01 / recommendation
Mentions personal use of Bach.
“I listen to Bach almost every morning when I’m walking, in particular to Bach cantatas.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with Tyler / episode intelligence
Esther Duflo on Management, Growth, and Research in Action
Speakers in the public record
Claim mix
belief 9evaluation 4preference 3uncertainty 2recommendation 1commitment 1disagreement 1
Evidence policy
Every row below preserves an exact excerpt. Identified speakers are linked; unresolved voices are labeled and excluded from people counts.
Claim ledger
The useful parts, with receipts.
21 published records
02 / belief
I think that makes people often very aware that gender rights, for example, is something to study very deeply.
“I think that makes people often very aware that gender rights, for example, is something to study very deeply.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
03 / belief
My first question has to do with what, I think, is maybe your most important paper.
“My first question has to do with what, I think, is maybe your most important paper.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
04 / belief
I think there are a number of reasons. Some are strictly economic, as in financial.
“I think there are a number of reasons. Some are strictly economic, as in financial.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
05 / belief
I think she picked up on something which rings so true to me, which maybe is a marginal point about the US versus France.
“I think she picked up on something which rings so true to me, which maybe is a marginal point about the US versus France.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
06 / belief
I think Mankiw, Weil, and Romer attribute 80 percent of growth to human capital.
“I think Mankiw, Weil, and Romer attribute 80 percent of growth to human capital.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
07 / belief
Then on top of that, I think childcare is an issue because a lot of people have childcare provided by their extended family.
“Then on top of that, I think childcare is an issue because a lot of people have childcare provided by their extended family.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
08 / belief
Any project spending time in the field. This is what Michael Kremer did before he went back to graduate school, and I think that was a determinant to him.
“Any project spending time in the field. This is what Michael Kremer did before he went back to graduate school, and I think that was a determinant to him.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
09 / uncertainty
I don’t know why it’s a right-wing issue to worry about single parenthood because, as you were saying, all of the data suggest that it’s not a very good thing to grow up as a kid of a single mom in her teens.
“I don’t know why it’s a right-wing issue to worry about single parenthood because, as you were saying, all of the data suggest that it’s not a very good thing to grow up as a kid of a single mom in her teens.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
10 / belief
Today I am very honored to be here with Esther Duflo, who recently has won a Nobel Prize in economics, the youngest economics winner ever. And today, our date of recording, is also, I believe, the publication date for her new book with Abhijit Banerjee, and that is called Good Economics for Hard Times.
“Today I am very honored to be here with Esther Duflo, who recently has won a Nobel Prize in economics, the youngest economics winner ever. And today, our date of recording, is also, I believe, the publication date for her new book with Abhijit Banerjee, and that is called Good Economics for Hard Times.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
11 / belief
I think that’s a very important paper that is making a big splash and show people continue.
“I think that’s a very important paper that is making a big splash and show people continue.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
12 / preference
I think we should think of growth rate as chief of staff, not something I think we should fall in love with. And I think one issue the countries have had when they’ve fallen in love with growth rates per se, as opposed to why is it you want growth in the first place, is that going back to the early conversation, it’s pretty hard to manipulate growth rates for politicians, especially in fluctuation growth rates.
“I think we should think of growth rate as chief of staff, not something I think we should fall in love with. And I think one issue the countries have had when they’ve fallen in love with growth rates per se, as opposed to why is it you want growth in the first place, is that going back to the early conversation, it’s pretty hard to manipulate growth rates for politicians, especially in fluctuation growth rates.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
13 / evaluation
Because I’ll tell you exactly why: the current PISA and TIMSS results show France exactly at the median in terms of the scores, but with a lot of heterogeneity, with excellent results at the top and really bad results at the bottom.
“Because I’ll tell you exactly why: the current PISA and TIMSS results show France exactly at the median in terms of the scores, but with a lot of heterogeneity, with excellent results at the top and really bad results at the bottom.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
14 / evaluation
There’s actually much less, partly also due to regulations and less to individual effort response because they are thinking they are going to be taxed away.
“There’s actually much less, partly also due to regulations and less to individual effort response because they are thinking they are going to be taxed away.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
15 / evaluation
The point is that the response to financial incentives is less than what typically we assume it is, both in terms of people seem to be pretty inelastic to taxes at all levels of income from the studies we have.
“The point is that the response to financial incentives is less than what typically we assume it is, both in terms of people seem to be pretty inelastic to taxes at all levels of income from the studies we have.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
16 / commitment
My firm belief is that we don’t. But if you do, then I think you have a side gig in helping Ethiopia, and that would be great.
“My firm belief is that we don’t. But if you do, then I think you have a side gig in helping Ethiopia, and that would be great.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
17 / uncertainty
Just from this particular experiment, it would be hard to tell because one could say, “Well, you should try to do cash only, and then we can see.
“Just from this particular experiment, it would be hard to tell because one could say, “Well, you should try to do cash only, and then we can see.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
18 / preference
Not just women but also minority because economics is a social science, and as a social science, we do need diversity in experiences and points of view, et cetera, because people with different backgrounds, including gender and life experiences, will be interested in different questions and also will bring a slightly different perspective to those questions.
“Not just women but also minority because economics is a social science, and as a social science, we do need diversity in experiences and points of view, et cetera, because people with different backgrounds, including gender and life experiences, will be interested in different questions and also will bring a slightly different perspective to those questions.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
19 / preference
Another thing is, I’m not sure I’m aiming at world conquest in the sense that I’m more interested in — and I think that that very much applied to the three of us — we were very much interested in creating an ecosystem where that kind of work becomes easier because policymakers are interested, funders are interested, talent is interested, and because there are some things that are eased.
“Another thing is, I’m not sure I’m aiming at world conquest in the sense that I’m more interested in — and I think that that very much applied to the three of us — we were very much interested in creating an ecosystem where that kind of work becomes easier because policymakers are interested, funders are interested, talent is interested, and because there are some things that are eased.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
20 / evaluation
To tell you the truth, even if it didn’t, it seems it’s not a big bet to invest in education anyway because worse comes to worst, people would be educated, which seems to be a good end in itself.
“To tell you the truth, even if it didn’t, it seems it’s not a big bet to invest in education anyway because worse comes to worst, people would be educated, which seems to be a good end in itself.”
- Speaker
- Esther Duflo
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler
21 / disagreement
In your recent New York Times op-ed, you seem to argue that incentives are, in general, not that powerful in motivating people economically. And that surprised me because, if I think of most J-PAL papers, incentives are pretty powerful.
“In your recent New York Times op-ed, you seem to argue that incentives are, in general, not that powerful in motivating people economically. And that surprised me because, if I think of most J-PAL papers, incentives are pretty powerful.”
- Speaker
- Tyler Cowen
- Publisher
- Conversations with Tyler