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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Combating Vote-Selling in the Philippines

Allen Hicken
Stephen Leider
Vote-buying and vote-selling can obstruct the democratic process, yet they remain pervasive in many developing democracies. Researchers asked voters in the Philippines to make a simple, unenforceable promise not to accept money from politicians or to promise to vote according to their conscience...

Learning the Value of Education in the Dominican Republic

Lucas Coffman
Ryan Cooper
Daniel Morales
How important are the returns to education in determining schooling decisions? Do students have accurate information about these returns when they choose whether to continue schooling? In partnership with the Ministry of Education in the Dominican Republic, researchers are evaluating the impact of...

The Impact of Individualized, Holistic Case Management on Economic Stability for Individuals Experiencing Poverty in the United States

Researchers evaluated the impact of Padua, a holistic, individualized, wrap-around support program for individuals who have recently experienced a negative economic shock. Exploratory analyses suggest that Padua impacted housing and employment outcomes specific to participants’ individual needs.

Personalizing Information to Improve Retirement Savings in Chile

Olga Fuentes Contreras
Julio Riutort
Felix Villatoro
Researchers partnered with Chile’s national pension authority to evaluate the effect of personalized versus generic information, delivered via self-service kiosks at government offices, on long-term savings. People who received personalized information increased their voluntary contributions in the...

The Impact of Group Discussion on Hiring Discrimination against Transgender Workers in India

Duncan Webb
Researchers evaluated the impact of group discussions and rights messaging through videos on hiring discrimination against transgender workers in India. Individuals who engaged in group discussions were more likely to hire transgender individuals.

Social Incentives and Tax Compliance in Bangladesh

Researchers studied the impact of an innovative taxpayer recognition program that appealed to business owners’ desires for social recognition on firms’ value-added tax (VAT) compliance and payment rates in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Preliminary results suggested that in areas where some firms were already...

The Impact of Remote Health Outreaches on Contraceptive Use in Uganda

Maria Dieci
Anne Fitzpatrick
Anthony Kamwesigye
Xufeng Liu
Juliana Namutundu
Aggrey Semeere
In partnership with Health Access Connect, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to measure the impact of a community-led primary healthcare outreach program on women’s contraceptive choices, healthcare use, and work decisions in rural Uganda.

Boosting Academic Performance through Individualized Tutoring in Chicago Public High Schools

Roseanna Ander
Philip J. Cook
Kenneth Dodge
George Farkas
Harold Pollack
Laurence Steinberg
In Chicago, researchers evaluated an intensive two-on-one math tutoring program for 9th and 10th grade male students in public schools to assess the effectiveness of individualized instruction. Students who were randomly assigned to tutoring scored higher on math exams, earned better grades in math...