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Progress for the Poor

Lane Kenworthy author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:25th Aug '11

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

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Progress for the Poor cover

One of the principal goals of antipoverty efforts should be to improve the absolute living standards of the least well-off. This book aims to enhance our understanding of how to do that, drawing on the experiences of twenty affluent countries since the 1970s. The book addresses a set of questions at the heart of political economy and public policy: How much does economic growth help the poor? When and why does growth fail to trickle down? How can social policy help? Can a country have a sizeable low-wage sector yet few poor households? Are universal programs better than targeted ones? What role can public services play in antipoverty efforts? What is the best tax mix? Is more social spending better for the poor? If we commit to improvement in the absolute living standards of the least well-off, must we sacrifice other desirable outcomes?

This brief, concise book looks at the available data for industrialized countries in an attempt to compare the well-being of the least well-off and the effects of various government taxing and income support programs ... The questions Kenworthy asks are most important ... This volume is made more readable by relegating the data discussion to an appendix and by using footnotes. Highly recommended. * J.F O'Connell, CHOICE *
a well-written and comparatively well-argued book * Raphael Calel, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy *

ISBN: 9780199591527

Dimensions: 222mm x 151mm x 26mm

Weight: 354g

172 pages