Social protection programs have become increasingly widespread in low-and middle-
income countries, with their own distinct characteristics to match the environments in which …

Traditionally focused on external constraints, economists are increasingly recognizing the
importance of internal constraints that reflect perceptions as much as reality. Perceived self …

We propose a framework for understanding the role of hope and aspirations in economic
development. We review literature related to hope from philosophy, theology, and …

Poor people often do not make investments, even when returns are high. One possible
explanation is that they have low aspirations and form mental models of their future …

Agricultural advisory services are generally biased towards men, with information targeted
mainly to male members within the household, and in formats that often reinforce male …

We meta-analyze for impact and cost-effectiveness 94 studies from 47 conditional cash
transfer programs in low-and middle-income countries worldwide, focusing on educational …

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the deep inadequacies in the current system of
childcare provision, including uneven access, poor quality, the need for public finance, poor …

A large literature has demonstrated the link between poverty and mental ill-health. Yet, the
potential causal effects of poverty alleviation measures on mental disorders are not well …

This article reviews the literature on aspirations in economics, with a particular focus on
socially determined aspirations. The core theory builds on two fundamental principles:(a) …

Citizens' aspirations are increasingly recognized as an important dimension of their well-
being. Those with high aspirations set ambitious goals for themselves, and those with low …