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Levels and Targeting of Social Benefits in Global Perspective: Combatting Poverty through Social Policy

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  • Tommy Ferrarini
  • Kenneth Nelson
  • Joakim Palme

Abstract

This study investigates an old question that has re-emerged in social policy-making and in analyses of global social development: to what extent does targeting and size of social transfers matter for poverty? Using multilevel logistic regression and LIS income data for 40 middle- and high-income countries, we show that the size of transfer income has greater explanatory value for cross-country differences in poverty than the degree of targeting of transfer income. The results are remarkably robust in terms of estimated individual-level and country-level compositional and confounding factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Tommy Ferrarini & Kenneth Nelson & Joakim Palme, 2015. "Levels and Targeting of Social Benefits in Global Perspective: Combatting Poverty through Social Policy," LIS Working papers 647, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:lis:liswps:647
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    1. Timothy Smeeding & Gunther Schmaus & Brigitte Buhmann & Lee Rainwater, 1988. "Equivalence Scales, Well-Being, Inequality and Poverty: Sensitivity Estimates Across Ten Countries Using the LIS Database," LIS Working papers 17, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    2. Armando Barrientos & David Hulme, 2009. "Social Protection for the Poor and Poorest in Developing Countries: Reflections on a Quiet Revolution," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(4), pages 439-456.
    3. Shaohua Chen & Martin Ravallion, 2010. "The Developing World is Poorer than We Thought, But No Less Successful in the Fight Against Poverty," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 125(4), pages 1577-1625.
    4. Brigitte Buhmann & Lee Rainwater & Guenther Schmaus & Timothy M. Smeeding, 1988. "Equivalence Scales, Well‐Being, Inequality, And Poverty: Sensitivity Estimates Across Ten Countries Using The Luxembourg Income Study (Lis) Database," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 34(2), pages 115-142, June.
    5. repec:bla:revinw:v:34:y:1988:i:2:p:115-42 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Barrientos, Armando & Nino-Zarazua, Miguel, 2010. "Social Assistance in Developing Countries Database Version 5.0," MPRA Paper 20001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    Cited by:

    1. Koen Caminada & Jinxian Wang & Kees Goudswaard & Chen Wang, 2019. "Relative Income Poverty Rates and Poverty Alleviation via Tax/benefit Systems in 49 LIS-Countries, 1967-2016," LIS Working papers 761, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    2. Stefano Boscolo & Giovanni Gallo, 2024. "The Struggle of Being Poor and Claimant: Evidence on the Non-Take-Up of Social Policies in Italy," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 10(2), pages 625-648, July.

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