This publication reflects on how political economy approaches spread across USAID, and what this means for the wider development community following the agency’s closure in 2025. It highlights success factors such as peer-driven learning, integration with existing frameworks, and linking to reform agendas. The author urges Thinking and Working Politically (TWP) champions to embrace complexity, use TWP strategically (rather than just tactically), and rethink accountability through partnership.

In wartime Ukraine, the battle against corruption is just as critical as the battle against Russia. In July 2025, a sudden political move to weaken Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions sparked mass protests—and a rapid government U-turn. In this blog, TPP Associate and Ukrainian lawyer Andrii Biletskyi explains the political economy factors behind this anti-corruption drama, and why strong, independent institutions are essential to Ukraine’s survival and its Euro-Atlantic future.

In his new blog, TPP Director Neil McCulloch urges a rethink of aid following USAID’s collapse and deep UK cuts. He proposes a low-cost, adaptive model focused on supporting local coalitions for change, rather than imposing external solutions. This “transformational” approach blends development, diplomacy, and security tools, aiming for sustainable, locally driven reform based on how real progress has historically been achieved.

Our April newsletter features a new working paper on Yemen’s economy, resources on thinking and working politically, a climate change consultation paper, three new Associates, and details of our upcoming online course. Click to read the full update.

This working paper, authored by Richard Barltrop, TPP Associate and LSE Middle East Centre visiting senior fellow, explores how the prevailing picture of Yemen's economy is incomplete and misleading, in particular when it fails to take into account the realities on the ground. 

We have created a new USAID section on The Policy Practice online library to make accessible the most helpful USAID materials on political economy analysis and thinking&working politically. These documents and blogs used to be open access but are sadly no longer available since USAID was abolished. 

The Policy Practice is proud to be associated with the creation of a Swiss community of practice on thinking and working politically. 

Our launch event will be on Thursday 27 March from 1pm to 2:30pm. It will explore “How does political economy differ and complement other approaches?”.  In addition to case studies from Burkina Faso and Bosnia-Herzegovina, TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron will share her insights on how PEA can be combined with other approaches.

If you would like to join the community and attend the event, please contact Andreas Weber, SDC PEA lead.

Trump’s rapid reversal of Biden’s climate agenda has shocked many. In one week, he dismantled decades of environmental progress by lifting oil and gas restrictions, scrapping decarbonization targets, and abandoning international commitments including the Paris Agreement. This blog explores how these moves threaten U.S. climate progress and global climate action.

In this month’s newsletter we discuss:

🔹The launch of the next Political Economy Analysis for Climate Action training course starting in May
🔹 Issues-Based Programming (IBP): A fresh look at mobilising stakeholders for change, with insights from TPP Director Gareth Williams.
🔹 New Work in the Francophone Sahel: Addressing governance, conflict, and development challenges in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal.
🔹 Political Economy of Disaster Management & Climate Adaptation: A new collaboration with UNDP to assess governance and institutional responses to climate disasters.