This article explains how large-scale random-assignment social experiments such as the Canadian Self-Sufficiency Project can address important sociological and developmental issues. The authors begin with an explanation of how random assignment solves the bias problem that plagues most research based on sample surveys. They then review methods and results from two recent sets of random-assignment experiments, one manipulating family economic conditions and the other manipulating neighborhood conditions. The authors conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the experimental approach.
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