The heterogeneous impact of conditional cash transfers

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Galiani, Sebastian; McEwan, Patrick J.
• 署名单位: University System of Maryland; University of Maryland College Park; Wellesley College
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2013.04.004
• 发表日期: 2013
• 页码: 85-96
• 关键词: Honduras; Conditional cash transfers; education; child labor; randomized experiment

摘要

The Honduran PRAF experiment randomly assigned conditional cash transfers to 40 of 70 poor municipalities, within five strata defined by a poverty proxy. Using census data, we show that eligible children were 8 percentage points more likely to enroll in school and 3 percentage points less likely to work. The effects were much larger in the two poorest strata, and statistically insignificant in the other three (the latter finding is robust to the use of a separate regression-discontinuity design). Heterogeneity confirms the importance of judicious targeting to maximize the impact and cost-effectiveness of CCTs. There is no consistent evidence of effects on ineligible children or on adult labor supply. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.