Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 98 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

Displaying 1-8 of 1287
Brunette woman changes energy efficient lightbulb in the United States.

The Lightbulb Paradox: Consumer Behavior and Public Policy in the U.S. Electricity Market

Hunt Allcott
Dmitry Taubinsky
Energy-efficient technologies, such as compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), have the potential to save consumers money, but their adoption remains low. Researchers evaluated the impact of information and price on demand for CFLs in two contexts: an online survey platform and a typical retail...
Woman with brown hair monitoring electricity use by checking thermostat in the United States

Real-Time Pricing to Reduce Electricity Use in the United States

During periods of high electricity use that strain the grid, electricity customers do not have any reason to conserve because they pay a fixed price per kilowatt hour of power. In this study, the researcher evaluated the impact on electricity usage of a real-time pricing scheme, which charges...
A factory participating in cap-and-trade program emits pollutants and emissions in the United States

Distributing Pollution Rights in Cap-and-Trade Programs in the United States

Meredith Fowlie
Jeffrey Perloff
Researchers evaluated a cap-and-trade program in the United States to determine if the initial allocation of permits among firms affected how much firms decided to pollute. Evidence was consistent with, but not proof of, the economic theory that firms make decisions to reduce emissions based on...
Woman in yellow dress doing labor harvesting tea in Malawi

Deferring Wages and Labor Supply in Malawi

Lasse Brune
Eric Chyn
Jason Kerwin
Researchers partnered with a tea company in Malawi to study the effects of a savings product that allowed workers to defer payment of a part of their wages. The deferred wages program was generally popular and increased savings; in the longer run, it helped workers improve their houses.
A health worker wearing white gloves doing a finger prick test for HIV

Incentives to Reduce Unsafe Sex in Rural Tanzania

Ramadhani Abdul
Faraji Abilahi
William Dow
Erick Gong
Zachary Isdahl
Julian Jamison
Boniphace Jullu
Suneeta Krishnan
Albert Majura
Carol A. Medlin
Edward Miguel
Jeanne Moncada
Sally Mtenga
Mathew Alexander Mwanyangala
Rose Nathan
Laura Packel
Julius Schachter
Kizito Shirima
Damien de Walque
In Tanzania, researchers examined whether making cash payments conditional on testing negative for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can improve safe sex practices among young adults. They found that offering cash incentives of US$20 significantly reduced STI rates after one year, although...
Indonesian woman speaking with insurance agent at BPJS Kesehatan in Indonesia

Enrolling Informal Sector Workers in National Health Insurance in Indonesia

Abhijit Banerjee
Amy Finkelstein
Rema Hanna
Ben Olken
Arianna Ornaghi
Sudarno Sumarto
A key challenge to achieving universal health coverage is that non-poor informal workers are difficult to enroll and retain in government health insurance programs. Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of various programs, including subsidies, registration assistance and...
A health worker in Zambia wearing magenta scrubs and blue medical mask checks patient's blood pressure

The Impact of Offering Awards on Health Worker Learning in Zambia

Researchers in Zambia introduced different kinds of awards and information on performance rankings into a year-long training for community health workers to evaluate their impact on how much trainees learned. They found that awards focused on offering recognition and improving trainees’ status and...
Two male bureaucrats in collard shirts are filling out paperwork about performance

Motivating Bureaucrats through Performance Recognition in Nigeria

Varun Gauri
Julian Jamison
Nina Mazar
Owen Ozier
Researchers introduced a performance recognition system for employees to improve record keeping in clinics in Ekiti and Niger, Nigeria. They found that the performance recognition improved record keeping in Ekiti but not in Niger. Researchers suggested that important institutional, managerial and...