Michael Touchton

1 month ago | academic.oup.com | Brian Wampler |Michael Touchton

Many governments in semi-democratic regimes have adopted participatory democratic institutions to promote development and accountability. But limited resources, weak civil society, and a history of authoritarian politics make building subnational democratic institutions daunting. Our book addresses several important questions surrounding participatory democratic institutions: Do participatory institutions expand accountability, empower citizens, and advance development in these environments?

Feb 15, 2024 | mtouchton.medium.com | Michael Touchton

#15 The goal is not to retire; the goal is to feel free, light, and happy. 1/ Life and business are infinite games. The objective is not to win, but to keep playing and perpetuating the game. 2/ Leading well means maintaining a non-anxious presence in an anxious environment. 3/ It’s difficult to reach greatness in one’s public life. It’s more difficult to reach greatness in one’s private life. It’s exceptionally hard to do both and few do. 4/ Greatness in one’s private life is often kept private.

Oct 21, 2023 | nature.com | Michael Touchton |Eduardo A Undurraga |Mariano Sánchez-Talanquer

AbstractThis dataset covers national and subnational non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas. Prior to the development of a vaccine, NPI were governments’ primary tools to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Variation in subnational responses to COVID-19 is high and is salient for health outcomes.

Oct 7, 2023 | mdpi.com | Michael Touchton

1. IntroductionOver half of Liberia’s population does not have legal title to the land on which they live. The lack of legal rights to ancestral land holdings limit residents’ ability to borrow money using land as collateral, creates disincentives to invest in projects that depend on land ownership, and fosters uncertainty surrounding future income. A lack of property rights also undermines investment and growth at the macro level.