2021 | Joshua Angrist

Angrist was cited for his work establishing new methods of conducting “natural experiments” in economics — studies using data in which otherwise similar groups of people are separated by crucial variables, allowing researchers to better understand cause and effect in complex social situations. Natural experiments, as the Nobel citation states, are “a rich source of knowledge. Their research has substantially improved our ability to answer key causal questions, which has been of great benefit to society.” Angrist is honored along with David Card and Guido Imbens.