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All that Glitters is not Gold. The Political Economy of Randomized Evaluations in Development

Author

Listed:
  • Florent Bédécarrats
  • Isabelle Guérin
  • François Roubaud

Abstract

Randomized control trials (RCTs) have a narrow scope, restricted to basic intervention schemes. Experimental designs also display specific biases and political uses when implemented in the real world. Despite these limitations, the method has been advertised as the gold standard to evaluate development policies. This article adopts a political economy approach to explore this paradox. It argues that the success of RCTs is driven mainly by a new scientific business model based on a mix of simplicity and mathematical rigour, media and donor appeal, and academic and financial returns. This in turn meets current interests and preferences in the academic world and the donor community.

Suggested Citation

  • Florent Bédécarrats & Isabelle Guérin & François Roubaud, 2019. "All that Glitters is not Gold. The Political Economy of Randomized Evaluations in Development," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 50(3), pages 735-762, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:50:y:2019:i:3:p:735-762
    DOI: 10.1111/dech.12378
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    Cited by:

    1. Javier Sierra & Victoria Muriel-Patino & Fernando Rodríguez-López, 2024. "A comprehensive framework for understanding microfinance performance evaluation methods," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Kabeer, Naila, 2020. "Women's Empowerment and Economic Development: A Feminist Critique of Storytelling Practices in "Randomista" Economics: a feminist critique of storytelling practices in “randomista” economics," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 104600, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Kapur, Devesh, 2020. "Poverty, power and RCTs," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    4. Seán M. Muller, 2021. "Evidence for a YETI? A Cautionary Tale from South Africa's Youth Employment Tax Incentive," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(6), pages 1301-1342, November.
    5. Kabeer, Naila, 2020. "Women’s empowerment and economic development: a feminist critique of story telling practices in ‘Randomista' economics," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103880, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Gugerty, Mary Kay & Mitchell, George E. & Santamarina, Francisco J., 2021. "Discourses of evaluation: Institutional logics and organizational practices among international development agencies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    7. Michel Abramowicz & Ariane Szafarz, 2019. "Ethics of Randomized Controlled Trials: Should Economists Care about Equipoise?," Working Papers CEB 19-017, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Emily Cook-Lundgren & Emanuela Girei, 2025. "Ethics of Quantification and Randomised Control Trials in International Development: A Decolonial Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 196(2), pages 241-254, January.
    9. Esser, Daniel E. & Janus, Heiner, 2025. "Everything, everywhere, all at once? Donor bureaucrats struggle with four dimensions of development effectiveness," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    10. Vikram Tyagi & Sophie Webber, 2021. "A rusting gold standard: Failures in an Indonesian RCT, and the implications for poverty reduction," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(5), pages 992-1011, August.
    11. Bédécarrats, Florent & Guérin, Isabelle & Morvant-Roux, Solène & Roubaud, François, 2019. "Estimating microcredit impact with low take-up, contamination and inconsistent data. A replication study of Crépon, Devoto, Duflo, and Parienté (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2015)," International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics (IREE), ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 3, pages 1-22.
    12. Florent Bédécarrats & Isabelle Guérin & Solène Morvant-Roux & François Roubaud, 2018. "Verifying the internal validity of a flagship RCT: A review of Crépon, Devoto, Duflo and Pariente (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2015)," Working Papers DT/2018/09, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    13. Wintrup, James, 2022. "Promising careers? A critical analysis of a randomised control trial in community health worker recruitment in Zambia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    14. Ringa Raudla & Külli Sarapuu & Johanna Vallistu & Kerli Onno & Nastassia Harbuzova, 2025. "The politics of experimental policymaking: the influence of blame avoidance and credit claiming," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 58(2), pages 245-266, June.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • C18 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Methodolical Issues: General
    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments

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