Economics of Poverty

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course is designed for anyone interested in the challenge of massive and persistent world poverty. The course uses analytical tools from economics to study the determinants and the different dimensions of poverty. We will discuss the causes of poverty differences across countries, the measurement of poverty and inequality, the logic behind poverty traps and cash transfers, and the determinants of economic decision-making among poor households. What constraints do the poor face in their daily lives? What can governments do to eradicate poverty? Why do some policies against poverty succeed while others do not? While answering each of these questions, we will explore the various dimensions of the economic lives of the poor, including health and nutrition, education, access to credit and insurance, land markets and inequality, rural/urban migration, and gender inequality. Throughout the course, we will also study examples of actual policy interventions designed to reduce poverty, as well as the methods used to evaluate their impact.