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Terra Lawson-Remer

Fellow for Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy

Expertise

Opportunity and exclusion in the global economy: poverty and economic development, property rights, natural resources, global economic governance, fragile states, emerging economies, transitions, rule of law.

Programs

Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative

Featured Publications

Article

Economic and Social Rights Fulfillment Index: Country Scores and Rankings

Authors: Susan Randolph, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, and Terra Lawson-Remer
Journal of Human Rights

Susan Randolph, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, and Terra Lawson-Remer, building on a previously proposed methodology for an index of economic and social rights fulfillment, present country scores and rankings based on the Economic and Social Rights Fulfillment Index (ESRF Index).

See more in Human Rights, Economic Development

All Publications

Article

The Rules of Surfing

Authors: Terra Lawson-Remer and Alisa Valderrama
Council on Foreign Relations

This study illustrates how the informal rules of surfing interact with formal state law to inadvertently facilitate collective action for environmental conservation by increasing the individual benefits for local surfers to organize against environmental threats, by utilizing ethnographic fieldwork and a game theory model.

Ask CFR Experts

How can Zimbabwe and other African countries improve the quality of education for students in rural areas?

Asked by Shalom Chausarira, from North Carolina

Education is a linchpin of inclusive economic development, but poor countries in Africa and elsewhere too often fail poor students—worsening inequity and exclusion today, and undermining economic opportunities for future generations.

Read full answer

See more in Africa, Zimbabwe, Corruption and Bribery, Education

Ask CFR Experts

What can international organizations do to support civil institutions in developing states?

Asked by Jack Glore, from William Paterson University

Civil institutions are critical pillars of democratic accountability—without them, democracy remains elusive, regardless of the laws written in constitutions. This is particularly true in countries dependent on oil and other natural resource wealth, and those struggling to realize democratic transitions.

Read full answer

See more in Democracy and Human Rights, Natural Resources Management, International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Rule of Law

Article

Property Insecurity

Author: Terra Lawson-Remer
Brooklyn Journal of International Law

Terra Lawon-Remer examines the implications of concentrating study of property rights on aggregregate economic growth.

Op-Ed

Put Your Endowment Money Where Your Mission Is

Authors: Terra Lawson-Remer and Dan Apfel
The Chronicle of Higher Education

University endowments ought to be invested in corporations that promote their institutions' mission, argues Terra Lawson-Remer. But for that happen, the Securities and Exchange Commission will first have to require public corporations to disclose their campaign spending activities.

See more in United States, Education

Article

Beating the Resource Curse in Africa: A Global Effort

Authors: Terra Lawson-Remer and Joshua Greenstein
Africa in Fact

Terra Lawson-Remer and Joshua Greenstein say, "Many resource-rich African countries make poor use of their wealth... Instead of creating prosperity, resources have too often fostered corruption, undermined inclusive economic growth, incited armed conflict and damaged the environment."

See more in Africa, Corruption and Bribery, Economic Development, Emerging Markets

Policy Innovation Memorandum

Beating the Resource Curse: Global Governance Strategies for Democracy and Economic Development

Author: Terra Lawson-Remer

Emerging economies taking advantage of mineral and petroleum wealth often face corruption and conflict rather than benefit from sustainable development. This resource curse can be obviated, CFR Fellow Terra Lawson-Remer argues, if capital-exporting countries, banks, and corporations insist on transparency.

See more in Natural Resources Management

Article

Security of Property Rights for Whom?

Author: Terra Lawson-Remer
United Nations University

Terra Lawson-Remer finds that in many countries members of marginalized groups face significantly higher property insecurity than foreign investors and domestic elites, and that although secure property rights for elites and foreign investors may be positively related to long-run development, property rights for marginalized groups are not.

See more in Economics, Rule of Law, Society and Culture

Article

Economic and Social Rights Fulfillment Index: Country Scores and Rankings

Authors: Susan Randolph, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, and Terra Lawson-Remer
Journal of Human Rights

Susan Randolph, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, and Terra Lawson-Remer, building on a previously proposed methodology for an index of economic and social rights fulfillment, present country scores and rankings based on the Economic and Social Rights Fulfillment Index (ESRF Index).

See more in Human Rights, Economic Development

Article

Assessing State Compliance with Obligations to Fulfill Economic and Social Rights – A Methodology and Application to the States of Brazil

Authors: Terra Lawson-Remer, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Patrick Guyer, Susan Randolph, and Louise Moreira Daniels
Coleção Fórum Diretos Humanos

Development policies are designed to achieve specific goals, so how those goals are defined has profound implications for the types of policies pursued, and how progress is evaluated. This chapter from Direito ao Desenvolvimento, edited by Flavia Piovesan and Ines Virginia Prado Soares, presents an index that measures the fulfillment of economic and social rights and applies it to assessing the performance of the 27 states of the Federal Republic of Brazil.

See more in Brazil, Economics, Economic Development, Emerging Markets, Society and Culture