I am very happy to share that our paper, “Ideological Alignment and Evidence-Based Policy Adoption,” is now published in the American Economic Review (#AER). This is a hugely ambitious project that has taken more than four years of work together with an amazing team of co-authors.
We conducted a nationwide #RCT involving over 5,000 real local politicians, as well as national think tanks, newspapers, and a leading global academic institution, to answer a simple but very important question: does the political “colour” of the messenger influence policy implementation?
One of the central challenges of the #evidence-based policy agenda is turning evidence into actual policy. From my experience in politics, this is far from straightforward: evidence has limited value if it does not translate into policies that improve people’s lives. Why is it so difficult to persuade policymakers to adopt policies with strong empirical backing? If the evidence is there, why are these policies so rarely implemented?
🔬 In our study, we address this by sending identical information about an evidence-based policy to local policymakers, introducing variation only in the #messenger of the policy: a non-ideological research institution versus think tanks and newspapers with clear ideological leanings. The policy itself is a recommendation - strongly supported by evidence- that improving a municipality’s Wikipedia page increases tourism.
We find that policy adoption increases by 65% when the information comes from a source perceived as ideologically aligned with the policymaker. In contrast, ideologically opposed institutions have no effect.
Publishing in what is arguably the world’s leading academic journal is a dream for any economist. For me - having stepped away from academia for politics - the joy is even greater.
🙏 I am deeply grateful to all my incredble co-authors for their generosity of offering me the opportunity to share this project with them, and for everything I have learned throughout this process. I also want to thank all the collaborators and RAs that have contributed, as well as across institutions, including https://t.co/jQdIMjTLbI, El Mundo, Alternativas, FAES, and FEMP, as well as the support from the Social Research Call of La Caixa and the Wikimedia Foundation.
https://t.co/k5k9bpaYz1
@IEuniversity@iespega@EnricoLetta@manuelmunizv@Borjamonde@JuanSantalo
“Europe needs a coalition of the willing and a capital markets union to finance breakthrough innovation and deliver on the Draghi report. Trying to do it at 27 would be too slow and cumbersome, both in terms of regulation and negotiations.”
Thanks to @TribuneDimanche for the itw
Un placer trabajar desde la oficina del Grupo BEI en Madrid, con un equipo excelente liderado por María Romano.
Es un orgullo ver en directo el gran trabajo de los compañeros del @EIB@EIF_EU, en Luxemburgo y sobre el terreno, en la UE y alrededor del mundo.
#DreamTeam💪🏼🧠❤️
Great exchange with Heads of @EIB Group offices in the 27 EU Member states & around the world
These teams are our eyes & ears on the ground, representing what we stand for.
They nurture partnerships, support project implementation & promote 🇪🇺 values globally.
#Dreamteam🧠❤️💪🏼
Nearly 5M children under 5 die each year from preventable diseases. Ending extreme poverty would cost ~$1.2T/year. Meanwhile, the wealth of the top 1% has grown by $33.9T since 2015—enough to end poverty 22 times. We can afford to end poverty. https://t.co/qmF8ceRVKu
Un día para celebrar la paz, la democracia, la prosperidad y los derechos humanos que unen a los pueblos europeos. Un recordatorio del poder de la cooperación y la solidaridad para construir un futuro común, más justo y sostenible para todos. Que viva Europa! 🇪🇺
Wonderful news and truly inspiring to see Bill approach his later years with such generosity and purpose. His commitment to giving back sets a powerful example of how to drive positive change and improve lives worldwide, especially in a context of growing wealth concentration.
We have an opportunity to save more lives around the world than ever before—and I want to do even more to help. That's why I'm giving away virtually all of my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years.
¡Allí estaremos! #equipoeuropa
'Equipo Europa' convoca para mayo una gran manifestación en apoyo de Europa en favor de la Unión Europea y la democracia https://t.co/QoKARWxuVZ vía @20m
Let’s stand together, raise awareness, and continue pushing for a world where equality, dignity, and freedom are a reality for all women. #InternationalWomensDay#HumanRights
Feliz Día de la Mujer! Today we celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of all women around the world. There is much to celebrate, but also much left to fight for. Today is also a reminder of the ongoing fight for women’s rights, as millions still face oppression
Even in Europe, where progress has been significant, challenges remain. The gender pay gap persists, gender-based violence continues, and women are still underrepresented in leadership roles. Too many women continue to face discrimination at work and in society.