Working Paper: NBER ID: w28074
Authors: Abhijit Banerjee; Esther Duflo; Garima Sharma
Abstract: This paper studies the long-run effects of a "big-push" program providing a large asset transfer to the poorest Indian households. In a randomized controlled trial that follows these households over 10 years, we find positive effects on consumption (0.6 SD), food security (0.1 SD), income (0.3 SD), and health (0.2 SD). These effects grow for the first seven years following the transfer and persist until year 10. One main channel for persistence is that treated households take better advantage of opportunities to diversify into more lucrative wage employment, especially through migration.
Keywords: Targeting the Ultra Poor; Poverty Alleviation; Randomized Controlled Trial; Economic Well-being; Long-term Effects
JEL Codes: I32; I38; O12; O15; O22
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| TUP program (C87) | per capita consumption (E20) |
| TUP program (C87) | food security (Q18) |
| TUP program (C87) | income levels (J31) |
| TUP program (C87) | migration (F22) |
| migration (F22) | economic opportunities (J68) |