Cash transfers, children and the crisis : protecting current and future investments

Developing countries have responded to the multiple shocks from the food, fuel and finance crises of 2008-2009 with a mix of responses aimed at both mitigating the immediate impacts of the crises on households (and particularly children), and protecting future investments in human capital. While some countries have introduced new safety net programs, others have modified and/or expanded existing ones. Since many countries have introduced conditional cash transfers (CCTs) in recent years, these programs have been used as an important starting point for a response. This paper aims to describe how conditional cash transfers have been used by different countries to respond to the crises (e.g. by expanding coverage and/or increasing benefit amounts), distill lessons about their effectiveness as crisis-response programs, identify design features that can facilitate their ability to respond to transient poverty shocks, and assess how they can complement other safety net programs.Safety Nets and Transfers,Services&Transfers to Poor,Access to Finance,Labor Policies,Debt Markets

Making services work : indicators, assessments, and benchmarking of the quality and governance of public service delivery in the human development sectors

Improving governance is central to improving results in human development. It is clear that money is not enough: improved outcomes from service delivery require better governance, including mechanisms for holding service providers accountable and appropriate incentives for performance. There is therefore a growing demand for indicators to measure how and whether these processes work, and how they affect health and education results. This paper makes the case for measuring governance policies and performance, and the quality of service delivery in health and education. It develops a framework for selecting and measuring a set of indicators and proposes options, drawing from new and innovative measurement tools and approaches. The paper proposes the adoption of a more systematic approach that will both facilitate the work of health and education policymakers and allow for cross-country comparisons and benchmarking.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Governance Indicators,Public Sector Corruption&Anticorruption Measures,Poverty Monitoring&Analysis,Public Sector Expenditure Policy

Executive Power and the People: Does the President Care What You Think?

I sought to examine the relationship between public approval of the president and his subsequent behavior. Specifically, I looked at the relationship between public approval and signing statement usage along with their usage following the 2006 outcry against President Bush\u27s use of them

May S. Ringold to Dr. Silver, 16 November 1959

Personal correspondenc

A Judge\u27s Personal Perspective on Criminal Sentencing

The imposition of sanctions on convicted offenders is a principal vehicle for accomplishing the goals of the criminal law. An appropriate sentencing disposition is as important to the integrity of our system of justice as is the just determination of guilt. Yet the problems, questions, frustrations and self-analysis involved in the sentencing process are complex and heavy burdens. Each judge required to impose a criminal sentence is faced with the difficult tasks of determining the future life of the individual before him or her, balancing the impact on the individual with the needs of society, and drawing the line between the rights of the individual and the interests of the State. The judge must recognize that the consequences of every sentence pronounced extend far into the future and affect the defendant, his family, and society

May Ringold to Dr. Silver, 22 October 1962

Personal correspondenc

Biophysical Measures to Support Analysis and Communication of Existence Values

A recent focus of ecosystem services research has been on the definition of biophysical outcomes and measures most closely linked to social welfare. There is a particular need to identify biophysical outcomes corresponding to existence values. (Values associated with existence apart from any current or future use.) We review economic and ecological evidence to answer two key questions: First, what are ideal characteristics of linking indicators for existence values? Linking indicators should be: understandable, subject to direct sensory perception, represented at relevant temporal and spatial scales, comprehensive, and quantifiable in a repeatable manner. Second, what types of ecosystem outcomes are most likely to be associated with these values? We distinguish between indicators of taxa and ecological landscapes, and then multiple subcategories within each. Our fundamental conclusion is that while there are general principles informing the specification of linking indicators of existence values, there is no compact set of indicators or measures that applies universally. The case-specific nature of these issues — general guidelines notwithstanding — implies the need for sustained partnerships between social and biophysical scientists to address questions of indicator choice. © 2023 J. Boyd, R. J. Johnston and P. Ringold