Research by Topic
Blog: “Kremer’s O-ring theory of economic development”
Economist Jason Collins provides a short analysis of Michael Kremer’s 1993 paper on the “O-ring theory of development,” a suggestion for why development might break down when just one component fails.
Read MoreBlog: “Two Bright Ideas to Reduce Drug Prices”
In this commentary, Alex Tabarrok of George Mason responds to an idea to introduce innovation and reduce the cost of drugs: patent buyouts.
Read MoreNews Article: “Worming our Way to the Truth”
A column by Tim Hartford summarizes and responds to the controversy of the “Worm Wars,” a dispute about the relevance and methodology of a 2004 study on deworming children.
Read MoreFull Article: “Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Bias?”
In this study, a group of female researchers explores what happens to norms around women when women take on leadership positions in their communities.
Read MoreFull Article: “Women as Policy Makers: Evidence from a Randomized Policy Experiment in India”
In this study, Esther Duflo and Raghabendra Chattopadhyay compare how women spend and how men spend when they’re in positions of leadership in India.
Read MoreFull Article: “Nudging Farmers to Use Fertilizer: Theory and Experimental Evidence from Kenya”
In this experiment, Esther Duflo, Michael Kremer, and Jonathan Robinson investigate why it is that farmers in Kenya don’t use as much fertilizer as they could. They find that small inconveniences might be making a large difference.
Read MoreRequired Reading: “The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation”
This article from Banerjee, Duflo, Glennerster and Kinnan adds to the evidence of the sometimes underwhelming effects of microcredit as a way to get people out of poverty. It has been assigned as required reading in the Program Evaluation course, one of the spring CDE electives.
Read MoreFull Article: “Putting a Band-Aid on a Corpse: Incentives for Nurses in the Indian Public Health Care System”
In this randomized controlled trial, Banerjee, Duflo, and Glennerster attempted to improve attendance in the health care industry by introducing financial incentives. The results started out positive, but the system was eventually thwarted on the ground.
Read MoreFull Article: “Incentives Work: Getting Teachers to Come to School”
Esther Duflo, Hanna Rema and Ryan Stephen tried to incentivize teachers to go to class by making the children take a picture with the teacher at the beginning and the end of the day, and found that the intervention had made a difference.
Read MoreFull Article: “Missing in Action: Teacher and Health Worker Absence in Developing Countries”
This article investigates absenteeism among teachers and healthcare workers in many developing countries, and finds it to be a considerable problem.
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