The best way to learn about the impact of a program or policy is to have one group of people who receive a benefit and compare outcomes to an otherwise identical group of people who do not. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), participants are randomly assigned to groups—in our case, either to a recipient group that would receive a $1,000 monthly cash transfer for three years or to a control group that would receive $50 per month.

We administered multiple surveys during the enrollment period, so we were able to ensure that participants in the recipient and control groups were balanced across demographic characteristics and measures of the research outcomes prior to the start of the transfer.

We cannot observe what experiences recipients would have had if they had not received the $1,000 transfers each month, but an RCT is the next best thing and the most rigorous method to assess the effects of unconditional cash transfers. By comparing outcomes for a group of people who received a $1000 monthly cash transfer for three years to an otherwise identical group of people who did not, we can isolate and quantify the effects of the cash. 

We employ a mixed methods research design to understand the effects of unconditional cash transfers by simultaneously collecting both quantitative data from surveys, administrative records, and financial transactions (among other sources) and qualitative data from semi-structured, open-ended interviews with a subset of participants. 

By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the study can establish statistically significant causal associations while also exploring the “how” and “why” behind these observations. For instance, where quantitative survey data demonstrate whether and how unconditional cash transfers affect the number of hours someone worked, qualitative interview data reveal how someone makes employment decisions that align with their unique circumstances, goals, and values.

• Child Outcomes
• Cognition
• Employment
• Financial Health
• Mental and Physical Health
• Intrahousehold 
• Material Hardship
• Housing and Geographic Mobility
• Political and Social Attitudes
• Subjective Well-being and Social Support
• Time Use