A key identification assumption required for causal claims of instrumental variables (IVs) is the exclusion restriction. This paper assesses the validity of this assumption for topographic variation as a widely used IV in empirical economics. A systematic review of leading economics journals identifies 56 different variables that the reviewed literature causally links to topographic variation....
While results from individual Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) often do
not hold beyond their particular setting, the accumulation of many RCTs can be
used to guide policy. But how many studies are required to confidently
generalize? Our paper examines construct validity, an often neglected yet
important element affecting generalizability. Construct validity deals with how
the...
More than one billion people worldwide live in informal settlements, often called ‘slums’. In sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s fastest urbanizing region, every second urban resident is considered a ‘slum-dweller’. Identifying and mapping the locations of informal settlements at scale and tracking their development over time is thus crucial for adequate policies to alleviate urban poverty and...
