Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 97 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

Displaying 25-32 of 1267
women in india gather together

Perceptions of Female Leaders in India

Lori Beaman
Raghabendra Chattopadhyay
Esther Duflo
Rohini Pande
Petia B. Topalova
Researchers studied the impact a quota system which randomly assigned villages in India to reserve village council positions for women. They found that quotas improved voters’ perceptions of the effectiveness of women as leaders and subsequently improved women’s electoral chances.
Two people look at a job pamphlet.

Raising Awareness about Job Training in Germany

Gerard van den Berg
Christine Dauth
Pia Homrighausen
Gesine Stephan
Researchers evaluated the effects of an information campaign on workers’ awareness of and participation in a program that subsidizes skills-building training in Germany. Results showed that the information campaign doubled workers’ awareness of the program on average, but had no effects on program...
Woman on computer in Rajasthan, India

Empowering Female Leaders and Voters in Rajasthan, India

Abhijit Banerjee
Esther Duflo
Clement Imbert
Rohini Pande
Researchers evaluated a voter information campaign and exploited the random assignment of reservations for women in village councils to measure the impact of information and reduced incumbent advantage on village council elections. Both interventions increased the number of candidates and drove the...
Hand rolled cigarettes, loose tobacco, and small knife

Moving to Opportunity or Isolation? Network Effects of a Slum Relocation Program in India

Sharon Barnhardt
Erica Field
Rohini Pande
Researchers examined results of a housing lottery to measure the impact of relocation on slum residents. They found that offering subsidized suburban housing resulted in neither comprehensive take-up nor higher family income, suggesting that the benefits of improved housing were offset by the costs...
local council members sitting on floor talking

Increasing Women’s Local Political Participation Through Top-Down and Bottom-Up Training in Indonesia

Eitan Paul
A researcher evaluated the impact of empowerment training for female citizens and training for male council chairs on women's participation in neighborhood associations, known as rukun tetangga (RT) in Malang, East Java, Indonesia.
Loan officer at her desk

Performance Incentives for Commercial Bank Loan Officers to Improve Effort on Risk-Assessment and Lending Decisions in India

Shawn Cole
Martin Kanz
Leora Klapper
Researchers partnered with a commercial bank in India to study the effect of paying loan officers according to the performance of their loans on the quality of their lending decisions. Loan officers working under this incentive scheme exerted greater screening effort, approved fewer loans, and...
J-PAL logo

The Impacts of Formal Savings Accounts in Rural Kenya

Pascaline Dupas
Sarah Green
Anthony Keats
Jon Robinson
Researchers examined the impact of access to banking services for the first time on households in rural Kenya. While savings account and credit usage rates were low overall because of poor service quality and low levels of trust in the institutions, access to the accounts helped some households rely...
Two people look at calculator and invoice

Using Behavioral Economics to Help Individuals Reduce Debt in the United States

Dean Karlan
Jonathan Zinman
Researchers designed and piloted a program called Borrow Less Tomorrow (BoLT) that took a behavioral approach to debt reduction, combining an accelerated loan repayment schedule with peer support and reminders. Results from a sample of free tax-preparation clients in Tulsa, United States suggest a...