Using RCTs to Estimate Long-Run Impacts in Development Economics / Adrien Bouguen, Yue Huang, Michael Kremer, Edward Miguel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bouguen, Adrien.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Huang, Yue.

Kremer, Michael.

Miguel, Edward.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w25356.

NBER working paper series no. w25356

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2018.

Summary:

We assess evidence from randomized control trials (RCTs) on long-run economic productivity and living standards in poor countries. We first document that several studies estimate large positive long-run impacts, but that relatively few existing RCTs have been evaluated over the long-run. We next present evidence from a systematic survey of existing RCTs, with a focus on cash transfer and child health programs, and show that a meaningful subset can realistically be evaluated for long-run effects. We discuss ways to bridge the gap between the burgeoning number of development RCTs and the limited number that have been followed up to date, including through new panel (longitudinal) data, improved participant tracking methods, alternative research designs, and access to administrative, remote sensing, and cell phone data. We conclude that the rise of development economics RCTs since roughly 2000 provides a novel opportunity to generate high-quality evidence on the long-run drivers of living standards.

Notes:

Print version record

December 2018.