Check out this great primer on school meals, "the world's biggest social program" (get out of the way cash transfers) voxdev.org/topic/free-s... featuring Bedasso (@cgdev.org) and Sánchez

it's actually a *conditional accept* but yes let's celebrate small victories -- thanks Novafrica!

NOVAFRICA@novafrica.bsky.social · 7mo ago

🎉 New article in the Review of Economics and Statistics! Sibling Spillovers and Free Schooling Congratulations to NOVAFRICA NovaSBE Prof @wsandholtz.bsky.social! Using data from Tanzania, the paper shows Free Secondary Education reversed negative sibling spillovers in enrollment. bit.ly/4jH4Tva

Today's cool young researcher #econtwitter #econsky is @robertohsu @NOVAFRICA @NovaSBE who works on topics related to labor, entrepreneurship, and finance

Local tax compliance is a key challenge for revenues & governance. 🎙️ Join Prof. @wsandholtz.bsky.social @NovaSBE for the next NOVAFRICA – IGC @theigc.bsky.social at Quelimane 2025 Webinar on: Willingness to Pay Local Taxes 📅 Mon, Sep 15 | 1pm PT / 2pm Moz 📍 Online via Teams: bit.ly/48awYHy

You have to bring the teachers along when you implement educational reform! waynesandholtz.com/pdfs/PSL_PE_... by @wsandholtz.bsky.social

David Evans@daveevansphd.bsky.social · last yr.

You have to bring the teachers along when you implement educational reform! waynesandholtz.com/pdfs/PSL_PE_... by @wsandholtz.bsky.social

A 2011 Wisconsin reform weakened teachers' unions, raised test scores, and was a political win for its main proponent, from Barbara Biasi and Wayne Aaron Sandholtz https://www.nber.org/papers/w33666

.@barbarabiasi.com and I show that Scott Walker's teacher pay reform worked on 2 levels: it improved student performance, and it won votes. Big implications for current policy debates -- and, I promise, something to cheese people off from every part of the political spectrum. 🧵:

Barbara Biasi@barbarabiasi.com · last yr.

🚨🆕 In a new NBER working paper out today (tinyurl.com/2vv3vnhf), with @wsandholtz.bsky.social we ask a 🔥question: Can controversial public policies end up being political successes even when they cause lots of backlash? And if the answer is yes, what drives pol success? A thread 👇

.@barbarabiasi.com and I show that Scott Walker's teacher pay reform worked on 2 levels: it improved student performance, and it won votes. Big implications for current policy debates -- and, I promise, something to cheese people off from every part of the political spectrum. 🧵:

Barbara Biasi@barbarabiasi.com · last yr.

🚨🆕 In a new NBER working paper out today (tinyurl.com/2vv3vnhf), with @wsandholtz.bsky.social we ask a 🔥question: Can controversial public policies end up being political successes even when they cause lots of backlash? And if the answer is yes, what drives pol success? A thread 👇

🚨🆕 In a new NBER working paper out today (tinyurl.com/2vv3vnhf), with @wsandholtz.bsky.social we ask a 🔥question: Can controversial public policies end up being political successes even when they cause lots of backlash? And if the answer is yes, what drives pol success? A thread 👇

📢 New NOVAFRICA Working Paper! "Urbanization, Political Interests, and Electoral Mobilization in Mozambique" by NOVAFRICA @NovaSBE Professors #AlexArmand, @wsandholtz.bsky.social, #PedroCVicente & PhD candidate @fredam22.bsky.social. 🔗Full paper: bit.ly/4j8dFB9 🔗 Read more: bit.ly/4hW8J27

Mississippi State Univ. is hiring a tenure-track Econ Assistant Prof w/ August start! Open field; pref. for applied micro & teaching PhD Micro I & II (Micro II this fall). Apply: MSU site & www.aeaweb.org/joe/listing.php?JOE_ID=2025-01_111475768 Please repost—it's an off-cycle search. Thanks!

Centre for the Study of African Economies at University of Oxford will automatically consider all applicants from Africa for full funding for the MPhil in Economics - we have new scholarships for eligible students. How? Just apply asap: deadline 4th March (extended deadline): see below

Stefan Dercon@gamblingondev.bsky.social · last yr.

Aspiring economists from Africa: Extended deadline 4 March Oxford's CSAE offers full scholarships >3 year for African students How? Apply for grad studies in Econ = 2 yr Master's course w/ progress to PhD We automatically consider all applicants www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/g...

This is such a cool paper!

The Quarterly Journal of Economics@qjeharvard.bsky.social · last yr.

Recently accepted by #QJE, “What Works and For Whom? Effectiveness and Efficiency of School Capital Investments Across the U.S.,” by Biasi (@barbarabiasi.com), Lafortune, and Schönholzer (@davidschonholzer.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1093/qje/...

📢 New NOVAFRICA Working Paper by NovaSBE Professors @wsandholtz.bsky.social & #PedroCVicente "Tax morale, public goods, and politics: Experimental evidence from Mozambique" They use an RCT to explore how public goods info & political autonomy impact tax morale & electoral support. 🔗 bit.ly/3D5jZK7

I'll be teaching Development Economics to PhD students later this year and really psyched for it. If you feel inclined to be a giant upon whose shoulders I could stand, I'd love to see the PhD dev syllabus from a class you think worked well.

a man with a beard is smiling and saying `` i appreciate you '' in a black and white photo .

ALT: a man with a beard is smiling and saying `` i appreciate you '' in a black and white photo .

media.tenor.com

R&R! Woo

Wayne Sandholtz@wsandholtz.bsky.social · 3y ago

Are you a researcher who hopes your work will shape policy? *Consider policymakers' incentives!* For a policy to have legs, politicians must believe it will help them win elections🗳️. But researchers often (willfully?) overlook this crucial detail. A 🧵 on my recent WP: voxdev.org/topic/instit...

⏳ One month left to submit - we are looking forward to your paper! Scientific Chairs: Shafik Hebous and @fgerard.bsky.social + 35 committee members; Local Organizers: Amos Njuguna (USIU), @dinapomeranz.bsky.social + team; Keynotes: Rema Hanna, Niels Johannesen, Ravi Kanbur, @oyebolaoo.bsky.social .

IIPF - International Institute of Public Finance@iipf.bsky.social · 2y ago

Here we go #EconSky #EconConf 📢 Proud to announce our #IIPF2025 congress Call for Papers. Let's meet at USIU Nairobi in August 2025! Submit your paper by Feb 15, 2025. A bunch of links with more info available at iipf.org/cng.htm

I'm hiring RAs to work on data analysis for projects on education, infrastructure, and political economy in Latin America. Spanish/Portuguese language helpful; remote work possible. Please share, and/or apply! Links in next tweet. #econra #econ_ra #EconSky

These are the productivity enhancements I'm looking forward to in the AI economy. Make any movie a muppet movie

Tanu Kumar@tanukumar.com · 2y ago

Pick a movie, keep one actor. The rest are muppets. Interstellar Michael Kaine

If you're curious about the posters in a starter pack but not ready to take the plunge on following them, you can make them a list and check in on them at your leisure. Very demure. Very mindful. nws-bot.us/bskyStarterP...

Novafrica has entered the chat!

NOVAFRICA@novafrica.bsky.social · 2y ago

🌍✨Hello, BlueSky! We are NOVAFRICA, a research center at NovaSBE advancing evidence-based research in Africa & around the globe. 📚 From research projects & seminars to conferences & podcasts, we drive impactful change. 🔎 Follow us for updates & more. Let’s connect! 🔗Web: novafrica.org #NOVAFRICA

All policy is politics! Really cool work by @mrao.bsky.social

Rafe Meager (they/them)@economeager.bsky.social · 2y ago

We still have a relatively poor understanding of the relationship between evidence and policy. Program evaluation in particular is often motivated by a desire to make policy better. But how effective is program evaluation itself?Michelle Rao's JMP tackles this question. www.michellerao.com/research

What do parents prefer, (a) on-site school meals, (b) take home rations or (c) #cashtransfers? New evidence from #Ghana shows: (a) > (b) coz of high meal prep time constraints at home; (a) > (c) coz of food price volatility. Abreh et al www.cgdev.org/sites/defaul...

We have put together some of our favourite sources of research, newsletters, articles, blogs, podcasts & videos on development economics, including economists who have written for VoxDev, in this starter pack. VoxDev has had ~2000 authors so let us know if we missed you! go.bsky.app/4rsxm7G

Rad paper by a crack team:

Antonella Bancalari@bancalaria.bsky.social · 2y ago

📢 New Working Paper Alert! 🧵 “Resource Windfalls, Public Expenditures, and Local Economies” with @juanpablorud.bsky.social We study whether inter-governmental transfers to local governments can stimulate economic activity. ifs.org.uk/publications...

I started a starter pack for World Bank researchers. Let me know if I am missing you go.bsky.app/BWMsQG6

Inspired by @dmckenzie.bsky.social's World Bank Researchers starter pack. I've created a starter pack for researchers within the J-PAL, IPA, and CEGA networks go.bsky.app/GXq3VE5 As the name suggests, it's just a start. Space to add more!

Could someone point me toward the Development Economists starter pack(s)?

Starter pack for those interested in the politics of education, loosely defined. Please let me know if you'd like to be added (and forgive omissions!). Thanks! go.bsky.app/4LxftVF