Targeting Impact versus Deprivation

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2025
Volume: 115
Issue: 6
Pages: 1936-74

Authors (5)

Johannes Haushofer (not in RePEc) Paul Niehaus (not in RePEc) Carlos Paramo (not in RePEc) Edward Miguel (not in RePEc) Michael Walker (University of California-Berke...)

Score contribution per author:

1.609 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

A large literature has examined how best to target antipoverty programs to those most deprived in some sense (e.g., consumption). We examine the potential trade-off between this objective and targeting those most impacted by such programs. We work in the context of an NGO cash transfer program in Kenya, employing recent advances in machine learning methods and dynamic outcome data to learn proxy means tests that jointly target both objectives. Targeting solely on the basis of deprivation is not attractive in this setting under standard social welfare criteria unless the planner's preferences are extremely redistributive.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:115:y:2025:i:6:p:1936-74
Journal Field
General
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-29