vlog

The White House lawn on a sunny day.
Feature: Is DOGE Sure It Wants to Fire These People?

Juliette Kayyem examines the negative effects that Elon Musks’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could have on the safety of everyday Americans.

River running through a densely populated area.
Feature: Private Benefits from Public Investment in Climate Resilience

Joseph Aldy finds that governmental construction of levees, which enhance resilience to flood risks amplified by climate change, increases home values by 3-4 percent.

Person sits on a bed holding a check.
Feature: Assessing Government Outreach to Bolster Benefits Take-Up

Elizabeth Linos finds that light-touch interventions significantly, consistently, and cost-effectively increase benefits take-up among low-income households, while higher-touch proactive outreach yields minimal additional take-up.

Black family happily sits on the grass in a park.
Feature: Excess Mortality Rate in U.S. Black Children Since 1950

Soroush Saghafian finds that 5 million excess deaths of Black Americans, including over 500,000 infants, could have been avoided over the past 70 years if their mortality rates were equal to those of White Americans.

Harvard Kennedy School faculty disseminate their research in working publications and papers that contribute to public knowledge and fuel policy innovation. This list features recent faculty publications, including journal articles, books, edited volumes, research papers, and public testimony.

Faculty Publications

When Governments Use Nudges: Measuring Impact “At Scale”

Linos, Elizabeth. "When Governments Use Nudges: Measuring Impact “At Scale”." Behavioral Science in the Wild. Ed. Nina Mažar and Dilip Soman. University of Toronto Press, 2022, 20-28.

RCTs to scale: Comprehensive evidence from two nudge units

DellaVigna, Stefano and Elizabeth Linos. "RCTs to scale: Comprehensive evidence from two nudge units." Econometrica 90.1 (January 2022): 81-116.

Employee Health Plans Powered by Analytics

Hopp, Wallace, Jun Li, Soroush Saghafian, and Guihua Wang. "Employee Health Plans Powered by Analytics." Management and Business Review 1.3 (2021).

Using Machine Learning to Demystify Startups’ Funding, Post-Money Valuation, and Success

Ang, Yu Qian, Andrew Chia, and Soroush Saghafian. "Using Machine Learning to Demystify Startups’ Funding, Post-Money Valuation, and Success." Innovative Technology at the Interface of Finance and Operations. Ed. Volodymyr Babich, John R. Birge, and Gilles Hilary. Springer, 11 May 2021, 271-296.

Between Safety and Security: The Policy Challenges of Transporting Toxic Inhalation Hazards

Fagan, Mark, and Ellis Branscomb. "Between Safety and Security: The Policy Challenges of Transporting Toxic Inhalation Hazards." Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management 9.2 (2012): 1-20.

Transportation of Toxic Inhalant Hazards: Addressing the Double Dichotomy

Fagan, Mark. "Transportation of Toxic Inhalant Hazards: Addressing the Double Dichotomy." Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy 79.1 (2012): 59-71.