Revealed community equivalence scales

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Olken, BA
• 署名单位: Harvard University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.03.003
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 545-566
• 关键词: equivalence scale; child cost

摘要

This paper estimates the equivalence scale revealed by discretionary community allocations of welfare benefits to poor households. I apply the proposed approach to a subsidized rice program in Indonesia in which villages designated program beneficiaries, and estimate the equivalence scale implicit in the beneficiaries they selected. I find that the revealed community equivalence scale for this program lies much closer to per capita expenditure than traditional demand-based equivalence scales, particularly in the poorest communities. This suggests that per capita expenditure may be closer to how poor communities actually compare households when allocating aid than previously thought. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.