DOCSLIB.ORG

ECON 513 Economic Development II

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
ECON 513 Economic Development II ECON 513 Economic Development II Department of Economics University of Alberta Fall 2018 Professor: B. Ural Marchand Class meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM Location: T 1 83 Office Hours: By appointment Email: [email protected] Office: 7-12 Tory Building, Phone: 780-492-7628 1 Course Description This course provides a graduate-level overview of microeconomic issues in economic develop- ment. The topics covered in class include income distribution, poverty, household behaviour, education, labor markets and migration, globalization, political representation and institutions. The objective of this course is to develop an understanding of economic development from an international perspective with a focus on empirical research. Prerequisites: Graduate level microeconomic theory and graduate level econometrics are pre- requisites for this course. If you do not meet these requirements, please obtain permission from me before enrolling in the course. 2 Textbooks There is no required textbook for this course. However, there are assigned readings from the books listed below. Deaton's book is available online, and the other recommended books are available at the University of Alberta Bookstore. Other online resources will be posted on the Moodle eClass throughout the semester. 1 • De Janvry, A. and Sadoulet, E. (2016). Development Economics: Theory and Practice. Routledge, New York. • Bardhan, Pranab and Christopher Udry (1999). Development Microeconomics, Oxford University Press, New York. • Deaton, Angus (1997). The Analysis of Household Surveys: A Microeconometric Ap- proach to Development Policy, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and Lon- don. Online copy: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1997/07/694690/ 3 Evaluation and Important Dates • All students enrolled in this class are expected to write two midterm exams on the sched- uled dates. Please see the class schedule for the exam dates and mark your calendars. • The class requires you to write one research paper of maximum 20 pages in length, including the title page and references. The details of the paper assignment will be distributed in class. If you will write the same paper for another class, you must discuss this with me first to determine whether it will be eligible for credit in this class. • You will make one in-class presentation of your paper to the class within the two-week period indicated below. The presentation should be 15 minutes long and outline the research question, empirical method and your results. Following your presentation, 5 minutes will be allocated to class discussion. • Every week, you will write a one-page summary of one of the papers in the reading list. Each summary should show that you read the entire paper, and include the main research question, a discussion of the empirical approach, and the main results. These summaries are due in class before we are scheduled to begin the discussion of the relevant paper and will be graded as check plus (10), check (6), check minus (3), not submitted (0). The paper summaries component of the final grade will be ten times the simple average of the m+arks received throughout the semester. • I will use a combination of absolute measures and grade distribution to determine the final grade in the class. Class Schedule Exams or Assignments Share in Final Grade Dates Paper summaries 10% Every Thursday Midterm Exam 25% October 30, 2018 Presentation 10% TBA Paper 25% December 6, 2018 Final Exam 30% TBA 100% 2 4 Policies Late Assignments and Missed Midterms: There will be no make-up midterm exam or extra credit essays. If you are not able to take your midterm exam because of a legitimate reason, the weight of the midterm exam will be transferred to other class work. If you miss the exam because of a medical reason, please submit the Medical Declaration Form to the Faculty. The penalty for late assignments is 10 points for each day. The penalty for late paper summaries is 2 points for each day. Course Outlines: Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar. Academic Accommodation: If you require academic accommodation due to a disability, please see me at the beginning of the semester to discuss your needs. Students registered with the Specialized Support and Disability Services are required to provide me a Letter of Introduction by the end of the third week of the semester. For more information, please check the web site at http://www.ualberta.ca/ssds. Recording: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s). Academic Integrity: The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these stan- dards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. (GFC 29 SEP 2003). Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar. Learning Environment: The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment. 3 Student Resources: Resources that students may want to access, available at Student Re- sources 5 Reading List The articles are listed below. All of the journal articles on this list can be found online through University of Alberta Libraries. A link to Econlit database and the contact information of our Liaison Librarian are available here: http://guides.library.ualberta.ca/economics. Overview of Economic Development • De Janvry, A. and Sadoulet, E. (2016). Development Economics: Theory and Prac- tice.Chapters 1 -3. • Mankiw, N., Romer, D. and Weil, D. (1992). \A Contribution to the Empirics of Eco- nomic Growth", The Quarterly Journal of Economics, (107)2: 407-437. • Pritchett, Lant (1997). \Divergence, Big Time", Journal of Economic Perspectives, (11)3: 3-17. Empirical Methods • De Janvry, A. and Sadoulet, E. (2016). Development Economics: Theory and Practice. Chapter 4. Poverty and Inequality • Antman, Francisca and David McKenzie (2007). \Poverty Traps and Nonlinear Income Dynamics with Measurement Error and Individual Heterogeneity," Journal of Develop- ment Studies, 43(6): 1057-1083. • Besley, T. and Coate S. (1992). \Workfare versus Welfare: Incentive Arguments for Work Requirements in Poverty-Alleviation Programs," American Economic Review, 82(1): 249- 261. • Banerjee, Abhijit and Esther Duflo. 2007. \The Economic Lives of the Poor," Journal of Economic Perspectives. 21(1): 141-167. • De Janvry, A. and Sadoulet, E. (2016). Development Economics: Theory and Prac- tice.Chapters 5-6. • Dollar, David and Kraay, Aart (2002). \Growth is Good for the Poor," Journal of Eco- nomic Growth, 7(3): 195-225. Background and Further Reading: 4 • Atkinson, Anthony B. (1970). \On the Measurement of Inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, 2: 137-152. • Besley, Timothy and Robin Burgess. (2003). \Halving Global Poverty," Journal of Eco- nomic Perspectives, 17(3): 3-22. • Bardhan, Pranab and Christopher Udry (1999). Development Microeconomics, Chapter 11. • Bardhan, Pranab (1997). “Efficiency, Equity and Poverty Alleviation: Policy Issues in Less Developed Countries," Economic Journal, 106(438): 1344-1356. • Deaton, Angus (1997). The Analysis of Household Surveys: A Microeconomic Approach to Development Policy, Chapter 3. • Ferreira, F. and Ravallion, Martin (2008). \Global Poverty and Inequality: A Review of Evidence," World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, No. 4623. • Ravallion, Martin (2008). \Evaluating Anti-Poverty Programs," Handbook of Develop- ment Economics, Volume 4, 3788-3817. Household Behaviour • Bardhan, Pranab and Christopher Udry (1999), Development Microeconomics, Chapters 1, 2, 3. • Browning, M & Bourguignon, F & Chiappori, Pa & Lechene, V, (1994). \Income And Outcomes - A Structural Model Of Intrahousehold Allocation," Journal of Political Econ- omy, 102(6): 1067-96. • Benjamin, Dwayne (1992). \Household Composition, Labor Markets, and Labor Demand: Testing for Separation in Agricultural Household Models," Econometrica,60(2): 287-322. • Duflo, Esther (2003). \Grandmothers and Granddaughters: Old Age Pension and Intra- Household Allocation in South Africa," World Bank Economic Review, 17(1): 1-25. • Thomas, D. (1991). \Intra-Household Resource Allocation: An Inferential Approach," Journal of Human Resources, 25(4): 635-664. • Qian, Nancy. 2008. \Missing Women and the Price of Tea in China: The Effect of Sex- Specific Earnings on Sex Imbalance," Quarterly Journal
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Christopher Udry Professor of Economics Northwestern University
    DIRTS: Addressing Constraints to Agricultural Transformation in Northern Ghana Christopher Udry Professor of Economics Northwestern University 9 May 2018 Maize Yields in Ghana 0 0 8 0 0 6 e r c a / g k 0 0 4 0 0 2 1960 1980 2000 2020 Year FAO National DIRTS survey Maize Yields in Ghana 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 e r 0 c 0 a 0 / 2 g k 0 0 0 1 0 1960 1980 2000 2020 Year FAO National DIRTS survey FAO HybridMaize version 2013.4.1 How can we increase agricultural productivity in northern Ghana? • Many possible barriers: • Previous findings: Using insurance to reduce farmers’ risk frees them up to invest more in inputs • Capital constraints? • Knowledge of best practices? • Timely access to inputs? • Information on output prices; weather forecasts? DIRTS Key Findings INFORMATION • Community Extension Agents improve knowledge and practice by 3% to 50% depending on the practice. • Timing of the message matters • Adoption of improved practices by some farmers did not translate into measurable increases in average yields or profits for the group as a whole. DIRTS Key Findings INFORMATION • Farmers adjust timing of planting and agrochemical application in response to text messages of 48-hour weather forecasts • Text messages regarding current prices of grains at major markets influence decisions regarding storage DIRTS Key Findings RISK • There is limited demand for rainfall index insurance • But farmers granted substantial amounts of rainfall index insurance invest more heavily in agrochemical use DIRTS Key Findings INPUT MARKETS • Free delivery and community
    [Show full text]
  • Christopher Udry Northwestern University
    Development Economics: Agriculture and the Organization of Production December 13-17 Professor Christopher Udry Northwestern University Extreme poverty is concentrated among individuals who are engaged in low productivity agriculture. This course provides a theoretical and empirical examination of the economic activities of families and individuals living and working in the highly constrained environments of poor rural communities. The course will be organized around morning lectures and discussions; afternoons will be reserved for work using World Bank LSMS-ISA data. A. The AHM LaFave, D., & Thomas, D. (2018). “Farms, Families, and Markets: New Evidence on Agricultural Labor Markets” Econometrica. https://ipl.econ.duke.edu/dthomas/docs/ppr/16May- FarmHH.pdf Jayachandran, Seema (2006) “Selling Labor Low: Wage Responses to Productivity Shocks in Developing Countries,” Journal of Political Economy, 11 (3): 538-575. B. Gender and Production Chiappori, Pierre-Andre, and Maurizio Mazzocco. 2017. "Static and Intertemporal Household Decisions." Journal of Economic Literature, 55(3): 985-1045. Udry, Christopher. 1996. "Gender, Agricultural Productivity and the Theory of the Household." JPE. Rangel, Marcos and Duncan Thomas. 2019. “Decision-Making in Complex Households.” Beaman, Lori, Dean Karlan and Christopher Udry 2020. “Households, Gender and Family on Farms in Mali” C. Farming technology and learning (Technology 1) Foster, Andrew, Mark Rosenzweig. 1995. "Learning by Doing and Learning from Others: Human Capital and Technical Change in Agriculture." Journal of Political Economy. Conley, Timothy and Chris Udry. 2010. “Learning About a New Technology: Pineapple in Ghana.” AER Hanna, Rema, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Joshua Schwartzstein. 2014. Learning through noticing: theory and experimental evidence in farming. QJE. Casaburi, Lorenzo, Michael Kremer, Sendhidl Mullainathan, and Ravindra Ramrattan.
    [Show full text]
  • ECON 7351. Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues (Fall 2013)
    ECON 7351. Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues Fall 2013 Course Syllabus Mondays and Wednesdays 10:00-11:30pm, McElhinney Room 212 Instructor: Professor Aimee Chin Office: McElhinney Room 221B Office hours: W 1:30-2:30pm. Meetings at other times must be arranged in advance. E-mail: [email protected] DESCRIPTION This course provides an overview of the current literature on the microeconomics of development in poor countries. Topics covered include the role of human capital (health, education), the internal structure of households (neoclassical, bargaining), the functioning of factor markets (land, credit and insurance), and the role of institutions in mediating change. On the methodological side, we will examine econometric techniques that researchers have used to identify causal relationships (panel data, instrumental variables, randomized experiments, regression discontinuity design). If you are interested in pursuing research in development economics, then this would be an appropriate field course to complement the macro growth and development sequence (offered by Prof. Vollrath) and political economy (offered by Prof. Ujhelyi). If you are interested in pursuing research in one of the applied microeconomics fields, then this would be an appropriate field course to complement labor economics (offered by Profs. Juhn, Lehmann and Zuppann), public economics (offered by Prof. Craig), health economics (offered by Prof. Liu), and economics of education (offered by Prof. Juhn). LEARNING OUTCOMES • Students will attain, through lectures, readings and problem sets, knowledge of the microeconomic foundations of development economics. • Students will be able to critically assess research papers. • Students will be able to perform econometric techniques that are used to identify causal relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • Professor Christopher Udry Northwestern University
    36th ASP DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS: AGRICULTURE AND THE ORGANIZATION OF PRODUCTION APRIL 20-24, 2020 PROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER UDRY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY solgMacroeconomicSchool 2016 and 2nd SBRE Extreme poverty is concentrated among individuals who are engaged in low productivity agriculture. This course provides a theoretical and empirical examination of the economic activities of families and individuals living and working in the highly constrained environments of poor rural communities. The course will be organized around morning lectures and discussions; afternoons will be reserved for work using World Bank LSMS-ISA data. A. The AHM LaFave, D., & Thomas, D. (2018). “Farms, Families, and Markets: New Evidence on Agricultural Labor Markets” Econometrica. https://ipl.econ.duke.edu/dthomas/docs/ppr/16May-FarmHH.pdf Jayachandran, Seema (2006) “Selling Labor Low: Wage Responses to Productivity Shocks in Developing Countries,” Journal of Political Economy, 11 (3): 538-575. B. Gender and Production Chiappori, Pierre-Andre, and Maurizio Mazzocco. 2017. "Static and Intertemporal Household Decisions." Journal of Economic Literature, 55(3): 985-1045. Udry, Christopher. 1996. "Gender, Agricultural Productivity and the Theory of the Household." JPE. Rangel, Marcos and Duncan Thomas. 2019. “Decision-Making in Complex Households.” Beaman, Lori, Dean Karlan and Christopher Udry 2020. “Households, Gender and Family on Farms in Mali” C. Farming technology and learning (Technology 1) Foster, Andrew, Mark Rosenzweig. 1995. "Learning by Doing and Learning from Others: Human Capital and Technical Change in Agriculture." Journal of Political Economy. Conley, Timothy and Chris Udry. 2010. “Learning About a New Technology: Pineapple in Ghana.” AER Hanna, Rema, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Joshua Schwartzstein. 2014. Learning through noticing: theory and experimental evidence in farming.
    [Show full text]
  • The Return to Capital in Ghana
    ECONOMIC GROWTH CENTER YALE UNIVERSITY P.O. Box 208629 New Haven, CT 06520-8269 http://www.econ.yale.edu/~egcenter/ CENTER DISCUSSION PAPER NO. 932 The Return to Capital in Ghana Christopher Udry Yale University and Santosh Anagol Yale University March 2006 Notes: Center Discussion Papers are preliminary materials circulated to stimulate discussions and critical comments. We are grateful to Marcus Noland for the initial conversation that led to this paper, to Erica Field, Barbara O’Brien and Yuichi Kitamura for valuable comments, and to Hyungi Woo, Tavneet Suri, and Patrick Amihere for research assistance. We thank the Institute for Statistical, Social and Economic Research at the University of Ghana for providing a superb research environment. Financial support was provided by the Pew Charitable Trusts project on The Moral and Social Dimensions of Microeconomic Behavior in Low- Income Communities. This paper can be downloaded without charge from the Social Science Research Network electronic library at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=893023 An index to papers in the Economic Growth Center Discussion Paper Series is located at: http://www.econ.yale.edu/~egcenter/research.htm The Return to Capital in Ghana Christopher Udry and Santosh Anagol Abstract We show that the real return to capital in Ghana’s informal sector is high. For farmers, we find annual returns ranging from 205-350% in the new technology of pineapple cultivation, and 30- 50% in well-established food crop cultivation. We also examine the relative prices of durable goods of varying durability, and estimate a lower bound to the opportunity cost of capital of 60%.
    [Show full text]
  • Firm Capabilities and Economic Growth
    EVIDENCE PAPER FIRM CAPABILITIES AND ECONOMIC GROWTH Nicholas Bloom (Stanford and IGC), Gregory Fischer (LSE and IGC), Imran Rasul (UCL and IGC), Andres Rodriguez-Clare (UC Berkeley and IGC), Tavneet Suri (MIT and IGC), Christopher Udry (Yale and IGC), Eric Verhoogen (Columbia and IGC), Christopher Woodruff (Warwick and IGC) and Giulia Zane (LSE) 11 April, 2014 The International Growth Centre (IGC) aims to promote sustainable growth in developing countries by providing demand-led policy advice based on frontier research. Evidence Paper: Firm Capabilities and Economic Growth Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 3 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 8 2. Data .................................................................................................................................. 9 3. Stylised Facts ................................................................................................................. 12 4. Determinants of Low Labour Productivity ..................................................................... 25 4.1 Credit Market Frictions ........................................................................................... 27 4.2 Institutional Constraints .......................................................................................... 29 4.3 Infrastructure ..........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Forecasting Profitability
    NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES FORECASTING PROFITABILITY Mark Rosenzweig Christopher R. Udry Working Paper 19334 http://www.nber.org/papers/w19334 NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 August 2013 The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peer- reviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications. © 2013 by Mark Rosenzweig and Christopher R. Udry. All rights reserved. Short sections of text, not to exceed two paragraphs, may be quoted without explicit permission provided that full credit, including © notice, is given to the source. Forecasting Profitability Mark Rosenzweig and Christopher R. Udry NBER Working Paper No. 19334 August 2013 JEL No. D24,D81,O12,O13,Q12,Q54 ABSTRACT We use newly-available Indian panel data to estimate how the returns to planting-stage investments vary by rainfall realizations. We show that the forecasts significantly affect farmer investment decisions and that these responses account for a substantial fraction of the inter-annual variability in planting-stage investments, that the skill of the forecasts varies across areas of India, and that farmers respond more strongly to the forecast where there is more forecast skill and not at all when there is no skill. We show, using an IV strategy in which the Indian government forecast of monsoon rainfall serves as the main instrument, that the return to agricultural investment depends substantially on the conditions under which it is estimated.
    [Show full text]
  • The Profits of Power: Land Rights and Agricultural Investment in Ghana
    The Profits of Power: Land Rights and Agricultural Investment in Ghana Markus Goldstein World Bank Christopher Udry Yale University We examine the impact of ambiguous and contested land rights on investment and productivity in agriculture in Akwapim, Ghana. We show that individuals who hold powerful positions in a local political hierarchy have more secure tenure rights and that as a consequence they invest more in land fertility and have substantially higher output. The intensity of investments on different plots cultivated by a given individual corresponds to that individual’s security of tenure over those specific plots and, in turn, to the individual’s position in the political hierarchy relevant to those specific plots. I. Introduction Institutions matter for growth and development. In particular, it is ap- parent that investment incentives depend on expectations of rights over This research has received financial support from the National Science Foundation (grants SBR-9617694 and SES-9905720), International Food Policy Research Institute, Institute for the Study of World Politics, World Bank Research Committee, Fulbright Program, Economic and Social Research Council, and the Pew Charitable Trust. We thank Daron Acemoglu, Ernest Appiah, Oriana Bandiera, Abhijit Banerjee, Xu Cheng, Esther Duflo, Michael Kremer, Eliana La Ferrara, W. Bentley MacLeod, Roger Myerson, Howard Pack, Rohini Pande, Ashok Rai, Tony Smith, Duncan Thomas, and Justin Wolfers for very helpful comments. Research for this paper was conducted while both authors were visiting scholars at the Institute for Statistical, Social, and Economic Research at the University of Ghana, which provided a superb research environment. [ Journal of Political Economy, 2008, vol.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 September 2017 CURRICULUM
    September 2017 CURRICULUM VITAE CHRISTOPHER R. UDRY Robert E. And Emily King Professor of Economics Northwestern University (847) 491-8216 • [email protected] Education: Ph.D., Yale University, 1991. Dissertation title: "Rural Credit in Northern Nigeria." B.A. with High Honors, Swarthmore College, 1981. Economics Major; History, Political Science and Anthropology Minor. Academic Positions: Ahmadu Bello University, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Visiting Research Scholar, 1988-1989 Northwestern University, Department of Economics Assistant Professor, 1990-1996 Associate Professor, 1996-1998 University of Ghana, Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research Visiting Senior Research Scholar, 1996-1997 Yale University, Department of Economics Henry Heinz, II Professor 2004 - 2017 Chair, Department of Economics 2006 -2010 Professor, 1998-2004 Chair, Council on African Studies, 1999-2002, 2005-6, 2012 -2015 Director, Economic Growth Center, 2000-2005 Northwestern University, Department of Economics Robert E. and Emily King Professor, 2017 - Teaching Experience: Yale University, 1998- 2017 Graduate Economic Development, Economic Development in Africa, Introductory Microeconomics, Undergraduate Development Economics. Northwestern University, 1990-98 - Graduate Economic Development (Econ. D25), Graduate Economic Development in Africa (Econ. D98), Economic Development (Econ. C25), Economic Development in Africa (Econ. C26), Freshman Seminar in Economics (Econ. A01). 1 Yale University, 1985-90 -
    [Show full text]
  • LIBRARY 40E144993
    PR- LINSTITUTE FOR POLICY REFORM LIBRARY 40e144993 GIANNINI FOUNDATION OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS , Working Paper Series The objective of the Institute for Policy Reform is to enhance the foundation for broad based economic growth in developing countries. Through its research, education and training activities the Institute encourages active participation in the dialogue on policy reform, focusing on changes that stimulate and sustain economic development. At the core of these activities is the search for creative ideas that can be used to design constitutional, institutional and policy reforms. Research fellows and policy practitioners are engaged by IPR to expand the analytical core of the reform process. This includes all elements of comprehensive and customized reforms packages, recognizing cultural, political, economic and environmental elements as crucial dimensions of societies. 1400 16th Street, NW / Suite 350 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 939 - 3450 (cq LINSTITUTE • FOR 1 POLICY 441 REFORM • IPR62 • Risk and Saving in Northern Nigeria Christopher Udry • LIBRARY 40493 GIANNINI FOUNDATION OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS Working Paper Series The objective of the Institute for Policy Reform is to enhance the foundation for broad based economic growth in developing countries. Through its research, education and training activities the Institute encourages active participation in the dialogue on policy reform, focusing on changes that stimulate and sustain economic development. At the core of these activities is the search for creative ideas that can be used to design constitutional, institutional • and policy reforms. Research fellows and policy practitioners are engaged by IPR to expand the analytical core of the reform process. This includes all elements of comprehensive and customized reforms packages, recognizing cultural, political, economic and environmental elements as crucial dimensions of societies.
    [Show full text]
  • BREAD Conference on the Economics of Africa 7–9 July 2021
    BREAD Conference on the Economics of Africa 7–9 July 2021 conference programme Day 1, 7 July | 4:00pm – 8:00pm BST 4:00pm – 4:05pm Introductory remarks Robin Burgess (President, BREAD; Director, IGC and Professor of Economics, LSE) Christopher Udry (Robert E. And Emily King Professor of Economics, Northwestern University) 4:05pm - 4:25pm Influencing youths' aspirations and gender attitudes through role models: Evidence from Somali schools Elijah Kipkech Kipchumba, Catherine Porter, Danila Serra, and Munshi Sulaiman (BRAC) 4:25pm - 4:45pm Threats of audits and tax morale in Africa: Evidence from randomized field experiment in Ethiopia Abebe Shimeles (African Economic Research Consortium and IZA), Daniel Gurara, and Firew Woldeyes Moderated by Isaac Mbiti (Virginia University) and Ameet Morjaria (Northwestern University) 4:45pm – 4:50pm Break 4:50pm – 5:10pm Two sides of gender: Sex, power, and adolescence Manisha Shah (University of California, Los Angeles, NBER) Jennifer Seagar, Joao Montalvao and Markus Goldstein 5:10pm – 5:30pm Learning to teach by learning to learn Nava Ashraf, Abhijit Banerjee and Vesall Nourani (MIT) Moderated by Isaac Mbiti (Virginia) and Ameet Morjaria (Northwestern) 5:30pm - 5:40pm Break 5:40pm - 6:00pm Combining financial-literacy training and text-message reminders to influence mobile money use and financial inclusion among VSLAs: Experimental evidence from Malawi Tayamika Kamwanja (Partnership for Economic Policy), Lucius Cassim, Levison Chiwaula, Mirriam Matita, Marcos Agurto 6:00pm – 6:20pm The media or the message? Experimental evidence on mass media and modern contraception uptake in Burkina Faso Rachel Glennerster, Joanna Murray and Victor Pouliquen (University of Oxford) Moderated by Isaac Mbiti (Virginia) and Ameet Morjaria (Northwestern) 6:20pm - 6:30pm Break 6:30pm – 6:50pm Fertility and polygyny: Experimental evidence from Burkina Faso Ben D’Exelle (University of East Anglia), Aurélia L’épine, Richard Bakyono and Ludovic D.G.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Incentives, Delivery Agents and the Effectiveness of Development
    social incentives, delivery agents and the effectiveness of development interventions¤ oriana bandiera robin burgess erika deserranno ricardo morel imran rasul munshi sulaimany july 2021 Abstract There has been a dramatic rise in the use of the local delivery model for development interventions, where local agents are hired as intermediaries to target interventions to poten- tial bene…ciaries. We study this model in the context of a standard agricultural extension intervention in Uganda, in a setting where communities are highly politically polarized. We use a two-stage …eld experimental design. In the …rst stage, we randomize the delivery of the intervention across communities. In the second stage, in each community we randomly choose one delivery agent out of two potential candidates. This design yields exogenous vari- ation in social ties to the actual delivery agent as well as to her counterfactual. We reveal the key role the relationship between the actual and counterfactual delivery agents plays for how the intervention unfolds in these communities. The number of farmers targeted by the delivery agent, whether their own social ties are targeted, and whether they engage in pro- poor targeting all depend on whether actual and counterfactual delivery agents are aligned or divided in their political identities. As counterfactual agents play no formal role in the intervention, we interpret their in‡uence as a social incentive provided to the delivery agent, varying with the political alignment between the two. We document the impact social in- centives have for resource allocation, inequality and welfare, and narrow down the structure of social incentives consistent with all aspects of delivery agent behavior.
    [Show full text]