ABSTRACT
In this chapter we introduce an approach to development policy which has gained increased prominence in recent years. Central to this approach is a concern to identify the causal effects of a ‘treatment’ or ‘programme’. Much of the policy-oriented micro-econometric literature in development economics takes this approach; the most prominent websites are those of J-PAL and IPA, where work from those who have pioneered this approach can be found. A very wide range of questions are being tackled within this framework.
