A natural experiment always has a control group, which is affected by the policy change, and a treatment group, which is not affected by the policy change.

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In a natural experiment, there is no random assignment of participants to a control or treatment group, so there is not a traditional control group that is unaffected by the policy change. Instead, the treatment group is compared to a group that is similar but not directly affected by the policy change, such as a different geographic area or time period. This is known as a comparison group.

A Natural Experiment Always Has a Control Group, Which Is