I have been involved in several projects to construct measures of a number of concepts and constructs that are not ofter measured in economics, ranging from subjective expectations, to parental beliefs, to bargaining power within couples, to tastes for hypothetical allocations of resources. I have also worked on how to use optimally existing instruments. The relation between economic theory and measurement was the theme of my presidential address to the Econometric Society in 2020. Below I list some of my papers and current projects.
Publications
Measuring and Changing Control: Women’s Empowerment and Targeted Transfers
with I. Almas, A. Armand, and P. Carneiro (July 2018, The Economic Journal)
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Abstract: This article uses a novel identification strategy to measure power in the household. Our strategy is to elicit women’s willingness to pay to receive a cash transfer instead of their spouse receiving it. We selected participants from a sample of women who had already participated in a policy intervention in Macedonia offering poor households cash transfers conditional on having their children attending secondary school. The programme randomised transfers at the municipality level to either household heads (generally a male) or mothers. We show that women who were offered the transfer on average have stronger measured empowerment. Here, IV estimation confirms this result.
Using Data Differently and Using Different Data
with I. Almas, J. Jalan, F. Oteiza, and M. Vigneri (June 2018, Journal of Development Effectiveness)
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Abstract: The lack of adequate measures is often an impediment to robust policy evaluation. We discuss three approaches to measurement and data usage that have the potential to improve the way we conduct impact evaluations. First, the creation of new measures, when no adequate ones are available. Second, the use of multiple measures when a single one is not appropriate. And third, the use of machine learning algorithms to evaluate and understand programme impacts. We motivate the relevance of each of the categories by providing examples where they have proved useful in the past. We discuss the challenges and risks involved in each strategy and conclude with an outline of promising directions for future work.
The Determinants of Human Capital Formation During the Early Years of Life: Theory, Measurement, and Policies
(November 2015, Journal of the European Economic Association)
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Abstract: In this paper, I discuss a research agenda on the study of human capital accumulation in the early years, with a particular focus on developing countries. I discuss several methodological issues, from the use of structural models, to the importance of measurement and the development of new measurement tools. I present a conceptual framework that can be used to frame the study of human capital accumulation and view the current challenges and gaps in knowledge within such an organizing structure. I provide an example of the use of such a framework to interpret the evidence on the impacts of an early years intervention based on randomized controlled trial.
Work in Progress
Estimating the process of Income and Employment using subjective expectations data
with M. Arellano, M. Borella, M.C. De Nardi, and G. Paz (in Progress)
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Abstract: Available soon.
Measuring Impacts
with S. Cattan, C. Meghir, S. Wolf, D. Perez-Lopez, M. Placencio-Castro, and M. Rubio-Codina (in Progress)
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Abstract: Available soon.
Modelling Subjective Expectations of Future Income: Evidence from Colombia and India
with M. Arellano, B. Augsburg, and S. Crossman (in Progress)
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Abstract: Available soon.
Theory and Measurement
with I. Almas and P. Jervis (in Progress, Presidential address to the Econometric Society)
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Abstract: Available soon.