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Annette N. Brown

@anbrown.bsky.social
577 followers 672 following 64 posts

Professor of the Practice at UNC - Chapel Hill, economist, researcher, former executive. Past positions at FHI 360, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), University of Chicago, Western Michigan University and others. Reposts ~= endorsement.

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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I just posted two articles on LinkedIn recovered from the defunct FHI 360 research blog. Both are reports from a rapid evidence review I conducted with Jacqueline Shieh on interventions addressing the dual burden of malnutrition in LMICs. Review covered 78 SRs and umbrella SRs. Links in comments.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 26/08/2026
A new study found that one in four former NFL players who died over a recent six-year period — and likely many more — had the incurable, progressive brain disease known as CTE. Here are five takeaways from the study and reaction to it.
nyti.ms
5 Takeaways on the Fallout From an Alarming C.T.E. Study
At least one in four N.F.L. players, and likely a much higher percentage, had the brain disease when they died. Will anything change?
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Yesterday my class anonymously answered the time trade-off question used for DALY disability weights, paraphrased: "how much of a year's duration would you give up to avoid having this disability for the remaining portion?" Their ranges: Back pain - 0-25%; Depression - 20-70%; Blindness - 40-97%.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 28/07/2026
ProPublica obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing. From the archives:
propublica.org
The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax
ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, ev...
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NORC at the University of Chicago @norc.org · 29/07/2026
Children's health holds steady after aging out of Peru's Cuna Más childcare program, but mothers reported significantly higher rates of depression. New research co-authored by NORC’s Angelo Cozzubo points to a need for transitional support for caretakers. View the full study: go.norc.org/4fsySXz
doi.org
Motherly Care: The Impacts of Exiting a Childcare Program on Child and Maternal Health
We investigate the unintended impacts of exiting Peru’s Cuna Más public childcare program on child and maternal health. With increased public childcare use in developing countries, understanding th...
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 29/07/2026
Reminder that on his last day of his first term, Trump awarded a commendation to Dr Fauci "in recognition of his exceptional effort on Operation Warp Speed"
cap of White House page honoring Fauci
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loreleikelly @loreleikelly.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Saturday. www.mobilize.us/disappearedi...
mobilize.us
Silver Spring, MD - Vigil to Demand Justice for Lorenzo, Johan, and All. ICE Out. · Disappeared in America
On July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston while driving a work van with his crew. On July 13, ICE fatally shot 26-year-old Johan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford,...
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Taylor Farms' parent company has given $2.2M to GOP PACs this election cycle. That includes $1M to Trump's own PAC, just 6 days after the FDA delayed new food tracing requirements last year. Money in politics is sickening.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
In which Moss argues, "Which brings me back to the misguided rationale in some circles that more rigorous randomized studies can save smart development policy in Washington DC and help us rebuild something akin to USAID again. I don’t buy it." open.substack.com/pub/toddmoss...
open.substack.com
More Evidence Won’t Save Development
We don’t need more studies. We need a new coalition rebuilt on political priorities
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
This @danbanik.bsky.social essay was worth breaking the rule not to start the morning on my phone. The label "evidence-based hope" doesn't work for me, given the overuse of "evidence-based", but the messages woke me up, esp that "hope is a practice that you do." open.substack.com/pub/globalde...
open.substack.com
Why hope is what we need
Hope is not a mood or a forecast. It is a politics, and a public good we cannot afford to lose.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Great new post by @dmckenzie.bsky.social reviewing @johnlist.bsky.social's new book. I appreciate the links to articles and posts that cover some of the points David thought were missing. #econsky blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...?
blogs.worldbank.org
I just read all 700+ pages of John List’s Experimental Economics Textbook, Should You?
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
I am one of so many who benefitted from knowing Raúl, especially as an @egap.bsky.social colleague, and who is stunned and devastated to learn of his passing. What a terrible loss.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
I have to wonder when Claude declares that his following response is "more intellectually honest" than his former responses.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Great post in the @agencyfund.bsky.social blog by Cameroonian Yanick Kemayou about agency and #locallyleddevelopment in #Mali looking at entrepreneurship and questioning formalization. H/T @dmckenzie.bsky.social #econsky It’s the mindset, … open.substack.com/pub/theagenc...
open.substack.com
It’s the mindset, …
Reflections on the power of agency
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
I'm really enjoying the 2026 Midwest International Economic Development Conference at the #UniversityofWisconsin! It's my second year at #MWIEDC, and I continue to be impressed by the quality and relevance of the research. This is the view from the current session!
Photo from classroom building on University of Wisconsin campus looking out over a sparkling lake with a blue sky a few trees and the roof of building between.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Flowers from this morning's dog walk.
A close-up photo of a bright pink flower with white edges on the petals. There is another one in the background. A closeup of a yellow daffodil flower with an orange center. The petals are fully open. There is a filed of similar daffodils in the background.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Another summary of fascinating research in This Week in Social Science. These posts are always succinct and well written. TWISS #54: Apple of your (mind's) eye open.substack.com/pub/twisswee...
open.substack.com
TWISS #54: Apple of your (mind's) eye
Aphantasia, its prevalence, and its impact on emotional processing.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Goooooo Bluuuueeeee!
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Long read but GREAT @brookings.edu policy analysis by @econsarahreber.bsky.social and my grad school compatriot Sarah Turner. Excellent teaching resource on policy analysis, the complexity of well-intentioned policies, and importance of administration. Courts too! www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
brookings.edu
The past, present, and future of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program | Brookings
Senior Fellow Sarah Reber and and UVA Professor Sarah Turner explore the different facets of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I enjoyed this @voxdev.bsky.social podcast on today's dog walk. It is a mini master class in the evolution of rigor in evidence, using the contact hypothesis as a case study. It ends with a meta-analysis based just on pre-registered experiments. Great for teaching! open.spotify.com/episode/4xrF...
open.spotify.com
S7 Ep12: Can contact between groups reduce prejudice?
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Rest in peace Robert Mueller.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Daffodils!
A photo of a bunch of daffodil flowers growing among some mulch in a backyard.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Easy to read summary of very interesting research by @egap.bsky.social researcher Chris Grady. TWISS #49: The Paradox of Self-Interest open.substack.com/pub/twisswee...
open.substack.com
TWISS #49: The Paradox of Self-Interest
Why we expect selfishness in a world built for reciprocity.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
That amusement when you're told to bring your presentation on a thumb drive and you search your office frantically for one, to see that the only file on the drive you find is dated 2011. Time flies!
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Center for Open Science @cos.io · 25/02/2026
⏰ REMINDER: Applications for AREN's Local Network Leads program are open through March 16. This program trains researchers & research professionals in #Africa to become #openscience leaders who can establish a community of practice at their institution. Learn more & apply:
africanrn.org
African Reproducibility Network (AREN)
Reproducibility Network (RN) in Africa
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Alex Coppock @aecoppock.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
🎺 Call for proposals 🎺 1️⃣ replicate an existing experiment 2️⃣ run a novel experiment on repdata.com 3️⃣ coauthor with Mary McGrath and me to meta-analyze the replications and existing studies 4️⃣ publish your study details: alexandercoppock.com/replication_... applications open Feb 1 please repost!
Call for Proposals: Data Collection for
Replication+Novel Political Science Survey Experiments
Alexander Coppock and Mary McGrath
January 27, 2026
We invite proposals for a survey experiment replication+novel design competition. Se-
lected replication+novel design survey experiments will be conducted on large samples of
American respondents, quota sampled to match U.S. Census margins and filtered for quality
and attention by the survey sample provider Rep Data (repdata.com).
Each proposal consists of two parts: (1) a replication study of an existing, previously
published survey experiment, and (2) a novel experimental design on a topic of the authors’
choosing.
The replication studies and reanalyses of the existing studies will be combined into a
meta-paper to be co-authored by all authors of accepted proposals along with the princi-
pal investigators (Coppock and McGrath). As a condition for acceptance, authors commit
to sharing the data and producing a write-up of the findings from their novel design for
submission to a scholarly journal, and public posting of a working paper pre-publication.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
A big thanks to @justinwolfers.bsky.social, Joshua Hill, and MacMillan Learning for a great webinar today on "AI won't replace econ professors, but it will change the way we teach." I left a little less scared of AI and much more curious about what I can create!
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
There's something very special about Harrison Ford and Michael J. Fox sharing the screen.
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Ryan Briggs @ryancbriggs.net · 11/02/2026
I have a new paper. We look at ~all stats articles in political science post-2010 & show that 94% have abstracts that claim to reject a null. Only 2% present only null results. This is hard to explain unless the research process has a filter that only lets rejections through.
It must be very hard to publish null results
Publication practices in the social sciences act as a filter that favors statistically significant results over null findings. While the problem of selection on significance (SoS) is well-known in theory, it has been difficult to measure its scope empirically, and it has been challenging to determine how selection varies across contexts. In this article, we use large language models to extract granular and validated data on about 100,000 articles published in over 150 political science journals from 2010 to 2024. We show that fewer than 2% of articles that rely on statistical methods report null-only findings in their abstracts, while over 90% of papers highlight significant results. To put these findings in perspective, we develop and calibrate a simple model of publication bias. Across a range of plausible assumptions, we find that statistically significant results are estimated to be one to two orders of magnitude more likely to enter the published record than null results. Leveraging metadata extracted from individual articles, we show that the pattern of strong SoS holds across subfields, journals, methods, and time periods. However, a few factors such as pre-registration and randomized experiments correlate with greater acceptance of null results. We conclude by discussing implications for the field and the potential of our new dataset for investigating other questions about political science.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Cross posting from LinkedIn where I introduce and comment on a great post by #PaulWeisenfeld in the @modernizeaid.bsky.social blog, in which Paul explains the challenges US State has for staffing humanitarian and development programming. www.linkedin.com/posts/annett...
linkedin.com
The State Department Needs More International Development and Humanitarian Expertise | Annette Brown
Great post by Paul Weisenfeld, in the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) blog on critical needs for U.S. foreign assistance! Paul's post compares the traditional skills and expertise of Sta...
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Dean Baker @deanbaker13.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Oren Cass uses serious economics to trash finance in the NYT cepr.net/publications... Why don't all economists?
cepr.net
Oren Cass Uses Good Economics in Attacking Finance in NYT
Oren Cass is right to criticize a bloated financial sector that drains the economy through excessive trading, private equity abuse, and financial waste.
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Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 07/02/2026
There, there…
tweet: “as English speakers we have to sort out the 'had had' situation. it's frankly embarrassing to the language”

Merriam-Webster Quote Tweet: “But, it’s not wrong that that occurs.”
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
I just listened to the @voxeu.org podcast with #GiancarloCorsetti about this research. Great insights and evidence about what is going on with the dollar exchange rate right now. #econsky cepr.org/voxeu/column...
cepr.org
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Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP) @egap.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
REMINDER: Our West Africa Hub is hosting a Learning Days workshop at CERAP this June 🌍 We welcome applicants from Africa-based researchers & evaluation professionals from university, government, & civil society orgs. Apply by: Feb 27, 2026 Learn more: buff.ly/9l0bdig
buff.ly
Learning Days 18: EGAP West Africa Regional Hub Learning Days Workshop 2026 – EGAP
En Français
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
New blog post summarizing my and coauthors' recent #systematicreview of the comparative effectiveness of #locallyleddevelopment approaches. Post includes additional analysis of agency-related outcomes as reported in the included studies. Journal article in comments. www.linkedin.com/pulse/limite...
linkedin.com
Limited but encouraging evidence about the relative effectiveness of locally led development also includes findings about agency
By Annette N. Brown, February 2, 2026 One of the heralded expected outcomes from the drastic disruptions and reductions in foreign assistance over the last year is a greater shift toward locally led d...
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I recommend that everyone read this new essay by Dario Amodei, CEO of @anthropic.com. It is sobering, especially as I think about what the future holds for my 20 yo daughter. I appreciate Amodei's transparency, which he says is the first defense. www.darioamodei.com/essay/the-ad...?
darioamodei.com
Dario Amodei — The Adolescence of Technology
Confronting and Overcoming the Risks of Powerful AI
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Thank you @dktrdr.bsky.social and Eddy Malesky for invite to be discussant for "Major Challenges in Development" panel at the upcoming @egap.bsky.social meeting at #Duke! Fab panel includes @nataliasbueno.bsky.social, @melinaplatas.bsky.social, & Eddy and co-discussant @danielnposner.bsky.social.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 25/01/2026
Winter weather is set to impact many states in the U.S. this weekend. If you do lose power, there are right and wrong ways to handle it. Here are six important tips from the experts.
washingtonpost.com
How to stay warm and safe in a winter power outage
There’s a lot you can do to navigate cold-weather blackouts safely, much of which can be accomplished long before a storm hits.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Nice article about the Government of Bangladesh program together with @ifad.org and @iom.int to promote the use of #remittances for financing investment in start-ups. I'd love to see a formal evaluation of this program! www.newagebd.net/post/opinion...
newagebd.net
Optimal use of remittance
THE inflow of remittances by millions of Bangladeshis working abroad, which contributed to the foreign exchange reserves now exceeding $33 billion, has robustly propped the interim government since it...
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Interesting @restatjournal.bsky.social article by #ScottOrr & #MokhtarTabari - they use data on energy share of product lines to decompose prodctvty growth into 6 margins and use total Chinese exports as instrument for Indian imports to show competition leads to innovation voxdev.org/topic/firms/...
voxdev.org
Chinese import competition makes large Indian manufacturers more innovative
Import competition from China can increase productivity among Indian firms not by lowering costs, but by encouraging innovation through quality upgrading.
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
New post by @timhirschelburns.bsky.social of @gdp-center.bsky.social re IMF-WB Debt Sustainability Framework for LICs. "LIC DSF...must correct anti-investment bias...account for ...climate risks & benefits of climate investments and ensure...a pathway to meeting...needs." www.bu.edu/gdp/2026/01/...
bu.edu
This Decade’s Best Chance to Get Debt Sustainability Right: Necessary Changes in the Review of the Debt Sustainability Framework for Low-Income Countries | Global Development Policy Center
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Great article by Jeff Kearns in #IMF's #Finance&Development magazine about using available data for nowcasting in low-income countries. Kearns interviews Domenico Giannone, one of the originators of nowcasting for economics, who is now at #JohnsHopkins. www.imf.org/en/publicati...
imf.org
Forecasting the Present in Developing Economies
Nowcasting and new data sources can provide timelier and more frequent indicators
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VoxDev @voxdev.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
🆕 Free online course on private enterprise, productivity & economic growth by STEG & PEDL (@cepr.org) Through 14 lectures, you can learn from leading researchers on one of the central questions of economic development, how to increase productivity. Register here: cepr-org.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
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International Initiative for Impact Evaluation @3ieimpact.org · 25/04/2025
Hello from 3ie’s official @bsky.app account! We’re on a mission to improve lives in low- and middle-income countries through high-quality, policy-relevant evidence. Follow us for updates on our work to support evidence-informed decision-making! Learn more: www.3ieimpact.org
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Annette N. Brown @anbrown.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Wherein @gamblingondev.bsky.social quotes the Spice Girls and uses game theory to help researchers think about how to be more policy influential. Great @voxdev.bsky.social read with useful links. voxdev.org/topic/educat...
voxdev.org
Best buys meet political realities: The political economy of education research
Why do policymakers choose education reforms that aren’t supported by evidence? And how can researchers work with them to implement interventions with better outcomes? These are thorny questions often...
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Brian Nosek @briannosek.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
If you want scholarly publishing to be more aligned with scholarly values, then try out Lifecycle Journal. If you embrace transparency, then you can do your research in the Lifecycle Journal without risking publishing in the existing system if you later decide to do so. A🧵 lifecyclejournal.org
lifecyclejournal.org
Lifecycle Journal | Adding trust to your research, from conception through completion
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 18/03/2025
Breaking News: A judge found that Elon Musk’s effort to shutter USAID most likely violated the Constitution, and ordered its operations partially restored.
nytimes.com
Elon Musk’s Role in Dismantling USAID Likely Violated Constitution, Judge Finds
It appears to be the first time a federal judge has acted to constrain Elon Musk, a top adviser to President Trump. The judge also ordered agency functions be partially restored, though that relief co...
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Esteban J. Quiñones, Ph.D. @estebanjq.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 bsky.app/profile/este...
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Esteban J. Quiñones, Ph.D. @estebanjq.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Check out USAID’s Agriculture ties to by state drive.google.com/drive/mobile...
USAID Ag ties by stateUSAID Ag ties IllinoisUSAID Ag ties WisconsinUSAID Ag ties Florida
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