Financial Access in a Growing World

Expanding Opportunity Through Inclusive Financial Systems

Strengthening Financial Pathways for Resilient Growth

The Financial Access Initiative conducts rigorous research on how low-income households use financial tools like savings, credit, insurance, and payments. Its work informs policies and product design that expand meaningful financial inclusion worldwide.

Strategic Question


How can financial systems evolve to keep pace with economic growth while expanding opportunity for those still left at the margins?

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Enhancing Resilience and Expanding Reach

To compete without compromising openness, 
the U.S. and its allies must strengthen economic resilience. DRI & WISC focus on realistic strategies to reduce overdependencies, secure critical inputs, 
and protect against authoritarian distortion—while preserving innovation, reach, and competitiveness.

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Securing Democratic Digital Dominance

The digital domain shapes everything from economic power to military readiness. DRI & WISC advance democratic leadership across the digital ecosystem—securing trusted infrastructure, guiding innovation, and setting global standards before authoritarian models take hold.

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Modernizing Alliances for Mutual Advantage

To scale impact and deter coercion, alliances must evolve beyond shared values to shared capabilities. DRI & WISC promote modern alliance strategies that align industrial policy, defense readiness, trade, and infrastructure for collective advantage.

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Development That Delivers Opportunity

Inclusive development underpins economic security. Advancing financial access, human capital, institutional trust, and entrepreneurship strengthens prosperity and expands opportunity in every region.

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Infrastructure That Binds and Builds Power

Effective development policy demands more than good intentions—it requires rigorous evidence, tested approaches, and measurable results. This pillar focuses on translating academic research into practical strategies that address complex development challenges. By combining data-driven analysis with local knowledge, the aim is to help policymakers, practitioners, and communities identify what works, adapt it to their contexts, and scale solutions that deliver lasting impact.

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Evidence-Based Practice in Development Policy

Effective development policy demands more than good intentions—it requires rigorous evidence, tested approaches, and measurable results. This pillar focuses on translating academic research into practical strategies that address complex development challenges. By combining data-driven analysis with local knowledge, the aim is to help policymakers, practitioners, and communities identify what works, adapt it to their contexts, and scale solutions that deliver lasting impact.

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