Research : Social Policy
Publications and Refereed Conference Presentations
“Human Decisions and Machine Predictions,” with Jon Kleinberg, Himabindu Lakkaraju, Jure Leskovec and Jens Ludwig, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133.1 (2018): 237-293. (also: NBER Working Papers 23180, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.)
“The Selective Labels Problem: Evaluating Algorithmic Predictions in the Presence of Unobservables,” with Jon Kleinberg, Himabindu Lakkaraju, Jure Leskovec and Jens Ludwig (2017), Proceedings of the 23rd ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining.
“Thinking, Fast and Slow? Some Field Experiments to Reduce Crime and Dropout in Chicago”, with Heller, S. B., Shah, A. K., Guryan, J., Ludwig, J., and Pollack, H. A. (2015). (Formerly National Bureau of Economic Research No. 21178) Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 2017, 132 (1): 1-54
“Productivity and Selection of Human Capital with Machine Learning,” with Aaron Chalfin, Oren Danieli, Andrew Hillis, Zubin Jelveh, Michael Luca, and Jens Ludwig, American Economic Review. May 2016, 106 (5): 435-440. (Non refereed)
“Getting to the Top of Mind: How Reminders Increase Saving,” with Dean Karlan, Margaret McConnell, & Jonathan Zinman, Management Science. December 2016, 62 (12): 3393 – 3411
“Behavioral Hazard in Health Insurance,” with Katherine Baicker & Joshua Schwartzstein, 2015, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2015, 130(4), 1623-1667
“Prediction Policy Problems,” with Jon Kleinberg, Jens Ludwig and Ziad Obermeyer, American Economic Review (May), 2015. (Non-refereed)
“Learning through Noticing,” with Rema Hanna & Joshua Schwartzstein, The Quarterly Journal of Economics 129.3 (2014): 1311-1353.
“Externalities, Internalities, and the Targeting of Energy Policy,” with Hunt Allcott and Dmitry Taubinsky, Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 112 (April) 2014, pages 72-88.
“Behavioral Design: A New Approach to Development Policy,” with Saugato Datta, Review of Income and Wealth 60.1 (2014): 7-35.
“Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function,” with Anandi Mani, Eldar Shafir, and Jiaying Zhao, Science, August 30 2013, 341(6149): 976-980.
“Targeting with Agents,” with Paul Niehaus, Antonia Atanassova, & Marianne Bertrand, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 5 (1), 2013, pp. 206-38
“Notes on behavioral economics and labor market policy,” with Linda Babcock, William Congdon and Lawrence Katz, IZA Journal of Labor Policy 1, no. 1 (2012): 1-14.
“Health Insurance Coverage and Take‐Up: Lessons from Behavioral Economics,” with Baicker, Katherine and William J. Congdon. Milbank Quarterly 90.1 (2012): 107-134.
“A Reduced Form Approach to Behavioral Public Finance” with Joshua Schwartzstein & William J. Congdon, Annual Review of Economics, 2012.
“Comparison Friction: Experimental Evidence from Medicare Drug Plans,” with Jeffrey Kling, Eldar Shafir, Lee Vermeulen, & Marian V. Wrobel. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 127:1 (February 2012), 199-235.
“Mechanism Experiments and Policy Evaluations,” with Jens Ludwig & Jeffrey R. Kling, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25:3 (Summer 2011), 17-38.
“Helping Consumers Know Themselves,” with Emir Kamenica & Richard Thaler, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings 2011, 101(3), 417-22. (Non-refereed)
“Rigidity in Microfinancing: Can One Size Fit All?” with Dean Karlan, QFinance (June 2010).
“Self Control and the Development of Work Arrangements,” with Supreet Kaur & Michael Kremer, American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, May 2010, 100, 624-628. (Non-refereed)
“Affirmative Action in Education: Evidence from Engineering College Admissions in India,” with Marianne Bertrand & Rema Hanna, Journal of Public Economics, 94 (1-2), 2010: 16-29.
“What’s Advertising Content Worth? Evidence from a Consumer Credit Marketing Field Experiment,” with Marianne Bertrand, Dean Karlan, Eldar Shafir, & Jonathan Zinman, 2010. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 125, No. 1: 263–305.
“Behavioral Economics and Tax Policy,” with William J. Congdon & Jeffrey R. Kling, National Tax Journal, 62:3 (September 2009), 375-386.
“Sticking With Your Vote: Cognitive Dissonance and Political Attitudes,” with Ebonya Washington, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(1), 2009:86-111.
“Labor Market Discrimination in Dehli: Evidence from a Field Experiment,” with Abhijit Banerjee, Marianne Bertrand, & Saugato Datta, Journal of Comparative Economics, 37( 1), 2009:14-27.
“Why Don’t People Insure Late-Life Consumption? A Framing Explanation of the Under- Annuitization Puzzle,” with Jeffrey Robert Brown, Jeffrey R. Kling, & Marion V. Wrobel, American Economic Review, 98 (2), 2008: 304-09.
“Obtaining a Driver’s License in India: An Experimental Approach to Studying Corruption,” with Marianne Bertrand, Simeon Djankov, & Rema Hanna, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 22(4), 2007: 1639-1676.
“Development Economics Through the Lens of Psychology,” Proceedings of the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics, 2006. (Non-Refereed)
“Behavioral Economics and Marketing in Aid of Decision-Making among the Poor,” with Marianne Bertrand, & Eldar Shafir, 2006, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 25, 1, 8-23.
“The Market for News,” with Andrei Shleifer, American Economic Review, 95(4), 2005: 1031-1053.
“Do Cigarette Taxes Make Smokers Happier?” with Jonathan Gruber, The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, 5(1), 2005.
“Psychology, Behavioral Economics, and Public Policy,” with On Amir, Dan Ariely, Alan Cooke, David Dunning, Nicholas Epley, Botond Koszegi, Donald Lichtenstein, Nina Mazar, Drazen Prelec, Eldar Shafir, & Jose Silva, 2005, Marketing Letters, 16 (3-4), p. 443-454. (Non-refereed)
“A Behavioral Economics View of Poverty,” with Marianne Bertrand, & Eldar Shafir, 2004, American Economic Review, 94, 2, 419-423.
“How Much Should We Trust Difference-in-Difference Estimates?” with Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 119(1), 2004: 249-275.
“Pyramids,” with Marianne Bertrand, Journal of the European Economic Association, 1(2-3), April/May 2003: 478-83. (Non-refereed)
“Enjoying the Quiet Life? Corporate Governance and Managerial Preferences,” with Marianne Bertrand, Journal of Political Economy, 111(5), October 2003: 1043-1075.
“Public Policy and Extended Families: Evidence from South Africa,” with Marianne Bertrand & Douglas Miller, World Bank Economic Review, 17(1), 2003: 27-50.
“Ferreting Out Tunneling: An Application to Indian Business Groups,” with Marianne Bertrand & Paras Mehta, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 117(1), February 2002: 121-48.
“Are CEOs Rewarded for Luck? The Ones Without Principals Are,” with Marianne Bertrand, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 116(3), August 2001: 901-32. (Longer version available as “Do CEOs Set Their Own Pay? The Ones Without Principals Do,” National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper #7604).
“Network Effects and Welfare Cultures,” with Marianne Bertrand & Erzo F.P. Luttmer, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 115( 3), August 2000: 1019-1055.
“Agents With and Without Principals,” with Marianne Bertrand, American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings, 90(2), May 2000: 203-208.
“Is there Discretion in Wage Setting?” with Marianne Bertrand, Rand Journal of Economics, 30(3), Autumn 1999: 535-554.
Books
Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, with Eldar Shafir, 2013. New York, NY: Times Books
Policy and Choice: Public Finance through the Lens of Behavioral Economics, with William J Congdon and Jeffrey Kling, 2011. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press
Book Chapters
“Social Policy: Mechanism Experiments and Policy Evaluations,” with William Congdon, Jeffrey Kling and Jens Ludwig, Handbook of Economic Field Experiments, 2, 389-426.
“Corruption” with Abhijit Banerjee & Rema Hanna, 2012, Handbook of Organizational Economics
“Does Less Market Entry Regulation Generate More Entrepreneurs? Evidence from a Regulatory Reform in Peru,” with Philipp Schnabl in International Differences in Entrepreneurship, eds. Josh Lerner & Antoinette Schoar, The University of Chicago Press, 2010: 159-179.
“Savings Policy and Decision Making in Low Income Households,” with Eldar Shafir in Insufficient Funds: Savings, Assets, Credit and Banking Among Low-Income Households, eds. Michael Barr & Rebecca Blank, Russell Sage Foundation Press, 2009: pp. 121-145.
“The Impact of Electoral Debate on Public Opinion: An Experimental Investigation of the 2005 New York City Mayoral Election” with Ebonya Washington & Julia R. Azari in Political Representation eds. Ian Shapiro, Susan C. Stokes, Elisabeth Jean Wood, & Alexander S. Kirshner, Cambridge University Press, 2009: 324-342.
“The Case for Behaviorally Informed Regulation,” with Michael S. Barr & Eldar Shafir in New Perspectives on Regulation , eds. David Moss & John Cisternino, The Tobin Project, Cambridge, MA, 2009, 25-62.
“Behaviorally Informed Home Mortgage Credit Regulation,’ with Michael S. Barr & Eldar Shafir, in Borrowing to Live Consumer and Mortgage Credit Revised, eds. Nicolas P. Retsinas & Eric S. Belsky, Brookings Institution Press, Washington D.C., 2008: 170-203.
“Psychology and Development Economics,” in Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation 50th Anniversary Conference on Economic Institutions and Behavioral Economics, eds. Peter Diamond & Hannu Vartiainen, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 2007.
“Better Choices to Reduce Poverty,” in Understanding Poverty, eds. Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, Roland Benabou & Dilip Mookherjee, Oxford University Press, 2006:379-389.