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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.

Voting and Habit Formation in the United States

During the 1998 state and federal elections and the 1999 city elections in New Haven, Connecticut, researchers found that face-to-face canvassing and direct mail appeals significantly increased voter turnout not only during the election year but also in the election a year after.

Examining Preferences for Inclusive Decision-Making in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, researchers evaluated how temporary exposure to a community driven development program altered citizens’ preferences for inclusive, participatory approaches to decision-making. In this context, exposure to participatory decision-making increased the value that communities assigned to...

Interest Rate Subsidies and Savings Behavior in Kenya

A randomized evaluation in rural Kenya found that offering higher short-term interest rates on a savings account substantially increased bank account use two and a half years for after the promotional rate ended. Offering the interest rate promotion on individual bank accounts also increased...

Capacity-building with small and medium enterprises for emissions reductions and firm growth in Türkiye

Researchers are conducting a randomized evaluation to test the impact of emissions reductions-focused loan support to small and medium firms in Türkiye on reducing these firms’ greenhouse gas emissions and protecting firm growth.

The Effects of Crowdsourced Information Sharing on Farmers and Agricultural Markets in Pakistan

Buyers often have limited information on service quality in low- and middle-income countries. In the absence of information, buyers may receive low quality services or may choose not to seek out service at all, limiting potential benefits for households. Researchers evaluated a program in Pakistan...

The Impact of Offering Pay-as-you-go Car Insurance on Covering Drivers in California

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of introducing a pay-as-you-go car insurance contract, which reduces minimum purchase requirements, to uninsured drivers in California. Applicants who were offered this type of insurance were nearly twice as likely to purchase car...