Most social scientists, policymakers, and citizens who support the welfare state do so in part because

they believe social-welfare programs help to reduce the incidence of poverty. Yet a growing number
of critics assert that such programs in fact fail to decrease poverty, because too small a share of
transfers actually reaches the poor, or because such programs create a welfare/poverty trap, or
because they weaken the economy. This study assesses the effects of social-welfare policy
extensiveness on poverty rates across fifteen affluent industrialized nations over the period 1960–91,
using both absolute and relative measures of poverty. The results strongly support the conventional
view that social-welfare programs reduce poverty.

Abstract

This article tells the story of poverty in Myanmar from a policy perspective. It
employs an unprecedented household-level dataset on Mawlamyine
Township to provide hitherto-lacking measurements of the extent of poverty
and inequality, as well as the significant causes of that poverty. It then uses
the expenditure and income behaviour of residents to interpret the ability of
the population to meet their food and non-food basic needs. Since poverty,
its proximate causes, the prices of food and other necessities are all
amenable to policy interventions, the artilce then identifies the most effective
policies for alleviating poverty in Myanmar.

RÉSUMÉ Cet article présente une perspective factuelle de la pauvreté au

Myanmar. L'article tente de déterminer la capacité de la population à
satisfaire ses besoins essentiels, alimentaires et immédiats. Les analyses
relatives à l'état de pauvretés, aux inégalités et à leurs causes respectives,
sont conduites à l'aide de données inédites sur les ménages de la région de
Mawlamyine. Sachant que les politiques publiques sont susceptibles d'influer
sur la pauvreté, ce travail identifie les mesures les plus susceptibles de
combattre cette dernière au Myanmar.

Note

As we shall see, Myanmar's officially reported figures are likely false.

A popular practical method of setting poverty lines that is realised by finding

the consumption expenditure or income level at which food energy intake is
just sufficient to meet predetermined food energy requirements
(Ravallion Citation1998).

This method requires a consumption bundle that is adequate for basic

consumption needs. It then estimates its cost for each of the subgroups
being compared in the poverty profile. It has since then been followed in
many studies for both developed and developing countries
(Ravallion Citation1998).

Responses to question 5 (policy recommendations) will be given along the

way as the analysis of the other four questions proceeds.

Asian Development Bank predicts Myanmar's poverty was further

exacerbated by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

The remaining category of expenditures is for other basic non-essential

goods and food items.

Reflected in this case by receiving tips.

Reflected in this case the value of remittances.

Abstract

Across Southeast Asia, agricultural growth has historically been a major driver of overall
economic growth and poverty reduction (Christiaensen, Demery, and Kuhl 2011).1 Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam all enjoyed rapid agricultural growth as part of their successful
development over the past several decades. Given broad similarities in the economic structures
of these countries in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in comparison with Myanmar today, the
historical evidence suggests that rapid agricultural growth in Myanmar has the potential to be
the engine for broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction. Moreover, the current
democratic reforms in Myanmar create opportunities for development of agricultural and
economic policies for greater food security and poverty reduction.

Abstract

Rural finance has long been an important tool for poverty reduction and rural development
by donors and governments, but the impacts have been controversial. Measuring impact is
challenging due to identification problems caused by selection bias and governments’
targeted interventions, while randomised trial data are scarce and limited to contexts
where little to no rural finance exists. Using an author-collected dataset, we provide
insights on a large-scale long-lasting subsidised rice credit programme in Myanmar, one of
the poorest and, until recently, most economically isolated countries in Asia. Identification
relies on a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, exploiting an arbitrary element to the
credit provision rule which is based on rice landholding size. Although we find little
evidence that rice yield or output is increased, we do see that the programme has some
positive effects on total household income, suggesting a positive spillover effect on other
farm income activities.

Abstract

States require a measure of poverty that captures all family resources net of taxes and
nondiscretionary expenses and uses thresholds reflecting current needs in the state to
assess the well-being of families under current and alternative policies. This paper
describes the implementation of a poverty measure for the State of Connecticut based on
the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences, and it describes the potential
antipoverty effects of changes in child care, adult education, and child support policies. The
paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges in implementing a modern poverty
measure and in simulating policy alternatives. © 2010 by the Association for Public Policy
Analysis and Management.