On the Unequal Inequality of Poor Communities
Communities differ in important ways in their needs, capacities, and circumstances. Because central governments are not able to discern these differences fully, they seek to achieve their policy objectives by relying on decentralized mechanisms tha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/09/17747618/unequal-inequality-poor-communities http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16434 |
| Summary: | Communities differ in important ways in
their needs, capacities, and circumstances. Because central
governments are not able to discern these differences fully,
they seek to achieve their policy objectives by relying on
decentralized mechanisms that use local information.
Household and individual characteristics within communities
can also vary substantially. A growing body of theoretical
literature suggests that inequality within communities can
influence policy outcomes in ways that are either harmful or
helpful, depending on the circumstances. Until recently,
empirical investigations into the impact of inequality have
been held back by a lack of systematic evidence on
community-level inequality. This study uses household survey
and population census data to estimate per capita
consumption inequality within communities in three
developing economies. It finds that communities vary
markedly in their degree of inequality. It also shows that
there should be no presumption that inequality is less
severe in poor communities. The kind of community-level
inequality estimates generated here can be used in designing
and evaluating decentralized antipoverty programs. |
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