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Books in Welfare and poverty

  • Inequality, Democracy, and Growth in Brazil

    A Country at the Crossroads of Economic Development
    • 1st Edition
    • November 19, 2014
    • Marcos Mendes
    • English
    In terms accessible to non-economists, Marcos José Mendes describes the ways democracy and inequality produce low growth in the short and medium terms. In the longer term, he argues that Brazil has two paths in front of it. One is to create the conditions necessary to boost economic performance and drive the country toward a high level of development. The other is to fail in untying the political knot that blocks growth, leaving it a middle-income country. The source of his contrasting futures for Brazil is inequality, which he demonstrates is a relevant variable in any discussion of economic growth. Inequality illuminates causes of seemingly-unconnecte... problems. This book, which includes freely-accessible documents and datasets, is the first in-depth analysis of an issue that promises to become increasingly prominent.

  • The Perception of Poverty

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 156
    • June 28, 2014
    • A.J.M. Hagenaars
    • English
    An attempt to define, measure and explain poverty is presented in this volume by means of a newly developed theoretical model. A combination of theory and empirical application is achieved by using the theoretical model on a sizeable data set derived from an extensive survey conducted in eight European countries. The nature of poverty is thereby empirically defined (and not a priori) as being the income level at which households feel that their income is just between sufficient and insufficient.An aggregate poverty index, associated with this poverty line definition, is calculated for each country and for subgroups within each country.Conclusions for social policy are drawn, describing which groups are at especially high risk of entering poverty, and who therefore need more specific policies. It is also discussed to what extent economic growth will eliminate poverty and which alternative measures are available.

  • Modelling Welfare State Reform

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 225
    • June 28, 2014
    • G.M.M. Gelauff + 1 more
    • English
    In order to analyze the economic effects of various policy proposals for reforming the welfare state a model has been developed called MIMIC. The structure of this model is presented in the first part of this book. The model combines various modern labour market theories with a detailed description of relevant labour market institutions in an applied general equilibrium context. The second part of the volume contains an elaborate presentation of the simulation results of MIMIC, such as various tax policies, a reduction in benefits or the official minimum wage, individualization of the tax and social security system and the introduction of negative income tax. The model has proved to be a unique instrument for policy evaluation for the Netherlands.

  • Theory and Practice of Managed Competition in Health Care Finance

    • 1st Edition
    • April 23, 2014
    • A.C. Enthoven
    • English
    These lectures review the research and experience on the subject of health care economy. The author also sets down a moderately rigorous statement of the economic concepts underlying the kind of competition that he regards as the most promising way to achieve a reasonable degree of equity and efficiency in health care. The first lecture is on the public policy goals of health care financing and delivery and discusses efficiency in health care. The second presents an economic analysis of the systems for organizing and financing medical care systems in the United States. The third lecture is about ``managed competition'', and the fourth reviews American experience with efforts to convert from the traditional system to a competitive system.The book is addressed primarily to economists, health policy makers and health services researchers. It explains how market forces may be managed in pursuit of equity and efficiency in health care. It addresses systematically many of the causes of market failure and proposes a strategy (``managed competition'') for overcoming them. It should be of interest to policy makers in any country interested in incentives for more efficient health care delivery. It should also be very useful supplemental reading for courses in health care economics.

  • The Private Sector’s Role in Poverty Reduction in Asia

    • 1st Edition
    • January 7, 2013
    • Scott Hipsher
    • English
    The private sector has an important role in poverty reduction in Asia. The Private Sector’s Role in Poverty Reduction in Asia argues that the best way to create sustainable projects is to create win-win situations where both private companies and individuals working their way out of poverty can benefit. The book provides a practical guide for managers and individuals working in the private sector in the least developed areas of Asia to help make a difference to the lives of others. The book’s opening chapter considers the private sector’s role in poverty reduction in Asia and following chapters discuss the variable nature of development, developing economy environments in Asia and business practices and strategies in these economies. A number of Asian economies are considered in turn, including: China; Vietnam; Thailand; Cambodia; Laos PDR; Southeast Asian countries; South Asian countries; Central Asian countries; and the Himalayas. The final chapter looks at creating sustainable win-win situations.