The causal effects of unconditional cash transfers: Experimental evidence from a large U.S. city

Last registered on July 12, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The causal effects of unconditional cash transfers: Experimental evidence from a large U.S. city
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0009656
Initial registration date
June 26, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
June 27, 2022, 4:51 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
July 12, 2023, 8:27 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Eva Vivalt
Affiliation
University of Toronto
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Alexander Bartik
PI Affiliation
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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PI Name
Sarah Miller
PI Affiliation
University of Michigan
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PI Name
Elizabeth Rhodes
PI Affiliation
Open Research Lab
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2022-06-27
End date
2025-06-27
Keywords
Education, Health, Labor, Welfare
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The regular provision of unconditional cash transfers to individuals is a tactic to fight poverty that has attracted significant interest from researchers and policymakers. Despite this interest, many fundamental questions about the effects of receiving sustained unconditional cash transfers remain. In this randomized controlled trial, 5,000 individuals will receive $500 per month for one year. A control group of approximately 7,000 individuals will serve as the comparison group. The study offers an opportunity to inform both the debate over unconditional cash assistance and other questions about the effects of income that typically elude causal identification.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bartik, Alexander et al. 2023. "The causal effects of unconditional cash transfers: Experimental evidence from a large U.S. city." AEA RCT Registry. July 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.9656-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2022-06-27
Intervention End Date
2023-06-27

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
See pre-analysis plan.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
See pre-analysis plan.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
11,915 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
11,915 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
5,000 individuals in the treatment
6,915 individuals in the control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago
IRB Approval Date
2022-04-21
IRB Approval Number
IRB22-0516
Analysis Plan

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