Crowd of Black Lives Matters demonstrators marching in the street.
Feature: The Democratic Necessity of Reckoning

Erica Chenoweth reviews scholarship that overwhelmingly shows the Black Lives Matter movement generated high levels of public awareness about systemic racism and increased support for criminal justice reform.

Electronic stock ticker board with numbers and arabic letters.
Feature: Against Rule-of-Thumb Economics

Dani Rodrik argues against neoliberalism’s universal rule-of-thumb approach and for economic analyses grounded in contextual dependencies.

Several hands of team members covering one another in a huddle above a work table.
Feature: Leaders’ Psychological Bravery

Dana Born explores what skills leaders need to cultivate psychological safety on their teams and across their organizations.

Dollars and Euros piled on top of one another.
Feature: Dollar vs. Euro as International Reserve Currencies

Jeffrey Frankel explores the strengths and weaknesses of using the Dollar and the Euro as international reserve currencies.

Harvard Kennedy School faculty disseminate their research in working publications and papers that contribute to public knowledge and fuel policy innovation. This list features recent faculty publications, including journal articles, books, edited volumes, research papers, and public testimony.

Faculty Publications

Introduction and Conclusion

Chen, Martha. "Introduction and Conclusion." The Informal Economy Revisited: Examining the Past, Envisioning the Future. Ed. Chen, Martha and Francoise Carre. Routledge, 2020.

WIEGO Research on Informal Employment: Key Methods, Variables and Findings

Chen, Martha. "WIEGO Research on Informal Employment: Key Methods, Variables and Findings." The Informal Economy Revisited: Examining the Past, Envisioning the Future. Ed. Chen, Martha and Francoise Carre. Routledge, 2020.

The Future of Informal Work: Insights from India

Chen, Martha. "The Future of Informal Work: Insights from India." Future of Work: Lessons from India. Ed. Amit Basole and Radhicka Kapoor. Self-Employed Women's Association, 2019.

The South African Informal Sector in International Comparative Perspective: Theories, Data and Policies

Chen, Martha. "The South African Informal Sector in International Comparative Perspective: Theories, Data and Policies." The South African Informal Sector: Creating Jobs, Reducing Poverty. Ed. Frederick Fourie. HSRC Press, 2018.

The Informal Economy in Arab Nations: A Comparative Perspective

Chen, Martha. "The Informal Economy in Arab Nations: A Comparative Perspective." Arab Watch Report on Informal Employment. Arab Nations NGOs for Development, 2017.

Overcoming Barriers and Addressing Gender Dimensions in Universal Health Care for Informal Workers: Lessons from India and Thailand

Chen, Martha, and Frances Lund. "Overcoming Barriers and Addressing Gender Dimensions in Universal Health Care for Informal Workers: Lessons from India and Thailand." Social Protection for Informal Workers in Asia. Ed. Sri Wening Handayani. Asian Development Bank, 2016.

Technology, Informal Workers and Cities: Insights from Ahmedabad (India), Durban (South Africa) and Lima (Peru)

Chen, Martha. "Technology, Informal Workers and Cities: Insights from Ahmedabad (India), Durban (South Africa) and Lima (Peru)." Environment and Urbanization 28.2 (September 2016): 405-422.

Women and the Informal Economy in Urban Africa: From the Margins to the Centre

Chen, Martha. "Women and the Informal Economy in Urban Africa: From the Margins to the Centre." Review of Women and the Informal Economy in Urban Africa: From the Margins to the Centre, by Mary Njeri Kinyanjui. Gender & Development, 23.2, July 2015: 394-397.

Legal Reforms for the Self-Employed: Three Urban Cases

Chen, Martha, Roopa Madhav, and Kaplana Sharma. "Legal Reforms for the Self-Employed: Three Urban Cases." The Indian Journal of Industrial Relations 50.1 (July 2014): 133-150.

Statistics on the Informal Economy: Definitions, Regional Estimates & Challenges

Chen, Martha. "Statistics on the Informal Economy: Definitions, Regional Estimates & Challenges." WIEGO Working Paper (Statistics) No. 2, April 2014.

Informal Economy Monitoring Study Sector Report: Home-Based Workers

Chen, Martha. "Informal Economy Monitoring Study Sector Report: Home-Based Workers." Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, April 2014.

Urban Employment in India: Recent Trends and Patterns

Chen, Martha, and Govindan Raveendran. "Urban Employment in India: Recent Trends and Patterns." WIEGO Working Paper No. 7, January 2014.

Women in Informal Employment

Chen, Martha. "Women in Informal Employment." Toolkit: Learning and Working in the Informal Economy. Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, 2014.

Self-Employed Women’s Association of India: A National Trade Union and International Role Model

Chen, Martha. "Self-Employed Women’s Association of India: A National Trade Union and International Role Model." Case Study for World Development Report 2013, World Bank, 2012.

Urban Informal Workers: Representative Voice & Economic Rights

Chen, Martha, Chris Bonner, Mahendra Chetty, Lucia Fernandez, Karin Pape, Federico Parra, Arbind Singh, and Caroline Skinner. "Urban Informal Workers: Representative Voice & Economic Rights." Background Paper for World Development Report 2012, World Bank, 2012.

Bridging Perspectives: Labour, Informality, and Poverty

Bali, Namrata, Martha Alter Chen, and Ravi Kanbur, eds. Bridging Perspectives: Labour, Informality, and Poverty. SEWA Academy, 2012.

Global Recession and the Informal Economy: Evidence from Latin America and Beyond

Chen, Martha. "Global Recession and the Informal Economy: Evidence from Latin America and Beyond." The Global Economic Crisis in Latin America. Ed. Michael Cohen. Routledge, May 2012.

Urban Employment in India: Recent Trends and Future Prospects

Chen, Martha. "Urban Employment in India: Recent Trends and Future Prospects." MARGIN—The Journal of Applied Economic Research 6.2 (2012).

Urban India 2011: Evidence

Chen, Martha and G. Raveendran. Urban India 2011: Evidence. Indian Institute for Human Settlements, 2011.

The Self-Employed Women’s Association

Chen, Martha. "The Self-Employed Women’s Association." Social Movements II: Concerns of Equity and Security. Ed. T. K. Oommen. Oxford University Press, December 2009.

Informality in South Asia: A Review

Chen, Martha, and Donna Doane. "Informality in South Asia: A Review." WIEGO Working Paper No. 4, September 2008.