Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options
Social safety nets are often seen as short-term palliatives or, worse, wastes of scarce money in developing economies. Critics point to leakages of benefits to non-targeted groups (i.e., the non-poor) or the policies' potential adverse effects...
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/01/6240139/targeted-transfers-poor-countries-revisiting-trade-offs-policy-options http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11815 |
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okr-10986-118152021-04-23T14:02:57Z Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options Whitehead, Tim CAPITAL ACCUMULATION CHRONIC POVERTY ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES EDUCATION PROGRAMS EXTERNAL TRADE GROWTH RATES HIGH INEQUALITY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INCOME INEQUALITY INFLATION INSURANCE MARGINAL PRODUCT MARKET FAILURES NEGATIVE IMPACT OUTPUT GROWTH PERSONAL SAVINGS POLICY OPTIONS POOR POOR AREAS POOR COUNTRIES POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY TRAPS PRO-POOR PRO-POOR GROWTH PRODUCTIVITY PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC GOODS REDUCING INEQUALITY SAFETY NET SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAVINGS SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TARGETED SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TARGETED TRANSFERS TARGETING TARGETING MECHANISMS TRANSFER PROGRAMS UNEMPLOYMENT Social safety nets are often seen as short-term palliatives or, worse, wastes of scarce money in developing economies. Critics point to leakages of benefits to non-targeted groups (i.e., the non-poor) or the policies' potential adverse effects on the incentives to work or save. Even supporters of social safety nets often view their benefits solely in terms of equity. These policies are rarely seen as an integral part of a strategy for fostering economic growth and poverty reduction. Indeed, many observers have argued that there are significant trade-offs between spending public money on such programs and long-term poverty reduction. Theory and evidence suggest that there may be scope for policies to alleviate current poverty and uninsured risk, and at the same time, to enhance economic efficiency. There have been a number of successful transfer schemes. However, in drawing implications for future policies, targeted transfers may not dominate other options such as fostering new institutions for credit provision, better enforcement of property rights, and supply-side interventions in schooling and healthcare. Theory and evidence suggest that the trade-offs between traditional safety net goals and efficiency have probably been exaggerated. A new approach to social safety nets would recognize their potential to enhance growth and emphasize careful design and evaluation to ensure that that potential is realized. 2012-08-13T16:06:07Z 2012-08-13T16:06:07Z 2003-01 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/01/6240139/targeted-transfers-poor-countries-revisiting-trade-offs-policy-options http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11815 English Social Safety Nets Primer Notes; No. 13 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Brief Publications & Research Africa |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
CAPITAL ACCUMULATION CHRONIC POVERTY ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES EDUCATION PROGRAMS EXTERNAL TRADE GROWTH RATES HIGH INEQUALITY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INCOME INEQUALITY INFLATION INSURANCE MARGINAL PRODUCT MARKET FAILURES NEGATIVE IMPACT OUTPUT GROWTH PERSONAL SAVINGS POLICY OPTIONS POOR POOR AREAS POOR COUNTRIES POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY TRAPS PRO-POOR PRO-POOR GROWTH PRODUCTIVITY PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC GOODS REDUCING INEQUALITY SAFETY NET SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAVINGS SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TARGETED SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TARGETED TRANSFERS TARGETING TARGETING MECHANISMS TRANSFER PROGRAMS UNEMPLOYMENT |
| spellingShingle |
CAPITAL ACCUMULATION CHRONIC POVERTY ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES EDUCATION PROGRAMS EXTERNAL TRADE GROWTH RATES HIGH INEQUALITY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INCOME INEQUALITY INFLATION INSURANCE MARGINAL PRODUCT MARKET FAILURES NEGATIVE IMPACT OUTPUT GROWTH PERSONAL SAVINGS POLICY OPTIONS POOR POOR AREAS POOR COUNTRIES POVERTY REDUCTION POVERTY TRAPS PRO-POOR PRO-POOR GROWTH PRODUCTIVITY PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC GOODS REDUCING INEQUALITY SAFETY NET SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAVINGS SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TARGETED SOCIAL SAFETY NETS TARGETED TRANSFERS TARGETING TARGETING MECHANISMS TRANSFER PROGRAMS UNEMPLOYMENT Whitehead, Tim Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options |
| geographic_facet |
Africa |
| relation |
Social Safety Nets Primer Notes; No. 13 |
| description |
Social safety nets are often seen as
short-term palliatives or, worse, wastes of scarce money in
developing economies. Critics point to leakages of benefits
to non-targeted groups (i.e., the non-poor) or the
policies' potential adverse effects on the incentives
to work or save. Even supporters of social safety nets often
view their benefits solely in terms of equity. These
policies are rarely seen as an integral part of a strategy
for fostering economic growth and poverty reduction. Indeed,
many observers have argued that there are significant
trade-offs between spending public money on such programs
and long-term poverty reduction. Theory and evidence suggest
that there may be scope for policies to alleviate current
poverty and uninsured risk, and at the same time, to enhance
economic efficiency. There have been a number of successful
transfer schemes. However, in drawing implications for
future policies, targeted transfers may not dominate other
options such as fostering new institutions for credit
provision, better enforcement of property rights, and
supply-side interventions in schooling and healthcare.
Theory and evidence suggest that the trade-offs between
traditional safety net goals and efficiency have probably
been exaggerated. A new approach to social safety nets would
recognize their potential to enhance growth and emphasize
careful design and evaluation to ensure that that potential
is realized. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Brief |
| author |
Whitehead, Tim |
| author_facet |
Whitehead, Tim |
| author_sort |
Whitehead, Tim |
| title |
Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options |
| title_short |
Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options |
| title_full |
Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options |
| title_fullStr |
Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries : Revisiting Trade-Offs and Policy Options |
| title_sort |
targeted transfers in poor countries : revisiting trade-offs and policy options |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/01/6240139/targeted-transfers-poor-countries-revisiting-trade-offs-policy-options http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11815 |
| _version_ |
1764418093357989888 |