scholarly journals Are electoral autocracies better for the poor? Evidence from social assistance programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205316802095015
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Fails
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Electoral Authoritarianism ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
Playing Fields ◽  
The Impact

Autocratic elections occur on uneven playing fields, yet their regular contestation compels ruling parties to pay attention to citizens’ demands. This claim is at the heart of research linking multiparty elections in autocracies to improvements in human development. Recent work, however, casts doubt on the theoretical and empirical basis of such claims. This paper addresses this debate by focusing specifically on the adoption of social assistance programs, an often theorized but seldom examined link in the chain connecting electoral autocracy with improvements in human development. I demonstrate that electoral autocracies are more likely to adopt these programs than closed autocracies and that the impact largely works through within-country changes in the presence of electoral authoritarianism. The results are consistent with the argument that such regimes are more responsive to citizens’ demands. However, they also remind researchers that the goal of such regimes is to win elections; there is little preventing them from crafting targeted social policies that secure the loyalty of the voting public but without the attendant improvements in broad measures of human development. I conclude with suggestions for how future research can better understand how authoritarian governance shapes development outcomes.

Food banks, welfare, and food insecurity in Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (9) ◽  
pp. 1405-1417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Tarasuk ◽  
Naomi Dachner ◽  
Rachel Loopstra
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Food Assistance ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Similar to the recent emergence of food banks in other affluent nations, the genesis and ultimate entrenchment of food banks in Canada has been tightly intertwined with the dismantling of the welfare state. Through an examination of Canadian data, the authors elucidate the implications of entrenching voluntary, extra-governmental, charitable food assistance programs as an adjunct to publicly funded social assistance programs. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Publicly available food bank reports, population health survey data, and the results of a study of low-income families in Toronto are reviewed to examine the food security status of social assistance recipients and their use of food banks. Findings – In 2012, 70 percent of households in Canada who were reliant on social assistance were food insecure. Social assistance recipients comprise at least half of food bank clientele and have done so for as long as this information has been tracked, but the assistance provided by food banks appears insufficient to alter households’ food insecurity. Although food banks currently distribute over 200 million pounds of food annually, the scale of their operations pales in comparison to the food needs of those who seek their help. Originality/value – In the 30 years since food banks began in Canada, there has been considerable research into this response, as well as extensive population monitoring of food insecurity. Canada provides an informative case study of an affluent country's long-term dependency on charitable food assistance and the impact this has on the food insecurity of those reliant on social assistance programs.

scholarly journals Do remittances promote human development? Empirical evidence from developing countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1173-1185
Author(s):  
Chong Siew Huay ◽  
Jonathan Winterton ◽  
Yasmin Bani ◽  
Bolaji Tunde Matemilola
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
Dynamic Panel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Panel Estimates ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of remittances on human development in developing countries using panel data from 1980 to 2014 and to address the critical question of whether the increasing trend of remittances has any impact on human development in a broad range of developing countries. Design/methodology/approach Usual panel estimates, such as pooled OLS, fixed or random effects model, possess specification issues such as endogeneity, heterogeneity and measurement errors. In this paper, we, therefore, apply dynamic panel estimates – System generalised method of moment (Sys-GMM) developed by Arellano and Bond (1991) and Arellano and Bover (1995). This estimator is able to control for the endogeneity of all the explanatory variables, account for unobserved country-specific effects that cannot be done using country dummies due to the dynamic structure of the model (Azman-Saini et al., 2010). Findings The effect of remittances is statistically significant with positive coefficients in developing countries. The significant coefficient of remittances means that, holding other variables constant, a rise in remittance inflows is associated with improvements in human development. A 10 per cent increase in remittances will lead to an increase of approximately 0.016 per cent in human development. These findings are consistent with Üstubuci and Irdam (2012) and Adenutsi (2010), who found evidence that remittances are positively correlated with human development. Practical implications The paper considers implications for policymakers to justify the need for more effective approaches. Policymakers need to consider indicators of human development and to devise public policies that promote income, health and education, to enhance human development. Originality/value The question of whether remittances affect human development has rarely been subject to systematic empirical study. Extant research does not resolve the endogeneity problem, whereas the present study provides empirical evidence by utilising dynamic panel estimators such as Sys-GMM to tackle the specification issues of endogeneity, measurement errors and heterogeneity. The present study provides a benchmark for future research on the effect of remittances on human development.

The Law’s Majestic Equality? The Distributive Impact of Judicializing Social and Economic Rights

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 375-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Brinks ◽  
Varun Gauri
Keyword(s):  
Legal Mobilization ◽  
Collective Effects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Economic Rights ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Direct Benefits ◽  
Legal Contexts ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Social And Economic Rights

While many find cause for optimism about the use of law and rights for progressive ends, the academic literature has long been skeptical that courts favor the poor. We show that, with the move toward a robust “new constitutionalism” of social and economic rights, the assumptions underlying the skepticism do not always hold. Our theories must account for variation in the elite bias of law and litigation. In particular, we need to pay closer attention to the broad, collective effects of legal mobilization, rather than focusing narrowly on the litigants and the direct benefits they receive. We support the claim by showing that litigation pursued in legal contexts that create the expectation of collective effects is more likely to avoid the potential anti-poor bias of courts. On the other hand, policy areas dominated by individual litigation and individualized effects are more likely to experience regressive outcomes. Using data on social and economic rights cases in four countries, we estimate the potential pro-poor impact of litigation by examining whether the poor are over- or under-represented among the beneficiaries of litigation. We find that the impact of courts is positive and very much pro-poor in India and South Africa, and slightly negative in Indonesia and Brazil. Overall, we challenge the tendency in the literature to focus on the direct effects of litigation, find that the results of litigation are more positive for the poor than the conventional wisdom would lead us to expect, and offer an explanation that accounts for part of the variation while raising a number of questions for future research.

scholarly journals Remittances, institutions and human development in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Umar Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lagged Dependent Variable ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between remittances, institutions and human development (HD) in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries using data from 2004 to 2018. The study attempts to answer two critical questions: Do the increasing remittances inflow to the region have any effect on human capital development? and does the effect of remittances on human development vary depending on the level of institutional quality?Design/methodology/approachThe analysis uses a dynamic model; system Generalized Method of Moments (Sys-GMM) as this approach controls for the endogeneity of the lagged dependent variable; thus, when there is a correlation between the explanatory variable and the error term, which is normally associated with remittances, it also controls for omitted variable bias, unobserved panel heterogeneity and measurement errors in the estimation.FindingsThe findings indicate a positive and significant impact of remittances on HD in SSA. The results further reveal a substitutional relationship between institutions and remittances in stimulating HD. The estimations mean that remittances promote HD in countries with a weak institutional environment. The findings also establish that the marginal significance of remittances as a source of capital for HD falls in countries with well-developed institutions.Originality/valueMost empirical research on the impact of remittances on HD does not tackle the problem of endogeneity associated with remittances. This study, however, provides empirical evidence by using Sys-GMM that solves the problem. The current study also is the first work to examine the relationship between remittances, institutions and HD in SSA and provides a new guide for future research on the remittance and HD nexus.

scholarly journals Boosting Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 123-145
Author(s):  
Jakkie Cilliers
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Future Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quantity Of Education ◽  
Education In Africa

AbstractIn this chapter Cilliers provides an overview of trends in education in Africa and compares that with progress in other regions. In addition to a review of common educational outcomes such as measuring years of schooling, he places attention on the poor quality of education and roles of gender exclusion. That is followed by a summary of future education requirements and a scenario, Boosting Education, that explores the impact of improvements in the quality and quantity of education in Africa while taking advantage of technology to promote learning outcomes and human development.

scholarly journals Food Insecurity and Child Development: A State-of-the-Art Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 8990
Author(s):  
Danielle Gallegos ◽  
Areana Eivers ◽  
Peter Sondergeld ◽  
Cassandra Pattinson
Keyword(s):  
Child Development ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Framework ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Converging research indicates that household food insecurity impedes children from reaching their full physical, cognitive, and psychosocial potential. This state-of-the-art review examines the last decade of research to: (1) describe the impact of the severity and persistence of food insecurity on child development; (2) use a socio-ecological framework to examine significant proximal and distal factors which may interplay; and (3) outline directions for future research. We conducted a systematic review of six databases of published papers from 2011 to June 2021. The search was limited to high-income countries and children aged from birth to 12 years. From 17,457 papers, 17 studies were included in the final review. Transitioning between food security and food insecurity had a significant and lasting effect on academic/cognitive function and behavior (i.e., externalizing), however less clear relationships were seen for psychosocial outcomes and other behaviors examined (i.e., internalizing). There was significant variation in the measurement and thresholds used to define both food insecurity and child development outcomes. Subsequently, comparisons across studies are difficult. Several future recommendations, including incorporation of socio-ecological factors, is provided. In conclusion, this review supports the link between food insecurity and sub-optimal child development; however, there is an imperative to improve and extend current understanding to ameliorate the causes of food insecurity.

scholarly journals The impact of social assistance programs on population health: a systematic review of research in high-income countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faraz V Shahidi ◽  
Chantel Ramraj ◽  
Odmaa Sod-Erdene ◽  
Vincent Hildebrand ◽  
Arjumand Siddiqi
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
High Income ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
The Impact

The social assistance policy in urban China: a critical review

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 403-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haomiao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Urban Poor ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
The Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess China’s urban social assistance policy, mainly by examining the findings of in-depth interviews with urban Dibao recipients in Chengdu about their experiences with social assistance, and by comparing what the social assistance offers with the urban poor households’ actual needs and vulnerabilities. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, the author interviewed 15 people from urban Dibao Households in Wuhou District and Qingyang District of Chengdu, China. The interviews were conducted from April to August in 2013, usually in their homes. The small sample naturally limits generalizations, however it can point to directions for future research. Findings – It is found out that urban Dibao which is the core of social assistance policy provides insufficient cash support and other special assistance programs are more of tokenistic which do not offer much help. Besides, due to lack of psychological aid, many recipients show negative and pessimistic attitudes toward life. Originality/value – Regarding the assessment of social assistance policy in China, the international literature has shown little interest. Several Chinese scholars have analyzed urban social assistance system, but they tend to examine or assess from the perspective of policy makers and focus on making policy suggestions. Thus, there is not much information about whether what the social assistance offers could meet the urban poor households’ actual needs and vulnerabilities. An interesting endeavor would be to explore and assess the urban social assistance policy from the perspective of the recipients, and this is exactly what this paper aims to do.

scholarly journals Non-Parametric Approach to Measuring Accuracy Of Social Assistance Programs in The Middle of Indonesian Economic Downturn

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-111
Author(s):  
Darman Saputra ◽  
Julia Julia
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Government Debt ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Non Parametric

This study aims to analyze the relationship and influence of social assistance on the number of poor people in Indonesia. There are control variables as a comparison, namely; unemployment, central government debt and economic growth. The research method used a quantitative approach with non-parametric statistics, annual data (2013-2020) and elasticity were used to measure the magnitude of changes in the number of poor people due to additional social assistance. Rank Spearman test to test the relationship of each variable (total unemployment, central government debt and economic growth) to the amount of poverty in Indonesia. The results showed that there was a very strong relationship between social assistance for Contribution Assistance Recipients (PBI) and the Family Hope Program (PKH) on the number of poor people. The negative sign indicates that social assistance can reduce poverty significantly, with the strongest impact being the PBI program. There is a strong relationship between debt and the number of poor people. The slowdown in economic growth is proven to be unrelated to the number of poor people, meaning that in the midst of an economic slowdown, the amount of poverty in Indonesia can be suppressed through social assistance programs, job creation as laborers and government debt is allocated for productive activities and economic activities that have a direct impact on the poor and vulnerable to poverty. Poverty alleviation efforts can be carried out by the government by synergizing social assistance programs and creating job opportunities according to the ability of the poor on average.

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