The politics of poverty reduction

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Title:

Author:

Mosley, Paul.

ISBN:

9780199692125

Personal Author:

Mosley, Paul.

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2012.

Physical Description:

xvi, 411 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.

Contents:

pt. 1 Analysis and policy recommendations -- 1.Introduction -- 2.A short history of `pro-poor policy' 1970-2010 -- 3.Building blocks in a poverty strategy -- 4.Political violence, state instability, and poverty -- 5.Pro-poor fiscal strategies -- 6.Institutions, state capacity, and poverty -- 7.The global politics of poverty reduction -- 8.Summary and conclusions -- pt. 2 Case studies -- 9.Argentina / Jean Grugel and Pia Riggirozzi -- 10.Bolivia / Paul Mosley -- 11.Indonesia and Malaysia / Ben Thirkell-White -- 12.Russia / Paul Mosley and Altay Mussurov -- 13.Four African case studies: Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe / Sue Bowden and Paul Mosley.

Abstract:

Poor people everywhere are politically weak, and yet poverty in some developing countries has gone down dramatically. Why is this? Using nine country case-studies this book provides answers by examining government alliances; policies on labour, tax, and expenditure; and the role of aid donors and NGOs.

Subject Term:

Poverty -- Political aspects.

Poverty -- Case studies.

Added Author:

Chiripanhura, Blessing.

Grugel, Jean.

Thirkell-White, Ben, 1971-

Copies:

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Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025570728	362.5 M912P 2012	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Globally, there is a commitment to eliminate poverty; and yet the politics that have caused anti-poverty policies to succeed in some countries and to fail in others have been little studied. The Politics of Poverty Reduction focuses on these political processes. Analysis is based partly on global comparisons and partly on case-studies of nine countries that span the developing world. Where governments are politically weak, they need to make alliances with other groups to stay in power, and where these have been with low-income groups, the result may be a lasting and effective pro-poor strategy. Often pro-poor policies have been brought in not with progressive intentions, but out of fear that the state will fall apart unless pro-poor elements are incorporated into government, and the most effective regimes in reducing poverty have seldom been the kindest and most benevolent. Ability to provide the poor with access to key markets, in particular labour and capital, is crucial, and this in turn requires fiscal strength. Two crucial elements in the story are the ability to frame labour-intensive policies (given that labour is often the only thing that poor people are able to sell) and the design of effective tax and expenditure policies. Aid donors can make a key contribution, partly through reinforcing recipients' fiscal capacity, but much more through providing technical support of the right kind.