Democracy and Governance
Technology provides exciting new opportunities that empower citizens to participate in the political process. Researchers at the Policy Design and Evaluation Lab look to combine social science methodology with the power of information technology to design better policies and programs. Francisco Garfias, a professor of political science, has implemented a field experiment in Colombia designed to help governments enhance their fiscal capacity. The experiment seeks to quantify the costs and benefits associated with property formalization for both individuals and local governments, which must decide how much to invest to maintain a land registry and collect property taxes.
