). While climate finance shows a weak positive effect overall, resource-rich nations experience significant disruptions due to institutional rigidities and transition costs. Conversely, service sectors benefit universally, and non-resource-dependent economies see EODB improvements. Advanced econometric methods (GMM, fixed effects) reveal sectoral disparities: climate finance boosts services but hampers resource-intensive industries.

Does Social Media Penetration Enhance Democratic Institutions? Evidence from Varieties of Democracy Data

This study analyzes the impact of social media (Facebook) on five dimensions of democracy—electoral, liberal, participatory, deliberative, and egalitarian—across 145 countries using Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) data. Findings reveal that social media enhances democracy in high-income and middle-income economies but has negative effects in low-income regions. Internet penetration moderates this relationship, with stronger democratic gains where internet access is widespread. The paper employs advanced econometric methods (Lewbel 2SLS, MMQR) to address endogeneity and heterogeneity.