Experimental Research, Development Economics and Poverty Reduction

Question A:

Randomized control trials are a valuable tool for answering some long unsettled questions in development economics research.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

Randomized control trials are a valuable tool for making significant progress in poverty reduction.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Allen
Franklin Allen
Imperial College London
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
RCTs are a very good way in certain circumstances to establish whether certain business strategies and public policies are beneficial.
Antras
Pol Antras
Harvard
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
It is not the ONLY valuable tool, but in my view it is certainly a highly informative tool.
Besley
Timothy J. Besley
LSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Blanchard
Olivier Blanchard
Peterson Institute
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Bloom
Nicholas Bloom
Stanford
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Blundell
Richard William Blundell
University College London Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Bénassy-Quéré
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré
Paris School of Economics
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Carletti
Elena Carletti
Bocconi
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Paris School of Economics
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
De Grauwe
Paul De Grauwe
LSE
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Eeckhout
Jan Eeckhout
UPF Barcelona
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Fehr
Ernst Fehr
Universität Zurich
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Freixas
Xavier Freixas
Barcelona GSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Fuchs-Schündeln
Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Galí
Jordi Galí
Barcelona GSE
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Giavazzi
Francesco Giavazzi
Bocconi
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Griffith
Rachel Griffith
University of Manchester
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Guerrieri
Veronica Guerrieri
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Guiso
Luigi Guiso
Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Honohan
Patrick Honohan
Trinity College Dublin
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Despite the fact that the answers might be dependent on local conditions where the surveys are carried out.
Javorcik
Beata Javorcik
University of Oxford
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Kleven
Henrik Kleven
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Krahnen
Jan Pieter Krahnen
Goethe University Frankfurt
Strongly Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
This is an overall YES, because it addresses directly the identification problem, thereby hinting at effective policy instruments.
Kőszegi
Botond Kőszegi
Central European University
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
La Ferrara
Eliana La Ferrara
Harvard Kennedy
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Leuz
Christian Leuz
Chicago Booth
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Clearly an important tool not only in development. Work by 3 Nobel Laureates has demonstrated this for dev. But also not the only one.
Mayer
Thierry Mayer
Sciences-Po Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Meghir
Costas Meghir
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Neary
Peter Neary
Oxford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
A great addition to economists’ toolkit - tho we should not expect too much of them
O'Rourke
Kevin O'Rourke
Oxford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Pagano
Marco Pagano
Università di Napoli Federico II
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Pastor
Lubos Pastor
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Persson
Torsten Persson
Stockholm University Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Pissarides
Christopher Pissarides
London School of Economics and Political Science Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Portes
Richard Portes
London Business School
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Prendergast
Canice Prendergast
Chicago Booth
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Reichlin
Lucrezia Reichlin
London Business School
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Repullo
Rafael Repullo
CEMFI Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Rey
Hélène Rey
London Business School Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Schoar
Antoinette Schoar
MIT
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Sturm
Daniel Sturm
London School of Economics
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Experiments have their issues, but what would be our medical knowledge without experiments? More need to follow their lead.
Van Reenen
John Van Reenen
LSE
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Vickers
John Vickers
Oxford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Voth
Hans-Joachim Voth
University of Zurich
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Weder di Mauro
Beatrice Weder di Mauro
The Graduate Institute, Geneva
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Whelan
Karl Whelan
University College Dublin Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Wyplosz
Charles Wyplosz
The Graduate Institute Geneva
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Well settled technology
Zilibotti
Fabrizio Zilibotti
Yale University Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Allen
Franklin Allen
Imperial College London
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
They can help identify the uses for new technologies and how they can best be implemented.
Antras
Pol Antras
Harvard
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Though again other tools are also valuable.
Besley
Timothy J. Besley
LSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Blanchard
Olivier Blanchard
Peterson Institute
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Bloom
Nicholas Bloom
Stanford
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Blundell
Richard William Blundell
University College London Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Bénassy-Quéré
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré
Paris School of Economics
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Carletti
Elena Carletti
Bocconi
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Paris School of Economics
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
De Grauwe
Paul De Grauwe
LSE
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Compared to poverty reductions made possible by institutional reforms (e.g. as implemented in china) those made possible by RCEs are limited
Eeckhout
Jan Eeckhout
UPF Barcelona
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Fehr
Ernst Fehr
Universität Zurich
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Freixas
Xavier Freixas
Barcelona GSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Fuchs-Schündeln
Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
As in any area of research, no one method or approach alone will solve a complex problem.
Galí
Jordi Galí
Barcelona GSE
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Giavazzi
Francesco Giavazzi
Bocconi
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Griffith
Rachel Griffith
University of Manchester
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Guerrieri
Veronica Guerrieri
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Guiso
Luigi Guiso
Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Honohan
Patrick Honohan
Trinity College Dublin
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
For micro interventions; macro/systemwide policy and institutions also needed, though.
Javorcik
Beata Javorcik
University of Oxford
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Kleven
Henrik Kleven
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Krahnen
Jan Pieter Krahnen
Goethe University Frankfurt
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
The fact that I learn something about causality does not imply implementing isolated changes (of instruments) in the real world is easy.
Kőszegi
Botond Kőszegi
Central European University
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
La Ferrara
Eliana La Ferrara
Harvard Kennedy
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Leuz
Christian Leuz
Chicago Booth
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Pov reduct is complicated process involving mkts, institutions & politics. RCT can help but need many tools, incl. theory, for sign. reduct.
Mayer
Thierry Mayer
Sciences-Po Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Meghir
Costas Meghir
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Neary
Peter Neary
Oxford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Significant? Yes. Quantitatively important? Not in all cases. Need to keep the Deaton-Pritchett qualifications in mind
O'Rourke
Kevin O'Rourke
Oxford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Pagano
Marco Pagano
Università di Napoli Federico II
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Pastor
Lubos Pastor
Chicago Booth
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Persson
Torsten Persson
Stockholm University Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Pissarides
Christopher Pissarides
London School of Economics and Political Science Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Portes
Richard Portes
London Business School
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Prendergast
Canice Prendergast
Chicago Booth
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Reichlin
Lucrezia Reichlin
London Business School
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Repullo
Rafael Repullo
CEMFI Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Rey
Hélène Rey
London Business School Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Schoar
Antoinette Schoar
MIT
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Limits to the impact of RCTs arise if decisionmakers do not act on the information generated, macro distortions cannot be tested with RCTs.
Sturm
Daniel Sturm
London School of Economics
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Van Reenen
John Van Reenen
LSE
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Vickers
John Vickers
Oxford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Voth
Hans-Joachim Voth
University of Zurich
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
external validity is a real concern with all RCTs, as Duflo and Banerjee also argue ("The plumbing matters")
Weder di Mauro
Beatrice Weder di Mauro
The Graduate Institute, Geneva
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Whelan
Karl Whelan
University College Dublin Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Wyplosz
Charles Wyplosz
The Graduate Institute Geneva
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Zilibotti
Fabrizio Zilibotti
Yale University Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History