For media and policy inquiries: andreas.madestam@su.se.
Policy and public debate
Why doesn’t research play a greater role in aid decisions?
Chapter in Biståndsinfo för alla, edited by Clara Fröman, Fores, 2026.
The chapter examines how organizational incentives affect the use of research in development aid decisions. Book in Swedish.
Biståndspengarna ska inte gå till konsulter och tidskrifter
With Jakob Svensson. DN Debatt, Dagens Nyheter, 2025 (in Swedish).
Op-ed on research and evaluation in Swedish development aid.
Rothsteins kritik svagt underbyggd och felaktig
With Niklas Bengtsson, Martina Björkman-Nyqvist, and Miri Stryjan. DN Debatt, Dagens Nyheter, 2019 (in Swedish).
Reply in the debate on randomized field experiments in development economics.
Låt Sadev gå i graven
With Jakob Svensson. Brännpunkt, Svenska Dagbladet, 2012 (in Swedish).
Op-ed on the organization of development aid evaluation.
Research in the media
Selected reporting and commentary on my research. Links to the papers and additional coverage are available on the Research page.
Historical aerial photographs
Beer, luck and robots: How scientists rescued a map to Earth’s past
E&E News, 2024.
Historisk “Google Earth” guldgruva för forskare
Svenska Dagbladet, 2024 (in Swedish).
Repayment flexibility and risk taking
Some of our favorite development papers of 2018
David McKenzie, World Bank Development Impact blog, 2018.
Discussion of the research on flexible microfinance contracts, with a follow-up in March 2019.
Political protests
Protests shape policy by shaping protesters
Jennifer Hadden, The Washington Post, 2014.
The Women’s March could change politics like the Tea Party did
Erica Chenoweth and Jeremy Pressman, The Guardian, 2018.
Further coverage and discussion: The Economist · Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish).
Gender and credit
Rampant gender bias with lending to borrowers of the opposite sex
FT Adviser, 2014.
Contraception and children’s health
Coverage of Children of the Pill: Dagens Medicin · Dagens Nyheter (both in Swedish).
National celebrations and political preferences
Fourth of July Celebrators More Likely to Become Republicans
ABC News, 2011.
Do July 4th Parades Turn Kids into Republicans?
TIME, 2011.
Research summaries and commentary
By me and my coauthors
COVID-19, SMEs, and workers: Findings from Uganda
With Selim Gulesci, Francesco Loiacono, and Miri Stryjan. International Growth Centre, report, 2020.
Flexible credit repayment and risk taking in Bangladesh
With Marianna Battaglia and Selim Gulesci. VoxDev, 2019.
Repayment flexibility and risk taking: Evidence from credit contract
With Marianna Battaglia and Selim Gulesci. VoxEU, 2019.
Contractual Structure, Borrower Selection, and Hypothetical Loan Demand: Survey Evidence from Uganda
With Selim Gulesci and Miri Stryjan. PEDL Research Note, 2014.
Pillrens barn: effekten av att subventionera p-piller på barns hälsa och välbefinnande
With Emilia Simeonova. Jordemodern, 2013 (in Swedish).
Sex and credit: Is there a gender bias in lending?
With Thorsten Beck and Patrick Behr. VoxEU, 2012.
Related summary by Thorsten Beck: World Bank’s All About Finance blog, 2013.
University research summaries
Old aerial photos provide a new outlook on 20th century history
Stockholm University, 2024.
Fireworks in the voting booth
Harvard Gazette, 2011.