Prioritarian rates of return to antipoverty transfers. (29th December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barrientos, Armando; Dietrich, Stephan; Gassmann, Franziska; Malerba, Daniele
• Is Part Of: Journal of international development. Volume 34:Number 3(2022)
• Page Start: 550
• Page End: 563
• Publication Date: 2021-12-29
• Subjects: antipoverty transfers -- preferences for redistribution -- priority -- rate of return -- Uganda -- welfare weights; Economic development projects -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Economic policy -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Foreign economic relations -- Periodicals; Economic development -- Periodicals; 330.91724
• DOI: 10.1002/jid.3613
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-1748

Abstract

Abstract: A growing impact evaluation literature on antipoverty transfer programmes in low‐ and middle‐income countries measures changes in utilitarian terms, at their unit value. The paper argues that valuing antipoverty transfers is more appropriately done within a framework of prioritarian social welfare functions, as the very presence of these programmes indicates that polities place a greater value on gains and losses among the disadvantaged. The paper applies this framework to the Senior Citizen Grant in Uganda, including survey and experimental work throwing light on social preferences for redistribution. It finds that default utilitarian valuation significantly underestimates the social value of transfer programmes.